Quick Summary
The finance lender your broker chooses to work with is one of the most critical factors in securing fast and favourable funding for your business. In this article, we pull back the curtain on the broker-lender relationship.
- Why Not All Lenders Are Equal: Discover why a lender’s speed, specialisation, and processes are just as important as the interest rate.
- A Look at Angle Finance: We explore how this non-bank lender has been specifically designed to help brokers deliver faster, more efficient outcomes for clients.
- The Advantage for Your Business: Learn how this translates into real-world benefits, including faster approvals, less red tape, and greater certainty when purchasing assets.
- The Broker’s Role: Understand how a good broker leverages these strong lender partnerships to get you the best possible result.
When your business needs to finance a new vehicle, machinery, or critical equipment, the natural focus is on the asset itself. You research the best model, the right specifications, and the best price. However, an equally critical decision—one that can dramatically impact the success and speed of the acquisition—is the choice of lender.
The right lending partner can make the financing process seamless, swift, and straightforward. The wrong one can lead to frustrating delays, mountains of paperwork, and missed opportunities. This is precisely why the expertise of your commercial finance broker is so crucial. A skilled broker doesn’t just find you a loan; they strategically select the right lending partner from their panel to ensure the best possible outcome for your business. The broker-lender relationship is a vital, often invisible, part of the value you receive, creating efficiencies that directly benefit your bottom line.
Meet Angle Finance: The Asset Finance Specialists
A Non-Bank Lender with a Clear Focus on Asset Finance
To illustrate the importance of lender selection, we can look at a prime example from Varlo’s panel of trusted lenders: Angle Finance. Angle Finance is not a generalist bank trying to be all things to all people. They are a specialist non-bank lender with a laser focus on one core mission: providing faster, easier commercial asset and equipment finance for Australian businesses.
Launched in 2020 and backed by Cerberus Capital Management, a global leader in alternative investing, Angle Finance has rapidly established itself as a major player in the market, with over A$800 million in assets under management. Their strategic acquisition of Westpac’s vendor finance business further deepened their industry roots and expanded their capability. Their entire business model is built on the premise that by specialising in a niche, they can outperform traditional banks through superior speed, flexibility, and service – advantages made possible specifically because they operate as a non-bank lender.
The Core Advantage: A Relentless Focus on Speed and Efficiency
Consistent and Transparent Decision-Making
In the world of business, time is money and speed is a competitive advantage. Angle Finance has built its entire brand and operational philosophy around this principle. Their tagline, “Faster, easier finance. That’s our angle,” is more than just marketing; it’s a commitment that permeates every aspect of their business.
They recognise that for a business owner, a lengthy loan approval process means lost productivity and revenue. A quick decision allows a business to acquire an asset and put it to work immediately, cementing customer relationships and enhancing its reputation. This relentless focus on speed is consistently validated by the market:
- Broker testimonials praise their "quick and easy turnarounds" and the "best turnaround times in the market".
- Independent reviews confirm an average approval turnaround time of just 2-3 hours for qualifying applications.
- Their broker portal is designed for maximum efficiency, allowing an application to be submitted in under two minutes, with the potential for a "10-second approval" for pre-qualified scenarios.
Angle Finance isn’t just selling finance; they are selling the certainty and opportunity that comes with rapid access to capital. They have effectively productised efficiency, a powerful differentiator that an expert broker like Varlo can leverage for its clients.
Technology-Driven: How a Modern Lender Simplifies Your Application
The Power of a Streamlined, Tech-Driven Process
Angle Finance’s impressive speed is not achieved by cutting corners. It’s powered by a significant and strategic investment in modern technology. Unlike many traditional banks, which are often encumbered by decades-old legacy IT systems, Angle Finance was able to build a state-of-the-art, tech-first process from the ground up.
Their partnership with cloud technology specialists LAB3 to build their systems on Microsoft Azure is a testament to this commitment. The goal was to use “process and decision automation to drive a great experience” for their broker partners and end customers. This technology underpins several key features that create a streamlined, low-friction experience:
-
A User-Friendly Broker Portal:
Praised by brokers as "the easiest I have ever used," this online tool allows for immediate qualification of customer requests. -
Digital Documentation:
The use of electronic signing platforms like DocuSign for contracts eliminates the need for printing, scanning, and posting, drastically speeding up the settlement process. -
Simplified Origination:
Technology is applied at every step to simplify the loan origination process, maintain data integrity, and ensure a smooth workflow from application to funding.
This technological advantage is a key driver of the superior service experience. It allows for a level of automation, agility, and simplicity that older, more complex institutions struggle to replicate.
