Simple business loans in three steps
Simple business loans come down to three steps: fill in a 60-second online form, chat with a real person who matches you to the right route, then provide a handful of documents for the lender. Property owners skip tax returns entirely, and businesses without property mostly just share bank statements.
At a glance
- Three steps: quick form, quick chat, short document list
- Two routes: property-secured or unsecured cash-flow loan
- Property-secured: $20,000 to $5 million, no tax returns needed
- Unsecured: ABN, 6+ months trading, bank statements
- Plain-English jargon buster below, so nothing sounds scary
- Free to enquire and no hit to your credit score
What are simple business loans?
Simple business loans are loans where the process is short, the documents are few and the language makes sense. That's the whole idea behind Just Business Loans. If it doesn't need to be complicated, we don't make it complicated.
There are only two types of loan on offer, and the form figures out which one fits. You don't need to know the difference between a caveat and a covenant (though we'll explain both below, just in case someone at a barbecue asks).
How do the three steps work?
The three steps work like this: you tell us, we talk, the lender decides. Here's what happens at each stage and who does what.
Step 1: Fill in the form (about 60 seconds)
You: answer a handful of questions. How much do you need, what's it for, do you own property, and how long have you been trading?
Us: nothing yet, except make sure the form doesn't ask anything silly. It's an enquiry, not a credit application, so your credit score stays exactly where it is.
Step 2: Have a quick chat
You: answer the phone or reply to a text. That's it.
Us: a real person reads your enquiry, works out whether the property-secured route or the unsecured route suits you, and explains it in normal words. They'll tell you exactly which few documents are needed.
Step 3: Send a short list of documents
You: send what's asked for. For a property loan, think ID, property details, existing loan details, what the funds are for and how you'll repay. For an unsecured loan, mostly your business bank statements, often shared through a secure read-only link in minutes.
The lender: assesses the application. If approved, the loan documents are issued, signed and funded. Timing depends on documents, any valuation or legal work, and settlement.
That's the process from top to bottom. No step four hiding in the small print.
That's the gist. Want your options?
Just show meWhat does all the finance jargon mean?
Finance jargon means simple things dressed up in fancy clothes. Here's a jargon buster so you can read any loan offer without sweating.
| Jargon | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|
| Security | The backstop a lender holds in case repayments stop, most often real estate |
| Equity | The slice of your property you own outright, after the mortgage is subtracted |
| First mortgage | The lender is the main lender over the property |
| Second mortgage | A loan that sits behind your existing mortgage, which stays in place |
| Exit strategy | How you'll repay the loan, such as a sale, refinance or payment due |
| LVR | Loan-to-value ratio: how much you borrow compared with what the property is worth |
| No doc | No tax returns or financial statements needed |
| Low doc | Fewer documents, usually bank statements instead of full financials |
| Unsecured | No property or asset is used as security |
| Bridging loan | A short-term loan that covers the gap until money arrives from elsewhere |
| Caveat | A notice on the property title that protects a lender's interest |
| Covenant | A condition in the loan agreement you agree to stick to |
| Valuation | An estimate of what the property is worth, sometimes not needed up front |
| Settlement | The moment the loan is finalised and the money is paid out |
Keep this handy. Once the words stop being scary, the whole thing gets a lot less stressful.
What questions will the lender ask?
The lender will ask a few practical questions, and they're all ones you already know the answers to. Expect something like:
- How much do you want to borrow?
- What is the money for?
- What property is on offer, or what does your business bank account look like?
- How long has the business been trading?
- How will the loan be repaid?
Notice what's missing? No questions about five-year projections or your accountant's opinion of your gross margin. For property-secured loans especially, the property and the exit plan tell most of the story.
How does a simple business loan look from start to finish?
Here's an illustration of the three steps in action.
Mia runs a small bakery in Geelong. Her commercial oven dies on a Tuesday, right before a run of wedding cake orders. She owns her house, which has a home loan with a decent chunk of equity behind it.
- Tuesday arvo: Mia fills in the form on her phone between batches.
- Shortly after: a real person calls, confirms a second mortgage fits (her home loan stays untouched) and lists what's needed.
- That week: she sends her ID, her home loan statement, the property address and a short note on how she'll repay, from the refinance she'd already been planning.
No tax returns. No profit and loss statement. No meeting in a beige office. That's the kind of simple we mean.
What if my situation feels complicated?
If your situation feels complicated, that's often exactly when a simple process helps most. Owners come to us with all kinds of wrinkles:
- Tax returns a year or two behind
- An old default or a recent credit hiccup
- A business that's only been going a short while
- Income that swings with the seasons
- A bank that has already said no
None of these automatically rule you out. Our team's job is to untangle it for you, so you don't have to work out the right lender, the right product or the right wording. You just answer the questions, and they point you to the route that fits.
Why do we keep business loans this simple?
We keep business loans simple because complicated doesn't make a loan safer or better. It just makes it slower and more annoying.
Private and specialist lenders in our network look at the few things that decide whether a loan makes sense. Everything else is noise. That lets you get an answer without handing over your life story, and it means our team can explain every step in one or two sentences.
If you want to see how easy the other bits can be, check out easy business loans or grab the one-page business loan checklist. Sole traders can also head to sole trader business loans for their own version.
That's the gist. Want your options?
Just show meThree steps. Two routes. One simple way to fund your business.
FAQs
What are the steps to get a simple business loan?
There are three. First, fill in the 60-second online form with the basics about your business and what you need. Second, a real person reviews it and calls or texts you to explain the best route. Third, you provide a short list of documents so the lender can assess and, if approved, fund the loan.
What does 'exit strategy' mean on a business loan?
An exit strategy is simply how you plan to repay the loan. For short-term property-secured loans, common exits include selling a property or asset, refinancing to a longer-term loan, or receiving a payment you're owed, like a contract milestone or a settlement. The lender wants to see a sensible, realistic plan.
What is the difference between a first and second mortgage business loan?
A first mortgage means the lender is the main lender over the property, often on a property with no loan or after paying out the existing one. A second mortgage sits behind your existing home loan, which stays in place. You borrow against the equity between what the property is worth and what you still owe.
Do simple business loans need financial statements?
Not always. Property-secured loans through our lending partners need no tax returns or financial statements, because the property is the main security. Unsecured loans are assessed mostly on business bank statements rather than full financials. Either way, you'll deal with a much shorter document list than a typical bank application.
Can a sole trader get a simple business loan?
Yes. Sole traders, partnerships, companies and trusts can all apply. A sole trader who owns property with some equity can look at a property-secured loan, while a sole trader with an ABN and at least six months of trading may qualify for an unsecured loan based on bank statements, subject to approval.
Is there a cost to apply for a simple business loan?
There's no cost to enquire or apply through Just Business Loans. The online form takes about 60 seconds and won't affect your credit score, since it's an enquiry rather than a credit application. Any loan costs are specific to your circumstances and are explained clearly before you commit to anything.