Easing the squeeze on Australia’s small businesses
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AUSTRALIAN SMEs might feel like they are in a B-grade anaconda movie right now – aficionados will know the giant killer snake tightens its grip on the victim gradually, constricting a little more each time its prey exhales until no movement is possible.
The small business sector is in a financial version of that grip. Costs keep rising, payments arrive later and owners who once had room to absorb a bad month now find that each new bill tightens the pressure on cash flow. For a growing band of self-employed and near-prime borrowers, that slow squeeze is also part of what pushes them outside traditional bank lending criteria.
MA Money is one of Australia’s fastest-growing non-bank lenders, with over $5 billion in loans under management. Working in partnership with mortgage brokers, MA Money offers a broad range of lending solutions across residential, commercial, bridging, SMSF, vacant land, expat and non-resident property loans, including support for self-employed and non-traditional income clients. With flexible credit assessment, responsive service and streamlined processes, MA Money helps brokers move quickly and solve more complex scenarios. The focus is on certainty, speed and practical solutions that support brokers in delivering for their clients.
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Craig Stuart, MA Money
“The pressures are real,” says Craig Stuart, MA Money’s head of commercial lending. “Over 89% of SMEs have faced rising business costs in the past year, and 75% report that late payments have disrupted their operations.”
CreditorWatch’s Trade Payment Default Index – one of the best early warning indicators of potential insolvency – has been trending higher in recent months and recorded a sharp rise of 13.9% from September to October last year. While payment defaults eased slightly in November, they still remain near the highest levels recorded.
Another reason why many SMEs sit outside the comfort zone for major banks is because their income may be seasonal, or spread across entities, making it harder to clear the standard hurdles, even when the underlying business is sound.
Against that backdrop, the funding gap created by this cash-flow squeeze is just wide enough for MA Money to change the script. Its new commercial lending facility is designed to loosen the pressure. Meeting squeezed businesses where they are with flexible near-prime credit policy, SME-focused documentation options and the company’s existing broker network, it gives self-employed and small firms faster, more certain access to funding for cash flow, refinancing, expansion or property purchases.
“SMEs are refinancing out of costly private credit, pursuing expansion where rates have stabilised and, conversely, seeking working capital as cash flow tightens,” says Stuart. “There is strong pent-up demand for a credible lender delivering common-sense decisions and certainty – and we are well positioned to meet it.”
Filling the funding gap Launched in October, the new facility’s timing reflects both market conditions and internal readiness. MA Money settled over $500 million through its residential channel in November 2025 alone and reached $5 billion in loans under management in December, establishing distribution relationships that now extend naturally into commercial territory.
“The biggest gaps for SME clients today stem from a mix of rising business costs and tightening credit from traditional lenders,” says Stuart. “This combination has created a perfect storm of limited funding options and increased cash-flow stress.”
The company’s approach centres on products tailored for SME flexibility, including one-year financial full-doc and alt-doc income verification. In November 2025, it added lease-doc and light-doc options requiring only a financial status declaration. Loan sizes for MA Money’s standard commercial offering extend up to $8 million, with loan-to-value ratios of up to 80%, depending on security type and borrower profile. These flexible documentation options apply to non-SMSF commercial loans and are designed to support a wide range of SME structures and funding requirements.
“From a credit perspective, many SMEs now fall into near-prime territory, where major lenders often lack the appetite or understanding,” Stuart says. “Our credit policy remains risk-appropriate yet flexible – supporting cash-out for business needs, consolidation, expansion, operations, ATO debts, minor credit issues and shorter-term business models.”
The standard loan assessment includes 30-year terms with no annual reviews. Service-level agreements typically sit at 48 hours, supported by online lodgement through ApplyOnline and internal scenario workshopping.
The broker opportunity
Residential mortgage brokers represent a significant growth channel for commercial lending. Aggregators and industry bodies, including the MFAA and FBAA, have delivered education programs that have helped push commercial lodgements from brokers towards 40% of the overall market.
“It’s encouraging to see, and we’ve designed our commercial products to mirror our residential suite as much as possible to maintain simplicity and a smooth broker experience,” Stuart explains.
Yet the transition requires genuine skill development. Commercial lending operates outside National Consumer Credit Protection Act (NCCP) regulations and involves different risk considerations. Brokers need to understand general security agreements, tangible exit strategies, borrower structures and corporate guarantees, more complex commercial valuation reports and land subdivisions.
“A key challenge for brokers is correctly identifying what constitutes an unregulated loan,” Stuart says. “For example, using a retail shop as security in personal names and cashing out to buy a home does not meet our definition of a commercial loan.”
The learning curve carries rewards beyond commercial deals themselves. SMEs rarely want multiple brokers handling different transactions, meaning commercial capability can strengthen a broker’s entire relationship with business-owner clients.
MA Money supports broker education through regular webinars, transparent pricing and policy information on its website, and upfront scenario templates designed to improve conversion rates to approval. The company encourages active engagement with business development managers.
As of June 2025, Australia has more than 2.7 million self-employed businesses – a number that will continue to grow as younger generations pursue new work trends and a desire for independence. SMEs remain the backbone of the Australian economy, contributing over $500 billion and employing more than five million people.
At the same time, MA Money recognises that the commercial lending space has seen significant movement over the past two to three years, particularly among non-bank lenders, with considerable activity around private debt and short-term funding.
