Five ways to fund a shop. Here’s which one fits.
Liftbay Capital offers five funding products to repair shops, body shops, tire shops and dealers: working capital ($10K–$2M, 24 hours, no minimum FICO), a line of credit ($25K–$500K, 600+), invoice factoring ($10K–$5M), term loans ($50K–$5M, 650+), and SBA 7(a) ($50K–$5M, 680+). The fastest money costs the most. The cheapest money takes the longest. Below is the whole trade-off in one table, with no form in the way.
What does each product cost in time and credit?
| Product | Amount | Term | Speed | Min FICO | Min time in business | Min monthly deposits | Who underwrites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working capital advance | $10K – $2M | 3–18 months | 24 hours | None | 6 months | $15,000 | Liftbay, in-house |
| Line of credit | $25K – $500K | Revolving, 6–24 month draws | 1–3 business days | 600 | 12 months | $25,000 | Liftbay, in-house |
| Invoice factoring | $10K – $5M facility | Per invoice, 30–90 days | 3–5 days to open, 24 hours per invoice after | None | 3 months | $20,000 in receivables | Liftbay, in-house |
| Term loan | $50K – $5M | 6–60 months | 3–7 business days | 650 | 24 months | $40,000 | Liftbay in-house to $500K; bank partners above |
| SBA 7(a) / SBA Express | $50K – $5M | Up to 10 years working capital, 25 years real estate | SBA Express 10–21 days; 7(a) 30–45 days | 680 | 24 months | — | SBA-preferred bank partners, packaged by Liftbay |
Liftbay Capital underwrites and funds working capital, lines of credit and factoring in-house. SBA 7(a), SBA Express and term loans above $500,000 are packaged by Liftbay and placed with bank and SBA-preferred lending partners. See disclosures.
Working capital
In‑houseNo minimum FICO, 6 months in business, $15,000/month in deposits. 3–18 months, fixed daily or weekly ACH.
Working capital →Line of credit
In‑house600+ FICO, 12 months in business, $25,000/month. Pay only on what you draw. No cost on an unused line.
Line of credit →Invoice factoring
In‑houseNo minimum FICO — your fleet or dealer customer’s credit is underwritten. Up to 90% advanced within 24 hours of invoice approval.
Invoice factoring →Term loans
Bank partners650+ FICO, 24 months in business, $40,000/month. 6–60 months, fully amortizing. In-house to $500,000.
Term loans →SBA loans
SBA partners680+ FICO, 24 months in business, 10% down. Up to 10 years working capital, 25 years real estate.
SBA 7(a) & Express →Which product should I use for what I’m doing?
Find the row that matches the job in front of you. The amounts are what shop owners actually ask for, not a range we made up to look generous.
| What you’re doing | Typical amount | Best product | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll and parts while insurer checks are in the mail | $25K – $150K | Working capital | Speed matters more than cost; pay it down early when the checks land and keep up to 30% of the remaining cost. |
| A lift, an alignment rack or a frame machine died this week | $15K – $75K | Working capital | Get the bay back online today. |
| Opening a second location | $150K – $1.5M | Term loan, or SBA 7(a) if you have 90 days | SBA is the cheapest capital a shop can get if you can wait. |
| Buying the building you rent | $250K – $5M | SBA 7(a) | Up to 25 years on owner-occupied real estate. |
| Buying out a partner | $100K – $2M | Term loan or SBA 7(a) | SBA explicitly allows partner buyouts. |
| Fleet, dealer or warranty invoices on net-30 | $20K – $500K | Invoice factoring | You’re not short on work, you’re short on timing. |
| Tire inventory before winter, or A/C parts before summer | $25K – $250K | Line of credit | Draw, sell through, repay, draw again next season. |
| Dealer inventory or a floor-plan payoff | $25K – $300K | Line of credit or working capital | A line if it repeats every month; an advance if you need it this week. |
| Three advances you can’t carry | $150K – $1M | Term loan consolidation | One payment, longer term. Call before taking a fourth position. |
How fast does each one actually move?
- 24 hoursWorking capital advance
- 1–3 daysLine of credit
- 3–5 daysFactoring facility to open, then 24h per invoice
- 3–7 daysTerm loan decision
- 10–21 daysSBA Express
- 30–45 daysStandard SBA 7(a)
Timelines describe typical outcomes on complete files during business days, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET. Holidays, incomplete files and third-party response times extend any timeline.
Four minutes to apply. Twenty-four hours to fund.
