Running a Trade/ Services Business?
You're turning over good money. So where is it actually going?
A finance review for trade and service business owners. We go through your business and personal setup, find what it's quietly costing you, and send you a written plan. No obligation to do anything with it.
We work with Trade and Services business owners to stop the money leaks and worries - Run by Shayne Cook — 25 years in finance, former lending manager at Commonwealth Bank, $500m+ financed. Working with trade businesses Australia-wide.
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Enter your details and book a Quick 15 minute call. (a quick chat about the process)
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The Review
Your Business Finances
Where the money's going and what it's costing you to get it there. Rates that have drifted, facilities sitting in the wrong place, debt that's built up job by jobob.
Your personal position
Assets against liabilities. Whether the business is actually producing wealth for you, or just producing more business.
Banking & Debt
How cash moves through your accounts, and what that's costing in interest, fees and time. This is where most of the boring, unglamorous savings live.
Risk & Efficiency
What happens if there's a bad quarter, a bad debt, or a bad month for your health. Whether your structure is working with your accountant or against them.
Are you clear in your next moves ?
Are you covered in the case of emergency?
What's Next
Your chance to put the plans in front of someone who's seen hundreds of them.
What's worth doing, what isn't, and what order to do it in.
You get a written document setting out everything we discussed and what we'd change. Yours to keep, act on, or take to your accountant. Whether or not you work with us.
TESTIMONIALS
What others are saying
We have worked with GCA Finance across multiple areas of our business and personal finance needs – from commercial property finance, to business lending, and even residential property finance. At every step, GCA have gone above and beyond to make sure we clearly understood all of our options, and that we secured the very best deal available. The team’s professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to simplify what can often be a complex process has made a huge difference for us. Their guidance has not only helped our business grow with the right finance structures, but has also given us confidence in our personal investments. Quite simply, there’s no one else we would trust more when it comes to finance. GCA Finance are our first choice, and the only choice, when it comes to making sure we’re covered from every angle.
I highly recommend Shayne Cook at GCA Finance for all your finance needs. Shayne assisted me with both mortgage financing and car financing, and the experience was exceptional. He is incredibly knowledgeable, super responsive, and always focused on getting the deal done at the best possible rate. Shayne secured fantastic rates for me and made the entire process smooth and stress-free. If you’re looking for someone who truly knows their stuff and gets the job done, Shayne is the person to call. Highly recommended to anyone needing finance.
Shayne Cook (GCA) is an absolute legend...He secured Finance for us despite a particularly complex set of circumstances.
GCA Finance have been a really solid partner for us across both business and personal finance over the past few years. Whether it’s property or business lending, their advice is always clear, strategic and actionable, which matters when you’re juggling a lot day to day. Shayne’s approach is direct and to the point, so the whole process stays efficient. What I value most is that they understand the bigger picture. Not just lending, but how it all ties into tax, risk and long-term decisions. Shayne has run multiple businesses, and you can feel that in the way he approaches things. I always walk away from conversations feeling clear and confident in the next step. Highly recommend.
Highly recommend having a chat with the people at GCA Finance. We have utilised GCA Finance for financing both our own home and investments. The strategy - especially in that we had a pretty unique and difficult situation was the thing that stood out for us. They really got to know our situation and really aimed to understand us a family/ business and what the aims were personally even beyond the finance aspect. It’s great to have advice where you can make a call and get the answers that can be relied on. Do not hesitate in giving Shayne and the team at GCA Finance a call.
Just writing in to recommend GCA Finance and their wealth of knowledge on everything financial. GCA have been there for us with financing the business premises and our own home and cars. I know when I call I am going to get the solutions that are the right ones. They get business and that there are ups and downs and when is a good timing to take action. Shayne and the team are patient and have strategy that is hard to find elsewhere and I would highly encourage any business owner have them on their team.
Case study: Mark - Plumbing business
Mark — plumbing business
The situation:
Came to us for equipment finance. New ute, new gear. Straightforward job. He asked us to have a look at his business figures at the same time. We suggested the review.
What we found:
The equipment finance was the least interesting thing on the table. His existing facilities had drifted and were costing him badly.
What we did:
Restructured what he already had, and put an equity facility in place he didn't need yet ( but he had future plans in his head). Twelve months later he'd spent most of the year renovating his own home with contractors covering his jobs — profit was down, and a bank would have said no. He didn't have to ask. The facility was already there. He made a cash offer on an investment property, no finance clause, and got it cheaper than the buyers who needed one.
The number:
$22,000 a year savings, plus an investment property he'd otherwise have missed. Business profits and cashflow can vary - and it's good to get prepared while times are buoyant.
“the benefits of being pro-active - and using better times to set yourself up” —
Case Study - John -Electrical Business
John — electrical business, multiple staff
The situation:
Nothing wrong. Business ticking along. He just wanted a second opinion on whether he was making good calls.
What we found:
Gear he'd personally funded when setting up, still sitting on the balance sheet the wrong way. Cash sitting in accounts that were costing rather than saving. And a bank that hadn't been asked for a pricing review in years.
What we did: Changed where things sat. Debt level stayed identical — but a large portion became tax deductible, done properly and in consultation with his accountant. Restructured how cash flowed. Then asked his existing bank for a pricing review, which found more again.
The number:
around $15,000 a year. No new borrowing. No big moves. - $100's of thousands of saving over years
“Simple but effective tweaks can save thousands” —
Case study: James - Real Estate business
James — real estate business
The situation: Millions in property, income to service it, development upside on several of them. Went back to his bank to keep investing.
