ATLAS / GUIDES

A clearer way to understand finance.

Know what to ask before you make your next move. These guides turn common funding questions into practical comparisons and preparation steps.

Discuss your funding options Explore repayments

Explore your starting point, then choose whether to send Atlas an enquiry. An enquiry is not a lender application.

Business loans

Unsecured business loans, explained

Understand unsecured business loans in Australia: guarantees and business security, lender assessment, fee treatment, repayment costs and the evidence to prepare.

Business loans

Secured business loans

Understand secured business finance, collateral, guarantees and the trade-offs to consider when using an asset to support business borrowing.

Business loans

Working capital finance

Explore working capital and cash flow finance for stock, operating expenses and payment timing gaps. Learn how to compare funding structures.

Business loans

Business lines of credit

Learn how a business line of credit works, including available limits, drawings, fees, reviews and differences from a term loan.

Business loans

Invoice finance

Understand invoice finance: eligible invoices, debtor concentration, reserves, fees, collections and recourse, with a worked funding-base example.

Business loans

Business acquisition finance

Explore the funding questions involved in buying a business, including purchase structure, due diligence, contribution and working capital.

Business loans

Business loan refinancing

Review business loan refinancing, including payout figures, switching costs, remaining term and the difference between smaller repayments and savings.

Asset finance

Equipment finance for the work ahead

Plan equipment finance in Australia: purchase costs, deposits, GST questions, loan versus lease, used machinery checks and a worked cash-flow comparison.

Asset finance

Truck finance for the road ahead

Prepare for business truck finance with a guide to vehicle specifications, running costs, contracts, used trucks and balloon-payment considerations.

Asset finance

Trailer finance

Explore finance considerations for commercial trailers, from asset identification and compatibility to operating costs and combined truck purchases.

Asset finance

Excavator finance

Prepare for excavator finance with specific guidance on machine condition, attachments, transport, utilisation and repayment planning.

Asset finance

Business vehicle finance

Explore business car, ute and van finance. Understand business use, ownership, operating costs and the questions to ask before choosing a structure.

Asset finance

Agricultural equipment finance

Explore finance considerations for tractors, harvesters and farm equipment, including seasonality, delivery, maintenance and cash flow.

Asset finance

Medical equipment finance

Explore equipment funding for a healthcare practice, including installation, training, servicing, useful life and upgrade planning.

Asset finance

Used equipment finance

Understand finance considerations for second-hand equipment and private sales, including condition, ownership checks, age and useful life.

Industries

Finance for construction businesses

Explore construction business finance for machinery, vehicles, project cash flow and payment timing, with a practical preparation checklist.

Industries

Finance for transport businesses

Explore transport finance across trucks, trailers, fleet costs and customer payment gaps. Prepare a clear business funding brief.

Industries

Finance for hospitality businesses

Explore hospitality and cafe finance for equipment, fit-outs and working capital, with practical guidance on budgets and opening timelines.

Industries

Finance for manufacturing businesses

Explore manufacturing finance for machinery, production capacity, inventory and receivables, with practical cash flow and purchase considerations.

Industries

Finance for healthcare practices

Explore healthcare practice funding for equipment, fit-outs, acquisitions and operating costs. Prepare a specific business finance brief.

Industries

Finance for agricultural businesses

Explore agricultural business finance for machinery, seasonal working capital and investment, with practical cash flow considerations.

Guides

How to compare business loans

Compare business loan proceeds, financed or deducted fees, monthly charges, repayment schedules, balloons and early payout using a worked side-by-side example.

Guides

Documents to prepare for a business loan

Build a practical business finance checklist covering financials, bank statements, debts, funding purpose and asset or transaction information.

Guides

Secured vs unsecured business loans

Understand the differences between secured and unsecured business finance, including collateral, personal guarantees, costs and flexibility.

Guides

Equipment finance vs leasing

Compare equipment loans and leasing through ownership, payments, maintenance, flexibility and end-of-term obligations.

Guides

What is a balloon payment?

Understand balloon payments, how they affect regular loan repayments and total interest, and why the final payment needs its own plan.

Guides

Personal loans vs business loans

Understand why personal-purpose and business-purpose borrowing need different conversations, and how to describe your intended use accurately.

Guides

Build a 13-week cash-flow forecast

Build a weekly cash-flow forecast, test late receipts and identify the timing and size of a gap before choosing a business funding approach.

Guides

Plan the cash gap behind a purchase order

Map supplier deposits, import costs and customer collections to understand an order’s largest cash gap and the assumptions behind it.

Guides

Plan contract cash flow before delivery starts

Compare weekly delivery costs with progress claims, collection delays and retention to understand a contract’s cash requirements.

Guides

Check the cash behind business debt payments

Assess business debt payments using a consistent cash measure, a maturity calendar and stressed scenarios. Understand balances, coverage and final balloons.

Guides

Understand the invoice value behind a funding scenario

Follow an invoice portfolio from unpaid amounts through overdue and dispute exclusions, a simple customer cap and an illustrative advance before fees.

Guides

Match equipment costs to the hours you can sell

Compare equipment cash costs over a shared ownership period, then test whether realistic billable hours cover the monthly commitments.

Guides

Plan each draw and repayment on a business line of credit

Map dated drawings, interest, fees and principal repayments so you can see the remaining debt behind a business line-of-credit cash-flow plan.

Property finance

Commercial property finance

Explore finance for business premises, including the purchase budget, deposit, valuation, cash flow and lease-versus-buy considerations.

Get your bearings first

A funding decision brings together the purpose, the business cash flow and the terms of a particular agreement. Reading about one product is a starting point, not a substitute for checking your own proposal.

Use the guides to prepare questions and identify information you still need. Then compare the actual cost, security, repayment schedule and alternatives.

Common questions

Are these guides personal financial advice?

No. They provide general information and do not assess your circumstances or recommend a specific loan.

Further readingAustralian Government — preparing for a business loan ↗

General information only. Product terms and availability vary. Check the actual proposal and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances.

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A clearer way to understand finance.

Get your bearings first

Common questions

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your next move.