Metro Finance, one of Australia’s leading independent non-bank lenders for asset finance, has followed on from its recent consumer survey findings, sharing responses from Australian businesses and revealing a range of impacts as cost of living pressures continue to bite consumer spending.&nbsp;

The business survey, responded to by 1,000 Australian employed and self-employed workers, indicates a spread of both economic optimism and belt-tightening.&nbsp;

When it came to business spending, respondents earmarked two primary costs for their own business or their employer’s in 2025: 39.9 per cent cited human resources, which includes training and benefits programs, as a key cost for the year ahead, while 42.3 identified supplier costs of producing goods and services being the main consideration.&nbsp;

Despite the expectation that goods and services will cost more in 2025 (a sentiment shared with recent respondents of Metro’s consumer survey), 66.4 per cent of respondents did not think their business would seek financing in 2025. This figure, however, contrasts with the overwhelming majority of those surveyed who remain confident of securing business finance if needed, at 72.1 per cent.&nbsp;

42.3 per cent of respondents also suspected the need to improve business&nbsp;cashflow would be the main motivator to seek financing in 2025.&nbsp;

Metro Finance CEO, David&nbsp;Albest, commented on the latest trends in the business survey.&nbsp;

“As we saw recently with the results of Metro’s 2025 consumer survey, there is a general sense of the market cautiousness, as businesses and their customers both take a hard look at their budgets, and make prudent decisions based on some uncertain market conditions,” David said.&nbsp;

From an operational point-of-view, increasing revenue (32.1 per cent), improving cashflow (29.7 per cent) and reducing debt (27 per cent) were the primary business goals for FY25, with respondents’ businesses reacting to inflation, higher interest rates and slower consumer spending. 38.7 per cent of all respondents also acknowledged that their business was cutting costs in a bid to improve net profit.&nbsp;

Interestingly, while saving costs and conserving budgets were recurrent themes with those surveyed, sustainability and initiatives to tackle waste and energy consumption are appearing to be adopted by businesses around the country.

39.6 per cent identified recycling as a way businesses were including sustainability in their operations, while 27.6 per cent flagged solar energy technology.&nbsp;

19.6 per cent of survey respondents also acknowledged low or zero emission vehicles as a feature of businesses’ sustainability efforts.

David Hall, National Novated Manager at Metro, commented on the proliferation of low and zero emission vehicles being provided to employees through salary packaging.&nbsp;

“Metro’s&nbsp;novated leasing offering is contuinuing to experience growth, with over 18,000 cars, of which 11,000 were low or zero-emission vehicles, being leased by employees through their employers in 2024,” David explained.&nbsp;

“What we’re seeing from a market perspective is novated leasing is an increasingly popular way for businesses to retain staff and&nbsp;incentivise high-performers, while at the same time helping employees’ household budgets save money by reducing their tax liability and providing consistency and predictability in their repayments. At a time of market volatility, this can been extremely beneficial for both sides of the fence,” David continued.&nbsp;

Investing in sustainability, either by adopting new processes and initiatives, or updating business assets, is also generating positive residual benefits for businesses in 2025: 35.7 per cent of respondents believed their business was well-respected in the community because of its sustainability efforts.&nbsp;

26.4 per cent cited customers seeing sustainable business as industry leaders, with 19.9 per cent also attributing greater B2B engagement because of their respective company’s sustainability initiatives. 16.4 per cent, however, believed that customers saw sustainable businesses as being more expensive than competitors.&nbsp;

Recently, Metro’s&nbsp;MetroEco green lending program received an additional $50 million funding commitment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) - this new investment doubles the CEFC’s total commitment to $100 million, highlighting the strong demand from businesses ready to embrace sustainability in a number of different ways.

