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As reported in NAB’s Commercial Broker Report 2025, nearly 60 per cent of Aussie businesses plan to invest in the next 12 months.
This presents a golden opportunity for those operating in the business lending space.
According to NAB’s executive commercial broker and equipment finance sales, Chris Thomas, brokers with expertise are the ones who stand to benefit the most, rather than those who dabble in commercial finance.
Those who understand the full working capital cycle and market influencers are better equipped to provide guidance and perspective where necessary.
This will help the customer make more informed business decisions, said Thomas.
“Whether it’s succession planning, managing offshore risk or funding growth, brokers who bring context, clarity and solutions will continue to be vital to their clients’ success," he said.
Economic headwinds are continuing the “uncertainty” trend that has plagued 2025.
Business owners are responding to this uncertainty by cutting costs. There were a variety of measures being taken to boost cost efficiency:
- Cut costs where possible/better supplier terms (50 per cent).
- Increase marketing efforts (37 per cent).
- Review cash flow/working capital processes (29 per cent).
- Invest in new training/talent/people (28 per cent).
- Change pricing strategy (28 per cent).
- Improve customer communications/management (27 per cent).
- Explore new market segments, locations, etc (20 per cent).
To better understand what investment clients are looking to make, brokers should be aware of the pain points SMEs are trying to ease.
According to NAB’s executive, specialist banking, business and private banking, Jasmine Ashton, brokers must be a source of knowledge for SME customers.
“Access to specialist skills, knowledge and solutions can make the difference between a missed opportunity versus customers acting with confidence on a well-informed growth strategy,” Ashton said.
“Brokers who understand the global context their clients operate in, can help businesses more effectively utilise cash flow to improve funding for growth – by streamlining the way they manage their working capital cycles and unlocking value through their business operations and improving cost efficiencies.”
This is where brokers can become strategic partners of their SME clients.
“Brokers who can simplify the complexities of managing trade finance, credit and cash flow across the supply chain become a highly valued strategic partner to their business clients. It’s a smart insurance policy for the future,” Ashton concluded.
[Related: Almost a third of mortgage brokers also writing commercial loans]
