After a decline
Declined for a Business Loan? What to Do Next
Most declines are about fit, not about whether your business is any good. Find the reason closest to yours and see what still works.
A decline feels personal, but it usually is not. Banks and many online lenders run applications through scoring rules: minimum time trading, maximum enquiries, no tax arrears, no defaults, steady monthly revenue. Fail one rule and the application stops, however good the rest of the business looks.
Each page in this section starts from one reason for a decline and works forward: why lenders treat it the way they do, what actually matters to an alternative lender, what to fix before you apply again and which loan structures still tend to work.
If you have been knocked back recently, avoid firing off more applications. Every one can leave an enquiry on your credit file. Read the page that matches your situation, then talk to one team that can look at the whole picture.
Credit file problems
Defaults, judgements, enquiries and scores.
After a default
Can you get a business loan with a default on your credit file? How lenders treat paid, unpaid, old and recent defaults, and the routes that still work.
Read more →After bankruptcy
Business finance after a discharged bankruptcy: how lenders view time since discharge, what helps, and the role of property security and clean banking.
Read more →Court judgement
Court judgement on your credit file? How lenders treat paid and unpaid judgements, what to fix first, and business loan options that still work.
Read more →Too many credit enquiries
Too many recent credit enquiries can trigger automatic business loan declines. Why it happens, how long enquiries matter, and how to apply smarter next time.
Read more →Credit file errors
Wrong defaults, duplicate listings or enquiries you never made can sink a business loan. How to check your credit report and get errors corrected.
Read more →Debt agreement history
Completed or current Part IX debt agreement? How lenders treat debt agreements, how long they matter, and business loan options that may still work.
Read more →Low credit score
Low credit score holding back your business loan? What drives a score, what lenders look at beyond it, and the loan options that still work.
Read more →Missed loan payments
Missed payments on a business loan or facing default notices? How to talk to your lender, refinance options and when property-secured loans can help.
Read more →Tax and debt pressure
ATO arrears, penalty notices and stacked debt.
On an ATO payment plan
Can you borrow while on an ATO payment plan? How lenders view plans that are being met, when to pay the plan out, and options if the plan has defaulted.
Read more →Director penalty notice
Received a director penalty notice from the ATO? Understand the deadline and how fast business finance, including caveat and second mortgage loans, can help.
Read more →Already have loans
Existing short-term loans and merchant advances can block new funding. How lenders view stacked debt and how consolidation or property can reset things.
Read more →High existing debt
Declined because of existing debt levels? How lenders measure debt against income and equity, and options to restructure, consolidate or use property.
Read more →Behind on BAS
Behind on BAS lodgements or payments? Why lodging first matters, how lenders view BAS arrears and the finance options to clear GST and PAYG debts.
Read more →Turnaround finance
Finance for businesses recovering from losses, disruption or a tough year. What lenders need to see in a turnaround and how property security helps.
Read more →Your business does not fit the box
New ABNs, lumpy income, seasonal trade, lost clients and bank-style refusals.
Declined by the bank
Your bank declined your business loan. Why banks say no, how to find the real reason, and which alternative lenders and loan types still work.
Read more →Declined by a cash flow lender
Declined by an online or cash flow lender? The common automated triggers, how other lenders weigh them and options when unsecured funding falls through.
Read more →Irregular income
Business loans for irregular, lumpy or project-based income. How lenders read uneven bank statements and which loan structures suit businesses with swings.
Read more →Seasonal businesses
Loans for seasonal businesses in tourism, farming, retail and hospitality. Fund stock and wages before peak season and get through the off-season.
Read more →Under 12 months trading
Trading for less than 12 months? How lenders assess young businesses, minimum trading rules, and options using bank statements, assets or property.
Read more →Tax returns behind
Tax returns not lodged or out of date? How lenders assess businesses with late lodgements using bank statements and BAS, and when property security helps.
Read more →Lost a major client
When a major client leaves or stops paying, cash flow drops overnight. How to fund the gap, what lenders look for and how to avoid a repeat.
Read more →Need it this week
Need urgent business funding within days? Which options can move fastest, what to prepare today, and how to avoid costly mistakes under pressure.
Read more →Overdraft refused
Bank refused to increase or renew your business overdraft? Common reasons, what to ask your bank and alternative facilities that fill the gap.
Read more →Industry declined
Some lenders restrict hospitality, construction, labour hire, transport and other industries. How alternative lenders judge your business on its own numbers.
Read more →Run the numbers first
Questions about declined?
Will another application hurt my credit file?
Each formal application can leave an enquiry on your file, and a cluster of them in a short time can make the next lender nervous. That is why we start with a conversation and no credit check when you first enquire.
Can I get a business loan after being declined by my bank?
Often, yes. Banks decline for policy reasons such as time trading, tax arrears or past defaults. Alternative lenders weigh those differently and look at current trading, assets and the reason for the loan.
Should I find out why I was declined?
Yes. Ask the lender for the reason, and get a free copy of your credit report from the credit reporting bodies. Knowing the real reason means the next approach can address it head on.
How quickly can I get an answer after a decline?
Usually within a business day of a complete enquiry. Simple unsecured deals can fund quickly, and property-secured loans can be funded in as little as 24 hours on straightforward deals once documents are signed.
No credit check to enquire
Find out what is realistic before anything touches your credit file. A check only happens if you choose to go ahead.
Not sprayed to a pile of lenders
Your enquiry is not auctioned or blasted around. One team reads it and works it through properly.
A real person on your file
Someone who understands declined and unusual deals calls you back. Answer the form accurately and we can match you properly first time.
Prefer to start now? Enquire here
About 60 seconds. No credit check when you first enquire, and a person who handles unusual deals calls you back.
Heard no somewhere else? Ask the people who look at the whole business.
One short enquiry. No credit check when you first enquire, a real person reading it, and your details kept with one team instead of being shopped around.
No credit check to enquire
Not sprayed to a pile of lenders
A real person on your file