Documents for fast business funding: have these open before you call

The core documents for every lane

Whatever capital source you’re heading for, these come up almost every time:

• Photo ID — current driver licence or passport for every director, borrower, guarantor and property owner
• Business details — ABN, and ACN and company extract for companies; trust deed for trusts
• Business bank statements — three to six months, downloaded as PDFs from internet banking (not screenshots or photos)
• Recent BAS — the last one or two lodged
• Existing debts — every loan, lease, advance, credit card and ATO arrangement: lender, balance, repayment amount and frequency
• Purpose and amount — one clear sentence each
• Exit — how and when the money will be repaid

Having these ready before you enquire is the single biggest thing you can do to speed up funding.

Extra documents by capital lane

Lane	Add these
Caveat loan / second mortgage	Property address, all owners’ names, existing mortgage lender and balance, recent rates notice
First mortgage business loan	As above, plus payout figure from the existing lender if refinancing
Unsecured business loan	Possibly more months of statements for larger amounts
Equipment finance	Supplier quote or tax invoice; for private sales, asset details and serial numbers
Invoice finance	Aged debtors report, sample invoices, main customer list
Trade finance	Supplier invoices, purchase orders, shipping documents
Low doc	BAS history, accountant’s letter if available
Business purchase	Contract of sale, business financials, lease

Bank statements: get them right

Statements are the most-read document in fast business lending. A few rules:

• Download PDFs directly from internet banking — lenders need to verify them
• Include every business account, not just the main one
• Cover the full period requested, with no missing pages
• Explain the unusual — a large one-off deposit, a quiet month, a transfer to a director — in a short note

Our guide to how lenders read business bank statements goes through what assessors look for.

Property details without delays

For property-secured lending, the questions are simple, but the answers need to be accurate:

1. What’s the full address?
2. Who exactly is on the title — individuals, a company, a trust?
3. Is there an existing mortgage? Who with, and roughly how much?
4. Are there any other caveats or interests on title?
5. Are all owners available to sign this week?

If you’re not sure of the exact ownership, a recent rates notice usually shows the registered owners.

Your existing debts — all of them

Lenders will see repayments in your bank statements. If they find a funder you didn’t mention, the file stalls while they ask about it. List everything:

• business loans and lines of credit
• equipment and vehicle finance
• merchant cash advances and revenue-based funding
• business credit cards
• ATO payment plans or debts
• any personal guarantees you’ve given

An illustrative example

A café owner preparing for a fit-out loan puts together one folder: driver licence, ABN details, six months of statements as PDFs, the last two BAS, a one-page list of three existing debts, the fit-out quote, the lease, and a short note explaining a quiet month during a road closure. She enquires at 9am. Because nothing has to be chased, the assessment is finished the same morning. (Illustrative only.)

Folder ready? Start your enquiry now.

A one-page cover note that saves days

Along with your documents, send a short cover note. It takes ten minutes to write and can save days of back-and-forth. Include:

1. What you need — amount, purpose and deadline.
2. Who’s involved — borrower entity, directors, any guarantors, property owners.
3. The security — property address and what’s owed, or “unsecured”.
4. Existing debts — a short table.
5. Anything unusual — a big one-off deposit, a quiet month, a dishonour, an ATO plan, a default, and the reason for each.
6. The exit — how and when the money gets repaid.

Assessors read dozens of files. A file that explains itself gets read faster and with fewer questions.

Keeping documents current

Documents go stale. A statement period that ends six weeks ago, a driver licence that expired last month or a company extract that still shows a former director can all trigger requests for updates. Before you send anything:

• check ID expiry dates for everyone involved
• download statements up to the most recent day available
• make sure your ASIC company details match the people who’ll sign
• confirm your latest BAS has been lodged

Keeping your documents private

Send documents only to the specialist handling your enquiry, through the method they provide. Avoid emailing full sets of statements and ID to multiple lenders at once — it multiplies the places your personal information sits, which is one more reason we don’t spray enquiries around.

Ready when you are

Preparation turns a slow application into a fast one. Asking what’s possible doesn’t involve a credit check, and your documents stay with one specialist rather than being sent around a lender panel. A real person will call you and tell you exactly which documents your lane needs. Please fill in the form accurately so we only ask for what’s relevant. See if your business qualifies.