About Smart Business Plans
Australia’s specialist commercial finance brokerage. Family-owned, Queensland-based, and working with business owners and investors nationwide since 2009.
Nadine and Chris Connell
Co-Founders
Our Story
We founded Smart Business Plans in 2009 after seeing how many Australian business owners were being underserved — not just by banks, but by generalist brokers who lacked the specialist knowledge to get commercial deals across the line.
Fifteen years and $550+ million in arranged finance assistance later, that mission hasn’t changed. We work exclusively in commercial and business finance, and we bring the same level of care, expertise and persistence to every client engagement that we did with our very first client.
We’re a small, specialist team. You won’t be passed to a junior broker or a call centre. When you work with us, you work directly with Nadine — and you get the benefit of 15 years of specialist commercial finance experience behind every conversation.
Why our clients come to us:
Free engagment
Our brokering services are generally free to you. We're compensated by the lender on settlement.
Specialist focus
We work exclusively in commercial and business finance. Not residential loans with a commercial side hustle — commercial finance is all we do.
60+ lender panel
We compare options across major banks, non-bank lenders, and private funders to find the right fit for your deal — not just the easiest approval
Direct access to Nadine
You deal directly with our principal broker from first call to settlement. No handoffs, no junior staff.
We prepare your deal properly
Where needed, we build the financial modelling and business case that gets lenders over the line — a capability most brokers simply don't offer.
Meet our team
Nadine
Co-Founder, Smart Business Plans
Nadine is the driving force behind Smart Business Plans’ specialist commercial finance work. With 15+ years in commercial and business finance, she has helped more than 3,300 Australian business owners and investors arrange over $550 million in finance — from medical centres and childcare facilities to industrial warehouses, SMSF property purchases and large-scale developments.
That specialist knowledge is what makes the difference on complex deals.
Chris
Co-Founder, Smart Business Plans
Chris brings more than 20+ years business management experience, including senior roles with tier 1 lenders such as the Commonwealth Bank, high-growth FinTech companies, as well as Co-Founder of Smart Business Plans.
Chris has significant international and local business management and growth experience, and specialises in business development, operations, partnerships and growth. Chris’s strengths are in communication, strategy development and client success.
Why Use A Specialist Broker?
Commercial finance has more variables, more lenders, and more complexity than residential lending. Here’s the difference specialist representation makes.
Working with lenders directly
- Only their own limited loan options
- You have to call 60+ lenders yourself
- You do the time-consuming hard work
- You’re just a number
- Unlikely to think creatively
- Inflexible
- Retail rates only
- Likely to require credit check for pre-approval
- Slow
Working with us
- Access to 100’s of different loan options
- Immediate access to 60+ lenders
- We do the time-consuming hard work
- Personalised, expert service
- Can help solve complex situations
- Flexible
- May have access to wholesale rates
- Can get pre-approval without credit checks
- Fast
Frequently asked questions
What types of finance do you specialise in?
We specialise exclusively in commercial and business finance — commercial property loans (owner-occupier, investment, SMSF, construction and development), business loans, working capital, and asset finance.
Is your service free?
Our commercial finance brokering service is free to you in the vast majority of cases — we’re compensated by the lender on settlement. In the rare circumstance where a fee applies (typically for highly complex or non-standard transactions), we’ll disclose this upfront so you can decide whether to proceed. See our services page for more information.
How do I get started?
Book a free 30-minute consultation with Nadine directly or call 1300 262 098. No preparation needed. Just tell us what you’re trying to achieve and we’ll give you an honest assessment of what’s possible.