The Business Owners’ Guide to Finance
Specialist Finance Solutions for Business Owners
Applying for property or business finance as a business owner can feel confusing. Business types, ownership splits, and income structures vary, and all impact your application.
This free guide helps you get clear on your goals, understand what documentation you'll need, and prepare for a faster, more seamless finance application.
Whether you're purchasing property, expanding your business, or restructuring existing lending, this guide helps you define what you want to achieve and why, so you can explain it clearly to lenders.
Clarify Your Business & Personal Finance Goals
A comprehensive checklist of the documents lenders typically need from business owners, financial statements, tax returns, BAS statements, and more. Get prepared before you apply.
Supporting Documents Checklist
Living Expenses Worksheet
Lenders assess your living expenses to ensure you can afford loan repayments. This worksheet helps you calculate accurate expenses and avoid underestimating.
Assets & Liabilities Template
A simple template to list your assets, liabilities, and repayment commitments. Having this ready saves time when applying and helps you understand your overall financial position.
Finance Challenges This Guide Helps You Navigate
If any of these sound familiar, this guide will help:
Messy or poorly structured existing lending that needs review
Confusion about borrowing capacity and what you can actually afford
Lack of a consistent contact person at the bank who understands your business
Previous negative experiences with lenders or declined applications
Haven't reviewed interest rates or financial position in years
Commercial lending requirements feel unclear and high-risk
Worried about personal guarantees affecting family security
Unsure how loan repayments will actually impact business cash flow
This guide gives you a framework to get clear on these challenges before you apply, so your next finance application can be smoother and more successful.
The information provided is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend obtaining personalised advice before making any financial decisions.
Download The Guide
About Grace Cartledge
20+ Years Specialising in Business Owner Lending
I'm Grace Cartledge, a mortgage broker based on the Surf Coast with over 20 years of experience helping business owners and self-employed clients access tailored finance solutions.
I specialise in working with business owners across Geelong, Surf Coast, and Western Victoria who are navigating complex lending scenarios, whether that's purchasing property, funding expansion, or restructuring existing loans.
This guide reflects the questions I'm asked most often and the preparation that helps applications run smoothly. By getting clear on your goals and documents upfront, you'll be in a much stronger position when you're ready to apply.