Regional and agricultural businesses have continued to borrow despite rising costs and uncertainty, with working capital, equipment, and technology increasingly shaping lending demand.
22 September 2026
When business changes, cash flow needs can too
Cash flow needs rarely change overnight, but the signals often appear well before the funding need does.
With NAB research showing 44 per cent of small and medium business owners cite cash flow as their top concern, it remains an important area for brokers to keep front of mind as customer circumstances evolve.
Shifts in trading conditions, growth plans, investment decisions and the broader operating environment can all change how much working capital a business needs, and when.
For commercial brokers, spotting those changes early can help shape more proactive conversations with customers.
Spotting the signals early
Changes in payment timing, supplier terms, inventory requirements or seasonal trading patterns can all shift a customer’s cash flow position.
Key areas to explore include:
- whether customers are taking longer to pay;
- changes to supplier terms or upfront payment requirements;
- periods of increased cash demand;
- more working capital being tied up in inventory; and
- new customers, contracts or markets changing the timing between costs and revenue.
These shifts can provide an early indication that a customer’s existing funding structure may need to evolve with the business.
Recruitment, investment, tax obligations, seasonal purchasing and regulatory requirements can all affect the timing of cash moving through a business.
Payday Super is one example. The move to more frequent super payments changes when cash leaves a business and may put additional pressure on cash flow, particularly for businesses with more frequent payroll cycles.
Looking ahead over the next six to 12 months can help brokers identify how changes like this may affect a customer’s working capital needs and where earlier planning may be beneficial.
Planning for growth and what comes next
Growth can also create additional working capital needs.
A larger contract, expansion into a new market or increase in capacity may require a business to fund staff, inventory, equipment or suppliers before the associated revenue comes through.
Understanding that timing gap can help brokers identify where additional headroom may be needed to support the customer’s next stage of growth.
Bringing NAB into the conversation early can help brokers and their customers better understand future working capital requirements, explore potential funding solutions and prepare for upcoming opportunities or challenges.
“Some of the most valuable conversations we can have with brokers and their customers happen before there is an immediate funding need. Understanding what is changing in a business and what’s coming next gives us an opportunity to work together and help customers plan with greater confidence." - James Sheehan, National Head of Business Markets Origination, NAB
Looking ahead at cash flow needs is about understanding what is changing in a customer’s business and helping them prepare for what comes next.
Reach out to your NAB Commercial BDM to discuss how NAB can support.
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