The Pinch Points
Why Independent Shop Owners Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Every bit of growth in an independent shop costs money up front — the lift, the scanner, the parts on the shelf — all paid for before the work they enable comes back as revenue. Sound familiar?
The Equipment to Add a Bay
A new service bay means a lift, tools, and the diagnostic gear to fill it — $25K–$60K a bay — capital out before the bay starts billing.
The Diagnostic Arms Race
Late-model and ADAS-equipped cars need scan tools, calibration targets, and software subscriptions — $15K–$50K to stay current — or you turn the work away.
The Parts-Inventory Tie-Up
Stocking the parts to turn cars fast means $30K–$100K in inventory on the shelf, cash that isn't in the bank.
The Fleet & Warranty AR Gap
Fleet accounts and warranty work pay net-30 or later; a busy shop can carry $20K–$60K in receivables while the work's already done.
The Seasonal Swing
Repair volume swings with the seasons and the local economy; payroll and rent run a $20K–$50K monthly burn regardless of how many cars came in.
Adding a Location or Buying a Shop
A second location or acquiring another shop is a $200K–$1M move — equipment, build-out, and working capital a slow bank approval won't fund in time.
What an operator said
“We were turning away ADAS calibration work because we didn't have the targets or the scan tools — it was walking across the street. Financing the equipment paid for itself in two months, and the §179 write-off was a bonus at tax time.”
M. Alvarez · independent auto shop · Sacramento, CA
Start Here
See Your Range in 60 Seconds
No credit check, no documents to start, and an estimated funding range on the spot. No one contacts you until you’re ready to move forward.
What Happens When You Start
Estimate Your Capital Range
Slide to your annual gross revenue. We size capital off your top line — not your credit score.
Estimated Capital Range
A conservative range based on 10-15% of annual revenue — many businesses qualify for more with strong receivables or assets behind them. Lenders return real term sheets once they see your file.
60 seconds · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for the Trade
What We Fund for Independent Shops
Equipment Financing With §179 Working for You
Finance the lifts, alignment racks, and diagnostic equipment — the equipment is the collateral, so the line stays clean and the §179 write-off lands the year you put the gear in service.
Working Capital for Parts & Payroll
An unsecured, revenue-based working line covers the parts inventory and the payroll between repair-order collections.
A Line Against Fleet & Warranty Receivables
A working line advances against net-30 fleet and warranty AR, turning completed work into cash now.
Revenue-Based Expansion & Acquisition Capital
Add a location or acquire a shop on revenue-based, capital-stacked financing — equipment, build-out, and working capital in one structure, not an SBA queue.
Match Your Situation
The Cash-Flow Gaps We Fund for Independent Shops
Match your situation to the structure. Every one of these funds on the shop's revenue, not a perfect credit file.
| What It Looks Like | Funding Solution | Amount | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New-bay equipment | Lift, tools, and diagnostics to open another service bay | Equipment Financing | $75K–$200K | 3–5 days |
| ADAS & scan tools | Calibration targets and scan tools to keep late-model work | Equipment Financing | $75K–$150K | 3–5 days |
| Parts inventory float | Stocking parts to turn cars fast ties up cash on the shelf | Working Capital | $75K–$200K | 1–3 days |
| Fleet & warranty AR | Net-30 fleet and warranty work paid on terms | Invoice Factoring | $75K–$300K | 1–2 days |
| Second location | Equipment, build-out, and working capital for expansion | Business LOC | $200K–$1M | 1–5 days |
The Products
How Independent Shop Financing Is Structured
Most independent-shop files fund between $75K and $5M+, structured to the bays and inventory in front of you. Larger lines available when revenue, cash flow, and story qualify.
| Amount | Term | Best For | Funding Speed | Typical Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Financing | $75K–$5M+ | 3yr–7yr | Lifts, alignment racks, ADAS diagnostics | 3–7 days | Equipment serves as collateral |
| Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 6mo–10yr | Parts inventory, payroll | 1–3 days | Often unsecured, revenue-based |
| Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | Revolving | Ongoing parts and subscription draws | 1–5 days | Unsecured line, no PG by default |
| Invoice Factoring | $75K–$5M+ | Per invoice | Net-30 fleet and warranty receivables | 1–2 days | Invoices secure the line, no PG typically |
Tax Strategy
Section 179 on Lifts & Diagnostics — Worked
If last year was strong and you’re about to write a check to the IRS — stop. Acquire qualifying equipment with as little as 10% down, finance the rest, and write off the full purchase price in year one. Section 179 covers it up to the annual cap; 100% bonus depreciation — made permanent in 2025, with no cap and no income limit — carries the rest.
At the top bracket, that first-year deduction can return meaningful tax savings — and for an established business with strong cash flow, it’s the difference between writing a check to the IRS and putting the same money into your own equipment. Your CPA models the exact numbers for your bracket and structure.
