Every type of business loan, every kind of lender and what each one really wants — in plain English. Then, if you'd like, a real person matches your business to the lender most likely to say yes.
Asking what you could get leaves your credit file alone. A check only happens later, with a lender you've chosen, and you'll know before it does.
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Not sprayed to a list
Your enquiry isn't auctioned or blasted to a crowd of lenders. We work out where it belongs and take it to that lender properly.
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A real person on your file
Someone who knows the Australian lending market reads your details and calls you. Accurate answers on the form mean the right match first time.
01 Every type of business loan
Twenty-five ways to fund a business. One that fits yours.
Pick by what you can offer as security, how long you need the money and what it's for. Each guide covers who lends, what they want, the documents, the costs to compare and the traps.
What is a business loan, and which kind do you need?
A business loan is money advanced to a business for a business purpose and repaid over an agreed term with interest and fees. In Australia the choice comes down to three things: what you can offer as security, how steady your turnover is, and what the money will do. Property-secured loans reach $20,000 to $5,000,000; unsecured and cash-flow options for trading businesses typically run $5,000 to $500,000.
Business credit is mostly outside the consumer credit rules, which is why lenders don't have to show a comparison rate — so compare offers on the total dollars you'll repay. Every loan is priced on the business behind it; anyone quoting you a rate before they know your situation is guessing.
Banks are one corner of the map. Here's the rest of it.
Australian businesses borrow from ten broad types of lender. Toward the left: more paperwork, longer trading, sharper pricing. Toward the right: more flexibility on credit and documents, decisions built around security — and a higher cost for that flexibility.
More paperwork · sharper pricingMore flexibility · higher cost
Amount, purpose, how long you've traded and whether there's property — sixty seconds. A specialist calls you back with an honest view of your options. Accurate answers mean the right lender first time.
Business loans in Australia: what owners ask first.
Short, straight answers. The full FAQ covers twenty more, and the glossary decodes the jargon.
What is a business loan?
A business loan is money a lender advances to a business for a business purpose — stock, equipment, wages, premises, tax or growth — repaid with interest and fees over an agreed term. It can be secured against property or an asset, or unsecured and sized on turnover. Because the credit is for business use, most of it sits outside the consumer credit rules that apply to personal loans.
How do I get a business loan in Australia?
Work out what the money is for and how much you need, check what security you can offer, gather recent bank statements, BAS and ID, then approach the lender type that suits your profile. Banks want longer trading and clean credit; non-bank, private and online lenders cover more situations. A specialist can tell you which door to knock on before you apply.
How much can a business borrow?
Property-secured business loans range from $20,000 to $5,000,000, using first mortgages, second mortgages or caveats over residential or commercial property. Unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options for trading businesses typically run from $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. The real limit is what your security and cash flow can support.
Can I get a business loan with bad credit or an ATO debt?
Often, yes, though not usually from a major bank. Non-bank, private and caveat lenders look at defaults and tax debt case by case, especially when there's property security and a clear plan to repay. Be upfront about the history in your enquiry; surprises found later do more damage than the issue itself.
What documents do I need for a business loan?
Most lenders start with six to twelve months of business bank statements, ID for each director, your ABN or ACN, recent BAS and an ATO account summary. Larger or bank loans add two years of financials and tax returns. Property-secured loans need rates notices and current mortgage statements. Our document checklist builds the exact list for your loan type.
Will enquiring affect my credit score?
No. Sending us an enquiry doesn't involve a credit check. A credit check only happens later if you decide to go ahead with a particular lender, and you'll know before it does. That matters because a run of formal applications can leave several enquiries on your file and make the next lender cautious.
Why don't you publish business loan interest rates?
Because a published rate would be wrong for most readers. Business loans are priced on the security, trading history, credit, purpose and term of each deal, so two businesses can be offered very different prices on the same day. We'd rather match you to the lender likely to give you the sharpest price for your situation and show you how to compare the total cost.
Are you a lender or a broker?
We are an independent guide plus a real-person matching service. We explain how business lending works in Australia, then, if you enquire, a specialist works out which lender suits your file and approaches that lender with your permission. Your details are not sold or broadcast to a list of lenders.
How long does a business loan take?
It depends far more on the paperwork and the security than on the lender's marketing. A complete unsecured application assessed from bank data can move quickly; a property-secured loan needs a valuation and legal documents, and bank loans with full financials take longer again. Having documents ready is the single biggest thing you control.
Ready when you are
See what your business could borrow — without telling twenty lenders.
One short enquiry. No credit check to ask. A person who knows the Australian lending market calls you back with an honest view of who will lend to you.
