Slide the amount, term, and indicative rate. See the weekly and monthly repayments and total interest instantly. Built for New Zealand small businesses borrowing $5,000 to $500,000.
Indicative repayment
Weekly
$576/week
Indicative only. Not a quote or offer of credit. Actual rates, fees, and repayments depend on the business profile and the lender's decision.
Live calculator
Indicative weekly and monthly figures.
Vetted partner
Connecting on 1 May 2026.
$5K to $500K
Small business through to growth.
6 months to 5 years
Term loans on common NZ ranges.
Loan products coming soon
Most New Zealand small-business lending falls into one of three structures. The right structure depends on the size of the funding need, whether the cash is needed once or recurring, and whether security is on the table. Indicative ranges below.
A lump-sum unsecured term loan for working capital, stock, equipment, or marketing. Approval typically tied to trading history and monthly turnover, with no upfront property security required for most amounts in this band.
Common eligibility: 6 months trading, $6K+ monthly turnover, active NZBN.
Amount
$5K to $150K
Term
Up to 5 years
Security
None upfront
Repayments
Weekly or monthly
A larger secured term loan for fit-outs, acquisitions, equipment-heavy expansion, or commercial property. Security over property or qualifying business assets is typically expected at this size, in exchange for a materially lower indicative rate band.
Common eligibility: 2 to 3 years trading, $1M+ annual turnover, asset ownership.
Amount
$150K to $500K
Term
Up to 5 years
Security
Property or assets
Rate band
Lower than unsecured
A revolving facility with a pre-approved limit. Funds are drawn as needed, repaid, and redrawn through the term. Interest is charged only on the drawn balance, which suits seasonal businesses, supplier-payment cycles, and uneven inbound cash flow.
Common eligibility: 2 years trading, $6K+ monthly turnover, active NZBN.
Limit
$2K to $500K
Access
2-year revolving
Interest
On drawn balance only
Best for
Seasonal cash flow
Common uses
Buying ahead of a busy season, restocking after a fast quarter, or unlocking a bulk-buy discount from a supplier.
Replacing or upgrading machinery, kitchen equipment, IT hardware, or trade-specific tools that earn out across the loan term.
Smoothing payroll across a slow month, covering wages while waiting on a delayed customer payment, or onboarding a new team member.
Paying suppliers on time to keep lines open, or settling early to take advantage of an early-payment discount that beats the cost of the loan.
Funding a new shop fit-out, a kitchen refurbishment, an office relocation, or a leasehold-improvement spend tied to a longer lease.
Funding a paid-acquisition campaign, a website rebuild, a brand refresh, or a multi-month marketing programme with clear payback maths.
Covering a GST or provisional-tax bill that lands at an awkward point in the cash-flow cycle, where the loan cost beats the IRD use-of-money rate.
Opening a second site, acquiring a competitor or supplier, or scaling production capacity ahead of contracted demand.
How it will work
01
Slide the amount, term, and indicative rate. Weekly and monthly repayments and total interest update instantly. Useful for testing whether the maths works on a given purpose before talking to anyone.
02
Try a shorter term against a smaller weekly payment, a secured rate band against an unsecured one, or a line of credit shape against a term loan. The right structure depends on the cash-flow profile.
03
From 1 May 2026, the "see if you qualify" path will pass the indicative inputs straight to a vetted New Zealand business-finance partner. Until then, the modal explains the wait.
Who it's for
Tradies, consultants, and contractors trading 6 months or more, looking for short-term working capital, equipment finance, or van and tool replacement. Unsecured small business loans typically fit this profile.
Cafes, retailers, gyms, salons, and trades-based businesses with 1 to 3 years of trading history and consistent monthly turnover. Term loans up to $150K and lines of credit are the common structures observed.
Established businesses with 2 to 5+ years trading and seven-figure turnover, funding fit-outs, equipment-heavy expansion, second-site rollouts, or acquisitions. Secured loans up to $500K are the common structures observed.
Why a calculator first
Working out the indicative weekly repayment on a given amount, term, and rate is the cheapest decision a borrower can make. It surfaces whether the loan is genuinely affordable, whether a shorter term saves enough total interest to be worth the higher weekly cost, and whether a smaller amount achieves the goal at lower total cost.
