Several business debts replaced with one facility, and the full cost compared first.
- An indicative assessment within 2 business days, with settlement timed to the payout figures
- $100K to $5M to pay out several existing business debts in one transaction
- For owners, company directors and ABN holders with daily or weekly debits going to more than one lender
- Short-term business loans, merchant cash advances, business credit cards, overdrafts and ATO debt
- Full-doc (tax returns), low-doc or alt-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead), and no-doc where property is offered as security
One lender takes a set amount every business day. Another takes a share of card sales. A third debits weekly, and the credit card statement lands on top. Together they now absorb a large part of what the business earns. Business debt consolidation pays those debts out and replaces them with one facility, often secured, with one repayment on one schedule. It can lower what leaves the account each week, and it can cost more in total once fees, break costs and a longer term are counted. Joseph Farhat and his team gather a payout figure for every debt, build that comparison with you, and then look for a lender on the panel that will fund every payout.
Who we can help access finance
- ✓Retail and hospitality owners repaying two or three merchant cash advances out of the same card takings.
- ✓Trades and construction businesses that took short-term loans one after another to cover gaps between progress payments.
- ✓Directors whose business credit cards and overdraft are near their limits, with interest added every month.
- ✓Businesses whose combined daily and weekly debits now take a large share of each week's deposits.
- ✓Owners with property equity who want to see what a secured facility would do to the weekly figure.
- ✓Companies with an ATO debt alongside other short-term loans, where one facility could pay out both.
How Business Debt Consolidation Works
Every debt is listed with its balance, its repayment and how often it is debited. Each existing lender is asked for a written payout figure, valid to a set date. The new lender approves one facility large enough to cover those payouts plus its own costs. At settlement it pays each creditor directly and the old debits stop. Consolidation facilities are often secured against property or under a general security agreement, which is a charge over the business's assets other than land. Security allows a longer term, and the longer term is what brings the weekly repayment down.
A merchant cash advance is usually an amount advanced against future card or sales receipts. It is repaid by a fixed daily debit or a percentage of takings until an agreed total is reached. Because that total is set at the start, the payout figure is often close to the full amount still owing, with little or no discount for paying early. The contract decides, so each figure needs to come in writing.
The comparison covers both sides in full. On one side, the total still to be repaid on every existing debt. On the other, interest over the full new term, plus establishment, valuation and legal fees, plus any break costs charged for ending a fixed-rate loan early. As an illustration only: three debts with $300,000 outstanding and $9,000 a week in combined debits, due to finish in 40 weeks, cost $360,000 to see out. A secured facility of $320,000 (fees and break costs included) over 5 years at 9% a year repays about $1,530 a week, but about $398,600 in total. The weekly figure falls by roughly $7,470. The total cost rises by roughly $38,600. Whether that trade suits the business is a decision for you and your accountant.
Consolidation does not help in every case. If most debts finish within a few months, paying them out early may add cost for little relief. If the business cannot meet even the single lower repayment from normal trading, the question is solvency, not lending. Speak to your accountant or a registered insolvency practitioner before any loan. Securing business debts against your home also puts the home at risk if repayments stop. We are a finance broker, not an accountant, lawyer or insolvency practitioner. Where consolidation does stack up, Joseph Farhat and his team take the file to a lender from a panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders and coordinate every payout through to settlement.
What Lenders Assess for Business Debt Consolidation
The debt schedule
each lender, balance, payout figure, repayment amount and frequency, and whether the debt is secured.
How the debts built up
a one-off event, such as a lost contract, reads differently from ongoing trading losses.
Repayment after consolidation
whether normal trading covers the single new repayment with room to spare.
Security on offer
property value and existing mortgages, or the business assets a general security agreement would cover.
Account conduct
dishonoured debits and missed repayments over recent months, and what caused them.
ATO position
lodgements up to date, and the balance shown on an ATO account statement.
Payout certainty
written figures from every creditor, each valid to a date close to settlement.
The Business Debt Consolidation Process: What to Expect
- 1List every facility for Joseph Farhat and his team: balance, repayment, frequency and lender, plus recent business bank statements.
- 2See the comparison: what the business pays now, weekly and in total, against an indicative consolidated facility with fees and break costs counted. If the numbers do not support consolidation, we say so.
- 3Payout figures are requested in writing, and the file goes to a lender on the panel that funds this kind of payout. Each credit enquiry is recorded on your file, so it goes to one lender with appetite for it.
- 4Approval sets out the rate, term, fees, security and the list of creditors to be paid. We go through it with you before anything is signed.
- 5At settlement the lender pays each creditor directly. We check that each old debit is cancelled and each release is received, then one repayment starts on the agreed schedule.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Security | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|
| Bank | From ~7% p.a. | Property security usually required | $100K to $5M | 1 to 15 years | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~9% p.a. secured, ~13% p.a. unsecured | Property, business assets, or unsecured on smaller amounts | $100K to $2M | 1 to 5 years | 1 to 3 weeks, depending on payout figures |
| Private Finance | From ~1.2% per month | Property security | $100K to $5M | 1 to 24 months | Available for unique scenarios |
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for business debt consolidation
Weekly and total cost, side by side
you see what the business pays each week and over the life of each option, not one figure alone.
