Our Service Offering.
We offer three ways to work with us, depending on where you are in your business journey:
Business Viability Review
Found a business but want to know if it stacks up before spending $$$$$ on due diligence? We’ll help you assess the opportunity, identify red flags and decide whether it’s worth pursuing.Acquisition & Finance Support
Confident you’ve found the right business? We’ll help you structure the deal, navigate the acquisition process and secure the right finance.Business Debt Advisory
Carrying high-cost short-term business debt? We’ll review your current position, assess the true cost of your debt and determine whether refinancing against property could put your business in a better position.
Whatever your business need, you’re not doing it alone. We stand beside you, anticipate what’s ahead and help you navigate the right path forward.
More about our service offerings.
Deal Viability Review Service
Know if the deal is worth pursuing - before you pay for due diligence.
Most buyers find out a deal has a problem after they've already paid lawyers and accountants to dig through it. By then, it's expensive to walk away - and easy to talk yourself into a bad deal.
The Deal Viability Review flips that order. Before you commit to formal due diligence, we look at the numbers and the business itself, and tell you straight: is this worth pursuing, worth pursuing with caution, or not worth your time.
What we look at :
- The financials as they stand - historic performance, trends, and what's really driving them
- Normalised earnings - what the business actually makes once you strip out the noise
- The risks that don't show up in a P&L: customer concentration, how dependent the business is on the current owner, lease terms, key staff
- Whether the deal is financeable in the first place
Please note that if the data is not available for the above – we will provide you with the right questions to ask.
What you get
A clear, written summary with a verdict - proceed, proceed with caution, or walk away. If it stacks up, a straight line into getting it financed.
What this isn't
It's not due diligence and it's not a lender-ready financial model. It's the filter that tells you whether either of those is worth paying for.
Sorting Your Acquisition Finance Service
We get your acquisition financed.
Two things kill business buyers: a bad deal, and no finance. Once you've got a deal worth doing, the next problem is getting the right lender to say yes.
We handle that end to end. We package your numbers the way lenders actually want to see them, approach the right lenders for your deal and negotiate the structure through to approval. You get one point of contact, not a stack of forms and follow-ups.
What we do
- Approach the right lenders for your deal - bank, non-bank, or private, depending on what fits
- Package your financials for submission: normalised earnings, debt serviceability, working capital
- Structure the deal where it needs help - including vendor finance or subordinated debt to bridge gaps
- Coordinate with your accountant on projections where lenders require them
- Manage the negotiation through to conditional and then unconditional approval
Who this is for
Buyers and business owners financing acquisitions typically between $500K and $5M - whether that's an employee buying the business they work for or an existing owner growing through acquisition.
Business Debt Advisory
Carrying high-cost short-term business debt? We review your position and assess whether refinancing against property could put you in a better position.
Who this is for
Business owners with expensive short-term debt and daily or weekly repayments, who own residential or commercial property with available equity.
The problem
Short-term business finance is quick but expensive, with costs often built into repayments rather than clearly shown as an annual rate. The result can be a significant ongoing drain on cash flow.
If you have property equity, there may be a lower-cost structure with a term better suited to your business.
What Debt Advisory is
An independent review of your current debt, its true cost and your refinancing options. We provide a clear recommendation, including if refinancing doesn't make sense.
What you get
A clear, written assessment of your current debt, your options and our recommendation, before you commit to anything.
Common questions about buying a business
How much can I borrow to buy a business?
Borrowing capacity depends on the strength of the business.
Lenders assess:
Cashflow and profitability
Purchase price relative to earnings
Level of equity contributed
Buyer experience and background
As a guide, most transactions are structured with 30% to 50% equity, with stronger businesses requiring less and higher-risk purchases requiring more.
Can I get a loan to buy a business in NZ?
Yes - most business acquisitions in New Zealand are funded through bank lending.
If the business has stable earnings, a sensible purchase price and can service the debt, banks will often provide funding.
Where the deal doesn’t fit standard bank criteria, alternative lending options may be considered.
What do lenders look at when financing a business purchase?
Lenders focus on the business rather than just the borrower.
Key areas include:
Cashflow and profitability
Ability to service the debt
Purchase price relative to earnings (EBITDA multiple)
Industry risk
Buyer experience
How the purchase is structured
The main question is whether the business can repay the loan from its own income.
Do I need experience to buy a business?
Not always, but it can make a difference.
If you’re a first-time buyer, lenders place more weight on:
The strength of the business
The support around you (accountants, managers, advisors)
Transition support from the current owner
A strong business can still be funded without prior ownership experience.
What is an EBITDA multiple in business acquisition lending?
An EBITDA multiple compares the purchase price of a business to its annual earnings.
For example:
$500,000 EBITDA
$1,500,000 purchase price
= 3x EBITDA multiple
Lower multiples are generally lower risk, as the debt can be repaid faster from business cashflow. Higher multiples increase risk and typically require more equity.
Can I use property equity to buy a business?
Yes - property equity is commonly used as part of the deposit.
This can reduce the amount of cash required and strengthen the overall lending position. Lenders are generally more comfortable where additional security is available.
What is goodwill in a business purchase?
Goodwill is the portion of the purchase price that isn’t tied to physical assets.
This includes:
Brand
Customer base
Systems and processes
Future earning potential
Goodwill-heavy businesses are generally seen as higher risk, which often results in higher equity requirements.
How long does it take to get business acquisition funding approved?
Timing depends on how prepared the application is.
As a guide:
Straightforward deals: 2–4 weeks
More complex transactions: longer
Having financials, forecasts and a clear structure ready can significantly speed up the process.
When should I speak to a broker about buying a business?
As early as possible.
Ideally before:
Making an offer
Signing a conditional agreement
Committing to a purchase
Early advice helps you understand borrowing capacity and structure the purchase correctly.
How long are business acquisition loans for?
Business acquisition loans are typically structured over 3 to 7 years, depending on the strength of the business and how the purchase is structured.
Shorter terms are common where the loan is being repaid from business cashflow. Longer terms may be available where additional security is provided.