Commercial & Business Finance Mackay
We arrange commercial and business finance for Mackay operators, and the protections you had on your home loan do not come with you. Commercial lending sits outside the consumer credit rules, so the security is different, the guarantees are different, and there are review clauses that let a lender reprice or recall the facility.
That is where the exposure sits, and it is the part nobody reads until it bites. We read those clauses with you before you sign rather than after, whether it is premises, plant or working capital. We do the same on a home loan, and here it matters more because the contract gives you fewer protections. Most people meet us as a mortgage broker first and bring the business finance later. Commercial & business finance Mackay runs on those clauses more than on the headline rate.
What a commercial lender reads that a home lender does not
Business-purpose lending sits outside the consumer credit rules, so the assessment starts somewhere else and you negotiate the terms rather than take a standard set.
- 01
Financials, not payslips
Two years of returns and recent management accounts, showing surplus above what the business already carries.
- 02
Your ATO position
A tax debt does not stop the finance, but it must be disclosed with an arrangement in place.
- 03
How saleable the security is
A standard shed or shopfront is advanced against more freely than a purpose-built facility.
- 04
The guarantees
Personal guarantees and security arrangements are where the real exposure sits. We read those clauses with you first.
- 05
Review clauses
A lender can reprice or recall a facility under terms that have no equivalent in a home loan.
- 06
Whether a fee applies
Some commercial lenders pay no commission. Where a fee applies you have it in writing before any work starts.
How We Fund Your Premises, Plant and Cash Flow
We arrange four broad things for Mackay businesses: finance to buy commercial premises, equipment and plant finance, working capital where cash flow is the constraint, and funding to buy a business outright.
It works differently from a home loan. The assessment is built from your business financials rather than a payslip, lenders generally advance a lower share of the value, and the structure is negotiated rather than picked off a rate sheet.
Mackay runs on mining services, transport, engineering and trades: businesses where a piece of plant arriving three months earlier is the difference between winning a contract and watching it go elsewhere. We work to that timeframe rather than a bank's.
What Happens After You Get in Touch
Built to move at business speed, because equipment purchases usually cannot wait. We know which lenders currently have an appetite for Mackay commercial security and which have pulled back.
- 01
First conversation, about 20 minutes.
What you are funding, what the business looks like and what timeframe you are working to. If a fee would apply to what you need, we say so at this point.
- 02
Structure and options.
We come back with how the facility would be structured, which lenders suit it, what security is involved and what it would cost.
- 03
Financials and preparation.
We prepare the submission properly, because commercial lenders respond much better to a well-presented file, and for a Mackay business a credit team has never heard of, presentation affects both the answer and the terms.
- 04
Approval.
Equipment finance is often days. Commercial property is usually two to six weeks depending on the valuation and the complexity.
- 05
Settlement and beyond.
We go through the terms with you before you sign, particularly the security, the guarantees and the review conditions, and we stay available as the facility runs.
Two years of business financials and tax returns, recent management accounts, your ATO position, and details of what you are buying. For equipment, a supplier quote is usually enough to start.
What People Ask Us First
What financials do you need to quote business finance?
Two years of business financials and tax returns, recent management accounts, an aged debtors and creditors summary, and your current ATO position. For a business purchase we need the target's figures as well.
For straightforward equipment finance it is often much lighter: a supplier quote and your trading history can be enough to get an indication.
When would a fee apply to me?
On complex facilities, business purchases, or structures needing substantial preparation where the lender pays little or no commission. Most straightforward Mackay equipment finance and many commercial property loans are lender-paid, as residential lending is.
You would know before any work began. We set out what the fee is, what it covers and when it is payable, in writing, and you decide from there.
How long does it take you to get me an answer?
For equipment finance, often a matter of days once we have the supplier quote and your trading figures. For commercial property, usually two to six weeks depending on the valuation and how complex the structure is.
You get our initial read either way: whether it is fundable, roughly what the structure looks like, and whether a fee would apply. That part costs you nothing.
Outside NCCP
Commercial lending is regulated differentlyConsumer credit protections that apply to your home loan do not apply the same way here. Fewer safeguards, different disclosure, and a fee may apply.
Source: National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009What We Read Before You Sign a Commercial Facility
This is the most important thing to understand before you sign a commercial facility, and it is rarely explained properly.
Your home loan is regulated under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. That legislation sits behind a lot of what you take for granted: responsible lending obligations, prescribed disclosure, and the Best Interests Duty that governs how a broker must act for you.
Commercial lending is outside that framework. Where the borrowing is for business purposes, those consumer protections do not apply in the same way. The disclosure requirements are different, the obligations on the lender are different, and the terms are far more negotiable, which cuts both ways. Default clauses, review conditions, personal guarantees and security arrangements can be considerably more aggressive than anything in a home loan, and there is less standing behind you if it goes wrong.
We do not treat that as a reason to avoid commercial finance. It is a reason to read the terms properly, and we go through them with you: particularly the security and the guarantee, because that is usually where the real exposure sits.
