No business can run without a decent investment. Business owners all around the world turn to banks, credit institutions and third-party lenders to gain financing for their ideas. Borrowing funds in the form of loans remains one of the most popular ways to finance your business.
Whether you are just starting a business or looking for financing for an established one, you can quickly get one of the best business loans in Australia! This blog will discuss how business loans really work and some business loan options that you can compare before you make your decision. We will also shed light on the procedure of applying for a business loan in Australia, so everything is laid out for you.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
What is a Business Loan?
It can get costly to start a business and run it. If you are already a business owner, you will understand what we’re talking about. Businesses require a large about of capital and funds to pay for expenses and invest in machinery and equipment. That’s when a business loan comes into the picture.
A business loan is a specific loan that is borrowed to help businesses sustain and grow, maintain liquidity, manage cash flow, make big purchases like plant and equipment, and meet everyday operations costs.
Some business owners use their life savings to start a business and stash their investment into their business’s bank account. No matter how much funding you put into the business, there will come a time when your business will demand more funding than you can provide. Hence, a business loan can come in handy at that moment.
In Australia, businesses use business loans commonly in the following ways:
- To buy new equipment.
- To hire new staff.
- To pay off wages and salaries.
- To purchase new stock.
- To pay off due invoices.
- For business expansion and growth
How do Business Loans Work?
Like traditional personal and home loans, business loans also have a fixed or variable interest rate. Most business loans are unsecured, but some may also require you to give an asset up for collateral for the lender’s security.
Business loans cannot be used for any other purpose than the one stated. Lenders will state the purpose of the loan in the contract, and using the funding other than the stated purpose can lead to severe consequences. Some lenders will also make out funding check directly for the stated purpose. For example, if you run a small catering business and need a van to export your materials, the lender might make out the check directly to an automobile supplier from where you will purchase the van.
When it comes to repayments, business loans also have repayment schedules that both the lender and borrower must agree to before signing the contract. Some lenders may ask businesses to make monthly payments, while some may even ask for fortnightly or weekly payments after assessing your ability to repay.
As the world gets more fast-paced, lenders like CashOnYourMobile have started providing business loans in as little as 48 hours from the time of application to the time you get the funding in your hands!
Best Business Loans in Australia
Unsecured Business Loans
Unsecured business loans are loans that do not require any collateral or asset against the loan amount. Such loans are short-term loans of up to 12 months and have higher interest rates. An unsecured loan allows you to finance any business-related need that is required.
Unsecured business loans can boost your business capital. You can use the funding in several ways, such as to invest in more stock, hire more people, renovate your offices and even expand your business.
Unsecured business loans are one of the most commonly borrowed and best business loans in Australia. They have fast application processes and are even available for small businesses that do not meet the criteria of banks and other stringent credit institutions.
CashOnYourMobile provides unsecured business loans to both start-ups and established businesses for a maximum of 12 months with a loan range of $1000 to $250,000. These loans have a pre-approval time of only 5 minutes and are available in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Line of Credit
A business line of credit is beneficial for both big and small businesses that need access to capital on short notice. Typically, a business line of credit is different from a lump sum that most loans offer. A line of credit allows a business to withdraw and repay funds as they use them. No additional fees or interest is charged on funds that remain unused.
A line of credit has no restrictions on how you use the money. You can withdraw as less as $5 and as much as $250,000. However, interest rates on a line of credit are very high and fall somewhere between 14% to 30%. Line of credit borrowing has a fast and straightforward application process and is a very flexible lending option.
However, the downside to the line of credit is that you might have to pay some fees even if you do not withdraw any funds. The lender also reserves the right to cancel the contract at any time and stop the flow of funds.
Merchant Cash Advances
In simple words, a merchant cash advance is a type of borrowing against future sales. This type of business loan is mostly given to small businesses that need cash to keep their business running. In a merchant cash advance loan, the lender gives the borrower a lump sum that can be used in any way that the borrower sees fit for the business.
Most business owners use the merchant cash advance to maintain their cash flow. They repay the lenders on a daily or weekly basis from the sales they incur by giving a set percentage of daily credit card sales to the lender. The credit card authority sends this amount directly to the lender, and the rest is transferred to you.
However, there are a few cons to taking out a merchant cash advance:
- Fees are incurred for the advance.
- The advance is only available to businesses that have daily credit card sales.
- The percentage to be given to the lender can be as high as 50% to 200%.
- Most lenders will require a statement of average sales of the last 12 months, so it is not appropriate for start-ups.
