Small Business Loans

Practical finance guide

Start with purpose and timing

Questions worth resolving before an application

Specify the use in dollars.
Forecast the cash benefit.
List all current facilities.

Authoritative references

Product detail

Product details, evidence and practical finance pathways

This is the broad small-business entry page; the other business-loan pages own specific structures and evidence pathways.

Purpose

Stock, Fit-out, Contract, Refinance.

Facility

Term loan, Secured, Line, Overdraft.

Assessment

Turnover, Cashflow, Credit, Security.

Match term to benefit

Repay short-cycle spending quickly and spread longer-lived investment only across a supportable period.

Keep operating buffer

The approved maximum is not automatically the comfortable amount for the business.

Broker strategy

How we overcome common scenarios

Each scenario starts with the customer's goal, the available evidence and the lender policies that fit the complete application.

Scenario 1

Seasonal stock

Situation

A retailer orders inventory before peak sales.

How X Lend approaches it

Match funding and repayment to conservative sell-through.

Useful evidence

Expected gross margin covers finance and operating cost.

Scenario 2

Fit-out

Situation

A service business upgrades premises used for several years.

How X Lend approaches it

Compare a term aligned with the useful benefit.

Useful evidence

Forecast trade supports repayments during the ramp-up.

Scenario 3

Recurring gap

Situation

Customer payments regularly arrive after payroll.

How X Lend approaches it

Compare a line or overdraft with a repeated term loan.

Useful evidence

Account credits show the balance can revolve.

Before you apply

Eligibility and documents

The lender needs evidence of trade, purpose and repayment capacity.

What lenders assess

ABN and trading history within policy
Cashflow supports the proposed repayment
Clear business use of funds
Credit and bank conduct acceptable
Guarantees and security understood

What to have ready

Business bank statements
BAS or financial statements
Existing facility statements
Invoice, quote or plan for funds
Cashflow forecast where relevant
Security details for secured lending

Rates and repayments

Estimate the repayment, then compare the full cost

Use the calculator as a guide. Eligibility, fees and the rate offered depend on the lender, purpose and applicant.

Small Business Loans repayment calculator

How much would you like to borrow?$

$5,000$500,000

Loan term

Years

Interest rate% p.a.

Your estimated repayments

per month

Total interest

Total repayable

Get your quote

This calculator provides an estimate using the entered rate, term and balloon. Lender assessment, fees and repayment timing determine the final figures.

Interest rate

The percentage charged on the outstanding balance. Fixed and variable options may be available.

Comparison rate

A standardised figure that includes the interest rate and most known fees for a set example loan.

Fees and conditions

Check establishment, monthly and early payout fees, plus any balloon or residual amount.

The four step approval process

Step 01
Enquire
Send us a few details to start. We can usually explain the available pathway within a few hours.
Step 02
We Find Your Lender
We compare your deal across 80+ lenders and match it to the ones most likely to approve it at the sharpest rate.
Step 03
Lender Approval
We package and submit your application, negotiate the terms, and come back to you with a clear approval.
Step 04
Settlement
We handle the paperwork, get your documents signed, and your loan settles, funds released to you or the seller.

Get a Quote

Available structures

Choose a structure that fits the purchase

Different cash patterns call for different facilities.

Unsecured term loan

A fixed amount with scheduled repayments and director guarantees where required.

Secured business loan

Eligible property or assets support the facility and increase asset risk.

Revolving credit

A line or overdraft provides reusable access for repeated cashflow gaps.

The basics

Choose the facility from the business need.

Compare small business loan options across 80+ lenders for stock, fit-out, contracts, growth, refinance and working capital.

Small business loan is an umbrella term covering fixed term loans, lines of credit, overdrafts and secured facilities. The useful starting point is the amount, purpose, timing and source of repayment.

X Lend maps the request to business statements, financials, existing liabilities and available security. We then compare lenders whose policy fits the trading history and evidence rather than lodging the same application widely.

The term should follow the commercial benefit. A short stock cycle, ongoing receivable gap and multi-year fit-out create different cash patterns and usually call for different facilities.

Define the return on borrowed funds

Write down what the money buys, when it produces cash and the margin left after finance. That gives the loan amount and term a commercial basis.

Before you decide

The benefit of moving now and the cost of waiting

A useful comparison considers both what the finance may make possible and what leaving the underlying need unresolved may continue to cost.

Pros

Provide funding for suitable operating costs, growth opportunities or timing gaps.
Keep more working capital available for wages, suppliers, tax and day to day expenses.
Match the facility structure to the business purpose and expected cashflow cycle.

Cons

Suitable projects or growth opportunities may be missed when funds are not available at the required time.
Supplier, payroll or tax pressure can increase while customer receipts remain delayed.
Using the business cash reserve can leave less capacity to absorb an unexpected expense or slow month.

Purchases and purposes