Lumi is the best place to get a business loan for an established small business funding a short working-capital cycle with weekly repayments. Brokers can work directly with Lumi or through its aggregator network, submit through its Partner Portal and discuss the file with a dedicated business development manager (BDM). Its unsecured business loan requires a personal guarantee, and early repayment carries no penalty.
That combination suits a business that expects to repay from trading receipts and wants to avoid pledging property. Other lenders become useful when the client needs fortnightly repayments, revolving access or a bank facility. The written offer still decides which option costs less and fits the client’s cash flow.
Top Small Business Loan Lenders in 2026
1. Lumi
Lumi ranks first for a one-off working-capital request that the business can repay weekly within its published three-to-36-month loan term. Consider a fictional GST-registered retailer trading for three years with $600,000 annual turnover. It needs $100,000 net for stock and operating costs over 12 months, has standard financial records and proposes no property security.
Its weekly customer receipts suit a fixed weekly repayment. Lumi usually assesses linked bank data, with financials and tax information possible on larger deals. Its broker FAQ sets minimum trading history at six months and gross annual turnover at $50,000. Meeting those thresholds permits assessment, without establishing approval or the amount offered.
Lumi’s product FAQ describes an unsecured loan backed by the owner’s personal guarantee. It deducts an establishment fee from the advance, so a $100,000 loan amount can deliver less than $100,000 to the business. Its business loan terms explained in the product FAQ allow early repayment without a penalty. Lumi loses its lead when weekly debits strain receipts, the required term exceeds 36 months or the proposed security and guarantee terms are unacceptable.
2. Prospa
Prospa ranks second for the same retailer because its Small Business Loan combines a fixed repayment structure with a documented broker channel. Accredited partners can refer a lead or submit an application through the Partner Portal, then track progress. That distinction lets the broker choose the agreed level of application work.
Its Small Business Loan information lists weekly repayments, terms up to five years and funding from $5,000 to $500,000. The published minimums are six months trading and $6,000 monthly turnover. Prospa’s retail guidance requests six-to-12 months of electronic bank statements for applications up to $100,000. A fee-funded increase above that amount can change the evidence needed.
Prospa requires a director’s personal guarantee. Its FAQ says funding up to $150,000 needs no upfront asset security, subject to continued compliance with the contract. Combined exposure across Prospa products affects that limit. Its published early-payout calculation includes remaining principal, accrued interest and outstanding fees, plus 1.5% of remaining principal. That exit cost puts it behind Lumi for a client expecting to clear the facility early.
3. Moula
Moula ranks third for this weekly-receipts file, but its fortnightly repayment cycle can fit a business collecting in larger fortnightly batches. Its partner programme has online application tracking and BDM support. Published partner eligibility includes GST registration, an ABN or ACN, 12 months trading and $10,000 monthly sales.
Moula uses linked business data to assess cash flow. Its loan FAQ describes lending from $10,000 to $500,000, with terms up to five years. Repayments are equal fortnightly principal-and-interest payments. Company borrowers provide a personal guarantee, so its unsecured description does not remove the director’s liability.
For the retailer, a fortnightly debit requires enough cash to remain after the intervening stock and wage payments. Moula’s FAQ applies a prepayment fee to full repayment within the first three months and bars partial repayments during that period. After that period, it permits payout without a penalty. Compare the broker-channel origination fee in the offer, since the direct-customer fee is a different channel’s price.
4. Shift
Shift ranks fourth for a finite, one-off request because its Business Overdraft is a revolving facility. It fits better when stock purchases create repeated cash gaps and the business needs to redraw repaid funds. Shift Connect lets accredited brokers submit applications, review contracts and initiate settlement.
The Business Overdraft product page lists weekly or monthly repayments and a revolving term up to five years. Interest applies to money used, with an annual fee and no establishment fee. Linked bank data supports the limit assessment, while accounts of $500,000 or more require financials. Extra repayments and payout carry no cost.
The retailer’s standard accounts support its assessment, but a revolving limit needs a planned repayment and closure point for this 12-month need. Shift’s credit consent covers director and guarantor checks. Read the proposed facility’s security schedule and guarantee documents before treating its exposure as equivalent to an unsecured term loan. Monthly repayments can help a business with monthly receipts, but they do not cure a continuing cash deficit.
Match the Lender to the Broker File
Find a business loan lender by matching the client’s net funding need and repayment capacity to a facility your brokerage can actually submit. Keep the retailer’s $100,000, 12-month request constant while comparing lenders. A larger headline limit or longer advertised term does not improve that file by itself.