Worked scenario · top bracket · illustrative
You financed the machine and put down a fraction of its price — but you deduct the full price in year one. The write-off is bigger than your down payment, and the equipment keeps working the whole time.
Scales with your numbers
Illustrative only. Actual savings depend on your tax bracket, entity type, state conformity, and CPA guidance. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are elections your CPA makes for your situation; above the Section 179 cap, 100% bonus depreciation carries the balance.
Terms reflect credit, revenue, time in business, and each lender. Every file is unique — see what the desk structures for yours in the 60-second qualifier.
Bobby’s Take
“An independent shop lives and dies by capacity and capability — how many bays you can fill and whether you've got the equipment to fix what rolls in. The trap is that every bit of growth costs money up front: the lift, the scanner, the parts on the shelf, all paid for before the work they enable comes back as revenue. We fund the equipment and the working capital together, on the shop's revenue — and on the equipment side, §179 is real money back: put $125K of lifts and diagnostic gear in service and you're looking at roughly $46,250 off the tax bill the same year. The equipment is the collateral, the write-off is the bonus, and the work you used to wave down the road becomes the work you keep.”
Bobby Friel · Founder · 20+ years in banking and finance
How It Works
From Application to Funded
One application, 70+ lenders competing, a dedicated specialist, and most files funded in days.
60-second estimate
Enter your numbers — no credit check, no documents. You see an estimated funding range on the spot.
A specialist is assigned
A real funding specialist — not an algorithm — reviews your file, usually within 24 hours.
70+ lenders compete
Your application goes to the marketplace. Competing offers typically land 24–48 hours later.
You pick the offer
Compare structures and terms with your advisor. No obligation until you choose to sign.
Funded in days
From same-day working capital to a multi-piece stack, most files fund in days — not the bank’s 60–90.
Underwriting
What Underwriting Looks At
Funding here leads with what your business actually does — your revenue and cash flow. The specialist desk reads the real picture from your statements, then matches it to the lenders most likely to fund it.
How you’re evaluated
Revenue-first
sized off your top line, not just your balance sheet.
Cash-flow driven
your bank statements show how the business really runs.
Bank-statement underwriting
even a down year is read off 4 months of statements.
Story-driven
a big new contract, a seasonal swing, a turnaround in progress: context the raw numbers miss counts too.
What to have ready
↳Had a loss year? It’s read off the bank statements — 4 months, not 6.
Start fast, finish complete
The operators who fund quickest come to the specialist review with these ready — but you don’t need all of it to start. Your signed application and bank statements are what unblock the review; the rest can follow as trailing docs. Real term sheets come once the lenders can see a true business overview, so the move is simple: get the application and statements in right away, and don’t let a missing tax return hold up your term sheets.
Credit, straight
Qualification
Who Gets Funded — and Who’s Not Ready Yet
A straight read saves everyone time — here’s the line between an independent shop file that funds and one that isn’t ready yet.
↳Time in business is a factor, not a gate — newer crews with strong revenue still qualify.
Not ready yet isn’t a no — it’s a checklist. Most of it is fixable in a quarter or two, and your advisor will tell you straight which gaps to fix before a file goes in.
The Operator's Guide
Independent Auto Shop Financing
Growth Costs Money Before It Earns
The hard part of running an independent shop isn't the work — it's that every step up in capacity costs cash before the cash comes back. Another bay needs a lift and the diagnostic gear to fill it. Keeping late-model and ADAS work in-house means scan tools and calibration targets that run five figures. And the parts to turn cars fast sit on the shelf as inventory, not money in the bank. A bank looks at that and wants two years of returns; the work in front of you doesn't wait that long.
One Application, 70+ Lenders
We fund independent auto repair shops on the shop's revenue, not a perfect credit file — equipment financing for the lifts and diagnostics with §179 working on the gear, a working line for parts and payroll, and a line against fleet and warranty receivables when the work's done but the money's net-30 out. One application, 70+ lenders, soft-pull review. Fill out one application and let the lenders compete instead of waiting on a single bank's timeline.
Common Questions
Independent Shop Financing — Questions, Answered
Yes — equipment financing covers the lifts, racks, and diagnostics; the equipment secures the line and §179 writes off the gear the year it's in service.
Yes — an unsecured, revenue-based working line covers the parts float and payroll between collections.
Yes — a working line advances against net-30 fleet and warranty AR.
Signed application, four months bank statements, P&L, balance sheet, two years returns; losses → four months statements. Soft credit pull only — zero FICO impact to see your range.
Yes — equipment, build-out, and working capital stacked revenue-based on the shop's revenue, not an SBA 7(a) queue.
Recommended Funding