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End of financial year always sharpens decision making for SMEs. But this year, there’s a sense of urgency layered with complexity. Brokers are fielding questions around acquisitions, refinances, equipment purchases, and working capital – but all through the lens of what the next 6–12 months will look like.
What we’re hearing is that business owners want confidence and clarity. They don’t just want funding – they want a structure that actually fits their cash flow or growth aspirations. There’s always the opportunity for brokers as well, and that’s where stronger brokers really step up.
George Obeid
Chief Third-party Officer at Judo Bank
Uncertainty is the honest answer. We’ve got geopolitical disruptions, fuel price volatility, inflation pressures, and higher interest rates all landing at once. Any one of those would be manageable on its own. Together, they make forecasting genuinely difficult for business owners.
What that means in practical terms is that rigid, one-size-fits-all credit models don’t really work in this environment because businesses need support from experts who can listen, understand nuance, and assess the full picture – not just the numbers in isolation. It’s always a challenging time, but that’s where experience matters.
The big thing is judgement and working with lenders who have experience. Brokers also need bankers who can sit across the table making decisions on behalf of their customers.
That also allows them to structure deals around what the business actually needs. This could be an interest-only period through the volatility, a tailored amortisation, or a mix of facilities that flex as cash flow changes.
Brokers value this, and we’ve heard that time and time again because it gives them confidence they’re putting forward solutions that make sense – not just solutions that fit a policy.
“The big thing is judgement and working with lenders who have experience. Brokers also need bankers who can sit across the table making decisions on behalf of their customers.”
— says George Obeid, chief third-party officer at Judo Bank
Brokers and business owners are operating under compressed timelines. This could be a contract they’ve got, tax planning, or even a settlement date.
And it’s more than just turnaround times – it means access. Brokers need to deal directly with the decision-maker to get those deals out of the market, give the client certainty, and then speed will follow.
Brokers are working at pace on multiple deals and need partners who can move quickly as well, especially when timing can make or break a transaction.
Stronger relationships mean better human experiences and better use of judgement. When brokers and, in turn, our bankers understand a business deeply, they’re far better placed to provide a compelling proposal or structure and deliver the outcome the customer needs.
Good bankers can be more than just access to funders. They can be genuine sounding-boards when conditions change, able to move quickly, understand nuances, and pivot for the right clients.
Brokers are also telling us that consistency matters – knowing who you’ll be dealing with, knowing they understand the backstory, and knowing they’ll be there in 12 months’ time as well. Trust becomes invaluable in volatile periods.
It’s largely what Judo was built for – the experience of bankers being able to understand challenges and step in to support clients, not only when times are good but also when there are challenges.
“Stronger relationships mean better human experiences and better use of judgement.”
— says George Obeid, chief third-party officer at Judo Bank
Lean into expertise and the partnerships you’ve built over the years. Customers don’t expect certainty – but they do expect informed advice and lenders who can think, move, and stand beside them.
The commercial broker channel continues to grow and build genuine value for SMEs. More experienced bankers are becoming brokers and offering full-service solutions and diversification, which has been a buzzword over the years, but is now critical to success.
Brokers need to understand this. They need to be a one-stop shop and provide those solutions, whether it’s a business requirement, a home loan, or equipment finance.
The time is now for brokers to start thinking about diversification and supporting their clients through that. At Judo, we’re exclusively an SME bank, and we only hire bankers with deep lending experience to facilitate this with brokers.
“The time is now for brokers to start thinking about diversification and supporting their clients through that.”
— says George Obeid, chief third-party officer at Judo Bank
That tripartite relationship – between the customer, the experienced broker, and the experienced banker – has proven to be extremely successful for Judo and will continue to be going forward.
George Obeid
Chief Third-party Officer at Judo Bank
As Australia’s only challenger bank purpose-built for small and medium businesses, Judo Bank exist to help secure the lending you need and the service you deserve.
