The funding remixer

How the funding remixer works

Most owners start funding a goal by asking a lender for the whole amount. The remixer flips that order. You begin with the goal and its full cost, then layer in the money you can find without signing a loan: longer terms from suppliers, deposits or progress payments from customers, cash the business already holds, and cash tied up in equipment you own outright. Whatever those pieces don't cover is the gap, and the gap — not the goal — is what any finance should be sized to.

Because you choose an amount band rather than an exact figure, the gap appears as a range. The bottom of the range assumes the goal costs the bottom of the band; the top assumes the top. If your quotes firm up, move to a narrower band or check the figure yourself with the percentages shown.

How the routes are chosen

The routes listed under your result come from three things: the size of the gap, whether you own property with equity, and how long you've been trading. A gap under $20,000 usually suits a buffer-style facility or a bit more supplier time. A loan-sized gap from a trading business with steady bank statements often suits an unsecured or cash-flow option, typically $5,000 to $500,000. Where property is available, property-secured business funding from $20,000 to $5,000,000 can be structured as a first or second mortgage or caveat-style security, which tends to open up larger amounts and longer terms. Goal-specific pieces are added on top: equipment finance for gear, invoice funding for contracts with creditworthy customers, vendor finance for a business purchase, an Inland Revenue instalment arrangement for tax, and landlord contributions for a fit-out.

Reading the warnings

The remixer flags mixes that look fragile. If your own cash is carrying a large share, it asks whether you'll still have a buffer for wages and the next GST return. If supplier terms and deposits together cover more than half the cost, it reminds you to get those agreed in writing before you rely on them. These aren't rules — they're the questions a lender or your accountant will ask anyway, so it's better to have answers ready.

What to do with your result

Take the gap and the suggested routes to whoever you trust with the numbers: your accountant, your business partner, or us. If a loan, line of credit or property-secured facility looks like the right piece, start a short enquiry and tell us the goal, the band and the gap. There's no credit check to start, your details aren't passed around a crowd of lenders, and a real person rings you to talk through whether the loan piece fits. Please fill in the form as accurately as you can — it's the quickest way to get the right answer on the first call.

Want to understand the pieces before you decide? Browse the alternatives, see a worked mix for your goal under remix by goal, or learn how to order your funding sources.

Frequently asked questions

Is the remixer an offer of finance?

No. It's a planning tool that shows how much of a goal your non-loan pieces could cover and which finance routes usually suit the gap that's left. A real person confirms what's actually possible once you enquire.

Why does it show a range instead of one number?

You pick an amount band rather than an exact figure, so the gap is shown from the bottom to the top of that band. Bands are easier to answer honestly early on, when quotes and timing are still moving.

Why doesn't it ask for an interest rate?

Every business facility is priced on the business's own situation, so any rate we typed in would be a guess. The tool focuses on what you can control first: how big the gap is, what security you have and how fast the goal pays back.

What counts as 'asset refinance'?

Raising money against equipment, vehicles or machinery your business already owns outright — either a loan secured on the asset or a sale and leaseback. It releases cash that's tied up in gear you'll keep using.

Should I max out supplier terms and deposits before borrowing?

Push them as far as they stay comfortable and agreed in writing. Stretching suppliers until they put you on stop, or asking deposits so high that customers walk, simply moves the problem. The right mix is the one you can still run the business on.

Does using the tool affect my credit file?

No. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, and there's no credit check when you later enquire either. A credit check only comes up if you decide to proceed with a lender.