A single considered application has a modest effect, and other lenders do not see why you were declined — a decline itself is not published to them. What they can see is the footprint of an application. So the thing to manage is not one decline, but a scatter of many applications in a short window.
What other lenders see, and do not
The reason for a decline stays between you and us; it is not shared with other lenders. What sits on the company file is the search footprint. The difference between soft and hard searches is in what a soft search shows on your company credit file and will applying leave a hard footprint.
Many applications in quick succession look like a business chasing credit, which can concern any lender. Spacing them, and applying where you are likely to qualify, protects the file — see does applying more than once hurt my chances and how do multiple applications affect each other.
The considered approach
Understand why a decline happened, act on it, and apply thoughtfully rather than everywhere at once. Because there is no personal guarantee, this is about the company file, not your personal credit — whether applying affects your company credit score.
Apply where you fit, and start here.
We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, the loan is to the company with no director personal guarantee, and this is business finance outside the consumer-credit regime — as an exempt lender under Article 60B of the Regulated Activities Order we sit outside FCA consumer-credit regulation, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.
See also: Does applying more than once hurt my chances, How do multiple applications affect each other, Will applying leave a hard footprint on my company credit file?.