Guide topic
Getting a Business Loan: Start-Here Guides
How business loans work, what lenders want and how to prepare.
Borrowing for a business is different from borrowing for yourself. Lenders want to understand how the business earns money, how steady that income is and what the funds will achieve, so the preparation you do before applying has a big effect on the answer you get.
These guides walk through the basics in the order most owners need them: how the main loan structures work, what eligibility looks like, which documents to gather, how long approval tends to take and how to size a loan you can comfortably repay.
Ready to talk about your own numbers? Make one enquiry; there is no credit check when you first enquire.
How business loans work in Australia
How business loans work in Australia, explained plainly: the parties, how loans are assessed, priced, secured and repaid, and the main types you will meet.
How to get a business loan, step by step
A step-by-step plan for getting a business loan in Australia: define the need, size it, pick a loan type, prepare documents, apply and review the offer.
How much can my business borrow?
How lenders work out how much a business can borrow: turnover, profit, existing debts, security and LVR, with a simple way to estimate your own figure.
Documents you need for a business loan
The documents Australian lenders ask for, by loan type: ID, ABN, bank statements, BAS, financials, tax returns, ATO statements, asset and property details.
Business loan eligibility requirements explained
The eligibility requirements Australian business lenders look for: ABN age, time trading, turnover, credit history, GST and ATO status, purpose and security.
Secured vs unsecured business loans: how to choose
Secured versus unsecured business loans compared: amounts, terms, costs, risks, speed and approval, with a simple test to decide which suits your business.
Bank or non-bank lender: which suits your business?
Banks and non-bank business lenders compared: funding, speed, assessment, pricing, flexibility and risk, plus how to decide which to approach first.
How long does business loan approval take?
Realistic business loan timeframes in Australia, from enquiry to funds, by loan type, plus the delays that slow approvals and how to avoid them.
Your first business loan: a 15-point checklist
Taking out your first business loan? A 15-point checklist on purpose, sizing, loan type, documents, credit, guarantees, costs, terms and after settlement.
How to choose the right business loan term
How to choose a business loan term: matching the term to the purpose and asset life, the trade-off between repayment size and total cost, and common mistakes.
Your next step
Have a question about your own situation?
Guides can only go so far. Make one enquiry and a person who works with business lending every day will review it. No credit check to ask, no lead auction, and nothing to sign until you are ready.
- No credit check to enquire. Asking a question about your options leaves no mark on your credit file. A credit check only happens later, if you decide to apply.
- One enquiry, not a lead auction. Your details are not sprayed across a list of lenders. One lending partner looks at your situation properly.
- A real person reads it. A person who works with business finance every day reviews your enquiry and calls you. Accurate answers help them get it right first time.