Start with the stock purchase and operating-cost budget, then identify when the financed stock turns into cash. Reconcile maintainable cash flow to bank transactions and financial statements after tax, drawings and existing debt payments. Use the business loan borrowing power calculator for an indicative amount from entered cash flow, then apply the lender’s own assessment.
The lender supplies credit and makes the approval decision. A broker arranges or introduces the application, an aggregator manages access arrangements and a lead seller passes contact details onwards. The company named as lender in the agreement must match the facility being compared. Lumi’s finance entities, Prospa Advance, Moula’s lending group and Shift’s issuing entities are lenders, rather than a directory of introducers.
Broker Access and Follow-Up
Lumi permits direct accreditation or access through an aggregator in its network. Its Partner Portal supports submission and tracking, and its BDM handles scenario questions. The broker retains the client relationship while Lumi handles funding and servicing. Agree who collects missing records and explains conditions before lodging the file.
Shift’s onboarding route distinguishes brokerage directors from loan writers. Both roles provide the brokerage’s ABN and identity details. Directors also provide the commission account and industry membership certificate. Loan writers need an onboarding form signed by the brokerage director. Joining the brokerage and gaining access to Shift Connect are separate from approval of the customer’s finance.
For a Shift application, assign the broker’s document follow-up and contract review explicitly. Shift assesses the limit and finalises the facility. Its BDM network supports scenario discussions, while the customer’s consent governs information shared with an authorised broker. Neither a Shift login nor a Lumi accreditation guarantees the retailer’s application will pass.
Prospa’s partner terms permit either a lead referral or a submitted application. Moula’s partner registration and portal provide another documented route. Your own accreditation and agreement determine which actions you can take. For broader panel arrangements, the asset finance aggregator comparison explains the access relationship without substituting for lender accreditation.
Reject a Mismatch Before Submission
A client seeking 48 months falls outside Lumi’s published business-loan term, even if its line of credit has different terms. A retailer paid mostly monthly can struggle with a weekly debit despite healthy annual turnover. An unsupported industry or an unavailable submission channel also removes a lender before a credit application.
Prepare the financial statements and tax position alongside linked bank data, identity records and existing debt schedules. Include a stock budget and the forecast showing when receipts repay the advance. If standard financial records are incomplete, use the separate low doc business loan comparison for that evidence route. If the funding purpose is still unclear, the business loan guide explains the facilities and application records.
The actual use of funds also determines the consumer-credit boundary. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) explains this in Regulatory Guide 203: Do I need a credit licence?. Under the National Credit Code, the borrower’s status and predominant purpose matter. Personal or household expenditure, and residential investment-property finance, can bring credit within the Code. Record the real purpose before applying your licensing and disclosure process, even when a product is labelled a business loan.
Best Unsecured Business Loan Options
Lumi is the best unsecured business loan option here when its written offer leaves the retailer with $100,000 net and affordable weekly repayments. Its early-payout policy suits an owner who wants to repay sooner if stock sells quickly. Prospa and Moula remain usable alternatives, with different exit conditions and repayment timing.
| Lender | Repayment fit | Exposure and exit condition |
|---|---|---|
| Lumi | Weekly business-loan payments | Personal guarantee. Establishment fee reduces net proceeds. No early-repayment penalty. |
| Prospa | Weekly fixed loan payments | Director guarantee. No upfront asset security up to the applicable combined-funding threshold. Published payout formula includes a fee. |
| Moula | Fortnightly loan payments | Company borrower provides a personal guarantee. Early-payout restrictions apply within the first three months. |
An unsecured loan does not pledge the specified asset as collateral. A personal guarantee separately makes the guarantor liable if the company fails to pay. A general security agreement can give a lender security over business assets. Read any security or default-triggered rights in the contract, even where the initial application needs no property mortgage.
Unsecured business loan lenders still assess credit and serviceability. Lumi’s broker FAQ explicitly describes director credit-file assessment. Treat an eligibility enquiry with no credit check separately from the consent and checks required for a complete application.
A secured bank facility becomes more attractive when a longer-lived business investment needs a longer repayment period and the owner accepts the collateral exposure. For this retailer, keep the stock cycle as the repayment target. Extending debt against the owner’s home solely to reduce the instalment can leave the debt outstanding after the financed stock has sold.
Before a director signs, give them the guarantee and security documents for independent legal advice. Moneysmart’s guidance on guaranteeing a business loan explains the risk of having to repay another borrower’s debt and losing pledged assets.
ANZ and Commonwealth Bank Business Facilities
ANZ Business Loans and Commonwealth Bank’s BetterBusiness Loan are bank routes worth assessing for the same retailer. Business Markets Loan belongs to NAB, so it requires a separate product and channel assessment.
