ACL 390611 | MFAA Member | Established 2005
Cashflow LoansSized to the Actual Gap.
You pay suppliers in thirty days and get paid in sixty. That gap is a number, and it has a shape. Fund it with a facility built for that shape and it costs less and stops recurring. Fund it with whatever is quickest to arrange and you will be back here next quarter.
15 minutes with a commercial specialist. Bring your debtor and creditor days if you know them, or just describe the problem. If tightening your terms would fix it without borrowing, we’ll say so, and we charge you nothing either way. Lenders pay us a commission on settlement and we disclose it in writing before any work begins.
Intellect Finance – Working Capital Specialists
Independent since 2005 | ACL 390611What Is a Cashflow Loan?
A cashflow loan funds the gap between paying your suppliers and being paid by your customers. It is assessed on trading performance and turnover rather than on property, and it is usually shorter and more flexible than a term loan.
The category covers several different products. A revolving line that you draw and repay as cash moves. A short term facility repaid over months rather than years. Trade and supply chain funding that pays a supplier directly. Seasonal cover for a business whose income arrives in a concentrated part of the year.
They are not interchangeable, and choosing between them is not really a rate question. It is a question of whether your gap is one-off or recurring, how long it lasts, and whether the cash comes back on a schedule you can predict. Get that right and the facility disappears when the gap closes. Get it wrong and it becomes permanent debt with a working capital label on it.
Common Situations
Why People Come to Us for Working Capital
Six situations, and the right facility is different in every one of them.
Winning a contract you cannot fund
The order is good, the customer is good, and the outlay comes months before the payment. The most common reason a profitable business runs out of money is growth, not decline.
Debtors paying at sixty when you pay at thirty
A structural mismatch rather than a one-off. If it is the debtors specifically, invoice finance usually addresses the cause more directly than a general facility.
Stock that has to land before it sells
Importers and wholesalers carry the longest gaps in business, because money leaves at order and returns after delivery, sale and settlement. Trade funding is built for exactly this.
A season that pays once a year
Agriculture, tourism, education and construction subcontracting all earn in bursts. A revolving line that you draw down and clear annually fits that far better than a fixed monthly repayment.
A BAS or tax bill landing at the wrong moment
The obligation is fixed and dated. Your collections are not. Short term cover across the quarter is common and usually cheaper than the alternative of letting the ATO debt age.
Several facilities already carrying the gap
Cards and an overdraft doing the work of a working capital facility. That is the expensive way. See business debt consolidation.
Social Proof
120+ Five-Star Google Reviews
Business owners, investors and developers alongside home buyers. Pulled live from Google.
Joseph Sukkar
Principal Broker · ACL 390611
Who You’re Dealing With
Built on 25 Years in Australian Finance
Joseph Sukkar started in finance in 2000 and founded Intellect Finance in Penrith in 2005. Since then the team has arranged more than 6,500 loans for clients across Australia, from first homes to complex commercial and asset finance.
Working capital files sit with Charbel, our Commercial & Complex Lending Specialist, and they are the kind of file where the useful work happens before anything is submitted. It starts with measuring how long the business actually has its own money tied up, collect days plus stock days less payment days, because that number sets both the size of the facility and whether it should revolve or run to a term. Every offer is then converted to the same basis, total dollars over the life of the facility and the equivalent annual rate, because products in this category are quoted in ways that are not comparable. Where the gap can be closed by changing terms rather than by borrowing, that is what we say.
Part of Our 100+ Lender Panel
The names most people recognise are residential lenders. Much of what we arrange runs through funders that do not advertise to the public. Accreditation with a lender is not an endorsement by it, and which lender suits you is decided by your file rather than by who is on this list.
Know the Gap but Not the Fix?
Fifteen minutes and we’ll tell you which facility fits its shape.How to Get It Right
Size the Facility to the Gap Rather Than to a Number You Picked
Most working capital applications name an amount that sounds about right. The gap is measurable: roughly the time it takes to collect from customers, plus the time stock sits before it sells, less the time you take to pay suppliers. Six things follow from measuring it properly.
