How to describe your turnover and bank statements on a lender call

Why turnover is the number that matters most without property

If you don’t have property to offer, or don’t want to use it, most of what a lender can offer depends on what flows through your business bank account. Unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options for trading businesses are typically $5,000 to $500,000, and they’re sized largely on turnover and bank statements.

That’s why the specialist will ask about it early, and why getting the description right on the phone saves a lot of back and forth.

Which figure to give

Business owners think about money in lots of ways: annual revenue from the tax return, profit, what’s in the account today. For a first call, the most useful figure is simple:

Roughly how much comes into the business bank account in a typical month, over the last three to six months.

It’s the figure a lender will see when they read your statements, so it’s the one that will hold up. Say whether it includes GST (bank deposits usually do).

A quick way to get it: open your banking app, look at total credits into the business account for each of the last three months, and take the middle figure.

Describing the pattern

A single number doesn’t tell the whole story. Add one sentence about the shape:

Pattern	How to say it
Steady	“Pretty consistent, around $45k to $55k every month.”
Seasonal	“Summer months run about $120k; winter drops to $50k or so.”
Lumpy	“We invoice by project, so some months are $200k and some are $20k.”
Growing	“Up from about $30k a month last year to around $60k now.”
Dipping	“Down this quarter because a major customer paused orders.”

All figures illustrative.

This helps the specialist interpret the statements the way you’d want them read.

Flag the one-offs

Lenders reading statements look closely at anything unusual. Mention these before they’re found:

• A big contract payment that won’t repeat every month.
• GST refunds or other ATO credits.
• Transfers in from your personal account, savings or another business.
• Loan funds landing in the account.
• A quiet month caused by something specific: a holiday closure, a flood, a supplier problem.

A sentence like, “The $90k in March was a one-off progress payment. Normal months are closer to $40k,” prevents a misunderstanding later.

Scripts you can adapt

“Deposits into the business account run about $70k a month, including GST. It’s fairly steady, though January is always quiet because we shut for two weeks. There’s one big deposit in August, which was a transfer from my savings, not sales.”

Illustrative example only.

“Honestly it’s lumpy. We’re a small builder, so we get paid in progress claims. Over the last six months it’s averaged around $110k a month, but individual months range from $30k to $250k.”

Illustrative example only.

What the statements will show later

If you go ahead with an unsecured option, the lender will usually review recent business bank statements. They typically look for:

• regular deposits consistent with what you described
• how the account is managed: overdrawn periods, dishonours
• existing loan repayments going out
• payments to the ATO

If there’s anything in those areas you’d rather explain first, say it on the call. Our page on existing business debts helps with the repayments side. For newer businesses without much history, see what to say about a new business.

Quiet month right now?

If turnover is down at the moment and that’s part of why you’re calling, say so plainly. It’s context the specialist needs. It can also help to look at ways to lift the next month’s income alongside finance; our guide on calling past customers in a quiet month has practical ideas.

Business account housekeeping that helps

How your business bank account is run affects how easily a lender can read it. A few habits make a real difference, and they’re worth starting now even if you don’t need finance yet:

• Keep business and personal money separate. All takings into the business account; personal spending from a personal account. Mixed accounts make turnover hard to see.
• Bank your takings. Cash that never reaches the account doesn’t count as turnover in a lender’s eyes.
• Avoid dishonours. Bounced direct debits are one of the first things an assessor looks for. If one happened, be ready to explain it.
• Use clear references. Named transfers (“Owner drawings”, “GST refund”, “Loan from director”) save questions later.
• Keep an eye on the balance. Regularly running close to zero or overdrawn can suggest cash flow is tight, even when turnover is healthy.

business.gov.au’s guide to managing cash flow has more practical ideas for keeping money moving through the business. If your statements already show a pattern you’d like to explain, just tell the specialist. That’s what the first call is for. Our questions a specialist will ask page shows how turnover fits alongside the other topics, and if you’re unsure of the amount to request, how much and why will help.

Ready to talk numbers?

Take a two-minute look at your deposits, then ring 03 4059 1829. Or add your turnover to the 60-second enquiry and we’ll call you. There’s no credit check to enquire, your figures aren’t spread across a list of lenders, and a real specialist interprets them with you. The more accurate your turnover figure, the more accurately we can size the right option for you.