What is business finance?
Business finance is money borrowed to run or grow a business — distinct from property-backed lending. Instead of using real estate as security, these loans are assessed on your business's trading history, cash flow, and the assets you're buying or using.
The main types are:
- Equipment finance. Borrow to buy trucks, machinery, medical equipment, or other business assets. The equipment itself is the security, so the lender doesn't need property.
- Unsecured business loans. Borrow without any security — the lender assesses your business based on turnover, profit, and cash flow alone.
- Working capital. Short-term funding to cover day-to-day operations, payroll, or seasonal dips in cash flow.
- Trade finance. Special payment terms for large supplier orders or import/export deals.
Note: Some lenders also offer property-backed business loans using a second mortgage or equity release structure — but these require you to own real estate.
Why banks struggle with business finance
Banks are built for a single lending model: salary income and property security. A business with irregular cash flow, a credit default from two years ago, or ATO debt on a payment plan doesn't fit neatly into their risk boxes.
Banks also don't like unsecured business lending. Without property to fall back on, they see higher risk and move on. The result is that most small business owners hear "no" even when their business is profitable and trading well.
How specialist lenders look at this differently
Specialist private lenders assess business finance deals using different criteria:
- Business performance, not credit score. They look at annual turnover, profit, and cash flow. A business turning over $1 million per year is bankable even if the owner had a credit default five years ago.
- Asset recovery. In equipment finance, the asset is the security. If you default, the lender recovers the truck or machinery — they don't need your house.
- Flexibility on credit history. ATO debt on a payment plan, credit defaults, even recent director defaults — these don't automatically disqualify you.
- Lo-doc options. Many don't require full financial statements or traditional income proof. A bank statement showing deposits can be enough.
Ready to explore your options?
Describe what you need to borrow for and we'll show you what's available.
Check Your OptionsCommon business finance situations
Different scenarios require different loan types. Here are two common deals our specialists fund:
What lenders want to see for business finance
Even though specialist lenders are more flexible than banks, they still assess risk. Here's what strengthens your application:
- Business turnover and profit. Tax returns or bank statements showing revenue and profit over the last 2–3 years.
- Current bank statements. Shows cash flow patterns and whether you're meeting payroll and obligations on time.
- Asset details (for equipment finance). What you're buying, the cost, and expected lifespan. The asset becomes the security.
- Business plan. For unsecured loans, a simple explanation of why you need the funds and how they'll be used.
- ATO or other debt details. If you have tax debt or other liabilities, lenders want to know the amounts and repayment arrangements.
When this might not work
Business finance isn't available for every scenario:
- The business hasn't been trading long enough — most lenders want at least 12–24 months of trading history.
- No real proof of business turnover — no tax returns, no bank statements, or income that can't be verified.
- The business is clearly insolvent — liabilities exceed assets and there's no path to profitability.
- You're bankrupt or under a personal insolvency agreement — this can block lending until discharged.
Our panel includes specialist lenders who fund equipment, unsecured, and working capital loans. Across these lenders:
- Loan sizes from $5K up to $50M
- Interest rates starting from 8.75% p.a.
- Terms from 1 month to 60 months
- Credit-impaired borrowers accepted
- ATO debt on a payment plan — no problem
- Settlement in days, not weeks
Terms and eligibility vary by lender. Tell us what you need and we'll show you the best matches.
How to get business finance
The process is straightforward:
- Step 1: Describe your need. Tell us what your business does, how much you need to borrow, and what it's for (equipment, working capital, expansion, etc.). You don't need full paperwork ready.
- Step 2: Get matched. Our AI matches your scenario against specialist lenders on our panel and shows you the options most likely to approve your deal.
- Step 3: Apply directly. Contact the lender that fits best. Most can give you a decision in days.