Graph 5  Non-Traditional Finance Transaction volume $  $ Total  1,500  1,500  Other* 1,250  1,250  Marketplace consumer lending  1,000 750  1,000 750  Balance sheet business lending  500  500  250  250  0  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  0  *  Includes balance sheet consumer lending, marketplace business lending, property lending, invoice trading, crowdfunding, and other models Sources: Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance; RBA  Programs to Mitigate Financing Problems for SMEs during the Pandemic It was expected that the difficulties smaller businesses face in accessing finance would worsen during the pandemic.
So a range of policies were put in place to support the provision of low cost finance to small businesses. The Reserve Bank introduced a package of monetary policy measures at the onset of the pandemic.