Since launching&nbsp;MetroEco in July 2024, Metro has supported over 4,000 electric vehicles hit the road across 26 different brands, along with funding energy-efficient equipment and battery technology — all made possible with competitive interest discounts for eligible green assets.&nbsp;

As a partner of&nbsp;Greenfleet, the Metro business offset 2,134 tonnes of carbon in 2024, and contributed $49,968 to sustainability efforts such as revegetating 547 hectares of land which included 460 hectares of protected koala habitat. Since joining Greenfleet in 2023, Metro has offset 4,015 tonnes of carbon, and contributed $80,815.&nbsp;

Following the trends: consumers watch their pennies

As businesses take a conservative approach to FY25, consumers are no-doubt influencing the current trend of belt-tightening; also identified in Metro’s Australia-wide consumer survey, which also saw 1,000 respondents take part.

Key findings of the Metro consumer survey (Jan 2025):

- 44 per cent of all respondents shop around for the best price on fuel, and will only buy on days where it is historically lower at the bowser&nbsp;

- 48.9 per cent of households surveyed said that saving money on energy utilities would be their main interest in upgrading their home’s technology

- 41.3 per cent said they would not currently purchase an electric vehicle (EV), with 41.5 per cent claiming that they do not consider EVs mobility to be durable, regardless of brand&nbsp;

- 29 per cent, however, indicated they would opt for an EV made by an established mainstream brand already selling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the market&nbsp;

- 66.2 per cent said they would consider either a plug-in or mild hybrid for their next vehicle&nbsp;

- 33.4 per cent, would like to save as much as possible and would consider a loan on an electric vehicle if the rate was cheaper&nbsp;

- 52.9 per cent cited concerns over petrol prices as being a key motivator for a hybrid vehicle purchase&nbsp;

- 33.7 per cent have recently established a new household budget&nbsp;

- 43.7 per cent said they would, or have already switched brands to more affordable options

