DSL Business Finance Ltd: FCA regulated?

Authorised by the FCA

This firm is on the FCA register and authorised to carry out regulated activities.

Authorised for 10 years
Your funds are protected by FSCS
No FCA actions
Active company since 1993

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

Website

dsl-businessfinance.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Phone number

0141 425 2930
Address

Suite 9, Lower Ground Floor, 70 West Regent Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G2 2QZ, Scotland

In the full report: 3 background checks

When dsl-businessfinance.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 0141 425 2930 is
Who else gives the postcode G2 2QZ

Other names (5)

If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.

DSL Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Big Issue Invest Scotland Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.
New Start Up Scotland Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.
The Scottish Microfinance Fund Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.
The Start Up Loans Company Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Hold or safeguard your money · Run or oversee funds FSCS may apply
Eligible investment and pension claims are typically FSCS-protected up to £85,000 per person, depending on the product and your circumstances.
Lend or arrange credit No FSCS cover
Consumer credit is not covered by the FSCS, so there is no compensation scheme if the firm fails.
Complaints Ombudsman, free
You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

Show FCA detail (6 permissions)

Credit Broking
Debt Administration
Debt-collecting
Entering into regulated credit agreement as Lender (Excluding high-cost short-term credit, bill of sale agreement, and home collected credit agreement)
Exercising/having right to exercise lender's rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement (excluding high-cost short-term credit, bill of sale agreement, and home collected credit agreement)
Managing an unauthorised AIF

Limits on what they may do

This firm may handle your money in passing but must not hold it, so payments should go to the product provider, never to a personal account.
Venture Capital Business Only

The firm must not conduct designated investment business other than Venture Capital business.
Not permitted to canvass off trade premises

The firm is not permitted to canvass regulated borrower-lender-supplier agreements or regulated consumer hire agreements off trade premises

One supervisory condition set by the FCA

These are conditions the FCA places on the firm itself, covering things like capital it must hold and what it must report. They do not change what the firm may do for you.

Small Authorised UK AIFM (Sub-Threshold)
The total value of assets under management by the firm must not exceed the relevant threshold as set out in Article 3(2) of AIFMD (as determined under Chapter II, section I of the AIFMD level 2 regulation). In the event that the relevant threshold is breached, the firm must submit an application for authorisation as a Full-scope UK AIFM to the FCA

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number: SC145739 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private company limited by guarantee
Incorporated: 3 August 1993 (33 years old)
Registered office: Suite 9, Lower Ground Floor, 70 West Regent Street, Glasgow, G2 2QZ, Scotland
Nature of business: Other credit granting not elsewhere classified (SIC 64929)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Stuart Mitchell Yuill	Director	Jul 1958	6 May 2011	4 other companies
Iain Alan Burnside	Director	Aug 1959	22 May 2024	6 other companies
Jennifer Nicoll	Director	Mar 1964	22 May 2024	2 other companies
Simon Smith	Director	Apr 1973	27 Feb 2026	8 other companies
Joanne Elizabeth Seagrave	Secretary	Not published	15 Nov 2023	–

Other companies run by these 4 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies: 18
closed down: 4
is FCA-registered: 1

In the full report: all 18 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 4 directors sit on each board, and since when
Any that went into liquidation or administration
The one on the FCA register
The 2 companies these 4 directors run together
All 45 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

DSL Business Finance’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (8) All events (110)

2024

2 July 2024

FCA imposed a requirement (May control but not hold client money)
FCA imposed a requirement (Small Authorised UK AIFM (Sub-Threshold))
FCA imposed a requirement (Venture Capital Business Only)

FCA register

2016

6 April 2016

Community Enterprise In Scotland took control (75–100% of votes)

Companies House

26 February 2016

Regulated by the FCA from this date
FCA imposed a requirement (Not permitted to canvass off trade premises)
Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

1993

3 August 1993

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 110 events

All 110 events in its history (8 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 90

Firms connected to DSL Business Finance

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with DSL Business Finance. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firms: 2
share a director: 1
share its postcode: 1

In the full report: all 2 connected firms, named

How each is linked: shared directors (1), the same postcode (1)
Who links each one: the named directors, with dates

Firms like DSL Business Finance

Other firms of the same type (lender), nearest first.

In Glasgow

University Court of the University of GlasgowGlasgowAuthorised Affordable Finance (South) LimitedGlasgowAuthorised Alex Munro LimitedGlasgowAuthorised Argyle Consulting LimitedGlasgowAuthorised Caledonian Consumer Finance LtdGlasgowAuthorised Carnegie Consumer Finance LimitedGlasgowAuthorised

Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.

Get the full report on DSL Business Finance

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

18 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
All 110 events in its history
2 connected firms, named, and who links them

Instant PDF One-off payment Secure checkout by Stripe

Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is DSL Business Finance Ltd FCA authorised?

Yes, DSL Business Finance Ltd (FRN 708646) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since February 2016 and works as a lender. The FCA has placed 3 limits on what it may do.

What is DSL Business Finance’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 0141 425 2930 and the website dsl-businessfinance.co.uk for DSL Business Finance. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is DSL Business Finance a scam or clone?

DSL Business Finance is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.

Is my money safe with DSL Business Finance?

It may control client money but not hold it. It depends on the product, but eligible claims may be protected by the FSCS. You can also refer complaints about DSL Business Finance to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.

Who owns DSL Business Finance?

DSL Business Finance is owned by Community Enterprise In Scotland, which holds 75–100% of votes, since 6 April 2016.

Who runs DSL Business Finance?

Companies House lists 4 directors of DSL Business Finance: Stuart Mitchell Yuill, Iain Alan Burnside, Jennifer Nicoll and Simon Smith.

How long has DSL Business Finance been in business?

The company was formed on 3 August 1993, and has held its current FCA authorisation since February 2016.

Does DSL Business Finance use any other names?

It trades as DSL. It has previously used 4 other names, including Big Issue Invest Scotland, New Start Up Scotland and The Scottish Microfinance Fund.