If you need to acquire a business asset with the intention of long term use but do not wish make an outright purchase, you could do so using finance leasing.

Under the terms of finance leasing, you pay the full value of the equipment, plus hire charges however you will not legally own the rights to the equipment. You will, though, receive a share of the sale proceeds at the end of the lease term when the item is sold. You get the financial benefits and risks without actually owning the item.

Usually you will not be able to own the asset however there may be an option to extend the lease and as you will have already paid almost the full value during the lease period, the rental payments may then be minimal (this is sometimes known as a peppercorn rental).

A finance lease can be expensive in the long term however, it does mean that you can hand the asset back at the end of the term without having to organise the sale of it. Some leases may also include service and maintenance agreements.