Which type of business loan fits?

How the loan-type finder works

Choosing a business loan by its name is backwards. The better question is what the money is for, what your business can offer as comfort to a lender, and how quickly you need it. Those three things decide the product far more than any advertisement does. The finder asks them in the same order a lending specialist would, then points you to the reference entries that match.

It starts with purpose because purpose narrows the field fastest. Equipment is usually funded against the equipment itself. Slow-paying customers point to invoice finance. A tax bill, a business purchase or a one-off gap depends on whether property is available. From there, the finder asks about security, timing and trading history until it reaches an outcome — never more than five questions.

Why property changes everything

If you, or a fellow director, own property with equity — residential or commercial, even with an existing mortgage — you can generally borrow more, for longer, and sometimes faster. Property-secured business loans run from $20,000 to $5,000,000 through first mortgages, second mortgages and caveat loans. Without property, trading businesses can still access unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options, typically $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. The finder's property question is the fork between those two worlds, so answer it as accurately as you can.

What the finder can't know

A decision tree sees the shape of your need, not the detail. It doesn't see your bank statements, your credit file, the valuation of your property or the terms of any debt you already have. Those details can move you from one product to another — a strong business with a thin credit file might suit a secured option; an unusual property might suit a private lender rather than a bank. Treat the result as the right chapter to read, not the final answer.

That is also why the finder never shows an interest rate. Business loans are priced on the individual business, and a number on a web page would be wrong for most people reading it.

Every outcome, at a glance

These are all the results the finder can give, with the entry to read for each. If you already know which one describes you, jump straight in.

Outcome	Best for	Read
Invoice discounting	You borrow against your unpaid invoices and keep collecting from customers yourself, usually without them knowing.	Invoice finance
Factoring	A financier advances most of each invoice's value and collects from your customers directly.	Invoice finance
Invoice finance	Your unpaid business invoices can unlock cash within days of issuing them.	Invoice finance
Line of credit or merchant cash advance	For card-heavy businesses with ups and downs, a revolving line of credit gives a standby limit, while a merchant cash advance is repaid from a share of future card takings.	Business line of credit
Business line of credit or overdraft	A revolving limit you draw when cash is short and repay when customers pay, paying interest only on what you use.	Business line of credit
Property-secured tax debt loan	Equity in property can clear an ATO debt in full — often faster and for larger amounts than an unsecured loan — and may stop further enforcement.	Tax debt loans
Unsecured tax debt funding	Trading businesses without property may still clear or reduce an ATO debt with an unsecured loan sized on turnover.	Tax debt loans
Chattel mortgage	The business owns the asset from day one and the lender takes security over it.	Equipment finance
Hire purchase	The financier owns the asset while you pay it off, and ownership passes to you after the final instalment.	Equipment finance
Finance or operating lease	You use the asset for an agreed term and then return, upgrade or pay out the residual.	Chattel mortgage vs lease vs hire purchase
Equipment finance	Chattel mortgages, hire purchase and leases all fund equipment with the asset as security.	Equipment finance
Franchise finance	Lenders look at your own position plus the franchise system's track record.	Franchise finance explained
Property-secured acquisition loan	Offering property as security widens your options for buying a business, especially where the price is mostly goodwill that lenders won't fund on its own..	Business acquisition loans
Business acquisition loan	Without property, funding usually leans on the target's cash flow, vendor finance for part of the price, and a meaningful contribution from you..	Business acquisition loans
Trade finance	Trade finance pays your overseas supplier now and gives you time to land and sell the stock before repaying..	Trade finance
Export and trade finance	Funding bridges the time between paying for production and receiving payment from overseas buyers.	Trade finance
Purchase order or working capital finance	A confirmed order can support funding to pay suppliers and staff until the customer pays.	Trade finance
Property-secured debt consolidation	Rolling expensive short-term or unsecured debts into one property-secured loan can cut the number of repayments and lengthen the term..	Debt consolidation loans
Unsecured debt consolidation	Where turnover supports it, one unsecured loan can replace several smaller, costlier facilities.	Debt consolidation loans
Bridging finance	A short-term loan secured by property covers you until a sale, settlement or expected payment lands.	Bridging finance
Short-term unsecured loan	Without property, a short-term loan sized on turnover can cover a gap of weeks or months while you wait for money to arrive..	Short-term business loans
Caveat loan	When days matter, a caveat loan protected by a caveat on your property is often the quickest secured option.	Caveat loans
Second mortgage business loan	You keep your existing home or commercial loan and borrow against the remaining equity with a mortgage that ranks second..	Second mortgage business loans
Private first mortgage loan	An unencumbered property can support a first mortgage, usually the strongest security position and the widest choice of lenders and terms..	Private first mortgage loans
Property-secured term loan	With time on your side, a longer property-secured loan can give you the most borrowing power over the longest term.	Property-secured business loans
Unsecured business loan	A year or more of steady deposits can support an unsecured loan or line of credit sized on turnover, typically $5,000 to $500,000, with a director's guarantee..	Unsecured business loans
Smaller unsecured or low-doc facility	Six to twelve months of trading can open some unsecured and low-doc options, usually for smaller amounts to start, growing as your history builds..	Unsecured business loans
Options for a new business	Under six months of trading, unsecured lenders have little to assess.	How funding changes as a business grows

From the right loan type to the right lender

Knowing the product is step one. Step two is a lender whose appetite fits your business — the security you have, the industry you are in, the story behind any credit blemishes. That matching is what our specialists do. You fill in a short enquiry, a real person reads it and calls you, and your details are not scattered to a list of lenders. There is no credit check when you first enquire, and accurate answers mean we can point you to the right option the first time. Check what your business could qualify for →

Frequently asked questions

Is the loan finder's answer an approval?

No. It points you to the loan types that usually fit the situation you describe, so you can read the right entries and have a sharper conversation. A lending specialist confirms what is actually possible after looking at your details.

Does using the finder affect my credit score?

No. The finder runs in your browser and doesn't store or send your answers. Even when you go on to enquire, there is no credit check when you first enquire.

Why does it ask about property?

Property is the biggest single factor in how much a business can borrow, how fast, and on what terms. Property-secured business loans range from $20,000 to $5,000,000, while unsecured options for trading businesses typically sit between $5,000 and $500,000.

What if more than one loan type fits?

That is common. The result lists a best-fit starting point plus related entries. Many businesses combine products — for example, equipment finance for a new machine and a line of credit for day-to-day cash flow.

I have bad credit or an ATO debt. Is it worth using?

Yes. Past credit issues and ATO debt are considered case by case, and the right product often matters more than the credit file. Answer the questions honestly and read the bad credit and tax debt entries alongside your result.

Why doesn't the finder show interest rates?

Because business loans are priced on each business's circumstances — security, trading history, purpose and term. Any published rate would be wrong for most readers. A specialist can tell you what your situation would attract.