Fees and break costs counted
establishment, valuation, legal and early exit costs go into the comparison, because they can outweigh a lower rate.
Payout figures chased for you
we request and track each written figure, so settlement is not held up by one missing number.
Lenders that pay out cash advances
not every lender will refinance a merchant cash advance, and we know which ones on the panel do.
Rate, term and security compared across 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, so a well-documented file can reach a bank and a complicated one still has options.
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team work for you from the first debt schedule until the last payout is confirmed.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
An honest answer early
if debits have started bouncing or a lender has sent a default notice, tell us early. If the business may not be able to pay its debts as they fall due, speak with your accountant or a registered insolvency practitioner before any new loan.
Frequently asked questions
What is business debt consolidation?
It is one new facility that pays out several existing business debts, so the business makes one repayment instead of several. It is often secured against property or business assets, which allows a longer term. The debts are not reduced; they move to one lender. The weekly repayment usually falls, and the total cost can rise or fall depending on the term, the rate and the fees.
Can merchant cash advances be paid out?
Yes, in most cases, by a lender on the panel that accepts them as debts to refinance. The provider supplies a written payout figure, and the new lender pays it at settlement. Because a cash advance is usually priced as a fixed total from day one, the payout is often close to the full remaining amount, and an early payout discount is not guaranteed. We ask each provider for its figure in writing and include it in the comparison.
Will consolidating cost more overall?
It can. A longer term means interest is paid for longer, and fees and break costs are added to the new loan. In our illustration above, consolidating $300,000 of debt lowered the weekly repayment by about $7,470 but raised the total repaid by about $38,600. On other files the total falls, usually where existing debts are expensive and have a long way to run. Joseph Farhat and his team will show you both figures for your own debts. We do not describe consolidation as cheaper unless the numbers show it.
Can ATO debt go in too?
Yes. A tax debt can be paid out as part of the same facility, as long as the lender is told about it and the balance is confirmed on an ATO account statement. The general interest charge (GIC) on an ATO debt compounds daily and is currently about 11.5% a year (October to December 2026). GIC incurred from 1 July 2025 is not tax deductible. Paying the ATO clears that debt, and any decision about notices or other action stays with the ATO. Your accountant can confirm the balance and the tax treatment of the new loan.
What if one lender will not provide a payout figure quickly?
Request it in writing as early as possible and keep a record of the request. We follow up with each creditor directly. A new lender needs an exact figure for every debt it pays, so one missing figure can hold up settlement. Some lenders may settle the confirmed payouts first and pay the remaining debt once its figure arrives, while others wait for all of them. If the amount owed is in dispute, a lawyer is the right person to involve.
Do I need property to consolidate business debt?
Not always. On smaller amounts some non-bank lenders will consolidate on turnover, with a general security agreement and a director guarantee. Property security usually gives the longest term and the lowest weekly repayment. It also means the property is at risk if the repayments are not met. Get independent legal advice before offering your home as security for business debts.
Can I consolidate business debt with low-doc or no-doc?
Often, yes. Many lenders on the panel will assess a consolidation on business bank statements, BAS or an accountant's letter rather than full financials. No-doc consolidation is generally available only where property is offered as security, and comes at a higher price. Joseph Farhat and his team will match the documents you have to the lenders that accept them.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. Missed repayments or a default on your file do not rule you out, and nobody here will think less of you for mentioning them. When debts have stacked up, the credit file often shows the strain of that same period, and it says little about whether one affordable repayment can be met from here. Some lenders on our panel weigh current trading, the debt schedule and any security above the credit history, and price for the risk rather than decline. Raise it early, so we choose a lender likely to accept it and keep extra enquiries off your file. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly what is achievable before any application.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange your business debt consolidation?
Because you get one conversation and one comparison instead of a round of applications. Most of the owners and company directors who contact us about consolidation are dealing with something pressing: daily debits that leave little for wages, a cash advance provider offering another top-up, a card at its limit, or a tax debt sitting behind it all. None of this is unusual to us, and there is no judgement. What lenders weigh is the full debt schedule, how the debts arose and whether the single repayment fits normal trading. Our panel covers 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, so a well-documented file can go to a bank at a sharper rate, and there are still options when the scenario is complex. We are based in Sydney and arrange consolidation for businesses Australia-wide. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you early whether consolidation stacks up and what is realistic in your timeframe.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with business debt consolidation outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges business debt consolidation Australia-wide, in metro and regional areas alike. We work with clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Where property is offered as security, its location can change which lenders will fund. Joseph Farhat and his team will shortlist the lenders on the panel that suit your debts and your security.