Measure the length of the gap
Collect days plus stock days minus payment days gives you the number of days your own money is tied up. Multiply that by what the business turns over daily and you have the size of facility the trading cycle actually needs, rather than the size that felt safe.
Recurring gaps need revolving facilities
A one-off shortfall suits a term facility that amortises away. A gap that returns every month or every season suits a line you draw and repay as cash moves, where you pay only for what is drawn. Funding a recurring gap with a term loan means borrowing again the moment it is repaid.
A short term cost is not an annual rate
Short term working capital products are often quoted as a total cost over the life of the facility rather than as an annual percentage. A figure that reads modestly across a few months annualises to something very different. Ask for the total in dollars and the equivalent annual rate before you compare anything to anything.
Repayment frequency is part of the cost
Daily and weekly debits are common in this category. They reduce the lender’s risk, which is why the pricing looks better, and they take cash out of the business before your customers have paid you. That rhythm has to match your collections or the facility creates the problem it was meant to solve.
The BAS cycle sits inside the gap
The ATO sets GST reporting monthly where GST turnover is 20 million dollars or more and quarterly below that, with annual reporting only for voluntary registration under 75,000 dollars. Those dates are fixed and your collections are not, so the obligation belongs in the same forecast as everything else.
Unsecured moves the exposure rather than removing it
Most working capital facilities avoid a mortgage over property, which is a genuine advantage. They generally rely instead on trading performance, often a general security agreement over business assets, and almost always personal guarantees from directors. Know which of those you are signing.
Checked August 2026. GST reporting cycles are sourced from the Australian Taxation Office. The ATO reports GST monthly where GST turnover is 20 million dollars or more, quarterly where it is less than 20 million and the ATO has not required monthly reporting, and annually only where you are voluntarily registered with turnover under 75,000 dollars. See options for reporting and paying GST. Best Interests Duty scope is sourced from ASIC Regulatory Guide 273. We are not tax agents. Confirm your obligations with a registered tax agent or the ATO. Everything else on this page is described in the important information at the foot of the page.
We don’t publish rates, and we’d be cautious of anyone in commercial who does. What we can do is work out how long your cash is actually tied up, and match a facility to that shape rather than to a round number. Ask us to measure the gap.
The Honest Comparison
Borrow or Close the Gap?
Some working capital gaps are structural and need funding. Others are the result of terms nobody has renegotiated in five years. It is worth knowing which one you have.
Changing your terms
- Costs nothing and the benefit is permanent, not borrowed
- Deposits on order, shorter debtor terms and earlier invoicing all shorten the gap directly
- No guarantees, no facility, no covenant to comply with
- Slow. Terms take months to move and some customers will not move at all
- Does nothing for a gap caused by growth, stock or a genuinely seasonal cycle
Funding the gap
- Available now, which matters when the contract starts next month
- Sized to the measured cycle rather than to what you can scrape together
- Lets you take work you would otherwise have to decline
- Usually no mortgage over property, and a revolving line costs only what is drawn
- 100+ lenders compared, with no fee to you at any stage
Try the free one first. Before you fund a gap, work out whether it can be shortened. Deposits on order, invoicing on delivery rather than at month end, and a genuine conversation with your two slowest payers will between them close more gaps than most people expect, and none of it costs anything or involves us. Where the gap is structural, where it comes from growth or stock or a season that pays once a year, no amount of chasing debtors will fix it and a facility is the right answer. Tell us which you think you have and we will tell you if we agree.
Tell Us Which Gap You Think You Have
If deposits on order and two chased debtors would close it we will say so rather than fund it. Fifteen minutes. No obligation.The Difference
This Category Is Where the Worst Products Live
Working capital is the easiest business finance to get and the easiest to get wrong. Speed is the selling point, and speed is exactly what stops people reading the total cost.
Total Cost in Dollars Every Time
We convert every offer to the same basis: what it costs in dollars over its life, and what that is as an annual rate. Products in this category are quoted in ways that are not comparable, and that is not an accident.
100+ Lenders Rather Than the Three That Advertise
The working capital lenders most visible to a business owner are the ones spending most on acquisition. They are rarely the least expensive. Bank and second-tier facilities exist for the same purpose and are not advertised at you.
