The A–Z of Australian business finance
Every business loan, explained.
Forty in-depth entries, a glossary of every lending term you'll meet and a decision tree that points you to the right loan type. When you're ready, a real person matches your business with a lender.
- No credit check to enquire
- No spray-and-pray
- $20k – $5m
Glossary · 259 terms
Most looked up:
No credit check to enquire
Finding out what fits your business doesn't touch your credit file. A credit check only comes up once you choose to proceed.
No spray-and-pray
Your enquiry isn't auctioned off or blasted to a list of lenders. It goes to one team who matches it with care.
A real person reads it
A lending specialist studies your situation and calls you. Accurate form answers mean the right option on the first call.
Loan-type finder
Start with what the money is for
Pick the closest match. The finder asks up to four more questions — security, timing, trading history — and points you to the entries that fit.
The encyclopedia
Three volumes, one clear answer each
Every entry covers what a product or term is, who it suits, how lenders assess it and what to consider instead.
Volume 1 · Products
Business loan types A–Z
Every way to borrow for an Australian business, one entry each: what it is, who it suits, how to qualify and what to use instead.
- Types of business loans
- Unsecured business loans
- Property-secured business loans
- Caveat loans
- Second mortgage business loans
Volume 2 · Concepts
Business finance terms explained
The ideas lenders use to say yes, no or 'not yet' — LVR, guarantees, serviceability, security and fees — explained in depth.
All 12 entries →Volume 3 · Comparisons
Business loans compared
Side-by-side comparisons of the finance products Australian owners most often weigh up, with the deciding questions for each.
- Secured vs unsecured
- First vs second mortgage vs caveat
- Overdraft vs line of credit
- Factoring vs invoice discounting
- Chattel mortgage vs lease
Index
Every entry, A to Z
Looking for something specific? Here is the whole encyclopedia on one page.
How it works
From reading about it to having it funded
- Read up, if you like. Use the entries, glossary and finder to understand your options. Free, with nothing to sign up for.
- Send a 60-second enquiry. Amount, purpose, state, trading history and any property. There's no credit check when you first enquire.
- A real person calls you. A lending specialist looks at the whole picture and explains which products fit — secured or unsecured, how quickly, and what it would take.
- One match, not a mailing list. Your details aren't sprayed around. Documents and a credit check only come in once you decide to go ahead.
Tip: accurate answers on the form — especially the amount, your state and any property you own — mean we can point you to the right option on the first call.
Common misreadings
Five things owners get wrong about business loans
"Just asking will hurt my credit score."
Not here. There's no credit check when you first enquire — only once you choose to proceed.
"No property means no loan."
Trading businesses can access unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options, typically $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover.
"One default and every lender says no."
Past credit issues and ATO debt are considered case by case. Context and security matter. How it's assessed.
"All business loans work the same way."
A caveat loan, a line of credit and invoice finance behave nothing alike. See the comparisons.
"Enquiring means 20 lenders will ring me."
No spray-and-pray. One real person reads your enquiry and works on it.
Guides
Before you need finance
Practical reading for running a business — cash flow, hiring, buying in, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Business Loan Jargon Decoded: Your Letter of Offer
A plain-English walk through a business loan letter of offer: every section, the jargon inside it, and the six clauses worth reading twice before you sign.
Read the guide → Cash flowProfitable but No Cash? Why Profit and Cash Flow Differ
Your P&L says profit, your bank account says otherwise. Here's why profit and cash flow differ, the seven usual culprits, and how to close the gap for good.
Read the guide → GrowthThe True Cost of Hiring an Employee in Australia (2026)
What a new employee really costs in 2026: wages, 12% super under Payday Super, workers compensation, payroll tax, leave and set-up, plus how to fund the gap.
Read the guide → RiskCash Flow After a Cyber Attack: A Small Business Plan
Hit by ransomware, email compromise or payment fraud? A step-by-step plan to report it, protect cash, keep paying staff and suppliers, and fund the recovery.
Read the guide → Buying a businessFranchise Finance Explained: How to Fund a Franchise
How franchise finance works in Australia: the full cost of buying in, what lenders check, the 14-day disclosure rule and funding structures that work.
Read the guide → PlanningBusiness Funding Stages: What to Use as You Grow
The funding options that fit each stage of an Australian business, from pre-start to growth, and why the right loan at year one is wrong at year five.
Read the guide →Questions owners ask first
What types of business loans are there in Australia?
The main families are unsecured loans sized on turnover, property-secured loans (first mortgages, second mortgages and caveat loans), revolving facilities such as lines of credit and overdrafts, invoice finance, equipment finance, merchant cash advances, trade finance and short-term or bridging loans. Our loan types volume has a full entry for each.
How do I know which business loan is right for me?
Start with what the money is for, then consider what security you can offer and how quickly you need it. Our free loan-type finder asks those questions in order and points you to the entries that fit. A lending specialist can then confirm what's actually possible for your business.
Does enquiring with All Business Loans affect my credit score?
No. There is no credit check when you first enquire. A credit check is only discussed once you have seen your options and decided to go ahead.
Will my details be sent to lots of lenders?
No. We don't practise spray-and-pray lead selling. A real person reads your enquiry, works out what fits and talks to you before anything else happens.
How much can a business borrow?
Property-secured business loans range from $20,000 to $5,000,000. Unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options for trading businesses are typically $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. The final amount depends on security, trading history and purpose.
Can I get a business loan with bad credit or an ATO debt?
Often, yes. Past credit issues and ATO debt are considered case by case. Property security, recent trading and a clear explanation of what happened all help. See our bad credit and tax debt entries for how lenders look at it.
Why don't you publish interest rates?
Every business loan is priced on the individual business — its security, trading history, purpose and term. A published rate would be misleading for most readers, so we explain how pricing works and a specialist tells you what your situation would attract.
Is All Business Loans only a reference site?
No. The encyclopedia is free to read, and when you're ready, a lending specialist can match your business with the right product. Loans are for business purposes only.
Read enough? Let's find the loan that fits.
Tell us what your business needs in about 60 seconds. No credit check to enquire, and a real person — not a list of lenders — calls you back.
No credit check to enquire
No spray-and-pray
A real person reads it