- The Government of Australia does not set the terms and conditions of merchant advances.
Invoice Finance
Invoice Finance, also known as “factoring,” is when a business owner sells the invoices that he has to collect payments for to a lender. Usually, it can take months to receive payments from invoices. Imagine you are a supplier of raw materials for a tyre manufacturer. You supply rubber, and the manufacturer pays you after every 3 months. Instead of waiting 3 months to receive your money, you can sell your invoices to a lender that will pay 80% of the invoice amount to you immediately. The lender will then collect the payment directly from your customer after 3 months and keep the full amount.
Invoice financing is an excellent option for an immediate cash injection. It removes any risk of the customer defaulting on the payment and can cover any short-term financing needs. However, a business owner does not receive the full amount of the invoice as the lender keeps a set percentage as his fees. Hence, factoring can get more expensive than other types of loans.
Equipment Finance
To purchase plant, machinery or equipment for your business, you can turn to equipment financing. Under this type of business loan, the lender provides you with funding for an asset. The asset remains the lender’s property till the end of the loan contract, but you can use it in your business operations.
Equipment financing is ideal for small businesses that usually lack the funds to invest in new machinery. It is also ideal for emergencies where a machine breaks down and halts operations. In such cases, you won’t have to wait to generate enough revenue for a new machine; you can easily take out an equipment finance loan to buy the best equipment for your business’s future.
Equipment finance loans are even faster than most unsecured business loans but usually have higher interest rates. They have flexible repayment plans and little to no terms of deposit. However, you need to have an already established, strong business presence to qualify for an equipment finance loan, which means start-ups can’t get such a loan. If you decide that you do not want to use the asset anymore or it is not suitable for your business, you cannot sell it until you have repaid the loan amount in full to the lender along with interest.
Established businesses in Australia can easily get up to $2 million in equipment financing if they qualify for it.
Commercial Bill of Exchange
A commercial bill of exchange is a written order that binds the borrower to pay back the amount borrowed to the lender at a given date. Any shortages in the working capital of the business can be covered through commercial bills of exchange.
Commercials bills provide short-term financing with low interest rates. You can get a new bill as soon as the previous one reaches its maturity date. Interest is paid on maturity of the bill. High borrowing amounts are only given to established businesses, and the bills are very sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates.
Bank Loans
These loans are provided by top banks in Australia like ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac. These long terms loans are usually secured by the personal assets of the business owner. These loans have high interest rates that can go as high as 13%. The application process for traditional bank loans is very extensive and can take months. Bank loans are only available to established businesses and have minimum borrowing amounts that most small businesses cannot afford to repay.
Applying for a Business Loan
Following are the steps laid down by the Australian Government (The Commonwealth of Australia) that you need to follow when applying for the best business loans in Australia:
- Have a basic understanding of your finances: Know the meaning of basic business terms like revenue, cash flow, income statement, assets, liabilities, capital, equity, net profit and expenses. A lender will judge you based on how well you know your finances.
- Develop a business plan: Most lenders require you to submit a business plan prior to lending you the money. A business plan will outline the goals and objectives of your business as well as any future projections.
- Workout your financial limits: As a borrower, you must understand your financial limits to figure out how much you can borrow and repay. Determine the maximum repayment you can afford, what assets you can give up as collateral and how much equity you currently have.
- Choose a type of loan: We have explained 7 different best business loans in Australia in this blog. According to your preferences and abilities, choose a type of loan that is the best suited for your business.
- Get paperwork in order: Before you meet a lender, ensure that you have all your documents in order. To apply for a business loan, you need proof of your identification, your business’s existence (ABN), your business plans, previous financial reports, industry ratios and your business’s standing in the industry.
- Get advice: Don’t worry if you are not good with finances. You can hire a financial advisor or an accountant to explain to you all that you need to know and can even accompany you to the lender meeting.
- Apply for the loan: The last step is formally applying for the loan by filling out the application and submitting it.
CashOnYourMobile Can Help You Get a Business Loan!
CashOnYourMobile is a lending facility in Australia that makes borrowing fast and straightforward by connecting you to third-party lenders that can finance your business ideas. We provide innovative and technical borrowing solution by offering three types of business loans: Fast Business Loans, Premium Business Loans and Unsecured Business Loans. We guarantee our decisions are the quickest! For more information on business loans, click here. For information about our organisation and the best business loans in Australia, don’t forget to visit our website today!
