Mayday Assistance: Flexible funding to support emergency care
71%
better visibility into payment timing
£1.2m
supplier invoices paid through Lenkie
59%
reduction in manual finance admin
”
We needed a partner who could help us move quickly when supplier costs came due. Lenkie gave us the confidence to keep growing without letting cashflow slow the team down.
Maya El-Sayed
Managing Director, MayDay
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Overview
Who is Roseground?
Roseground is a fast-growing hospitality group that supplies fresh ingredients and ready-made meals to independent cafés, offices, and events teams across London. As demand grew, so did the pressure on working capital: larger orders meant higher supplier costs long before customer payments arrived.
The finance team had strong demand and reliable customers, but traditional funding options were too slow or too rigid for the day-to-day realities of supplier purchasing. They needed a flexible way to pay invoices quickly without interrupting operations or taking focus away from customers.
The Problem
Growth created pressure on supplier payments
Seasonal peaks made purchasing unpredictable. The team often had to commit to larger stock orders before revenue had fully landed, leaving them to choose between delaying growth opportunities or negotiating with suppliers under pressure.
The process also created unnecessary admin: every payment decision needed manual review, cashflow forecasts changed daily, and the team lacked a single clear view of when invoices could be paid.
Keeping stock moving: the team reviews supplier orders on the shop floor.
The Solution
Turning to Lenkie
Lenkie gave Roseground a simple way to pay supplier invoices immediately and spread the cost over time. Instead of waiting for customers to pay, the finance team could keep purchasing moving, maintain supplier trust, and protect cash reserves for daily operations.
The setup was designed around the team’s existing workflow: invoices could be uploaded quickly, reviewed clearly, and paid without adding more complexity to month-end finance routines.
Implementation
01
Needs assessment and invoice workflow review — Lenkie mapped the team’s supplier purchasing cadence and repayment preferences.
02
Supplier payments went live — invoices were uploaded and settled directly, giving the team a clearer payment schedule.
03
Ongoing optimisation — repayment terms and purchasing patterns were reviewed so the facility continued matching business needs.
Results
More confidence, fewer payment bottlenecks
With Lenkie, Roseground could take on larger opportunities without slowing down procurement. The finance team gained clearer visibility over payment schedules, suppliers were paid faster, and operational conversations shifted from “can we afford this order?” to “how quickly can we fulfil it?”
The partnership also helped leadership plan ahead. By smoothing purchasing costs over predictable repayment windows, the team could invest in growth while keeping day-to-day working capital stable.
Planning the next phase of growth with cash flow no longer a blocker.
“It’s inspiring to support a team that knows exactly where growth is coming from. Lenkie simply removed the friction between demand and delivery.”
Sanjeev Jeyakumar
CEO, Lenkie
Takeaway
Roseground’s story shows how flexible supplier finance can unlock growth without forcing small businesses into rigid funding cycles. By pairing fast invoice payments with predictable repayment terms, Lenkie helped the team turn demand into momentum.
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3 ways to really take control of your cash flow
For all small businesses, cash in the bank (and most importantly easy access to it) is crucial, but in today’s economy it’s more essential than ever.
With rising costs at every turn, and access to finance still one of the biggest challenges business owners face, it’s all too easy to suddenly find your business in a cash flow crunch.
So how can you adequately prepare? Is it possible to forecast accurately in such an unstable economy? And are there still viable finance options that won’t cost the earth
In this article, we’ll explore three easy ways to keep control of the money flowing in and out of your business accounts. You can jump straight to the most relevant section or read on to find more info on how to really take control of your cash flow.
Cash flow forecasting and modelling
Explore cash flow finance
Negotiate with suppliers
Forecast, forecast, forecast
Most business owners are time poor, so while you may be aware that you should be monitoring your cash flow closely, the realities of running a business can make that difficult.
And without the right tools, it can be hard to have true visibility of what lays ahead.
But while you may feel reluctant to invest time or money into cash flow modelling software, the truth is you could make significant savings in the long run.
With accessible, automated data, or even a simple cash flow forecast template, you can get a proactive insight of what’s coming. Whether it’s to help you plan adequately for upcoming expenses (like seasonal stock purchases or tax bills) or to ensure you’re not stung by late payment fees, you need to give your business enough time to source suitable finance to cover any shortfalls if you need to.
While forecasting accurately in today's unstable economy can be particularly challenging, it’s not impossible and scenario planning can help you prepare for multiple outcomes.
As your business grows, you can leverage past performance data and it’s also important to look outside of your individual business at wider economic indicators and industry trends.
Cash flow finance - Get a cash injection into the business
Taking the time to properly forecast should give you a clear idea of upcoming cash flow shortfalls.
Ideally your main source of revenue will be sales, but cash flow finance can help you cover any gaps.
What is cash flow finance? |
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Cash flow finance is a specific type of unsecured lending, designed to fund your working capital needs (this could be material costs, staff salaries, rent etc.). The repayment is always structured around your business's forecasted incoming cash, so you are effectively borrowing against future revenues. |
There are a range of finance options to consider:
Revolving credit facility – A flexible option that lets you borrow money for your business, repay it, and borrow more again whenever you're in need. At Lenkie, we can help you pay expenses immediately with repayment plans spread across up to 12 months.
Invoice financing – Secure funding against your outstanding customer invoices. This is especially helpful for businesses with long payment terms and high operational expenses.
Merchant cash advance – Rather than using your invoices, merchant cash gives you an advance on your card sales – so it’s particularly suited to retail businesses.
Small business cash flow loan – If you need a fixed amount of capital for a short-term need, a loan will give you a lump sum with a typical repayment period of between six months and two years.
The right funding for you will depend on your our specific business need, industry and credit history – and it's not free money, so make sure you explore the best option for your circumstance.
And finance isn’t the only way to help improve your cash flow, cutting costs is another great way to help keep more cash in the business.
Negotiate with suppliers – and shop around
Most people are now wise to shopping around for their consumer bills, from renegotiating your Sky contract to your personal car insurance, chances are you wouldn’t let yourself get stung. But with your business, it can be a lot harder to switch or negotiate with suppliers.
It could be that you don’t want to take the operational risk of changing, which is understandable, cheapest isn’t always best if it means compromising on quality. Or you may have longstanding relationships that you don’t want to disrupt.
Only you can make a judgement call on if the cost savings will be truly worth it in the long run, but what’s important is that you are periodically reviewing your contracts and remaining open to new options.
Energy bills remain 70% above pre-crisis rates currently, and with no new government support, locking in a new fixed deal could be the only way to make your bills manageable.
Additionally, talk to your current suppliers about reevaluating your payment terms, an extension could help you protect your working capital. Equally you need to minimise late customer payments as best you can – you could even try to incentivise them to pay early.
Are you optimising your payment collection from customers? |
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Next steps
By taking this proactive action, forecasting accurately, exploring your finance options and negotiating with suppliers (and customers!) to avoid high fees and late payments – you're giving your business the best chance of combating cash flow painpoints.
If you’re looking for a funding injection to boost your cash flow, we could help you access a credit facility of up to £1m in just 48 hours.
Create a free account to get a pre-qualified limit in just 2 minutes with a few quick details.