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“The biggest gaps for SME clients today stem from a mix of rising business costs and tightening credit from traditional lenders. This combination has created a perfect storm of limited funding options”
“As more commercial loans shift to digital lodgement and tracking, we’re well positioned to support brokers transitioning into this space”
MA Money’s new commercial lending product targets brokers and business owners seeking flexible funding solutions in a tightening credit market
While it won’t make you a cappuccino,
ScotPac’s Partner Portal makes helping commercial clients so fast and easy brokers will wonder how they did without it
Self-managed superannuation funds have emerged as a particularly strong segment. Cost-of-living pressures and tighter personal borrowing conditions make SMSFs an attractive pathway for SMEs to purchase business premises or for PAYG investors to pursue higher yields through commercial assets.
“We’re also seeing strong broker engagement with commercial SMSF lending,” Stuart says. “Brokers are strengthening referral relationships with accountants and financial planners, creating a more holistic support network for their clients.”
MA Money launched with SMSF lending available from day one, offering loan sizes of up to $2 million and loan-to-value ratios of up to 80% for eligible commercial property transactions.
Strategic positioning The commercial arm of MA Money represents more than product diversification. It strengthens the company’s residential business by offering existing broker partners additional services, introduces MA Money to brokers who previously worked only in commercial lending and improves net interest margin from a profitability perspective.
“Expanding into commercial was a natural progression for our business – driven by our growth trajectory, market feedback and the needs of our client base,” Stuart says.
The broader market context supports this expansion. Different sectors are feeling that pressure in distinct ways. CreditorWatch data shows that trade payment default rates are highest in such industries as electricity, gas and water utilities, transport and warehousing, and construction. By contrast, companies in the healthcare sector, the information media and financial and insurance services are keeping up with their payments. The key point for MA Money is the vast market.
Trade payment default rate by industry
“Our competitive edge sits across several key areas,” says Stuart. “The MA Money brand continues to grow and is recognised for reliable capital and exceptional service. We’re committed to bringing that same speed and consistency to the commercial channel. Our focus on efficiency and a clear, easy-to-use product suite will support strong approval conversion rates.”
MA Money also wants to help modernise the sector.
“A major objective for 2026 is enhancing broker-facing technology – an area where the commercial sector often lags,” Stuart says. “As more commercial loans shift to digital lodgement and tracking, we’re well positioned to support brokers transitioning into this space.”
The company expects to see continued expansion over the next 12 to 24 months, driven by rising SME
numbers, growing SMSF activity and investors seeking stronger yields. With broker diversification a major industry theme and commercial origination through brokers approaching 40%, the distribution channel appears robust.
The SMSF connection
Published 09 Feb 2026
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Measuring outcomes
Success metrics extend beyond settlement targets. MA Money has a stellar Net Promoter Score of +90 from brokers who use its services, far outshining the B2B industry average for banking and financial services of -3, as measured by market research consultancy Evolved Thinking.
“Maintaining that level of appreciation is critical as we expand into new lending channels,” says Stuart. “Ongoing product and policy enhancements will ensure we continue delivering what the market wants and demonstrate that our commercial portfolio is performing as expected.”
The company’s product development roadmap for 2026 aims to support SMEs across Australia as broadly as possible, with an almost-nobody-gets-left-behind mentality that will appeal not only to small businesses facing tighter credit conditions but also to brokers seeking to expand their service offerings.
“We don’t want to miss opportunities or turn clients away,” says Stuart.
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Resources
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Technology
Reverse Mortgages
Investment Loans
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Copyright © 2026 KM Business Information Australia Pty Ltd
RSS
Sitemap
About us
Conditions of Use
Cookie Policy
Privacy policy
Terms & conditions
People
Firms
Advertising
Authors
E-newsletter
Contact Us
Contact Us
Australian Mortgage Awards
Events
White papers
Webinar
Australian Broker Talk
Resources
TV
Virtual Roundtable
Sector Focus
Power Panel
Independent Feature
Executive Team Profile
Exclusive Leader Profile
Business Update
Big Deal
Premium Content
Technology
Reverse Mortgages
Investment Loans
Specialist Lending
SME
Commercial
Speciality
Best In Mortgage
News
News
Copyright © 2026 KM Business Information Australia Pty Ltd
RSS
Sitemap
About us
Conditions of Use
Privacy policy
Terms & conditions
People
Firms
RSS
Sitemap
About us
Conditions of Use
Cookie Policy
Privacy policy
Terms & conditions
People
Firms
Electricity, gas, water and waste services
Transport, postal and warehousing
Construction
Food and beverage services
Manufacturing
Mining
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Administrative and support services
Education and training
Arts and recreation services
Accommodation
Rental, hiring and real estate services
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Professional, scientific and technical services
Healthcare and social assistance
Information media and telecommunications
Financial and insurance services
Trade payment default rate over 12 months to November 2025
Source: CreditorWatch Trade Payments Default data
2.22%
2.18%
1.85%
1.24%
1.21%
1.19%
0.96%
0.7%
0.7%
0.55%
0.51%
0.44%
0.43%
0.35%
0.31%
0.3%
0.23%
0.1%
Industry
Craig Stuart, MA Money
Sources: MA Money; Evolved Thinking
A reputation that shines
+90
MA Money Net Promoter Score as rated by brokers
-3
B2B average Net Promoter Score for financial and insurance industry