Business Finance Broker Australia: Commercial Lending Products and How to Broker Them

2026-08-27

A guide to broking business finance in Australia — unsecured business loans, invoice finance, trade finance, equipment finance and lines of credit, plus how commission works.

Equipment finance is the easiest entry point into Australian commercial broking, but it is only one product. The brokers who build real income write everything a business needs: the asset, the working capital, the invoice facility and the trade line. Same clients, same conversations, several commission events instead of one.

What is a business finance broker?

A business finance broker arranges commercial funding for companies and ABN holders — equipment finance, unsecured business loans, invoice finance, trade and import finance, overdrafts and lines of credit, and commercial property where licensed. You assess what the business actually needs, match it to a funder''s credit appetite, package the application and manage it to settlement.

The core Australian business finance products

Equipment finance — chattel mortgage, finance lease or rental over an income-producing asset. Secured by the asset, so it is the cheapest money most SMEs can access.
Unsecured business loans — fast, cash-flow-assessed funding from non-banks such as Prospa, Shift, Moula, Lumi and Bizcap. Terms are typically short and pricing reflects the risk.
Invoice finance / debtor finance — advances against outstanding invoices. Ideal for labour hire, transport and wholesale businesses with long payment terms.
Trade and import finance — funds the gap between paying an overseas supplier and getting paid by the customer.
Business overdrafts and lines of credit — revolving working capital, usually bank-provided and often property-backed.

How do you know which product the client needs?

Ask what the money is for and when it comes back. If it buys an asset that produces income for years, it is equipment finance and it should be term-matched to the asset life. If it covers a payroll gap caused by slow-paying customers, it is invoice finance, not a loan — a loan just moves the problem forward. If it funds stock that sells in ninety days, it is trade or short-term working capital. Matching term to purpose is the single most valuable judgement a broker makes, and it is the reason clients stop shopping on rate.

Is business finance broking regulated in Australia?

Lending for genuine business purposes falls outside the NCCP Act''s consumer credit regime, so an Australian Credit Licence is not triggered in the way it is for home and consumer lending. That does not mean there are no obligations — you still have to deal fairly, disclose your commissions and fees, and comply with your aggregator''s and funders'' requirements, plus privacy law. Most brokers hold a Cert IV, sit under an aggregator, and belong to the MFAA or FBAA. Confirm your specific position with ASIC and your aggregator; this is general information only.

How commission works across the products

Equipment finance pays an upfront percentage of the amount financed at settlement. Unsecured business lenders typically pay a percentage of the funded amount, often higher than asset finance because the pricing is higher. Invoice finance frequently pays an upfront plus a trail on facility usage, which is the most underrated income stream in Australian broking — a good debtor finance client pays you monthly for years.

Where business finance clients come from

Accountants are the strongest referral channel in Australia because they see the cash-flow problem before the client admits it. Beyond that: existing equipment clients who need working capital, industry associations, local business groups, and simple systematic outreach to trades, transport operators, labour hire firms and wholesalers in your area. The AI lead tools in the platform surface businesses showing growth signals — new contracts, hiring, expansion — which are the ones about to need funding.

Why brokers should not run this on a spreadsheet

Multi-product broking means multiple submissions per client, different document sets, and different follow-up cycles. Our CRM handles equipment, working capital, invoice finance and trade files side by side, with a document checklist per funder and a daily action board so nothing sits idle. Training plus the CRM is a one-time $49.99.