Free tool · Ask Mr
Ask Mr: NZ funding readiness check
Eight quick questions about your business. Mr gives you an honest first read: how ready you look, the options worth discussing, what to fix first and the documents to gather. Nothing is stored or sent.
How the readiness check works
New Zealand lenders ask the same handful of questions, whatever they're called and however their forms look. How long have you been trading? How is the business set up? Is tax under control? Is there property? What does your credit file say? How much, for what, and by when? The readiness check asks you those eight questions and gives you the kind of first read Mr would give across a café table.
Behind the scenes it weighs two broad routes. Unsecured and cash-flow lending, typically $5,000 to $500,000, leans on your trading history and bank statements, so time in business, credit and tax matter most. Property-secured lending, from $20,000 to $5,000,000, leans on equity and a clear exit, so it can help newer businesses, owners with credit marks, and businesses clearing IRD debt. The verdict reflects which route looks more realistic for your answers, and how much tidying would strengthen your position.
Reading your result
- The verdict and meter are a rough sense of readiness, not a score any lender uses. Treat them as a nudge.
- Options worth discussing are the loan types that commonly fit answers like yours. A specialist will confirm what's genuinely available.
- What to fix first is the most valuable part. Filing an overdue return, setting up an instalment arrangement or pulling your free credit reports can change your options more than anything else.
- Documents to gather are tailored to your structure, property and amount. Having them ready is the single biggest time-saver in any application.
What the check can't see
It doesn't know your turnover, your margins, the value of your property or the story behind a credit default. Those details can move the answer a long way in either direction. That's why the next step is a conversation with a real person, not an automated decision. If your result says "early days", it's worth asking anyway — property, a supporter, or a simple fix to your tax position can open doors the check can't predict.
If tax is part of your picture, read can I get a business loan with an IRD debt? and what's an instalment arrangement?. If property is in play, start with borrowing against your house for your business. And if you're not sure which structure questions apply, see do I need a registered company?
Ready for a real answer?
The check is a starting point. When you're ready, tell us about your business in about 60 seconds. There's no credit check to ask, your details aren't handed to a crowd of lenders, and a real specialist rings you to talk it through. Please answer the form as accurately as you can — the same honesty you've just shown the readiness check is exactly what gets you matched properly the first time.
No credit check to ask
Putting your question to us doesn't leave a mark on your credit file. A credit check only comes up if you decide to go ahead.
Not sent to a crowd of lenders
We don't auction your enquiry. One real person works out where your situation fits and talks to you before anything else happens.
A real person on your file
A specialist reads every enquiry and rings you. Honest, accurate answers on the form mean the first option we raise is the right one.
Readiness check questions
Is the readiness check an approval or an offer?
No. It's general guidance based on your answers to help you plan. A lending specialist confirms what's actually possible after talking to you and seeing your details.
Does the readiness check affect my credit score?
No. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, and there's no credit check. Even when you enquire with us, there's no credit check to ask — one only comes up if you decide to go ahead.
Why does my IRD position matter so much?
Lenders want to know whether tax is under control. Filed returns and an instalment arrangement you're keeping to are reassuring; overdue tax with no plan and unfiled returns are what make lenders cautious.
Why does property change the result so much?
Property-secured lending relies mainly on equity and a clear exit, so it can work even when trading history is short or credit has marks. Unsecured lending relies on your trading record, so it needs more history.
My result says 'early days'. Is that a no?
Not necessarily. It means unsecured options are likely limited right now. Property security, a supporter, or a few more months of tidy bank statements can change the picture. Talk to us about what's realistic.
Can I use the result in my enquiry?
Yes — mention your verdict and anything flagged under 'fix first' in your enquiry. It gives the specialist a head start.
Your verdict's in. Now ask a real person.
Tell us what you need in about a minute. There's no credit check to ask, nobody shops your details around, and a real person rings back with options that suit a New Zealand business like yours.
No credit check to ask
Not sent to a crowd of lenders
A real person on your file