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Unsecured Small Business Loans Australia
Consider your unsecured loan options with Savvy by comparing from a range of lenders across Australia.
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One of the more common terms you’ll come across when talking business finance is an unsecured loan, but what is an unsecured business loan, how does it work and how do I compare my options? Learn about loans for small Australian businesses with this useful guide.
How do unsecured small business loans work in Australia?
An unsecured business loan is a type of loan which requires no security or collateral, meaning you’re not offering a significant asset, like a property, as security on the loan. They’re a very common type of loan in Australia today, and you can secure one with most business lenders, from banks to small online lenders. They’re also one of the easiest business loans to secure.
For most lenders, loan applications are about risk – the chance that a loan won’t get repaid and the lender will lose money. Therefore, lenders are often quite cautious with loan applications unless they can be confident there’s little risk. An unsecured loan, however, works around this issue. By charging higher rates on the loan, they lower the sense of risk to the lender associated with not having any collateral.
All of this means that lenders can be a lot more relaxed about approving unsecured loans – making them one of the most accessible types of business loans on the Australian market, and far more accessible for new businesses and sole traders. Risk will still affect things like the interest rate you’re offered, but with an unsecured loan it’s not normally a barrier to getting approved.
In Australia, unsecured loans are also geared to be far more short-term than secured loans – intended to be paid off in a matter of years (or even months) rather than a decade or more. This makes them a useful problem solver loan – providing finance for a self-employed business owner, which can be tailored to a specific business need and be paid off sooner rather than later.
What are the advantages of unsecured small business loans?
There are various factors that make unsecured loans an attractive prospect for businesses. Firstly, the application is generally far simpler, and the lender doesn’t need to spend days (or even weeks) going through your finances and business records. This also means unsecured loans can be turned around more quickly – normally within a few days, sometimes within hours.
Because lenders are far more tolerant of risk for an unsecured loan, they’re generally accessible to customers that might struggle to get other types of loan approved. For example, lenders will often be far more accepting of a business’ credit rating when assessing an application for an unsecured loan – they're more interested in whether you can currently make your repayments and whether you have any recent defaults than your past credit history.
One of the most significant advantages of an unsecured loan, of course, is that there’s no deposit or collateral required. Some lenders may charge a fee at set-up, but this will normally be quite small (a few hundred dollars is common). This, combined with the more open approach to applications, makes unsecured loans potentially one of the best loan choices for a small business or start-up in Australia.
If you’re on the lookout for an unsecured loan, Savvy’s a great place to start. You can compare business loan options from some of Australia’s top lenders all in the one place and find the best fit for your business.
Types of business loan
The most common type of business finance, unsecured loans enable businesses to access the funds they need without attaching an asset to the loan as security. Some lenders may allow you to borrow up to $500,000 and, because there's no collateral, offer same-day approval.
If your business already owns valuable assets, such as property or expensive equipment, you may choose a secured business loan instead. These loans may increase your borrowing power beyond what an unsecured loan can offer and, crucially, typically come with lower interest rates.
Business loans don't always have to be worth hundreds of thousands. If you're operating a small business and need a boost to help you keep on top of your expenses or expand your company, you may be able to take out a loan starting from as little as $5,000 and unlock further capital.
Just because you don't have all the required documents for a standard business loan doesn't mean you're out of options. Low doc finance enables you to use alternative documentation, such as other business financials, in the application process to access the funds you need.
A commercial line of credit allows you to draw from your loan account whenever your business needs access to their funds, instead of managing a lump sum and repaying it like a regular loan. This can add flexibility to your finance arrangement, providing money when you need it.
Invoice finance presents another option to business operators looking to free up cash through outstanding invoices yet to be paid by their customers. Your invoice finance can either be invoice discounting or factoring, which present different options when it comes to your invoices.
A common reason for seeking out a loan is to purchase commercial equipment. You can do this either with an unsecured arrangement or one with the equipment itself as collateral, with the latter potentially increasing your borrowing power and lowering your interest rate.
With this finance, when your business purchases product, your supplier provides an invoice which you send to your financier and pledge to repay by a set date. From there, your supplier sells the invoice to your financier at a discounted rate, while you repay the full amount to your financier.
Under an inventory finance agreement, your lender pays your supplier directly for inventory, which allows it to be signed off and sent to you. From there, you can pay off your debt within a pre-determined period to your lender, which may be longer than the regular debtor period.
An overdraft facility is attached to an existing financial account belonging to your business, such as a transaction or savings account, and enables you to borrow up to a set limit after the account’s balance reaches zero. These overdrafts are repaid with interest, but only on what you use.
You may simply be in a position where your business needs a boost to its cash flow. If this is the case, there’s a range of stop-gap solutions which may be suitable for your situation, from standard unsecured loans to specialist cash flow loans, invoice finance or even an overdraft.
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How do lenders assess your unsecured business loan application?
How established is your business?
A business that’s well established with a strong track record is normally regarded as safer than a new start up, or one that’s struggling to stay afloat, which can be reflected in the rates you get offered.
Do you have a strong customer base?
Is your customer base strong and abundant? A business that isn’t going to run out of customers any time soon is always looked upon kindlier than one that depends on a small following.
Are you highly visible?
This might mean a brick-and-mortar shop in a highly public location, or a massive following on social media. Being visible and well known is good for business; that can make a difference to a lender assessing your application.
How are your finances doing?
One of the most important questions is what state your business is in financially. Are you seeing steady cash flow? Do you have any outstanding debts? Are you earning enough to comfortably make repayments?
This can have an impact on the rates you get offered.
Is your industry growing?
Another crucial question to ask is what the state of your industry looks like at the moment and whether it’s growing. If your industry is booming, odds are you won’t have any issues making your repayments, but no lender wants to loan money to the next Blockbuster.
Frequently asked questions about unsecured business loans
The amount a lender could offer your business will be specific to you and the lender in question. The lender will examine your business’s situation before deciding on a maximum amount to offer, but in Australia lenders can generally offer in the area of $200,000 to $300,000 to the right customer. However, you might decide your business only needs a small, quick cash advance of just $5,000 to be repaid in a short timespan.
Yes – you can apply and get approved for a business loan as a sole trader. Provided you meet all the eligibility criteria and show that your business can support your loan’s repayments, you can get approved for funding for your tradie company or your side hustle.
Unsecured loans can potentially be for quite small amounts – down to only a few thousand dollars. This can make them handy for specific business needs, but you need to be careful not to apply for too many – the hard credit checks each loan application generates can put a dent in your business’ credit score.
Unsecured loans are among the quickest business loan options on the market. Although speeds vary from lender to lender, most can turn an unsecured loan around in a few days. Some can even do it within a one business day.
It’s not necessary to provide a deposit for an unsecured business loan, but it is a possibility and it can increase your chances of approval. You might even find that because it lowers the risk for the lender thanks to your investment in the loan, it improves your interest rate a little.
Yes. Unsecured loans are available for start-up businesses. There are also specialised types of loan specifically to provide finance for start-up businesses.
No – you could be running a business and applying for a loan in Adelaide or looking for business financing in Brisbane and stand the same chance of approval. Online business lenders can approve applications no matter where you’re based, making them widely available to operators all around the country.
Still looking for the right finance for your business?
Explore a range of business loan options suitable to your financing needs and apply online through Savvy today.