Why might an electrician need a business loan?
Sooner or later most electricians, sparkies and small electrical businesses need extra funds to grow and expand – or simply to keep the cash flowing.
No matter how profitable your business is on paper, it’s vital that you have the funds on hand to meet your obligations.
As a busy electrician with your own small business, there are many reasons you might need a business loan:
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Boost your working capital – while you’re waiting for customers to pay their invoices, you still have to cover ongoing costs like:
- Inventory (keeping enough on hand to cover work orders)
- insurance fuel and vehicle maintenance
- licence fees
- wages, super and WorkCover
- tax
- Buy or upgrade your tools and equipment
- Hire new tradies or provide training for your team
- Buy or upgrade your vehicles
- Advertise to grow your business
- Acquire a competitor, supplier or customer to expand your business
What are the requirements for getting a business loan?
Getting a business loan can be easier than you think.
While you can still expect to be knocked back by the big banks unless you have a solid trading history, a top-rate credit rating and collateral to offer, there are plenty of alternative lenders out there willing to offer business loans to qualified electricians and electrical businesses.
Each lender will have their own criteria when it comes to things like credit rating, how long you’ve been in business, and how high your turnover is. If you’re higher risk (e.g. if your credit score is low) you may still be able to get a business loan, although you can expect to pay a higher rate of interest to compensate for that risk.
The most important factor ALL lenders will look at is your capacity.
Lenders need to know that you will have enough cash – after all your expenses – to cover your loan repayments.
How to apply for a business loan
If you are applying to an alternative lender for a business loan, the process is usually quick and easy:
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1 Create a business case to check how much you can afford to borrow. |
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2 Prepare your supporting documents – expect to be asked for:
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3 Choose your lender and loan product – be sure to shop around, because costs, terms and conditions vary. Be sure to find out about hidden fees and compare all the costs of each product, not just the interest or factor rate. |
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4 Complete a simple online application form and upload your supporting documents. Most lenders will respond within days or even hours. Some will even give an on-the-spot decision. |
Grow your electrical business
See if you qualifyWhat options are available to electrical contractors?
There are several types of small business loans you could consider, to support or grow your electrical business.
Unsecured small business loan
A short-term option, unsecured business loans are usually for between 3 months and 2 years.
You can use the funds for any purpose, such as buying new electrical stock. Many lenders will let you set a repayment schedule to suit your trading patterns.
Vehicle loan
There are several types of business car finance you can use to buy your work vehicles, including car loans, hire purchasing and leasing.
While your work vehicles are under finance you will not be able to sell or upgrade them.
Business line of credit
A business line of credit is similar to an overdraft facility, giving you access to cash up to an agreed limit, often with the right to draw, repay and redraw funds as you need them.
You only pay interest on what you borrow, but there are often set up and admin fees.
Business credit card
Business credit cards are great for covering day-to-day expenses and making purchases, but unless you clear the balance each month the cost can be extremely high.
Before entering in to any business loan agreement, be sure to seek professional advice. It’s also important to ensure you understand all of the costs (including all fees). You can get a head start by using our business loan calculator.