Metro Finance, one of Australia’s leading independent non-bank lenders for asset finance, has followed on from its recent consumer survey findings, sharing responses from Australian businesses and revealing a range of impacts as cost of living pressures continue to bite consumer spending.&nbsp;The business survey, responded to by 1,000 Australian employed and self-employed workers, indicates a spread of both economic optimism and belt-tightening.&nbsp;When it came to business spending, respondents earmarked two primary costs for their own business or their employer’s in 2025: 39.9 per cent cited human resources, which includes training and benefits programs, as a key cost for the year ahead, while 42.3 identified supplier costs of producing goods and services being the main consideration.&nbsp;Despite the expectation that goods and services will cost more in 2025 (a sentiment shared with recent respondents of Metro’s consumer survey), 66.4 per cent of respondents did not think their business would seek financing in 2025. This figure, however, contrasts with the overwhelming majority of those surveyed who remain confident of securing business finance if needed, at 72.1 per cent.&nbsp;42.3 per cent of respondents also suspected the need to improve business&nbsp;cashflow would be the main motivator to seek financing in 2025.&nbsp;Metro Finance CEO, David&nbsp;Albest, commented on the latest trends in the business survey.&nbsp;“As we saw recently with the results of Metro’s 2025 consumer survey, there is a general sense of the market cautiousness, as businesses and their customers both take a hard look at their budgets, and make prudent decisions based on some uncertain market conditions,” David said.&nbsp;From an operational point-of-view, increasing revenue (32.1 per cent), improving cashflow (29.7 per cent) and reducing debt (27 per cent) were the primary business goals for FY25, with respondents’ businesses reacting to inflation, higher interest rates and slower consumer spending. 38.7 per cent of all respondents also acknowledged that their business was cutting costs in a bid to improve net profit.&nbsp;Interestingly, while saving costs and conserving budgets were recurrent themes with those surveyed, sustainability and initiatives to tackle waste and energy consumption are appearing to be adopted by businesses around the country.39.6 per cent identified recycling as a way businesses were including sustainability in their operations, while 27.6 per cent flagged solar energy technology.&nbsp;19.6 per cent of survey respondents also acknowledged low or zero emission vehicles as a feature of businesses’ sustainability efforts.David Hall, National Novated Manager at Metro, commented on the proliferation of low and zero emission vehicles being provided to employees through salary packaging.&nbsp;“Metro’s&nbsp;novated leasing offering is contuinuing to experience growth, with over 18,000 cars, of which 11,000 were low or zero-emission vehicles, being leased by employees through their employers in 2024,” David explained.&nbsp;“What we’re seeing from a market perspective is novated leasing is an increasingly popular way for businesses to retain staff and&nbsp;incentivise high-performers, while at the same time helping employees’ household budgets save money by reducing their tax liability and providing consistency and predictability in their repayments. At a time of market volatility, this can been extremely beneficial for both sides of the fence,” David continued.&nbsp;Investing in sustainability, either by adopting new processes and initiatives, or updating business assets, is also generating positive residual benefits for businesses in 2025: 35.7 per cent of respondents believed their business was well-respected in the community because of its sustainability efforts.&nbsp;26.4 per cent cited customers seeing sustainable business as industry leaders, with 19.9 per cent also attributing greater B2B engagement because of their respective company’s sustainability initiatives. 16.4 per cent, however, believed that customers saw sustainable businesses as being more expensive than competitors.&nbsp;Recently, Metro’s&nbsp;MetroEco green lending program received an additional $50 million funding commitment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) - this new investment doubles the CEFC’s total commitment to $100 million, highlighting the strong demand from businesses ready to embrace sustainability in a number of different ways.Since launching&nbsp;MetroEco in July 2024, Metro has supported over 4,000 electric vehicles hit the road across 26 different brands, along with funding energy-efficient equipment and battery technology — all made possible with competitive interest discounts for eligible green assets.&nbsp;As a partner of&nbsp;Greenfleet, the Metro business offset 2,134 tonnes of carbon in 2024, and contributed $49,968 to sustainability efforts such as revegetating 547 hectares of land which included 460 hectares of protected koala habitat. Since joining Greenfleet in 2023, Metro has offset 4,015 tonnes of carbon, and contributed $80,815.&nbsp;Following the trends: consumers watch their penniesAs businesses take a conservative approach to FY25, consumers are no-doubt influencing the current trend of belt-tightening; also identified in Metro’s Australia-wide consumer survey, which also saw 1,000 respondents take part.Key findings of the Metro consumer survey (Jan 2025):- 44 per cent of all respondents shop around for the best price on fuel, and will only buy on days where it is historically lower at the bowser&nbsp;- 48.9 per cent of households surveyed said that saving money on energy utilities would be their main interest in upgrading their home’s technology- 41.3 per cent said they would not currently purchase an electric vehicle (EV), with 41.5 per cent claiming that they do not consider EVs mobility to be durable, regardless of brand&nbsp;- 29 per cent, however, indicated they would opt for an EV made by an established mainstream brand already selling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the market&nbsp;- 66.2 per cent said they would consider either a plug-in or mild hybrid for their next vehicle&nbsp;- 33.4 per cent, would like to save as much as possible and would consider a loan on an electric vehicle if the rate was cheaper&nbsp;- 52.9 per cent cited concerns over petrol prices as being a key motivator for a hybrid vehicle purchase&nbsp;- 33.7 per cent have recently established a new household budget&nbsp;- 43.7 per cent said they would, or have already switched brands to more affordable options

Credit card / Loan

Securities / FX / Investment Trusts

Financial results announcement

Cost of doing business rising, sustainability remains a focus: Metro Finance shares findings of recent business survey

Agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has advised of a range of support measures that will be offered to its farming clients adversely impacted by floods and extreme rainfall in northern Queensland.

Rabobank acting state manager for Queensland, Brad James said that while the situation is still evolving and the full impact of the floods and prolonged heavy rainfall on agriculture will take time to assess – affected primary producers are already dealing with damage to crops, pastures, livestock and infrastructure, including sheds and fencing.

Mr James said, “it is very early days”, with flood water still extremely high in some of those impacted regions.

“The current priority is on the safety and wellbeing of people in affected districts as well as addressing concerns about loss of homes and businesses. As people start the monumental task of recovery and rebuilding from the devastating floods in the coming weeks, the full extent of the damage will become clearer,” he said.

