With over two decades in banking and finance, Neil D’Souza brings a wealth of expertise to his role as National Business Development Manager at Briqwise Australia. His career spans leadership roles at St George, Westpac and Suncorp, as well as more than a decade in private lending where he has overseen settlements exceeding AUD $2 billion.

Specialising in property and commercial lending, Neil has guided countless SMEs through start-up, growth and expansion, leveraging his deep market knowledge to deliver tailored finance solutions.

Speed in Action

When operating a business, entrepreneurs have to be able to act fast. This is largely because speed can be the difference between seizing an opportunity and letting one slip through your fingers. 

For a logistics company, access to fast funds was paramount. Looking to capitalise on a time-sensitive opportunity, the business needed fast approval and disbursement of funds to ensure they could purchase a new truck.

With most financial lenders characterised by slow approval times and rigid lending criteria, the logistics company’s broker bypassed traditional means and contacted the Briqwise team. With clear, transparent and efficient processes, Briqwise was able to issue approval within one hour. 

The Challenge: Timing is Everything

In the business world timing is everything. Time was certainly of the essence for a logistics company. Upon being presented with an opportunity to add a new truck to their fleet, the company needed fast access to capital. 

The ability to mobilise fast, in this case, would be the difference between securing the truck and avoiding operational delays, or, missing out on the truck altogether and losing income for the business. 

With existing residential investment properties able to be used as security, Briqwise, once contacted by the business owner’s broker, were able to consolidate debts to provide a tailored loan structure complete with lower rates and fees to facilitate an efficient and effective purchase. 

The Briqwise Advantage: Product Fit + Process

One of the key advantages of Briqwise is the ability to create customisable solutions. With the capacity to take into consideration personal circumstances, a solution can be found that matches the client’s needs as closely as possible. 

Another advantage of Briqwise is effective processes and procedures that are underpinned by speed. Every process employed by Briqwise is carefully thought out and considered to ensure simplicity and ease of use. 

These two factors work together to clearly outline Briqwise’s policies, processes and lending parameters. This clarity ensured that, in the case of the logistics company, approval was issued within one hour and the loan documents were issued within four business days. 

Why It Moved So Fast: Preparation and Partnership

What speeds up the deal? This is a question often asked by borrowers and their brokers. At Briqwise, it all comes down to transparent processes. When engaging with a new borrower or their broker, Briqwise shares a step-by-step timeline up front. 

This level of transparency ensures that there are no hidden requirements or shifting goalposts. By laying out a timeline, borrowers and their brokers know what information needs to be uploaded and when. All of which helps to set clear expectations and avoid delays. 

“When brokers know our processes and come prepared, we can move incredibly fast,’ Neil from Briqwise explained. The broker for the logistics company clearly explaining their client’s scenario ensured that, ‘it all came together - the right product with the right information and a shared sense of urgency,’ he added. 

As the client’s broker was already familiar with Briqwise, key client documentation and information were ready to go such as company details, a funding summary, ID assets and liabilities. 

As Briqwise also uses Docusign, the client and their broker could review and sign documents in seconds, whether from a phone or other mobile device, to ensure speed and simplified processes throughout every stage of the deal. 

What Brokers Should Know

When working with Briqwise, processes are streamlined to ensure results. Starting the process is as simple as providing company details, a brief summary of funding requirements along with IDs and A&L. 

Rather than requesting large chunks of information up front, Briqwise requires just enough information to provide an assessment both quickly and confidently. 

It’s this transparent and straightforward approach that ensures Briqwise can easily collaborate with brokers of all experience levels. 

Approachable and easy to work with, Briqwise works to guide brokers and borrowers through the application and approval processes. In fact, one piece of advice Neil often gives brokers centres around discharge forms. ‘In urgent refinance scenarios, brokers tend to focus on funding approval and forget that the Discharge request from the existing lender can take several business days - sometimes longer. Submitting this early can make or break a fast settlement,’ he said. 

Why It Matters for Brokers

Offering fast and flexible support in time-sensitive deals, Briqwise provides a viable means of securing funding, particularly for borrowers who have been rejected by traditional institutions such as banks. 

With streamlined processes and customisable solutions, Briqwise takes different factors into account in order to provide a tailored loan structure. As a team that works with brokers, not against them, brokers can confidently recommend Briqwise to their clients. 

Emphasising simplicity rather than embracing outdated and rigid traditional lending processes, Briqwise makes deals possible without overcomplicating matters. Working collaboratively with brokers enables Briqwise to keep deals on track while brokers keep their clients in the loop.

With speed and transparent processes at the fore, Briqwise is helping to shift the mindset around private lending. As Neil puts it: “Short-term private lending isn’t something to fear - it’s a smart step toward a longer-term solution. The cost, when weighed against the risk of missed opportunities or lost income, often makes a lot of commercial sense. For the right borrower, it can be the bridge between problem and progress.’ 

The Art of a Speedy Deal 

When looking to secure financing for a business opportunity, speed is paramount. This is why borrowers often engage brokers to find them the financing necessary to turn a potential opportunity into a business advancement. 

Briqwise works collaboratively with brokers and borrowers to ensure that funding requirements can be met when and where they are needed. Operating on a case by case basis, Briqwise offers tailored solutions underpinned by straightforward processes. This works together to ensure a level of transparency that lays the foundation needed for fast approval. 

When brokers and Briqwise work together, especially in cases where speed is critical, clients stand to benefit. Got a client that needs fast funding? Chat to the Briqwise team, and let’s move quickly together.