Doing this before any application keeps the conversation with a lender focused on structure, not affordability surprises. The calculator outputs are indicative only and not a quote, but they are usually within striking distance of what a real offer lands at on the same inputs.
FAQ
A business loan is finance advanced to a New Zealand business for a defined purpose, repaid over an agreed term with interest. Common formats are an unsecured term loan (lump sum repaid weekly or monthly), a secured term loan (against property or business assets), and a revolving line of credit. Amounts typically span $5,000 to $500,000 in the small-and-medium business market, with terms up to five years on term loans.
A small business loan is assessed against the business itself, including its trading history, turnover, and cash-flow profile, rather than only the owner's personal credit. Interest can typically be deductible against business income (subject to your accountant's confirmation), the loan can sit on the balance sheet as a liability, and the lender may take security over business assets rather than personal ones. A personal loan does none of those things.
Small business term loans on the NZ market commonly run from $5,000 to $150,000 unsecured, and from $150,000 up to $500,000 with security over property or qualifying business assets. Lines of credit run from around $2,000 up to $500,000 with the same security pattern. The achievable amount depends on trading history, monthly turnover, the purpose of the funds, and the lender's credit assessment.
Most NZ business lenders look for a minimum trading history (often 6 months for smaller unsecured loans, 2 to 3 years for larger secured facilities), a minimum monthly turnover threshold (commonly around $6,000 a month or higher), an active NZBN, the business owner being 18 or over, and NZ citizenship or permanent residency. A clean credit file is the standard expectation.
Common uses observed across the NZ market include working capital and cash-flow smoothing, paying staff wages and supplier invoices, purchasing stock or inventory ahead of a busy season, buying equipment, fitting out new premises, marketing campaigns, GST or provisional tax payments, and funding expansion or acquisition. Some lenders specify allowable purposes; many treat the loan as general business funding once approved.
Unsecured term loans in the NZ small-business market commonly run 6 months to 5 years, with weekly or monthly repayments. Secured larger loans typically also run up to 5 years. A line of credit runs as a revolving facility, often for an initial 2-year access period with renewal at term end. Shorter terms increase the weekly repayment but reduce the total interest paid.
Smaller unsecured business loans (typically up to $150,000) commonly require no upfront property security. Larger amounts and lower-rate offers usually require security over property, qualifying business assets, or a director's guarantee. The trade-off is that secured facilities typically price lower than unsecured ones because the lender's risk is reduced.
Indicative business loan rates on the New Zealand market commonly span 8% to 30% per annum, with the actual rate depending on whether the loan is secured or unsecured, the trading history of the business, the monthly turnover, the purpose of the funds, and the lender's assessment. Secured loans against property typically price at the lower end; short-term unsecured working-capital loans typically price at the higher end.
Interest on a loan used for business purposes is generally deductible against business income in New Zealand, subject to your accountant's confirmation on the specific structure. Where a loan is mixed-purpose (partly personal, partly business), the deductibility is apportioned. The accountant is the right person to confirm the treatment for the specific business position.
A term loan is advanced as a lump sum and repaid over a fixed schedule with interest charged on the full balance. A line of credit is a pre-approved limit the business can draw on, repay, and redraw across the term, with interest charged only on the drawn balance. The line of credit suits cash-flow smoothing and seasonal businesses; the term loan suits a defined one-off purpose.
Most NZ business lenders allow early repayment, and many of the unsecured small-business products advertise unlimited extra repayments at no extra cost. The detail varies between lenders, so the loan contract is the authoritative reference. Early repayment typically reduces the total interest paid materially, particularly on longer-term loans.
The calculator is live now for indicative repayments. The "see if you qualify" path that connects you to a vetted New Zealand business-finance partner goes live on 1 May 2026.
Launching
Run indicative numbers today. From 1 May, the "see if you qualify" path connects through to a vetted New Zealand business-finance partner with the inputs already prefilled.
Indicative content only. Businessloans.org.nz is an education site and calculator, not a lender, broker, or registered financial adviser. Nothing on this page is personalised financial advice. Final rates, fees, and approval decisions are made by the lender after a CCCFA-appropriate assessment. Tax-treatment statements are general in nature and subject to your accountant's confirmation on the specific business position.