Free tool · live countdown
Cash-gap countdown
Set the deadline. Enter what's due and what you'll have. Watch the clock and see the exact gap you need to fund or negotiate.
Time remaining
Funding gap
—
What this means
Close the gap — enquire →General estimate, not an offer of finance. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Why count down instead of just adding up?
An emergency has two numbers, not one. There is the amount — the garnishee, the wages, the supplier's overdue balance, the settlement shortfall — and there is the clock. Most owners under pressure focus on the first and lose track of the second. This calculator keeps both in front of you. The countdown shows how many hours you really have, and the gap shows exactly how much has to be found, so you can match the two to a realistic funding route.
The clock also changes which route makes sense. With property security, $20k to $250k is possible the same day and up to $5m is possible within 24–48 hours. Without property, same-day funding is possible for smaller unsecured amounts, with larger amounts usually needing a little more time. If your countdown shows four hours and your gap is large with no property behind it, the honest answer is to negotiate time first — see needing business money today.
How to fill it in honestly
- Amount due: the confirmed figure, not your estimate. Call and check it, including any penalties or interest added since the notice was sent.
- Other must-pay costs: anything that cannot slip before the deadline — wages, PAYG withholding, super, rent, insurance premiums.
- Cash now: cleared funds you can actually use. If a garnishee has frozen part of an account, leave that part out.
- Reliable receipts: only customer payments you'd bet on. A promise already broken once doesn't count.
- Cost of finance: optional. Your specialist confirms the real cost before you commit; if you have an estimate, adding it here stops you from under-borrowing.
What the result is telling you
If the gap is zero, you may not need a loan at all — just a conversation to line up timing. If it is small relative to your monthly turnover, an unsecured emergency loan or a line of credit often fits. If it is large and the clock is short, property-secured options such as a caveat loan or a fast second mortgage are usually the quickest. The buffer is there because the first figure you're given in a crisis is often not the final one.
Next step
Take the gap figure and the deadline to the 60-second enquiry. There is no credit check when you first enquire, your details go to one specialist rather than a list of lenders, and a real person calls you back. Put in the real numbers — the closer they are, the better the first answer.
Cash-gap questions
What is a cash gap?
It is the difference between the money that has to go out by a deadline and the money you can count on having by then. If the bill is bigger than your cash plus reliable receipts, the difference is the gap you need to fund or negotiate.
Why add a buffer to the gap?
Because emergencies rarely come alone. A customer pays late, a fee lands, the amount owed turns out higher once interest or penalties are added. A small buffer stops you from having to come back for a second round of funding a week later.
Should I count invoices that customers have promised to pay?
Only count money you would bet on. If a customer has paid on time for years, include it. If they have already missed a promise, leave it out of the calculation and treat it as a bonus if it arrives.
What if the countdown shows less than a day?
Call the other party now. Confirm the amount, explain that funding is being arranged and ask for a short extension. Then start your enquiry so a specialist can tell you what can realistically land before the deadline.
Does this calculator include the cost of the loan?
You can add an estimate of the total cost of finance in the optional field, so the gap includes it. We don't publish rates because every loan is priced on the business's circumstances; your specialist gives you the actual cost before you commit.
Know your gap? Let's close it.
One short enquiry, no credit check when you first enquire, and a real person who calls you back with options that fit.
No credit check to enquire
No spray-and-pray
A real person on it, fast