At Ultimate Finance, we’re built to keep deals moving. Our Invoice Finance proposition combines quick decisions, clear communication, direct access to experienced people and joined-up deal support to help introducers and their clients move forward with confidence.
Because when your client needs funding, the last thing they want is a long application process filled with delays, unanswered questions and requests for more information.
But what actually helps a lender reach a decision faster? And what can you do as an introducer to keep things moving?
Our Invoice Finance experts share what really helps: from the information lenders really need upfront to what happens behind the scenes when a deal lands on their desk.
Start clear, keep the deal moving
A strong funding proposal starts with understanding the business, not just how much money it needs.
Lenders will be assessing its financial position, the security available and the people behind it. For Invoice Finance, that also means looking at the receivables, customer payment terms and how the business generates cash.
It’s also worth considering what the business has already explored. As Michael Beer (Head of Sales for the North of England and Scotland at Ultimate Finance) explains, clients may have spoken to several lenders before reaching his team. Knowing about that journey, including any previous rejections, helps build a clearer picture of their circumstances and how urgent their requirement is.
It’s important to look beyond the product the client has asked for, too. Michael gives the example of a business seeking trade finance to pay suppliers before goods are shipped. If the underlying need is working capital, an Invoice Finance facility could be another way to achieve that outcome.
Working with specialist lenders can help brokers identify funding opportunities that might otherwise go unexplored. By bringing their expertise into the conversation early, brokers can assess alternative solutions more quickly, keep deals moving and ultimately achieve better outcomes for their clients.
Key takeaway: Clear answers start with the right information. Before presenting an opportunity, make sure you know what the funding needs to achieve, how much is required, when it’s needed and whether Invoice Finance is the right fit. The clearer the picture upfront, the easier it is for the lender to assess the opportunity and keep it moving.
Present the opportunity clearly
Accurate, up-to-date information helps lenders spot potential issues early and decide what the correct route forward may be.
For an Invoice Finance proposal, it helps to have key information ready, such as:
- Recent financial information: to show trading performance and the business’s current position
- Sales ledger details: to see the value and make-up of outstanding invoices
- Customer payment terms: to assess when payments are due and how they affect cashflow.
- Existing funding arrangements: to show what facilities are already in place.
But the numbers don’t always tell the whole story.
A business might be under cashflow pressure because customers are paying late. Or it might have taken on a new contract that’s increased its working capital needs. Sharing that context upfront helps the lender understand the opportunity without having to piece it together through follow-up questions.
Join-up decisions keep deals moving
Speed does not come from compromising on quality – it comes from getting the right people around the opportunity early.
At Ultimate Finance, the Deal Team approach brings experienced colleagues into the assessment process from the outset. From initial discussions we bring decision-makers together to understand the opportunity, test appetite and surface questions early.
As Lawrence Wood (Head of Working Capital Origination at Ultimate Finance) explains:
“Fast does not mean lowering our standards.”
The objective is simple: clear answers sooner, fewer surprises further down the line and momentum throughout the funding journey.
Introducers can support this process by helping conversations happen between the lender and client once the initial review has taken place. Meeting business owners helps Ultimate Finance understand their circumstances, explore possible solutions and clear up any concerns.
Keep the deal moving
Even well-prepared proposals can raise questions. Answering them openly, sharing supporting information and keeping communication clear can help avoid unnecessary delays.
Certainty doesn’t always mean an immediate yes to the original request. Sometimes the most useful answer is identifying quickly what will and won’t work, then exploring another route. That could mean resizing a facility or looking at whether another funding structure better suits the underlying requirement.
For introducers , the key is to stay focused on the client’s underlying goal. Flexibility around the amount, structure or available security could open up another route to funding.
Speed & certainty in action: around £2 million funded in days
The challenge
A Bristol-based business needed around £2m within a very tight timeframe.
How we kept the deal moving
The opportunity went through the sighting forum, the team identified the questions that needed addressing, and an underwriter and Relationship Manager met the business.
Creating certainty
Open Finance and Open Accounting data helped the team establish the financial position quickly and understand what could be delivered.
The outcome
The deal completed within just a couple of days. That’s what “built to keep deals moving” looks like in practice: experienced people, clear information and joined-up decisions working together. .
Clear answers. Real certainty. Deals that keep moving.
Introducers have an important role in creating momentum. Understanding the business, presenting accurate information and facilitating early conversations all help create a clearer route forward.
At Ultimate Finance, we’re built to keep deals moving. Our experienced Deal Team works closely with introducers to assess opportunities, identify challenges and explore funding solutions that meet their clients’ needs.
Have a client who needs Invoice Finance or working capital support? Speak to your Regional Director or register now to become an Ultimate Finance Introducer.