ANZ Business Loan
ANZ Business Loans have secured and unsecured structures, with fixed or variable rates. Principal-and-interest or interest-only arrangements and repayment frequency depend on the approved facility. The longest advertised terms require qualifying property security, so they are not an automatic option for an unsecured working-capital request.
ANZ’s commercial broker route requires accreditation requested through an aggregator. GoBiz for Brokers permits referrals for unsecured business loans and overdrafts up to $200,000. Directors must provide an individual guarantee and indemnity. The accredited broker must engage an ANZ Business Banker before referral to establish eligibility and commission treatment.
That makes ANZ a usable candidate for the $100,000 request through an accredited commercial broker. The ordinary public business-banking enquiry is a direct channel. Neither residential mortgage accreditation nor a public application link establishes commercial submission authority. Compare its written repayment and fee terms with Lumi before choosing it.
NAB Business Markets Loan
NAB’s Business Markets Loan is for borrowing above $250,000. It therefore excludes this standalone $100,000 request. Avoid enlarging the debt to reach the product’s minimum.
For a genuinely larger request, NAB lists terms from 30 days to 15 years and interest-only or principal repayment structures. The facility can combine market-linked and fixed-rate components. Its public route is a business-banking specialist enquiry, with fees and lending conditions supplied on application. A broker needs the applicable NAB commercial access arrangement before treating that enquiry route as a broker submission.
Commonwealth Bank BetterBusiness Loan
Commonwealth Bank’s BetterBusiness Loan can fund inventory and other business costs. The bank lists unsecured lending up to $250,000 with a maximum seven-year term, alongside property-secured structures. It confirms rates and fees in the Letter of Offer.
Variable-rate facilities permit extra repayments, while the fixed-rate FAQ says extra repayments are unavailable. Repayment type and frequency must fit the approved offer. For this retailer, compare a 12-month amortisation and its fees, even if a longer term is available. Existing customers can apply directly through NetBank, while new customers use a banking appointment.
CommBank’s commercial broker accreditation requires an aggregator with a Business Intermediary Agreement, plus the individual broker’s accreditation. Its Commercial Connect programme provides a referral route for accredited CommBank brokers lacking the relevant product accreditation. Use the route your agreement permits, with responsibility for the customer’s application made explicit.
Compare the Complete Written Offers
Compare written offers on the same net funds received and holding period before choosing the lender. Record the contractual principal separately from cash advanced after fees. Include ongoing charges and the payout amount at the client’s intended exit, alongside the full contractual term.
The following illustrative terms compare two fictional lenders. Both facilities provide $100,000 net, with personal guarantees and no asset security in this example. Assume all scheduled repayments occur and no other charges apply.
| Offer term | Facility A | Facility B |
|---|---|---|
| Contractual principal | $102,000 | $100,000 |
| Establishment fee | $2,000 withheld | $0 |
| Net funds received | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Scheduled repayment | $2,300 weekly for 52 weeks | $1,250 weekly for 104 weeks |
| Total paid if held to maturity | $119,600 | $130,000 |
| Total interest over full term | $17,600 | $30,000 |
| Cost above net funds at maturity | $19,600 | $30,000 |
| Exit after 52 repayments | $0 balance | $54,000 payout, including a $1,000 exit charge |
| Total paid at the 52-week exit | $119,600 | $119,000 |
Facility B has the lower weekly debit, but holding it for its full term costs $10,400 more. At the same 52-week exit, its supplied payout makes it $600 cheaper than Facility A. That result depends on actually funding the $54,000 payout. A lower instalment alone cannot settle the choice.
Now slow the retailer’s receipts. Suppose cash remaining after operating costs and existing debts falls from $3,000 to $1,700 weekly for eight weeks. Facility A creates a $600 weekly shortfall, or $4,800 across that period. Facility B leaves $450 weekly, but its later payout still needs a source. If the stock cycle cannot fund that exit, compare its full 104-week obligation instead.
Use the mortgage repayment calculator for regular repayment and interest modelling under the terms you enter. It does not replace the lender’s fee schedule, guarantee documents or payout quotation. Obtain those documents for the same proposed advance and planned exit.
For the retailer, approach Lumi first for the 12-month facility because the weekly receipt pattern and penalty-free exit fit the funding purpose. Retain the stock budget, bank data and financial statements with the cash-flow forecast. Resolve net proceeds after fees, affordable debits and the exact guarantee and security conditions before submission. If the offer requires unacceptable collateral or the slower-receipts case cannot be funded, choose the matching alternative or reduce the request. The lender still makes the approval decision.
