Useful business guidance
Straight answers on business funding in New Zealand — from paying off IRD and handling a statutory demand, to second mortgages, bridging finance and funding your next big contract. 34 in-depth guides and counting.
GST, PAYE, provisional tax and getting Inland Revenue off your back.
A step-by-step New Zealand guide to clearing Inland Revenue debt in one payment using a property-secured business loan, so penalties stop building and you can get back to running your business.
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Both options can deal with tax debt. This guide compares an Inland Revenue instalment arrangement with a property-secured business loan side by side, so you can choose the path that fits your cash flow.
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Penalties, interest, calls, visits, bank deductions and, eventually, liquidation or bankruptcy. Here's how unpaid tax escalates in New Zealand, and the practical ways to get back in control before it's too late.
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GST and PAYE arrears usually aren't a tax problem, they're a cash flow problem wearing a tax label. This guide explains why they build up, what Inland Revenue is doing about them in 2026 and a step-by-step plan to fix them.
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Provisional tax catches out growing and seasonal businesses every year. This guide explains who pays it, when it's due, how the four Inland Revenue options affect your cash flow and how to plan so instalments never come as a shock.
Read the guideFirst and second mortgages, equity, caveats and bridging.
A second mortgage lets you borrow against the equity in your property without touching your existing bank loan. Here's how it works for New Zealand business owners, from priority and equity to the process and repayment.
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Both a first and a second mortgage can unlock property equity for your business. The right one depends on what's already owing, your bank loan's terms, how much you need and how you'll repay. Here's how to choose.
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For many Kiwi business owners, the family home is the biggest asset they have. This guide explains how to work out your usable equity, what it can fund, how it compares with other options and how to borrow against your home sensibly.
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Many Kiwi families hold their home or rental in a family trust. That property can still help fund the family business. Here's how borrowing against trust property works, what trustees need to do and how to keep it moving quickly.
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Your property's value, what you already owe and the lender's maximum LVR set the ceiling on a property-secured business loan. Here's how to work out your usable equity, with worked examples.
Read the guide A caveat loan is fast, short-term business funding secured against property. Here's how caveats work on a New Zealand title, how they differ from a registered mortgage and when this kind of loan makes sense.
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Bridging finance covers the gap between needing money now and receiving it later from a sale, refinance or payment. Learn how business bridging loans work in New Zealand, how peak debt is calculated and how to plan the exit.
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Every short-term business loan needs a clear way out. This guide compares the main exit strategies, shows the evidence lenders look for and helps you build a timeline and backup plan that stands up.
Read the guideWhat to do when the money's tight, demands arrive or the bank says no.
When cash runs short, the first three days decide how much control you keep. This hour-by-hour plan helps New Zealand business owners get the numbers, protect what matters and find the money to close the gap.
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Liquidation ends the company and hands control to someone else. Before you take that step, look at the alternatives, from creditor deals and IRD arrangements to being funded out of trouble with property equity.
Read the guide A statutory demand gives your company 15 working days to pay, settle or secure a debt, and only 10 working days to ask the court to set it aside. Here's how to use that time well.
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A bank decline isn't the end of the road. Learn why New Zealand banks turn down business loans, how to find out what went wrong, and the fastest realistic routes to the funding your business needs.
Read the guide Daily debits, merchant cash advances and stacked online loans can drain a good business. Here's how to work out what they really cost and refinance them into one loan that suits your cash flow.
Read the guide When cash runs short, the way you talk to creditors decides how much time you get. Here's who to call first, what to say, what to put in writing and how to turn breathing room into a real fix.
Read the guide Late-paying customers can sink a profitable business. Here's how to measure the damage, set terms that get you paid, chase firmly without losing clients and fund the gap while the money comes in.
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Retentions and slow progress payments tie up cash that builders and subbies have already earned. Here's how payment claims, payment schedules and the retention rules work, and how to keep cash moving.
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Busy summers, quiet winters and harvest peaks make seasonal businesses hard to run on cash. Here's how to map your year, build a reserve for the trough and fund the quiet months without panic.
Read the guideContracts, new sites, equipment and buying a business.
Winning a big contract is great news until you realise you have to pay for staff, materials and equipment months before the customer pays you. Here's how to map the cash gap and fund it safely.
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Buying an established business can be faster and safer than starting from scratch, if the funding is right. Here's how to work out the real cost, check what you're buying and put the finance together.
Read the guide A second site can double your reach, or double your problems. Here's how to test whether your business is ready, cost the expansion properly and fund it so the first site stays strong.
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Buying machinery, vehicles or a fit-out? Here's how asset-based equipment finance compares with a loan secured on property, and how to pick the right one for the job.
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Investment Boost gives a 20% upfront deduction on eligible new assets, but you still have to pay for the asset first. Here's how the incentive works and how to fund the purchase.
Read the guideHow lenders think, what they need and how fast it can happen.
Banks, brokers and private lenders all play a role in business lending. Here's an honest look at how each works, what they're good at and when going direct to a private lender makes sense.
Read the guide Accounts behind, irregular income or no time for a paperwork marathon? Here's exactly what a low doc business lender needs, what can stand in for financial statements and how to get your application ready fast.
Read the guide Defaults, arrears, IRD debt or a bank decline don't have to be the end of the road. Here's how lenders really read bad credit, what you can fix, and how property-secured lending can help.
Read the guide Every lender runs your application through the same basic questions. Learn what they are, how banks and private lenders weigh them differently, and use our checklist to get loan-ready.
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From the first enquiry to money in your account, every business loan passes through the same stages. Here's the timeline anatomy, where the days usually go and how to save them.
Read the guide Sole traders keep New Zealand running, but lenders don't always make borrowing easy. Here's how sole trader lending works, how to prove your income and how to get loan-ready.
Read the guide A name should mean something. Ours hides a smile, a conversation and a word for brilliant, and each one is a promise about how we lend to New Zealand businesses.
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