When business owners and investors start looking for a commercial loan, the first question is almost always the same: “What’s the rate?”
It’s understandable. Rate is visible, easy to compare, and feels like the most objective measure of a good deal. But after decades of combined experience inside Australia’s major banks — and now working directly with clients as specialist commercial lending brokers — the insight we keep coming back to is this: structure is what actually drives outcomes.
A marginally better interest rate means very little if the loan is structured in a way that constrains your business, limits your flexibility, or doesn’t align with where you’re headed.
What “Structure” Actually Means in Commercial Lending
Loan structure refers to the full architecture of a lending facility — not just the rate. It includes:
- Security arrangements — what assets are being used, how they’re cross-collateralised, and what that means for your flexibility down the track
- Covenant terms — the conditions attached to your loan, including financial ratios, reporting requirements, and triggers that could give a lender the right to review or recall a facility
- Loan term and repayment profile — whether the repayment structure aligns with your business cash flow cycle
- Lender policy — how your chosen lender assesses your industry, your business model, and your growth plans
- Facility type — whether a term loan, line of credit, or other structure is actually the right fit for your purpose
The Three Structural Issues We See Most Often
In our early conversations with business owners and their advisers, three themes keep coming up:
1. Tighter covenants underpin lower pricing — but at the cost of flexibility
Some lenders offer attractive headline rates, but attach restrictive covenant packages that limit what a business can do without lender consent. Acquisitions, distributions, additional borrowing — all potentially subject to approval. For a growing business, that constraint can be far more costly than a slightly higher rate with fewer strings attached.
2. Lending structures that haven’t been reviewed as the business has evolved
A facility structured five years ago may have made perfect sense at the time. But businesses change — they grow, pivot, acquire assets, take on new partners, or shift their revenue model. Lending that was fit for purpose then may now be misaligned, unnecessarily restrictive, or simply more expensive than the current market warrants.
3. Choosing the wrong lender — where policy becomes the real constraint
Different lenders have very different appetites for different industries, business models, and transaction types. Choosing a lender based on rate alone — without understanding their credit policy — can mean ending up with a lender whose approach doesn’t suit your business. When you need flexibility, a top-up, or a variation, policy becomes the real constraint — not price.
Is Your Current Lending Still Fit for Purpose?
If your business has grown or changed since your last loan was structured, it’s worth asking whether your current facility still serves you well. Key questions to consider:
- Have your covenants been reviewed recently?
- Is your security structure the most efficient it could be?
- Are you with the right lender for where your business is now — not where it was?
- Could refinancing or restructuring improve your position without materially changing your rate?
Get a Second Opinion
At Providence Lending Group, we specialise in structured funding for complex scenarios. Our directors bring over 60 years of combined senior banking experience from CBA, ANZ, Westpac and KPMG — which means we understand how lending decisions are made from the inside, and how to structure facilities that genuinely serve your business goals.
If you’d like a second opinion on your current commercial lending arrangements, we’d welcome the conversation. There’s no cost and no obligation — just a straightforward discussion about whether your lending is working as hard as it should be.