Prop firms – short for proprietary trading firms—are companies that give you access to large amounts of capital so you can trade their money, not yours. In return, you split the profits.

It’s a simple deal: you bring the skill, they bring the funding.

How They Work

You prove yourself by passing a challenge or evaluation. That usually means hitting a profit target (like 8-10%) without breaking drawdown rules. Once you pass, you get a funded account and keep a chunk of the profits—often up 90%.

You don’t need to risk your life savings or mortgage your house to grow a trading account. With prop firms, the capital is already there—you just need to prove you can protect it and grow it sensibly.

Why Traders Use Prop Firms

Low Risk, High Reward, you’re not trading your own money, so the emotional pressure is lower. One-time challenge fee, and you’re in.

Access to Capital

Instead of growing a £1,000 account slowly, you can trade with £10K, £50K, £100K+ from day one.

Scalability

Some firms let you scale up to half a million or more if you show consistency.

Built-In Rules = Discipline

The rules might feel strict, but they force you to respect risk—something most retail traders never learn.

The Catch

You need to be consistent. You can’t YOLO into trades or over-leverage. If you breach their rules—like hitting daily drawdown limits—you’re out. Most people fail not because of skill, but because they lack discipline.

Is It Worth It?

If you’ve got a strategy, you’re disciplined, and you’re serious about treating this like a business—yes, 100%.

If you’re impulsive, undisciplined, or just want to “try trading”—don’t waste your money.

Bottom Line

Prop firms are one of the best opportunities in trading today. You bring consistency, they bring cash. Nail the rules, stay calm under pressure, and you can get paid real money for doing exactly what you’re already learning to do—reading charts and executing setups.

If you want to turn your screen time into income without draining your own bank account, this is the route.

Let me know if you want a version tailored for your website or to walk people through the best prop firms and what to look for in one.