For the agricultural sector, Mr James said, there would be significant concern among producers regarding the loss of crops, pasture and topsoil as well as the impact on livestock and damage to stored inputs and machinery. Additional concerns include potential damage, or loss of access, to road and rail networks – which could affect the movement of goods into and out of the region.

“This flood disaster is among the worst in northern Queensland’s recent history and agriculture has undoubtedly borne a significant portion of the damage. However, I want to reassure affected clients that, as a bank focused on agriculture, Rabobank considers it a normal part of our business to support primary producers affected by weather conditions – even extreme events like these,” he said.

“This is as we have done following previous floods and other severe climatic conditions – to ensure our clients are well-positioned to rebuild production and financial positions when conditions improve.”

Mr James said as a global specialist in agribusiness, Rabobank took a long-term view on its clients’ businesses and understood dealing with periods of extreme weather was part of being in the agricultural sector.

“It is our standard practice to support our clients during adverse conditions beyond their control, working with them individually to address these challenges,” he said.

Mr James said Rabobank’s staff would be contacting farming clients in impacted areas to offer support and assess the extent of any damage they have sustained.

He said the bank would work directly with individual clients whose farms or agribusinesses had been affected to provide support and offer a range of assistance measures in applicable circumstances.

‘carry on’ finance to keep viable operations running,waiver of break costs on early redemption of Farm Management Deposits to allow access to needed funds,deferral of scheduled loan payments andwaiver of fees on loan increases necessary for rebuilding operations.

Any farming clients who had been adversely impacted by the floods and had not yet spoken to the bank should contact their local branch or phone Rabobank on 1800 025 484.

Agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has advised of a range of support measures that will be offered to its farming clients adversely impacted by floods and extreme rainfall in northern Queensland.Rabobank acting state manager for Queensland, Brad James said that while the situation is still evolving and the full impact of the floods and prolonged heavy rainfall on agriculture will take time to assess – affected primary producers are already dealing with damage to crops, pastures, livestock and infrastructure, including sheds and fencing.Mr James said, “it is very early days”, with flood water still extremely high in some of those impacted regions.“The current priority is on the safety and wellbeing of people in affected districts as well as addressing concerns about loss of homes and businesses. As people start the monumental task of recovery and rebuilding from the devastating floods in the coming weeks, the full extent of the damage will become clearer,” he said.For the agricultural sector, Mr James said, there would be significant concern among producers regarding the loss of crops, pasture and topsoil as well as the impact on livestock and damage to stored inputs and machinery. Additional concerns include potential damage, or loss of access, to road and rail networks – which could affect the movement of goods into and out of the region.“This flood disaster is among the worst in northern Queensland’s recent history and agriculture has undoubtedly borne a significant portion of the damage. However, I want to reassure affected clients that, as a bank focused on agriculture, Rabobank considers it a normal part of our business to support primary producers affected by weather conditions – even extreme events like these,” he said.“This is as we have done following previous floods and other severe climatic conditions – to ensure our clients are well-positioned to rebuild production and financial positions when conditions improve.”Mr James said as a global specialist in agribusiness, Rabobank took a long-term view on its clients’ businesses and understood dealing with periods of extreme weather was part of being in the agricultural sector.“It is our standard practice to support our clients during adverse conditions beyond their control, working with them individually to address these challenges,” he said.Mr James said Rabobank’s staff would be contacting farming clients in impacted areas to offer support and assess the extent of any damage they have sustained.He said the bank would work directly with individual clients whose farms or agribusinesses had been affected to provide support and offer a range of assistance measures in applicable circumstances.These included:‘carry on’ finance to keep viable operations running,waiver of break costs on early redemption of Farm Management Deposits to allow access to needed funds,deferral of scheduled loan payments andwaiver of fees on loan increases necessary for rebuilding operations.Any farming clients who had been adversely impacted by the floods and had not yet spoken to the bank should contact their local branch or phone Rabobank on 1800 025 484.