What We Put In Front Of A Commercial Lender
We lead with your financials, not your income, because that is where a commercial lender starts. They want to see that your Mackay business generates enough surplus to cover the new repayments alongside everything it already carries.
If you are buying a business rather than property, they will want the target's figures too, and they will look hard at how much of that income depends on the current owner staying. That single question decides more business purchase applications than the price does.
Expect to contribute more than you would on a home loan. Lenders advance a lower share of value on commercial property than on residential, and they are more conservative again on a Mackay industrial shed than on the equivalent in a capital city, so a larger deposit or additional security is normal rather than a sign something is wrong with your application.
Tell Us About Any ATO Debt at the Start
Your ATO position matters more here than you might expect. An outstanding tax debt does not necessarily stop the finance, but it must be disclosed and it needs a payment arrangement in place. A lender finding it themselves is a much worse outcome than you raising it, so tell us at the start and we will structure around it.
Funding Plant for Your Mackay Business
Plant finance is the most common request we get from Mackay operators, and it is generally the most straightforward to arrange.
Because the equipment itself is the security, the approval process is faster and lighter than for a commercial property loan. For established businesses buying standard, readily resaleable plant, some lenders will approve on limited financials, occasionally on the asset and your trading history alone.
Specialised or heavily customised equipment is harder, for the obvious reason: if the lender has to sell it, a narrow resale market means they are more exposed. Purpose-built mining plant is the usual example around Mackay, and it is worth knowing before you order rather than after. Age matters too, since a lender is looking at what the asset is worth at the end of the term, not just today.
The arrangement you choose affects your tax position and your cash flow, and the right one depends on your accounting treatment. We work with your accountant on that rather than guessing at it: the difference between arrangements is not trivial over the life of the asset.
When a Fee Applies and What It Would Be
On residential lending we are paid by the lender and there is no cost to you. Commercial is not always the same, and we would rather be plain about it than have you find out later.
Some commercial lenders pay a commission and the arrangement works as it does on a home loan. Others do not, or pay considerably less relative to the work involved. On a complex facility, a business purchase or a structure requiring significant preparation, a fee may apply.
You Would Know Before Any Work Starts
If one does, you will know before any work starts. We tell you what it is, what it covers and when it becomes payable, in writing, and you decide whether to proceed. There is no scenario where a fee appears at the end of a process you thought was free.
The initial conversation is free either way. Working out what you need, whether it is fundable and roughly what it will look like costs you nothing.
Commercial & Business Finance Questions
How much deposit do you need for commercial and business finance Mackay?
More than on a home, and it varies with what the property is. Around Mackay that most often means an industrial shed, a shopfront or a yard. Lenders generally advance a lower proportion of value on commercial security than residential, so the deposit is correspondingly larger, and standard commercial premises are treated more generously than specialised buildings with a narrow resale market.
If you already own property with equity in it, that equity can cover part or all of the deposit, which is how a lot of these are actually funded. We look at what you hold before assuming you need the cash.
How much will lenders advance under commercial and business finance Mackay?
It depends on the property type and on how you service the debt. A Mackay lender is asking one question behind the number. The more specialised the building, the less a lender will advance, because it comes down to how easily someone could sell it if things went wrong. A standard industrial shed or a shopfront sits at one end; a purpose-built facility sits at the other.
Servicing is assessed from your business financials rather than a payslip, and where the property is leased the rental income counts toward it. Commercial lending also sits outside the consumer credit protections that cover home loans, so you negotiate the terms rather than taking a standard set. We set out what a specific lender is offering before you commit to anything.
Can I finance mining equipment without full tax returns?
Often yes. Where the equipment is standard and readily resaleable and the business is established, some lenders will approve on limited financials, sometimes on the asset and your trading history alone.
Specialised or customised plant is harder, because the resale market is narrower and the lender carries more risk. Show us the supplier quote and we will tell you quickly which path is realistic for a Mackay operator.
Is commercial lending regulated the same way as a home loan?
No. Business-purpose lending sits outside the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, so the consumer protections attached to your home loan, including the Best Interests Duty in the form it takes there, do not apply in the same way.
Practically, that means terms are more negotiable and also more onerous. Personal guarantees, security arrangements, review clauses and default provisions deserve close reading, and we go through them with you before you sign.
Who Reads the Terms With You
The person who answers is the person who prepares the submission and reads the terms with you before you sign. On a commercial facility the terms are where the exposure sits, not the rate.
Mackay runs on mining services, transport, engineering and trades, where a piece of plant arriving three months earlier decides whether a contract is won. We work to that timeframe rather than to a lender review cycle.
- Where we are
- Mackay, QLD 4740
- Where we work
- The city and its suburbs, north to the beaches, south past the port, and inland through the cane country to the Pioneer Valley
- What it costs to ask
- The first conversation is free. On commercial and equipment finance a fee may apply, and we quote it in writing before you commit.
Talk to a Mortgage Broker in Mackay
Tell us where you are up to and we will tell you what your options are, which lenders suit your situation and what the next step looks like. If the answer is that you are better off waiting three months, we tell you that instead.
If a fee ever applied to your situation it would be in writing in our Credit Guide, before you decided anything.