Six months trading is all you need. OverdraftMe works with 50+ lenders who approve Australian businesses from the 6-month mark. No tax returns. Bank statements only. Decisions from 1 hour.
Get a free quote - 60 seconds →Yes - absolutely. Six months is the minimum trading history accepted by most non-bank business lenders in Australia. If your business has been actively trading for 6 months or more and generating at least $6,000 per month in revenue, you have genuine options.
The banks will almost certainly say no at 6 months. They want 2+ years of financials, tax returns and often property security. But the non-bank lending market in Australia has transformed over the last decade. Lenders like Prospa, Moula, Shift, Banjo and Bizcap all assess applications from the 6-month mark - using your bank statements as the primary assessment document, not your tax history.
Important: The 6-month mark is a real threshold - not marketing. Before 6 months, your options are extremely limited. At 6 months with $6,000+ monthly revenue, you have genuine access to the non-bank lending market.
Six months of trading history provides enough data for a lender to assess the viability and consistency of your business. They can see:
None of this requires a tax return. Your bank statements show all of it in real time.
The non-bank lending market in Australia includes dozens of lenders who will consider 6-month trading businesses. The key players and their general appetite:
| Lender type | 6 months OK? | Min revenue | Max facility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-bank specialist lenders | Yes | $6,000/month | Up to $500K |
| Major banks (CBA, NAB, ANZ, Westpac) | No - 2+ years | $20,000+/month | Varies |
| Fintech lenders | Yes - some from 3 months | $5,000/month | Up to $250K |
Rather than applying to each lender individually - which generates multiple credit enquiries and damages your score - OverdraftMe assesses all 50+ lenders on our panel simultaneously and identifies the single best option for your 6-month trading profile.
Credit score protection: Every direct application to a lender triggers a credit enquiry. Three applications = three enquiries = significant score damage. OverdraftMe submits one application to one lender - the right one for your profile.
For businesses at the 6-month mark, lenders are slightly more conservative on limits - typically approving 1–1.2x average monthly revenue rather than the 1.5x available to more established businesses. As your trading history grows, your borrowing capacity increases.
| Monthly revenue | At 6 months | At 12 months | At 2+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000/month | Up to $12,000 | Up to $15,000 | Up to $15,000+ |
| $25,000/month | Up to $30,000 | Up to $37,500 | Up to $37,500+ |
| $50,000/month | Up to $60,000 | Up to $75,000 | Up to $75,000+ |
| $100,000/month | Up to $120,000 | Up to $150,000 | Up to $150,000+ |
The document requirements for a 6-month trading business are identical to any other non-bank business loan application in Australia:
No tax returns. No BAS. No profit and loss. No accountant letters. Just 6 months of bank statements, ABN and licence. This is all that's required for most non-bank lenders.
With limited trading history, lenders focus more intensely on specific signals in your bank statements:
You can't change how long you've been trading. But you can significantly improve your approval odds and the terms you receive:
Any revenue deposited into personal accounts doesn't count. If you've been mixing business and personal finances, start running everything through a dedicated business account immediately - and ideally for at least 2–3 months before applying.
Lenders weight your most recent 3 months most heavily. If your business has a strong month coming up - apply then. If you've just had your best month yet, apply now.
90 days of clean statements - no dishonoured payments, no going into negative balance without an overdraft - materially improves your approval probability at 6 months.
If you have outstanding ATO obligations, set up a formal payment plan before applying. A payment plan converts an unmanaged problem into a managed obligation - a significant difference in how lenders view your application.
At 6 months, a broker adds more value than at any other stage. They know which lenders are most flexible on trading history, how to present your application in the strongest light, and they protect your credit score by submitting to one lender only.
The most flexible option. Revolving facility, draw and repay as needed, interest only on drawn amounts. Available from $10,000 to $500,000 depending on revenue. Full guide to business overdrafts →
A lump sum loan with fixed repayments over a set term. Available for businesses at 6 months but with slightly more conservative limits than overdrafts. Better suited for a specific one-off purchase than ongoing cash flow management.
If you have B2B invoices with 30–90 day payment terms, invoice finance can advance up to 80–90% of invoice value immediately. Available from 3–6 months trading for businesses with commercial clients.
OverdraftMe has helped hundreds of Australian businesses access finance from the 6-month mark. Tell us your situation and we'll tell you honestly what's available. Free service.
Get a free assessment →OverdraftMe helps 6-month businesses across every industry. Particularly common:
Yes - non-bank lenders in Australia consider business loan applications from businesses with 6+ months trading history. You need $6,000+ monthly revenue, Equifax 550+ and 6 months of bank statements. No tax returns required.
Six months is the minimum for most non-bank lenders. Some fintech lenders will consider 3-4 months in exceptional cases. Banks typically require 2+ years.
No - non-bank lenders assess 6-month applications from bank statements only. Your first full year of tax returns likely hasn't been lodged yet at 6 months - this is completely understood and not a problem.
Typically 1–1.2x your average monthly revenue. With $20,000/month revenue, up to $24,000. With $50,000/month, up to $60,000. As your trading history grows, your borrowing capacity increases.
A formal application triggers a credit enquiry. Using OverdraftMe means one enquiry to one lender - the right one - protecting your score. Applying directly to multiple lenders generates multiple enquiries which can significantly damage your score.
Options are very limited under 6 months. The best strategies are: business credit cards, personal loans used for business, or government grants. Focus on reaching the 6-month mark with strong, consistent bank statement history.