Business Loans and Lending Advice for New Zealand Businesses
Talk to our Financial Advisers about structuring the right business loan for your situation.
What You Need to Know About Getting a Business Loan
Business loans in NZ aren't a single product. They cover a range of structures, lenders, and terms that vary depending on what your business needs the money for, how it's performing, and what security you have available. Most business owners approach a single bank and work through whatever that bank offers. The issue is that banks assess risk differently, price deals differently, and have varying appetite depending on the industry and loan type. What one bank declines, another may approve on better terms. Before approaching any lender, there are four things worth understanding:
Purpose of the Funding
Business Performance
Security Position
Application Structure
Business Loan Options
Different businesses need different loan structures. We can help across the following:
Term Loans
Fixed or floating rate lending for a defined purpose and repayment period. Commonly used for growth investment, asset purchase, or refinancing existing debt.
Revolving Credit Facilities
Flexible lending that can be drawn down and repaid as needed. Suited to businesses with variable cashflow or ongoing working capital requirements.
Asset Finance
Funding secured against vehicles, plant, or equipment. Allows businesses to acquire assets without tying up working capital.
Commercial Property Finance
Lending secured against commercial premises, whether purchasing, refinancing, or releasing equity from an existing property.
Banking Structure Reviews
A review of existing lending across all facilities to assess whether the current structure, pricing, and terms are appropriate. Often identifies significant cost savings.
Non-Bank Lending
For deals that fall outside standard bank criteria, non-bank lenders offer greater flexibility, faster turnaround, and alternative security arrangements. This includes businesses with limited trading history or those that have been declined by a mainstream bank.
Running Into Cash Flow Gaps?
Paying suppliers and staff before customer payments land is normal, even for profitable businesses. If it's happening more often than it should, working capital finance might be the fix.
Been Declined by a Bank?
A bank decline is more common than most business owners expect, and it doesn't rule out other lenders. Once we understand what drove the decision, there's often a structure that works elsewhere.
Locked Into the Wrong Structure?
A loan that fit when it was arranged doesn't always fit as circumstances change. Refinancing or restructuring, for a business facility or a home loan, can bring costs down or free up cash flow.
Business Loans in Practice
Every business loan situation is different. These are examples of how Finance Link has structured lending for NZ businesses.
A better banking structure saved over $270K a year
A hospitality group was paying premium rates across $7 million in lending. After a full banking review and tender, Finance Link restructured the facilities and negotiated improved terms, saving the business $277K annually.
How an ECE Operator Used Business Lending to Fund a Second Site
A Wellington childcare operator needed $1.35M to open a second site without property security. Finance Link ran a banking tender, negotiated non-property secured lending, and secured annual reporting covenants and interest rate discounts.
A strategy that saved $100K+ in finance costs
An Auckland business owner was set to fund his next project through a non-bank lender at high rates. Finance Link restructured it as a commercial application and secured $6 million in bank funding instead, saving over $100K in costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Further Reading on Business Loans
Want to know more about business loans in New Zealand? These articles are a good place to start.
The Right Lending Structure Makes a Difference.
Most businesses only deal with one lender. Getting a second opinion on structure, pricing, and terms costs nothing and often changes the outcome. We manage the process from assessment through to settlement.