Who you'll speak to after you send an enquiry

If you send an enquiry through Ask Sterling and agree to be contacted, it goes to one funding partner only: Abbey Road Capital Ltd / SOJA Ventures (Co. No. 16907324). Nobody else receives it from us. Sterling is an illustrated guide, not a person, so the call you get will be from a funding specialist at our partner, never from "Sterling".

Who they are

Abbey Road Capital Ltd / SOJA Ventures is our funding partner: a team of funding specialists who look at your company and talk you through the options they can access. We don't describe them as a lender or a broker, and we make no statement about their regulatory status. If that matters to you, ask them directly on the first call. A good specialist will answer plainly.

What happens after you send an enquiry

1. We pass your enquiry to the partner. That includes your company's answers and your name, email and phone number. It happens only after you agree on the form.
2. They contact you about this enquiry. Expect a call, an email or a text from a funding specialist about the enquiry you sent. They should say who they are and that you came through Ask Sterling.
3. They ask more questions. Usually about turnover, time trading and what the money is for. They may ask for bank statements and management accounts.
4. They may share your enquiry with funders they work with, with your permission. That is how they find an offer. They should tell you before they do.
5. A credit search may come later. Ask Sterling never runs one. The partner or a funder may search your company's file and your own as a director, and it could be a soft search. How credit reference agencies use that data is explained in the Credit Reference Agency Information Notice.
6. Any offer comes from a funder. The funder sets the amount, the price and the terms, and a personal guarantee may be required. Run it through our offer checker or the MCA APR calculator before you sign.

You are under no obligation at any point. You can say no on the first call.

Who their programmes suit

Our partner works with limited companies only: not sole traders, partnerships or LLPs. (Here's why limited companies only.) Their programmes work best for companies that typically have:

• 12 months or more of trading
• about £60k or more a month in turnover
• no CCJs or defaults in the last 12 months
• two or fewer loans or advances running
• a director or owner with 51%+ of the company
• a need for £50k or more (amounts typically run from £50k to £500k+)

Smaller companies, from about £12k a month in turnover and 4+ months of trading, can still ask: there is a route for them too.

Who they don't cover right now

Industries: construction, contracting and trades; home improvement; haulage, transport and logistics; property; financial services, insurance and tax preparation; marketing and advertising; recruitment and staffing; convenience, vape and phone shops; vehicle hire; cannabis and CBD; firearms; funeral directors; auction houses; bridal and formalwear; food brokers; training schools for trades.

If that's you, the form will tell you before you share any contact details. That's on us, not you. The guides and tools still work for your company.

How to stop contact

• Texts: reply STOP to any text from the partner.
• Calls and email: tell the specialist you no longer want to hear from them.
• Us: email mike@optimax-ai.com with the phone number and email you used. We will pass your request to the partner and stop any contact from Ask Sterling.
• If it doesn't stop: you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. The ICO recommends raising it with the organisation first; its helpline is 0303 123 1113.

If anyone contacts you claiming to be from Ask Sterling or our partner and asks for an upfront fee, stop and read funding scams.