How motherhood moved this broker to let go of her business

It paved the way for greater growth

How motherhood moved this broker to let go of her business

When it comes to helping women make it in the broking industry, the drive of Stoneturn director and 2018 MPA Top 100 Brokers finalist Alycia Inglis is on high gear.   

“I’m very keen to help more female brokers in the industry succeed as much as possible. It’s important for female brokers to see other women succeeding in their industry and hear their story,” Inglis told MPA.

“I have been a mentor and always happy to help other brokers where I can. I’ve been given significant help and guidance by many successful brokers so it’s important to pay it forward when you can.”

Although a seasoned broker who has had braved through virtually every imaginable challenge in the industry, Inglis found herself alarmed when she had to go on her first maternity leave. It was the first time she had to take a significant chunk of time away from her brokerage. Until that moment, she always oversaw every aspect of her business process.

“Letting go of control wasn’t my preference but I didn’t have a choice as I was going on maternity leave. I spent a lot of time planning the business structure and working on systems and processes in great detail, more so than I ever had,” Inglis said.

After hiring a loan writer for the first time, Inglis saw her team eventually experience growth.

More upfront work
Accepting that change is inevitable in broking, Inglis’s team allocates time each week to update their processes and to determine possible issues that may arise from ongoing applications. They also spend a significant amount of time confirming credit policies and checking their credit service advice to avoid applications from being declined.     

“It’s significantly more work upfront; however, our preference is to minimise processing once an application is submitted,” Inglis said. “Everyone prioritises their tasks for the following day, sets time blocks in their calendars and then shares with the team. This helps keep everyone accountable and ensures we keep on top of urgent files.”

Inglis spends time each week reviewing key performance indicators to identify new opportunities where she can assist with loan reviews, applications and settlement. She then measures these opportunities against set goals and compares them year on year. 

Consistent and reliable information
In terms of customer experience, Inglis aims to consistently provide her clients with reliable information about the entire lending process, which includes credit policies, conveyancing and loan structure.

According to Inglis, by working hard to be a source of information and value to as many clients and business contacts as possible without worrying whether it will benefit her or not allowed her to cross the $50m threshold to become a top broker.

“Essentially, it’s about being a resource for the client who they can rely on and trust,” she said. “Focus on being a trusted resource. Understand the genuine needs of clients and help where you can, not just with the finance.”

Inglis just had her second child and her business is “running perfectly smoothly” without her fulltime presence. 

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