What finance options are available to small businesses in NZ and AU?

Small businesses can access invoice finance, business loans, bank overdrafts, merchant cash advances, asset finance, government grants, and equity investment. The right option depends on what you need the money for.

Which type of finance is fastest for small businesses?

Invoice finance (like Fundtap) is typically fastest — decisions and funding within hours. Merchant cash advances can also be fast. Bank loans usually take weeks.

What finance option has no fixed repayments?

Invoice finance has no fixed repayments — the advance is repaid when your customer pays the invoice. This makes it easier to manage alongside fluctuating revenue.

SME finance options: a plain-English guide

There are more ways to finance a small business than most people realise. Here’s what they all are, how they work, and what each one is actually best for.

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The options at a glance

Option	Best for	Key downside
Invoice finance	B2B businesses with outstanding invoices	Requires B2B invoices
Business loan	Buying assets, planned expansion	Fixed repayments, interest, debt
Bank overdraft	Short-term buffer	Requires bank relationship, often needs security
Merchant cash advance	Retail/hospitality with card sales	Very high effective cost
Asset finance / leasing	Equipment, vehicles	Secured against asset, fixed term
Government grants	Specific projects, R&D, export	Restricted eligibility, slow
Equity investment	High-growth companies	Dilutes ownership

Invoice finance: the option most B2B businesses don’t know they can access

Most small business finance requires security, a strong credit history, or both. Invoice finance is different — it’s based on the creditworthiness of your customers, not your business. If you have outstanding B2B invoices from good clients, you can likely access Fundtap today.

Check eligibility — it takes minutes

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