What we found:
A flat no. Not because of his numbers — because that one bank had reached its internal comfort level on total exposure to a single client. Every dollar he owed was owed to the same place.
What we did:
Split the residential and commercial debt across separate lenders, so each one was carrying a manageable slice. Nothing about his actual financial position changed. Only the structure did — and the answer changed with it.
The number:
The bonus -over $200,000 a year saving, and he's still investing.
“regaining flexibility and control over finances” —
Case study: Darren - Refrigeration business
Darren — refrigeration business
The situation:
He'd been paying off the building for years. It just wasn't his. Darrens business had gone through hard years - and now was making good money. He wanted to put it to work and had no shortage of ideas. Investments / home upgrades / opportunities but no clear idea of which one to start with, or which made the most sense.
What we found:
The most obvious wealth builder was the one he'd been walking into every morning. He'd been operating out of the same industrial shed for years, paying rent on it the entire time, and he had no intention of going anywhere. He could see himself in the business for another 20 years at least. every rent payment was buying someone else's asset he was never going to own.
What we did:
Darren wanted to upgrade his family home in the near future. With advice and adequate set up from his accountants office an sMSF was established. There was enough in the super fund to proceed as a self managed fund purchasing the property. We arranged the debt - the huge advantage being - as SMSF lending is isolated from personal investments - he could continue on with his investment and home upgrade plans with absolutely no negative effect on borrowing capacity.
The number:
~$80,000 a year straight back into building business owner wealth. A de-risked strategy as the property has a reliable Tennant for the foreseeable future ( himself !)
And when it come time to sell the business and the debt has been repaid - the rent keeps flowing into the Super fund
“build business owner wealth from the most obvious path of least resistance” —
Different businesses, same pattern. Nothing dramatic was wrong in any of them. The expensive problems are almost never the dramatic ones — they're the boring ones nobody's looked at for years.
For trade and service business owners That Need straight answers
FAQ's
How much does it cost?
The 5 Step Finance re-set is a fee free initial consult. Should we wish to work together and proceed to implementation any fees and charges will be notified at that point before we proceed. No risk - plenty of potential upside.
What are the main benefits of conducting the review?
The main benefits for business owners are
1/ Obtaining clarity on whether your finances are set up with your best interests now and for the future. If there is nothing obvious we will tell you straight.
2/ Saving money - we highlight areas where you may be able to make small or substantial savings. These can add up to large amounts over time
3/ A clear understanding on what areas of your finances can be improved - or where there are errors costing you money - We give clear direction to implement the changes. We do the leg work - so as not to create even more work for you.
4/ Run your future ideas and plans by an expert - Impartial and practical solutions. If you like working with us - which we are confident you will - we become the trusted ear that business owners can call at any time to run ideas by.
What is your Experience?
Shayne ( Owner and director ) of GCA Finance has a 25 year experience in finance. Has worked as a lending manager for Commonwealth Bank and has also owned and exited a boutique Finance Broking and Financial Advice Firm. Further to this Shayne has run multiple businesses external to the finance industry. We have experience working with 100's of businesses large and small over our career and have become a trusted and vital part of the owners financial journey. Not all finance brokers/ bankers have the on the ground business owner experience across a range of industries - we do.
What are my obligations if I complete the review?
The review has no obligations - we are confident of providing value and therefore - if value is shown , we start a working relationship.
I have other trusted professionals providing advice on financial matters. How do you work with them.
We understand that business owners often have a group of professional working around them. (Accountants/ Financial Advisors/ Lawyers / Insurance brokers etc) . We understand the need for advice to be unified and will often be in touch with these existing relationships as required to make sure that the information you are getting is in line with the current advice. If there are areas of concerns in these areas of your financial life we will often suggest a catch up/ conversation to clarify and resolve these matters with these professionals. If you do not have sufficient advice in areas needed we have a list of contacts that are able to help as you require. Open communication is our thing - and a phone call is often the best solution. We jump on the phone and get things sorted.
What is the information on your licences
GCA Finance is a Credit Representative of Connective Credit Services. Individual Credit Representative Number is 502263 under Connective Credit Services Australian Credit License (ACL) 389328 Connective Broker Services | ACN 161 731 111
GCA Finance is also a member of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia - Member number - 7963
GCA Finance is a member of the AustralianFinancial Complaints Authority Limited -Member Number - 48245
MEET THE FOUNDER & CEO
Hey, I'm Shayne
I'm Shayne Cook.
I spent years as a lending manager inside Commonwealth Bank, assessing exactly the kind of files trade business owners submit. So I know what the person on the other side of your application is looking at — and it's usually not what you think.
Since then I've owned and exited a finance broking and advice firm, and run several businesses outside finance entirely. I've made payroll. I've had the quarter where the money didn't come in. That's not something most brokers can say, and it changes how these conversations go.
Across my career I've overseen the financing of more than $500 million in business, commercial and residential projects — and helped a lot of owners take the next opportunity. Just as often, I've helped them see why the next opportunity wasn't one worth taking.
What I'm not is a financial adviser, an accountant or a lawyer. If the review turns up something that needs one of those, I'll say so, and I'll usually get on the phone with yours to make sure everyone's working off the same page.
**GCA Finance is a Credit Representative of Connective Credit Services. Individual Credit Representative Number is 502263 under Connective Credit Services Australian Credit License (ACL) 389328 Connective Broker Services | ACN 161 731 111. GCA is a finance brokerage - GCA Finance is not a licensed Financial Adviser, Lawyer or Tax Accountant and such any highlighted items of interest for examination requiring further advice would need to be noted and discussed with the applicable licence holder relating to these items.