Finance for new businesses under 12 months, shaped around how you get paid.

We compare options for Australian businesses. Lenders look at factors such as trading time, turnover, cash flow, credit history and the amount you need. Tell us about your business and we will explain which options may fit. There is no single minimum that applies across every lender on our panel.

Usually, yes. Lenders look at your trade experience as an employee or subcontractor, a deposit or property ownership and your credit history when the ABN is new, and several specialise in funding new tradie businesses for a ute and tools. The first purchase is often the vehicle, financed on low documentation, with working capital added once six months of trading shows in the bank statements. Lyft Money checks fit across the panel so you are not declined for being new.

Yes, from a smaller group of lenders. Equipment and vehicle finance secured by the asset is the most accessible, usually with a deposit of 10 to 20 per cent, a clean personal credit file and evidence of work or a trade background. Small unsecured loans are available from about six months of trading on bank statements.

A deposit, a clean personal credit file, industry experience, signed contracts or a work pipeline, a business plan for larger amounts and clean personal banking. Buying a used asset within age limits keeps the amount and the deposit modest. A broker matches you to the lenders that back new ABNs.

Unsecured lending to businesses under six months is limited, so many start-ups use a personal loan, a secured loan against property or a guarantor while trading history builds. Once six to twelve months of bank statements exist, unsecured business loans and lines of credit open up. Lyft Money advises on the sequence.

Usually a little, because lenders price for the shorter track record, and a deposit is often required. Asset-secured finance is the cheapest route. Many new businesses refinance to sharper terms after two years of trading, so a start-up facility is a stepping stone rather than a permanent cost.

Often no deposit is required, particularly for established businesses buying standard assets from a dealer. A deposit is more likely where the business is new, the asset is older or specialised, the credit profile is weaker, or the amount is large relative to turnover. Deposits typically range from around 10% to 30% in those cases. Putting money in reduces the amount financed and can improve the terms offered, but it is not always necessary.

Yes, that is a sale and leaseback. You sell an unencumbered asset to a financier and lease or finance it back, receiving the sale proceeds as working capital while keeping the asset in use. Lenders will want proof you own it outright, a valuation, and evidence the funds are for a legitimate business purpose. It is a useful option when capital is tied up in plant, but it converts an owned asset into a monthly commitment, so the cash flow effect needs checking first.

Terms usually run from 12 to 84 months. The ceiling is generally set by the expected working life of the asset: heavy earthmoving and trucks often stretch to five or seven years, while IT hardware and point-of-sale systems are commonly kept to two or three. Lenders also look at the age of the asset at the end of the term, so a ten-year-old machine will attract a shorter term than a new one. Longer terms lower repayments and raise total interest.

Yes. A master facility agreement lets a lender approve an overall limit, then draw down individual assets against it using a commitment schedule for each one. Each drawdown has its own term and repayment, but you avoid re-applying every time you buy. It suits businesses buying regularly through the year. Limits are usually reviewed annually and the lender can decline a particular asset even where the limit is available.