Four minutes to apply
Shop name, EIN, roughly what you deposit in a month, what the money is for, and your three most recent months of business bank statements. Four if winter is your slow season. No tax returns under $500,000.
An underwriter reads your file
A person, not a score. Card, cash, insurance and fleet-account deposits all count toward what you qualify for. We look at average daily balance, deposit count, NSF pattern and your slowest month. Offer in about four business hours during the week.
Offer in hours, funds in 24
A two-page contract and one person on the phone from start to finish. You see the amount, the payback and the payment before you sign. A clean file signed before 11:00 AM ET generally funds the same day.
One application covers all five products. Not sure which fits? Call an underwriter or read the guides — none of them are gated.
What a shop needs to qualify.
Every number below is a real criterion. If you clear these, apply. If you don’t, call us and we’ll tell you what would change it.
| Minimum monthly revenue | $15,000 in business bank deposits |
|---|---|
| Minimum time in business | 6 months |
| Minimum credit score | None for working capital or factoring. 600+ for a line of credit. 650+ for a term loan. 680+ for SBA. |
| Funding range | $10,000 to $2,000,000 for working capital. Up to $5,000,000 for term loans, SBA, and factoring facilities. |
| Time to a real offer | About 4 business hours on a complete file. |
| Time to funding | 24 hours. Same day if a clean file is signed before 11:00 AM ET. |
| Documents required | Application plus your 3 most recent months of business bank statements. 4 months if your shop is seasonal. |
| Contract length | 2 pages. |
| Repayment | Fixed daily or weekly ACH from your operating account. No split of your card sales. No holdback percentage. No lockbox. |
| Prepayment discount | Up to 30% off the remaining cost of funding when a working capital advance is paid off within the first 30, 60, or 90 days. |
| Insurance & fleet checks | Counted. Insurer and DRP payments, fleet-account checks, warranty reimbursements and cash all count as deposits. We underwrite the bank statement, not the card terminal. |
| Shop-management software | None required. Whatever you write estimates and invoices on makes no difference to underwriting. |
| Shop types approved | Independent general repair, collision and body, tire and wheel, quick lube, transmission, diesel and truck, European and import specialists, auto glass, detailing and wraps, mobile mechanics, fleet maintenance, performance and restoration shops, franchise service centers, independent used-car dealers and buy-here-pay-here lots. |
| Not required | Collateral for working capital. A business plan. Tax returns under $500,000. A particular parts supplier or DRP agreement. A minimum number of bays or lots. |
| Open to | U.S. businesses with a U.S. business bank account. All 50 states. |
Four minutes. Three bank statements. No credit impact to apply.
Picking between the five.
What’s the cheapest way to fund an auto repair shop?
An SBA 7(a) loan is the lowest cost of capital available to a shop — up to 10 years on working capital and 25 years on owner-occupied real estate, with 10% down. It requires 680+ credit, 24 months in business, filed tax returns, and 30 to 45 days. An in-house term loan is the next cheapest at 650+ credit and 3 to 7 business days.
What’s the fastest way to fund a shop?
A working capital advance. Liftbay Capital gives an offer in about four business hours on a complete file and funds in 24 hours, with no minimum credit score, $15,000 a month in deposits, and 6 months in business. A clean file signed before 11:00 AM ET generally funds the same day.
Which product fits a shop waiting on insurance checks?
If the wait is a one-off — a big hail month, a supplement that dragged — working capital bridges it fastest. If it is the permanent shape of your business, a line of credit you draw against when checks are slow and repay when they land costs less over a year. If the money you are waiting on is invoiced to a fleet, a dealer or a warranty company on net terms, factoring is usually the cheapest of the three.
Can I have more than one product at a time?
Yes for complementary products. A factoring facility commonly runs alongside a working capital advance. A second working capital position does not — if you already have an advance out, we will look at a consolidation or a re-term rather than stacking on top of you.
Does applying hurt my credit?
No. Submitting the application does not affect your credit. Liftbay Capital reviews your business bank statements first. On a credit-qualified product — a line of credit, a term loan, or SBA — a credit pull happens only when you move forward, and we tell you before it does.
Which of these does Liftbay fund itself?
Liftbay Capital underwrites and funds working capital advances, lines of credit, and factoring facilities in-house from its own capital. SBA 7(a), SBA Express, and term loans above $500,000 are packaged by Liftbay and placed with bank and SBA-preferred lending partners.
One application covers all five.
$10,000 to $2,000,000. No minimum FICO for working capital. Four minutes to apply, and checking your options does not affect your credit.