Welfare / Nursing / Rehabilitation

Banks / Credit unions

Agriculture / Forestry / Fisheries

Rabobank support measures for farmers affected by north Queensland floods

Applications for the 2025 intake of Rabobank’s Business Management Programs – the&nbsp;Farm Managers Program&nbsp;(FMP) and the&nbsp;Executive Development Program&nbsp;(EDP) – are now open.

Designed for farmers at various career stages, the two available programs – the Executive Development Program for farm business owners or senior managers and the Farm Managers Program for emerging farmers – aim to provide participants with the latest insights in business management.

Announcing the opening of applications for 2025, Rabobank regional manager Australia and New Zealand Mark Wiessing said more than 1400 primary producers from both sides of the Tasman had participated in the Business Management Programs across the past 25 years.

“The programs are incredibly valuable for primary producers as they allow the opportunity to take a step back from the day-to-day operational side of their businesses and spend time developing strategies to help ensure that their operations remain resilient into the future,” he said.

“The programs also provide participants with networking opportunities with like-minded primary producers from different sectors across the two countries and, in many cases, relationships started on the programs continue far beyond the completion of the course. Previous participants tell us these ongoing relationships are a key benefit of the course and we help to foster these via our regular Business Management Program alumni events across Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Wiessing said Rabobank’s long-term support of the Business Management Programs, was aimed at assisting farmers to grow and build resilience. “And in this way, the bank also contributes to strengthening rural communities – with rural and regional communities benefiting from a financially-healthy local agricultural sector,” he said.

Mr Wiessing said this year’s FMP program – for young and emerging farmers – will be run in Victoria’s Yarra Valley from June 15 to 20 this year.

“The FMP provides a forum for farmers from across a range of agricultural sectors to find out what is working for them in their farming roles,” he said.

“The program will help participants enhance their leadership and operational skills to prepare themselves for future management roles, and includes sessions on topics including communication and influencing skills, conflict management, sustainable farm business planning, financial management and managing people.”

Mr Wiessing said the Executive Development Program, which runs as two one-week long residential modules approximately a year apart, will be held at Macquarie University in Sydney, with the first module running from August 24 to 29 this year and the second scheduled for late July 2026.

“The EDP helps participants build strategic planning capabilities and commercial management skills to help drive business growth,” he said.

“Key topics covered on the program include formulation and implementation of long-term strategy, applying effective economic rationale to goal setting and decision making, and effective leadership skills.

“Between the first and second modules of the program, participants are also tasked with developing a management project which explores opportunities to make improvements within their own farming operation.

“This element of the program gives participants an opportunity to immediately apply the skills and knowledge from the first EDP module and, over the years, we’ve had some fantastic ideas outlined in these projects which have resulted in significant positive benefits for our participants’ farming businesses.”

EDP alumni and winner of the 2024 Dr John Morris Business Development Prize – a prestigious trans-Tasman business prize awarded annually as part of the program – Stuart Tait believes the course was exactly what he needed to continue to develop his career and management skills.

“I applied for the Executive Development Program with the aim of developing a strategic plan for the next 10 to 15 years for our beef-cattle breeding and trading, and dryland winter cropping business, and to learn how to identify and analyse various opportunities which may present themselves,” he said.

Mr Tait, based near Mandurama on the NSW Central Tablelands, said the course allowed him to remove himself from the day-to-day workings of the business and to gain an arm’s length view of the enterprises and where they are heading.

“The EDP was very well organised and structured, each and every session was well aimed to complete the strategic puzzle for a modern farming business,” he said.

“The course provided the tools to really break down the intimidating goal of creating a strategic plan into simple and actionable tasks,” he said. “It was a positive environment to be involved in, with over 30 successful and progressive farmers to learn from.

“I have already recommended the course to several friends and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to take their farm leadership and management skills to the next level.”

With numbers on each course limited to maintain group dynamics, positions on the programs are set to be highly contested, with farmers selected to attend from a wide range of commodities and geographical regions across Australia and New Zealand.

Applications for the FMP and EDP close on Monday, March 31. Further information and applications can be found on the Rabobank website, or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rabobank.com.au/agribusiness/business-management-programs" target="_blank">Business Management Programs</a>.