Always in Writing
Business purpose lending sits outside the consumer credit rules, so Best Interests Duty does not apply to a working capital facility. ASIC Regulatory Guide 273 limits that duty to credit regulated under the National Credit Act. We disclose in writing how we are paid before you proceed regardless.
We’ll Tell You Not To
If the gap can be closed by changing terms, or if the facility on offer costs more than the work it funds is worth, that is what we will say. We are paid by the lender on settlement, so saying it costs us. It still beats putting a business into an expensive facility it did not need.
The Process
What Happens and What We’ll Need
Lighter than property lending. Most of these facilities are assessed on trading data rather than on valuations, which is why they move faster.
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15 minutes
The shape of the gap
What causes it, how long it lasts, whether it repeats, and what you have tried. No documents. You will finish the call knowing whether to fund it or close it, and if funding it, which type of facility fits.
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You gather
Trading data
Lighter than a property application and mostly things your accounting system already produces.
- Six to twelve months of business bank statements
- Aged debtors and creditors listing
- Recent management accounts
- Last two BAS lodgements
- ATO portal statements and any payment plan
- Details of existing facilities
- The contract or order where funding a specific job
- ID for each director or guarantor
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We compare
Every offer on the same basis
Offers in this category arrive quoted in different units. We convert them to total dollars over the life of the facility and to an equivalent annual rate, and put them side by side before anything is accepted.
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We manage
Settlement then the review
We handle the conditions and the drawdown. On revolving facilities we also set a review point, because a working capital line that quietly becomes permanent debt is the failure mode in this category and it is easy to avoid.
Track Record
Commercial Is Not a Sideline For Us
Most brokerages run almost entirely residential and send working capital enquiries to whoever advertises hardest. We have run a commercial desk alongside residential since 2005.
Related Options
If a General Facility Isn’t the Right Shape
Working capital gaps have specific causes, and several of them have a facility built for that cause alone.
Invoice finance
Where the gap is caused by slow paying debtors specifically, not by the business overall.
Unsecured commercial loan
Growth funding over a term rather than cover for a recurring trading gap.
Business debt consolidation
Where cards and an overdraft have already been carrying the gap for years.
Equipment finance
If the cash is going on plant and machinery, finance the asset instead of the gap.
Low doc commercial
Trading well, but the financials are not current enough for a standard assessment.
Every commercial facility we arrange
Back up to the full commercial finance range if none of these is it.
Describe the Gap. We’ll Size It.
Then we’ll tell you whether to fund it or close it.Questions Answered
Cashflow and Working Capital FAQs
The questions business owners ask us most often before getting in touch.
What is a cashflow loan?
A cashflow loan funds the gap between paying your suppliers and being paid by your customers. It is assessed on trading performance and turnover rather than on property, and it is usually shorter and more flexible than a term loan. Revolving lines, short term facilities, trade finance and seasonal cover all sit in this category.
How much working capital finance do I need?
Size it to the gap rather than to a round number. The gap is roughly the time it takes to collect from customers, plus the time stock sits before it sells, less the time you take to pay suppliers. A facility sized to that cycle covers the shortfall without leaving you paying for money you are not using.
Should I take a revolving line or a term loan?
It depends on whether the gap repeats. A one-off shortfall suits a term facility that amortises away. A gap that recurs every month or every season suits a revolving line, because you draw and repay as cash moves and you only pay for what is drawn. Funding a recurring gap with a term loan usually means borrowing again when it is repaid.
Why can I not compare a short term facility to an annual rate?
Because the two are measured over different periods. Short term working capital products are often quoted as a total cost over the life of the facility rather than as an annual percentage rate. A cost that looks modest across a few months represents a much higher annualised figure. Ask for the total cost in dollars and the equivalent annual rate before comparing anything.
How does my BAS cycle affect cashflow?
It puts a fixed outflow inside your gap. The ATO sets GST reporting monthly where GST turnover is 20 million dollars or more, quarterly where it is less than that, and annually only where you are voluntarily registered and turnover is under 75,000 dollars. Those dates do not move to match your collections, so they need to sit in the same cash forecast as everything else.
