A family-owned & run company that cares.
- We’ve helped 3,300+ clients achieve their goals
- We believe in serving our clients for life
- Your success is our success
Nadine and Chris Connell
Co-Founders
We make business finance and planning easier.
We co-founded Smart Business Plans as a family owned and operated business in 2008, after seeing the challenges many Australian business owners faced in accessing professional yet affordable business finance and planning services.
It’s been our mission ever since to help business owners get the support they need to launch, grow and expand their businesses, help their local communities, and grow the economy for the benefit of all Australians.
With a combined 40+ years personal experience in business management, planning and financial services, we have had the privilege of helping more than 3,300+ Australian business owners achieve their goals, across every conceivable industry, for businesses small and large.
- Business loan brokering
- Asset finance brokering
- Business planning
- Cash flow forecasting
- Business advice and help
Why our clients come to us:
Experience
We share our extensive business experience with our clients across business finance, strategy and planning.
Trusted advisor
We work for you, focusing on your unique situation, needs and business goals.
Efficiency
We attract clients that want to get things done as quickly and effectively as possible.
Transparency
Our services are generally free, but in the rare case a fee is needed, this would be disclosed up-front.
Relationship
We believe in creating lifelong partnerships with our clients.
Nadine Connell
Business Finance Expert
Who we help.
We believe all Australian business owners should have access to the best business finance and planning services, so we created Smart Business Plans to help you no matter where you live across Australia.
That’s why we provide convenient and personalised consultations via a virtual meeting or a phone call (whichever you prefer), helping you connect with an extensive and established network of 60+ Australian lenders from wherever you are across the country.
Meet our team
Nadine
Co-Founder, Smart Business Plans
Nadine has more than 20+ years international and local business experience, including 15 years experience as owner-operator of Smart Business Plans Australia.
She has single-handedly written more than 3,300 business plans, and helped her clients seek over $300 million in bank lending and private investment. Nadine’s strengths are her tenacity, ability to find solutions to complex needs, and drive to provide efficient, fast and effective outcomes for her clients.
Chris
Co-Founder, Smart Business Plans
Chris brings more than 20+ years business management experience, including roles with tier 1 lenders such as the Commonwealth Bank, high-growth FinTech companies, as well as owner-operator of Smart Business Plans Australia.
Chris has significant international and local business management and growth experience, and specialises in customer support, partnerships and growth. Chris’s strengths are in communication, strategy development and client success.
Working with us....
VS doing it yourself
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
How it Works
1. Talk to us
Share you business concept and goals
2. We get to work
Our business plan writing experts develop your plan
3. You get your business plan!
You get your professional written, expert business plan
Explore our business loan options
Business loans
Application help
Helping clients across Australia for 15 years
See which city you’re located in to learn more about out how we can help you
Sydney
Brisbane
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Frequently asked questions
What does a business finance broker do?
As your business finance broker we work for you – not the bank.
We start by doing a deep-dive into your business goals and current situation. Based on our understanding and experience, you then engage us to represent your interests and negotiate on your behalf with more than 60+ Australian lenders in our commercial lending marketplace.
We do the hard, time-consuming work to find you the best rates and terms available from a range of options, so you can choose the right business loan for you.
Best of all, our business finance brokering services are generally free to you, as we are compensated by the lender.
What makes you different from other finance brokers?
Because we’ve helped more than 3,300 Australian business owners, we have a deep understanding of the complexities you face, not just in finding the best-fit financial products, but in navigating the application process successfully as well.
That’s why we’ve developed a unique, all-in-one service for our clients, which includes enhancing your business loan application with a business plan and 3 year cash flow projections when needed by the lender.
It’s very rare (if ever) to find a finance broker that provides this level of expertise, care and support for their clients. It’s been our experience that most mortgage brokers (and many business brokers) simply don’t have a full appreciation of the complexities involved in business lending and fail to fully explore the best possible outcomes for their clients.
What does a business planning expert do?
We start by doing a deep-dive into your business goals and current situation. Based our expert business planning checklist, we then get to work, developing your business plan aimed at helping you achieve your goals, be that getting a bank loan, attracting a private investor, getting a business visa related application approved, or simply giving you a roadmap for business expansion and growth.
How much do you charge?
We do not generally charge you for our business loan brokering services (in the rare case of a fee being required, we would advise you up front so you have the option to accept). This is because we are generally compensated by the business lender.
If you choose to use our business loan application enhancement services (which includes writing your business plan and cash flow projections if required by the lender), we will advise the cost for this up-front.
How do I get started?
We always start with a no-obligation, free 30 minute conversation or virtual meeting.
Don’t worry, there’s nothing to prepare, just explain your current situation with our lending specialist, why you need a business loan, and help us run through our lending checklist.
From there, we’ll be able to align on the best pathway forward from there to help you achieve your goals.