Applications for the 2025 intake of Rabobank’s Business Management Programs – the&nbsp;Farm Managers Program&nbsp;(FMP) and the&nbsp;Executive Development Program&nbsp;(EDP) – are now open.Designed for farmers at various career stages, the two available programs – the Executive Development Program for farm business owners or senior managers and the Farm Managers Program for emerging farmers – aim to provide participants with the latest insights in business management.Announcing the opening of applications for 2025, Rabobank regional manager Australia and New Zealand Mark Wiessing said more than 1400 primary producers from both sides of the Tasman had participated in the Business Management Programs across the past 25 years.“The programs are incredibly valuable for primary producers as they allow the opportunity to take a step back from the day-to-day operational side of their businesses and spend time developing strategies to help ensure that their operations remain resilient into the future,” he said.“The programs also provide participants with networking opportunities with like-minded primary producers from different sectors across the two countries and, in many cases, relationships started on the programs continue far beyond the completion of the course. Previous participants tell us these ongoing relationships are a key benefit of the course and we help to foster these via our regular Business Management Program alumni events across Australia and New Zealand.”Mr Wiessing said Rabobank’s long-term support of the Business Management Programs, was aimed at assisting farmers to grow and build resilience. “And in this way, the bank also contributes to strengthening rural communities – with rural and regional communities benefiting from a financially-healthy local agricultural sector,” he said.Mr Wiessing said this year’s FMP program – for young and emerging farmers – will be run in Victoria’s Yarra Valley from June 15 to 20 this year.“The FMP provides a forum for farmers from across a range of agricultural sectors to find out what is working for them in their farming roles,” he said.“The program will help participants enhance their leadership and operational skills to prepare themselves for future management roles, and includes sessions on topics including communication and influencing skills, conflict management, sustainable farm business planning, financial management and managing people.”Mr Wiessing said the Executive Development Program, which runs as two one-week long residential modules approximately a year apart, will be held at Macquarie University in Sydney, with the first module running from August 24 to 29 this year and the second scheduled for late July 2026.“The EDP helps participants build strategic planning capabilities and commercial management skills to help drive business growth,” he said.“Key topics covered on the program include formulation and implementation of long-term strategy, applying effective economic rationale to goal setting and decision making, and effective leadership skills.“Between the first and second modules of the program, participants are also tasked with developing a management project which explores opportunities to make improvements within their own farming operation.“This element of the program gives participants an opportunity to immediately apply the skills and knowledge from the first EDP module and, over the years, we’ve had some fantastic ideas outlined in these projects which have resulted in significant positive benefits for our participants’ farming businesses.”EDP alumni and winner of the 2024 Dr John Morris Business Development Prize – a prestigious trans-Tasman business prize awarded annually as part of the program – Stuart Tait believes the course was exactly what he needed to continue to develop his career and management skills.“I applied for the Executive Development Program with the aim of developing a strategic plan for the next 10 to 15 years for our beef-cattle breeding and trading, and dryland winter cropping business, and to learn how to identify and analyse various opportunities which may present themselves,” he said.Mr Tait, based near Mandurama on the NSW Central Tablelands, said the course allowed him to remove himself from the day-to-day workings of the business and to gain an arm’s length view of the enterprises and where they are heading.“The EDP was very well organised and structured, each and every session was well aimed to complete the strategic puzzle for a modern farming business,” he said.“The course provided the tools to really break down the intimidating goal of creating a strategic plan into simple and actionable tasks,” he said. “It was a positive environment to be involved in, with over 30 successful and progressive farmers to learn from.“I have already recommended the course to several friends and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to take their farm leadership and management skills to the next level.”With numbers on each course limited to maintain group dynamics, positions on the programs are set to be highly contested, with farmers selected to attend from a wide range of commodities and geographical regions across Australia and New Zealand.Applications for the FMP and EDP close on Monday, March 31. Further information and applications can be found on the Rabobank website, or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rabobank.com.au/agribusiness/business-management-programs" target="_blank">Business Management Programs</a>.