Fundme business lending overview.

Fundme operates as a commercial finance brokerage rather than a direct lender. The brokerage takes a single intake from a NZ SME borrower, packages the file, and places it across a panel of NZ funders that includes tier-two banks, finance companies, and alternative SME lenders. The funder sets the rate, fees, and approval decision after their own credit assessment.

The Fundme positioning emphasises three core categories. Unsecured business loans (cash-flow, working capital, growth capital). Asset and equipment finance (chattel mortgage, hire purchase, operating lease on vehicles, machinery, and equipment). Franchise funding for new franchise purchases and resale acquisitions. Working-capital lines and invoice-style facilities are also placed where the panel includes specialists in those categories.

The amount placed depends on the panel funder approving the application, not on Fundme directly. Unsecured business loans on broker panels in NZ commonly run $10,000 to $500,000 with terms 6 to 60 months; asset finance commonly extends higher where the asset is strong security. Property-secured commercial lending placed via panels runs into the millions, subject to the funder's policy and the borrower's security position.

Fundme does not set the rate; the panel funder does, after their credit assessment. Indicative bands across NZ broker-panel funders are roughly 12% to 24% p.a. for unsecured SME loans, 9% to 16% p.a. for asset finance secured against the asset, and 8% to 13% p.a. for property-secured business lending. Actual pricing depends on the funder's assessment of the file, not on Fundme.

Commercial-finance brokers in NZ are typically paid by the funder as a placement commission rather than by the borrower; some brokerages charge a borrower-paid fee in addition, and others combine the two depending on the deal. The fee structure is disclosed in the brokerage's terms of engagement before the application is submitted, which is the right point in the process to clarify it.

A typical commercial-broker cycle in NZ runs 5 to 14 business days from initial enquiry to settlement on standard SME files. Larger or more complex applications, especially property-secured lending or franchise resale acquisitions requiring valuations and accountant-prepared forecasts, can run 2 to 4 weeks. Time savings versus going direct come from the broker packaging the file once rather than the borrower repeating the work for each funder.

Where a NZ brokerage provides regulated financial advice to retail clients, FSLAA and the FAP licensing regime apply. Most commercial business lending sits outside the retail-client definition because the borrower is a non-natural person such as a company, but sole-trader and personal-guarantor edge cases can pull the advice into the regulated tier. The FSPA registration is a separate, broader requirement for financial-service providers in NZ.

Standard commercial-broker documentation in NZ is the last 6 months of business bank statements, the latest financial accounts (P&L and balance sheet), GST returns where the business is GST-registered, the NZBN registration, and director identification for AML/CFT verification. Asset finance applications add the supplier quote and asset detail; franchise applications add the franchise agreement and brand-system context.

A brokerage typically suits time-poor SMEs and applicants with non-standard files who benefit from a single packaged application matched to multiple funders. Going direct typically suits borrowers with a clear single-lender relationship (commonly a major bank) where relationship-managed pricing is materially below any panel placement. Borrowers comfortable running multiple applications themselves can replicate broker breadth without paying the broker margin.

Franchise funding is one of Fundme's three headline categories, covering both greenfield new-franchise purchases and resale acquisitions of established stores. Some funders on broker panels run accredited franchise-funding lines for systems with strong brand performance and standardised models; others assess the franchisee on standard SME criteria with the franchise system as supporting context. Pricing and structure depend on the brand and the buyer's profile.

If the panel cannot find a funder willing to approve the application on terms acceptable to the borrower, the file is declined or paused. The broker typically debriefs the borrower on the reasons (trading depth, credit history, sector posture, security position) and identifies what would need to change for a future application. Brokers do not have approval authority themselves, so a panel-wide decline is the natural ceiling on the brokerage's ability to place the file.

Ongoing servicing is generally handled by the panel funder, not by the brokerage. Repayment direct debits, statement issuance, hardship requests, and refinance decisions sit with the lender that approved the loan. Brokerages typically stay available for borrower questions or future applications but are not the legal counterparty on the loan contract. The contractual relationship is between the borrower and the panel funder.