Who do we work with?
Our focus is the part of the economy that keeps New Zealand running: the engineering workshop with twelve staff, the distributor with a warehouse in East Tāmaki, the family-owned transport firm in the Waikato, the Queenstown operator with a winter peak. These businesses are past the start-up stage. They have customers, systems and a track record, and when they need finance it is usually for a clear reason: a gap in cash flow, a purchase, a change in ownership or a step up in size.
Small businesses make up 97.2% of New Zealand enterprises, according to MBIE's 2025 factsheet. The established ones among them often fall between two stools: too complex for simple online lending, and too small or too unusual for a bank's appetite. That gap is where we work.
What do we actually do?
We arrange finance. When you enquire, a lending specialist talks to you about the business, the purpose and the security available, then puts forward the options that fit from our lending partners. Two routes cover most needs:
- Property-secured loans from $20,000 to $1m, secured on New Zealand property owned by the borrower or a supporting party, as a first or second mortgage, even where a mortgage already exists. No financials or tax returns are needed for the initial assessment.
- Unsecured loans and lines of credit for businesses usually trading six months or more, sized on turnover and bank statements, with weaker credit considered.
Everything we arrange is for business purposes. Companies, trusts, partnerships and sole traders can apply.
Why don't we publish rates?
Because a published rate is almost never the rate a particular business is offered. Pricing depends on the security, the loan-to-value position, the purpose, the trading history, the credit file and the exit plan. Headline figures set expectations that the real offer then fails to meet. We would rather understand your situation and then show you the sharpest option available for it, with every cost set out before you commit.
What do we believe about SME finance?
- Purpose first. Finance should make the business stronger. If borrowing will not help, we will say so.
- Local context matters. A Southland contractor and a Wellington consultancy face different economies. Our regional pages exist because of that.
- Owners deserve plain English. Our guides explain valuation, due diligence, covenants and tax debt without jargon.
- Speed without shortcuts. Some loans can be funded within 24 hours of approval, but only once the fundamentals are right.
Company details
SME Business Loans is operated by Leadsource International Manager Limited, NZBN 9429047325371. Our office is at 155 Fanshawe Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand. You can reach us on 09 875 4577 or by starting an enquiry.