Do I need to provide property security?
Often not, which is part of the appeal. Many working capital facilities are unsecured against property and instead rely on trading performance, sometimes supported by a general security agreement over business assets. Unsecured almost always means directors provide personal guarantees, so the exposure moves rather than disappearing.
What is the difference between a cashflow loan and invoice finance?
A cashflow loan advances funds against the business as a whole and is repaid on a schedule. Invoice finance advances against specific unpaid invoices and is repaid when those invoices are paid. If the gap is caused mainly by slow paying debtors, invoice finance addresses the cause more directly and often more cheaply.
Does Best Interests Duty apply to a cashflow loan?
No, where the borrowing is for business purposes. ASIC Regulatory Guide 273 states that the best interests obligations apply only to credit products regulated under the National Credit Act, meaning credit provided to consumers for personal, domestic or household purposes or for the purchase or improvement of residential investment property. We disclose in writing how we are paid on every transaction regardless.
Visit Us
Penrith Based.Clients Australia-Wide.
Penrith is our head office and the one you can walk into without an appointment. We also meet clients at Parramatta and in the Sydney CBD by arrangement. Working capital files run almost entirely by phone, email and video, so we work with businesses in every state.
Ready When You Are
How Long Is Your Cash Tied Up?
Fifteen minutes with a commercial specialist. We’ll work out how long your money is actually out of the business, whether the gap can be closed without borrowing, and if not, which facility fits its shape. Every offer converted to total dollars so you can compare them properly. Penrith based, clients Australia-wide. Intellect Finance Pty Ltd, ACL 390611.
Business purpose lending sits outside the consumer credit framework, so Best Interests Duty does not apply to it. We disclose how we are paid before you proceed on every transaction. Nothing on this page is credit assistance, financial advice, tax advice or an offer of credit, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Intellect Finance Pty Ltd | Australian Credit Licence 390611 | MFAA Member | AFCA Member
Important information General information only. Not credit assistance or an offer of credit. We charge you no fee. Every caveat and source on this page is collected here. Tap to read.
General information only. The content on this page is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not credit assistance, financial advice, legal advice or tax advice, and it is not an offer of credit. You should consider whether it is appropriate for you and seek your own advice before acting on it.
Nothing here is a guarantee. Loan approval, borrowing capacity, interest rates, loan to value ratios, valuations, timeframes and eligibility are determined by individual lenders and by independent valuers, not by us. They differ between lenders and change over time. Any figure, range or timeframe on this page is indicative and is not a quote, an offer, or a prediction of your outcome. Facility types, limits, structures, security requirements and terms are set by individual lenders in the same way and vary with the industry, the trading history and the strength of the business. Document requirements vary between lenders, and timeframes vary with the facility type and the quality of the trading data. Nothing on this page is an offer of credit, a quote, or a statement of what any particular lender will do.
Business purpose lending. Credit provided wholly or predominantly for business purposes is not regulated consumer credit, and the Best Interests Duty and responsible lending obligations under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 do not apply to it. We disclose how we are paid in writing before you proceed on every transaction regardless.
Tax and legal. GST, stamp duty, land tax and the tax treatment of any ownership structure depend on your circumstances and on how the contract is written. We are not tax agents, accountants or solicitors. Confirm the position with a registered tax agent, the Australian Taxation Office, your accountant or your solicitor before acting.
How we are paid. Intellect Finance does not charge borrowers a fee for arranging finance, and does not charge a clawback fee where a loan is discharged early. Lenders pay us a commission on settlement. The basis of that commission is disclosed to you in writing in our Credit Guide before any credit assistance is provided.
Third-party information. Where this page refers to government schemes, regulatory settings, tax treatment or lender policy, that information is sourced from the relevant authority and was correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown on this page. Those rules change, sometimes without notice. Always confirm the current position with the issuing authority, your registered tax agent, your solicitor or with us before relying on it.
Found something wrong? If you believe anything on this page is inaccurate or out of date, tell us at joe@intellectfinance.com.au and we will review and correct it.
Intellect Finance Pty Ltd | Australian Credit Licence 390611 | MFAA Member | AFCA Member