Self-Employed Business Loans
Compare the best loan deals for your business all in one place when you consider your options with Savvy.
Last updated on June 17th, 2022 at 02:31 pm by Thomas Perrotta
Compare business loans
If your business finds itself short on the funds it needs to cover its expenses, a loan could be the financial solution you’re looking for. Running your self-employed business is rarely easy, so we take the hard work out of comparing loans by presenting them in a simple-to-read format to save you on time.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Lightning business loans up to $150K can be funded in as fast as 2 hours - simply provide 6 months of recent bank statements.More details |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Boost your business with fast hassle-free funding from Lumi. Apply online in five minutes without harming your credit score and get funds in as quickly as 24 hours. For a limited time: Business Loans with No Repayments for the first 6 weeks. T&C apply.More details |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Lumi Lux™ is an innovative rate-reducing business loan that rewards customers with good repayment histories and no contractual breaches throughout their loan term by dropping interest rates by 25 basis points (0.25%) every six monthsMore details |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Valiant is Australia’s leading business loan broker with a network of over 80+ lenders. Apply for a business loan between $5,000 and $1 million and get approved in as little as 24 hours.More details |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Compare, find and match fast to over 80 bank and non-bank lenders accessing much needed working capital from a unsecured business loan.More details |
|||||||||||||||||||
Disclaimer: Savvy is not advising or recommending any particular product to you. We provide general information on products for the purposes of comparison, but your personal situation or goals are not considered here. Although we try to make our comparisons as thorough as possible, we do not have information on all products on the market on our site.
You should always consult a given offer's PDS or further documentation in the process of deciding on which loan to choose, as well as seeking independent, professional advice. If you decide to apply with one of the lenders listed above via our website, you will not be dealing with Savvy; any applications or enquiries will be conducted directly with the lender offering that product.
Self-employed business loans
What are my self-employed business loan options?
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to accessing financing for your business. You should carefully consider what your business needs before plunging into the application process, as this will help you determine which finance type is best for you. You can choose from the following:
Unsecured business loan
The most common type of finance for businesses, unsecured business loans are highly accessible and boast quick approval and payment time of less than 24 hours. This loan sidesteps any requirement to put forward a valuable business or personal asset as collateral, such as equipment or property, making them more widely accessible to a greater number of businesses. These provide access to funds ranging from $5,000 to $500,0000, although these will differ between lenders. You can compare unsecured business loans with Savvy.
Secured business loan/equipment finance
If you do have an asset that you’d like to use as security for your loan, you can look to secured finance instead. This allows you to potentially access a borrowing range beyond $500,000 (provided your security covers that amount and you’re capable of repaying it), longer repayment terms in some cases and a lower interest rate. Alternatively, you can opt for equipment finance if you’re looking at purchasing a specific asset, which itself acts as collateral.
Line of credit
Many businesses look to lines of credit as a flexible way to access the funds they need. These can be either secured or unsecured and allow you to withdraw money up to an approved limit whenever you like. You’ll only pay interest on the amount you use, with revolving terms available to keep them open over longer terms than other loans.
Business overdraft facility
Overdraft facilities are similar to lines of credit but are attached to your business bank account and allow you to access cash beyond $0. However, they don’t come with set repayments, affording you more flexibility to repay the account at your own speed. Interest rates on overdrafts are often higher than those of unsecured business loans, however, as can be the case for lines of credit.
Invoice finance
Finally, if you’re a business which invoices clients, you can look at invoice finance as an option. This involves selling outstanding invoices to a financier and receiving up to 90% to 95% of the owed sum upfront, before having the rest advanced to you once your client pays your financier. You’ll have to pay a number of fees to do so, though, which may be substantial.
How do I get a self-employed business loan if I’m a sole trader?
While the business loan products available to sole traders are no different to those of any other business, what may differ is your ability to be approved in the first place. Generally speaking, sole traders generate less revenue than small businesses with more moving parts, with their lower cash generation capacity and simpler structures often leading to them being classed as higher risk. This can often result in higher interest rates and fees charged on loan products, which can potentially cost your business hundreds of dollars more overall.
Aside from this, though, the requirements are no different when applying for business finance, which is part of the reason why sole traders can find it difficult to get approved in the first place. Lenders will still have the same eligibility criteria in place, namely a required minimum monthly turnover of at least $5,000 and six months’ worth of trading. You’ll also be required to submit the same documents, namely the following:
- Your ABN/ACN and GST registration
- Business bank statements
- Personal identification documents
- Record of your business’ rent (if applicable)
- Business financial statements for larger loans (such as a business plan, tax returns, profit and loss statements and accounts payable and receivable)
How to apply for a business loan
Compare and choose with Savvy
Once you’ve considered your options with Savvy, you can select the loan best suited to your business and proceed with that lender.
Gather your documents and submit your application
Make sure your documents are in order and up to date when you submit them alongside your lender’s application form.
Receive a fast outcome
In most cases, your lender can get back to you confirming whether your application was successful within the same day.
Sign your loan contract and receive your money
If approved, you’ll receive a loan application to sign and return to your lender, after which the funds will be transferred to your business’ account for your use.