The Broker-Centric Model: Designed to Empower Your Advocate
Crucially, Angle Finance has made a deliberate strategic choice to operate exclusively through a network of accredited finance brokers. You cannot go directly to Angle Finance for a loan. This broker-centric model is designed to empower your advocate—the broker—by providing them with the dedicated tools and support needed to deliver the best outcome for you.
By focusing 100% of their resources on this single channel, Angle Finance has perfected their service offering for brokers. This means:
-
Total Control:
They provide brokers with online tools that give them immediate control over qualifying and submitting applications. -
Dedicated Support:
Brokers have access to a team that is empowered to provide instant "yes or no" answers, cutting through ambiguity and delay. -
Reduced Admin:
Angle Finance manages all the paperwork, freeing up the broker's time to focus on strategic advice for their clients.
This model fosters a deep, synergistic partnership. The broker understands Angle’s processes inside and out, and Angle’s team is structured to respond to the broker’s needs. For the end client, this translates into a faster, easier, and more successful application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of assets does Angle Finance typically fund?
Angle Finance specialises in commercial assets, including transport vehicles, construction equipment, materials handling machinery, and earthmoving equipment. They also finance secondary and tertiary assets.
How fast can I really get a loan approved with Angle Finance?
For qualified applicants who meet their criteria, approval times can be remarkably fast, often averaging just 2-3 hours.
Do I have to provide full financial statements and tax returns for an Angle Finance loan?
Not always. One of their key offerings is low-documentation (low doc) loans for high-credit-quality customers, where full financials may not be required for approval.
Why does Angle Finance only work through brokers?
This is a strategic choice that allows them to focus all their resources on perfecting their service for a single channel. It creates a highly efficient model that empowers brokers to be effective advocates for their clients.
What does "low doc for high credit quality customers" mean?
It means that if your business has a strong credit history and meets their other criteria (e.g., time in business, stable industry), they may be able to approve your loan with less paperwork than a traditional bank would require.
My business is less than two years old. Can I still get a loan with Angle Finance?
Typically, no. Angle Finance has a strict requirement that a business must have been operating for at least two years to be eligible for their products.
Are Angle Finance's interest rates competitive?
Yes, for the market they serve. While rates vary based on the asset and borrower profile, their streamlined model allows them to be very competitive. A broker can compare their offer against others on their panel to ensure you get a great deal.
Is Angle Finance a non-bank lender? Are they safe?
Yes, Angle Finance is a non-bank lender. They are a highly reputable and secure company, regulated by ASIC and backed by Cerberus Capital Management, a major global investment firm.
Can I finance older or second-hand equipment with Angle Finance?
Yes, they can be flexible. If the equipment has a serial number and will be no more than 20 years old at the end of the loan term, they may be able to provide finance.
What industries does Angle Finance prefer to lend to?
They focus on what they deem to be very stable industries, such as transport, construction, materials handling, and earthmoving. They are generally not a suitable option for businesses in sectors like retail or hospitality.
If Angle Finance isn't the right fit, does Varlo have other options?
Absolutely. This is the core value of a broker. Varlo works with an extensive panel of over 30 lenders. If Angle Finance isn’t the right match, our team will leverage their expertise to select another lender whose products and credit policies are perfectly aligned with your business needs.
What This Means for You: The Tangible Client Benefits
So, why does Varlo’s strong partnership with a specialist lender like Angle Finance matter to your business’s bottom line? It translates directly into clear, tangible benefits that support your growth and financial health:
-
Preservation of Working Capital:
Angle Finance can offer 100% finance for equipment, meaning you can acquire essential assets without dipping into your cash reserves, which can then be used for other operational needs. -
Tax Effectiveness:
For eligible businesses, repayments on asset finance facilities like a chattel mortgage or lease can be 100% tax deductible (you should always confirm this with your accountant). -
Cash Flow Certainty:
With fixed repayments, you can plan your business's cash flow with confidence, knowing exactly what your commitments are each month. -
Enhanced Agility:
The ability to secure finance for essential equipment quickly means your business can respond to new opportunities without delay. This is a similar principle to intelligently managing larger liabilities, such as a commercial balloon refinance in Perth, WA, where the right financing structure can transform your balance sheet and unlock capital for growth.
Your choice of finance broker is a choice to access a network of powerful, strategic partnerships. By working with specialist lenders like Angle Finance, Varlo can provide you with more than just a loan; we can deliver a financing experience that is faster, more efficient, and ultimately more beneficial to your business’s growth.
The right lender, selected by the right broker, is not just a source of funds—they are a strategic asset. Whether you’re looking to finance a new vehicle, upgrade your equipment, or explore how smart financing can improve your overall financial position, the right partners make all the difference. Contact Varlo today to learn how our network of specialist lenders can work for you.