Insights
Business finance insights from Sonja Pfitz
Plain-language answers to the questions Australian business owners ask about cashflow, lenders, debt and growth. Written by Sonja Pfitz, Founder & Director of Pfitz Financial.
Articles
Can Your Business Survive a Supplier Failure in Australia?
A supplier failure becomes a business risk when you rely on something that cannot be replaced quickly. Most owners watch customers closely but suppliers far less, yet one delay, price rise or insolvency can stop…
Which Customers Really Make Your Australian Business Money?
The customers that make your business the most money are not always the ones that buy the most, because profitability depends on what it costs to win, service, deliver and wait for payment from each customer. Most…
Can More Sales Fix a Bad Business Margin in Australia?
More sales will not fix a poor business margin if every additional sale delivers too little profit or creates costs the business has not properly measured. Owners focus on revenue because it is visible, but turnover…
Should Australian Businesses Still Offer 30-Day Terms?
Australian businesses can still offer 30-day payment terms, but those terms should be treated as a credit decision rather than an automatic condition of sale. A customer who started at $10,000 a month may now be…
The Side of Business Ownership Nobody Talks About
Running a business is hard. There will come a moment, whether you are 12 months in or 35 years in, when you question whether to keep going, pivot, or walk away entirely. That moment does not mean you have failed.
Business Debt Australia: Productive or a Problem?
Business debt is productive when each facility has a clear job, such as funding equipment, stock or growth, and pays for itself. It becomes a warning sign when new borrowing is covering losses or older debts. Check…
Business Loan Warning Signs Australia: Is Your Bank Worried?
Banks usually show concern before they say no. Tighter limits, more frequent questions, extra reporting and closer attention to ATO debt or cashflow are early signs. Acting at that point gives you more options than…
Business Cashflow Finance Australia: What Is Causing the Gap?
Before asking for more finance, work out what is causing the cash shortage. Slow-paying customers, excess stock, thin margins, tax arrears and poorly structured debt each need a different fix, and sometimes more…
Business Growth: Why Australian Banks Can Get Nervous
Strong growth can make a lender cautious, because rising sales tie up more cash in stock and debtors and stretch working capital. Show your lender how the growth will be funded and managed, and review your facilities…
Business Finance Review Australia: Is Your Funding Right?
Businesses often outgrow their finance structure without noticing. If facilities are mismatched to your trading cycle, cash is always tight or lenders are asking more questions, review how the business is funded, and…
Your Business Is Profitable. Why Is There Never Enough Cash?
A profitable business can still run short of cash because profit is tied up in debtors, stock, work in progress, tax and loan repayments, and growth makes that worse. The answer is often better-structured finance…
ATO Debt vs Business Loan for Australian Business Owners
Refinancing an ATO debt with a business loan can cost less overall, because the ATO's interest charges are high and no longer tax deductible. It is not only for businesses in trouble. Compare the total cost of each…
Why Australian Businesses Still Get Told No for Finance
Tax arrears, a break-even year or an unusual industry code are not automatic reasons for a no. Most rejections come down to one detail a lender has not looked past. With the right explanation and lender, many of…
Australian Transport Finance: Why Broker Checks Matter
Before buying a truck privately or agreeing to a sale-and-leaseback, have an experienced finance broker check who owns the asset, whether any finance is still owing on it, and what it is really worth. These checks…
ATO Tax Debt in Australia? Better Business Funding Options
If your business has ATO arrears, a lending solution is often a better way to carry that debt. ATO interest is expensive, is no longer tax deductible and can mark your business credit report. Refinancing the debt and…
Trade Finance: Funding Australian Business Cashflow & Growth
Trade finance pays your suppliers, locally or overseas, and gives you time to sell the goods or complete the job before you repay. It is not only for importers. It bridges cashflow gaps and helps businesses take on…
Where the Gender Finance Gap Really Lives in Australia
The gender finance gap often sits in how lenders assess risk and read a business's story, not in the numbers. It can limit finance for strong women-led businesses, and alternative lenders and experienced brokers can…
Unlock Cashflow with Receivables & Invoice Finance
If your customers take 30, 60 or 90 days to pay, your unpaid invoices are an asset you can borrow against. Receivables finance, also called invoice or debtor finance, turns that ledger into working capital that grows…
Client stories & podcast
Fit For Business with Sonja Pfitz – Keeping your House in Order to Thrive
An episode of the Fit for Business podcast with Sonja Pfitz on keeping your business's financial house in order so it can thrive.
From Rejection to Resilience: How Debtor Finance Saved a Boutique Manufacturer
After the banks declined a loss-making $10 million bath and body manufacturer, debtor finance against its department store receivables replaced shareholder loans. The business was right-sized and grew into a…
How a $10M Firm Transformed with a Strategic Financial Solution
A former manufacturer with several lenders moved to one funding strategy combining asset, trade and debtor finance. Cash pressure eased, supplier discounts lifted margins, and the directors could focus on customers.
Powering Growth: How Trade Finance Transformed a Renewable Energy Firm
A $10 million renewable energy construction firm used trade finance to buy project materials with 120 days to repay, matched to its progress payments. It stopped relying on shareholder capital and now wins larger…
Start-Up Success: Debtor Finance Drives Growth for Wholesale Business
A start-up wholesaler with no property security could not get traditional funding. Debtor finance advancing 80% of invoices paid staff and suppliers, removed the need for more shareholder capital and supported steady…
Seamless Management Buyout Success: Tailored Debtor Finance Solutions
When the director of a $140 million recruitment firm stepped away, a tailored debtor finance facility funded the CFO's management buyout, retired existing loans and kept every staff member employed.
The Manufacturer Now Wholesaler
A fourth-generation manufacturer turned wholesaler used a six-month short-term loan to clear its tax debt, which allowed new funding for domestic operations and exports to go ahead.
Transport & Logistics Company
After losing two major customers, a transport and logistics business fell from $30 million to $17.5 million in revenue. A turnaround backed by trade and debtor finance saved every job, and the business now operates…
The Labour Hire Company
A $4 million labour hire firm used confidential debtor finance to pay fortnightly wages while clients paid on 30-day terms. Sales grew to $6 million and its ATO obligations were brought up to date.