A customer books in for a job you know you can do, but the parts aren’t on the shelf and ordering them will take longer than the customer wants to wait. Or your ramp has been unreliable for months – you know a new one would pay for itself inside a year, but the upfront cost just isn’t sitting in the account right now.
It’s a frustration that most independent garage owners will recognise. According to recent research from SME lender, Lovey, 81% of UK SMEs missed business opportunities due to a lack of finance in 2025. So what’s your next step?
You could go to the bank if you have the time to go through that extensive process. Or you could take on a business partner who’s willing to invest upfront, but that means giving away a large slice of something you’ve worked hard to build. Alternatively, you could explore an option that’s a little more flexible – revenue-based finance.
How cash flow gaps impact garages
Running a garage means money goes out before it comes back in. Parts need to be ordered or stocked before a job is complete. Equipment needs maintaining or replacing before it starts costing you in lost bookings. And when the unexpected happens – a piece of kit fails, a supplier increases minimum orders, or you land a contract that needs you to scale up fast, that timing pressure becomes very real, very quickly.
MOTs, services, and maintenance is often where you’ll see a lot of your business, but it’s the workshops that are well-stocked and well-equipped for these kinds of bookings that will always outperform those that aren’t.
The problem is that building that readiness costs money when cash reserves might be at their lowest. And funnily enough, growing workshops often feel this pressure the most, because taking on more work requires investment before the returns come in.
Why traditional business finance options fall short
Bank loans are often the first port of call, but the reality for many independent garage owners is that the process doesn’t match how the motor trade actually works. Applications take weeks. Lenders want extensive documentation. And repayments are fixed, regardless of whether you’ve had a busy month or a quiet one.
Overdrafts have their place, but they’re not really designed for significant stock investment. And bringing in an outside investor might solve your cash flow issue, but it also creates a different one: you’ve built this business, and handing over a percentage of it to fund a few months’ worth of stock feels like a big price to pay.
None of these options are wrong by any means – they work for some businesses in certain situations. But they’re not always the right tool for garages looking for a more flexible way to fund their inventory.
Why revenue finance suits the motor trade
The reason revenue finance resonates with so many garage owners comes down to its flexibility – repayments are tied to what you’re actually bringing in. Instead of fixed monthly loan repayments, you pay back a percentage of your revenue over an agreed period.
In a strong month, when the ramps are full and the bookings are back to back, you pay back more. In a quieter spell, you pay back less. That flexibility really matters. Crucially, you’re not handing over equity either, so there’s no diluting the ownership of something you’ve spent years growing.
ClearAccept Revenue Finance: built for businesses like yours
If you’re a GaragePay customer, you already have exclusive access to ClearAccept Revenue Finance – a funding option provided by Liberis, one of the UK’s most established revenue finance providers with over 19 years of experience and more than 29,000 businesses funded.
It’s designed to be straightforward. You apply online in a few clicks, rather than lengthy paperwork*, and if approved, funds can arrive in as little as 24 hours**. To be eligible your average monthly revenue must be over £1000 and you have to have been trading for over 3 months.
Repayments happen automatically as a percentage of your daily card sales*** – so on a strong trading day you pay back a little more, and on a slower day you pay back a little less.
What lenders look at and how your garage management software helps
ClearAccept Revenue Finance eligibility is based on your monthly revenue and how long you’ve been trading, so the cleaner and more consistent your payment data, the smoother the process. This is where having a well-run garage management system works in your favour.
When your invoicing and payment records are accurate and up to date through GDS, you have a clear, verifiable picture of what your workshop earns, how it trades across the year, and how it’s trending over time. For a finance provider assessing whether to back you, that kind of clear data tells a far stronger story than paperwork alone.
It’s also worth thinking practically about the numbers before you apply. Revenue finance isn’t free money – there’s a cost to it, so you need to be confident that the parts or kit you’re buying will generate enough return to make the repayment terms work. So it’s always sensible to go in with your figures to hand and a clear plan for what the funding is for.
Ready to see how much you could access?
The work is there, and so is the capacity to take it on. But without the parts and equipment to complete the job, that opportunity could just pass you by. Plus, you shouldn’t have to wait on a bank that doesn’t understand the motor trade.
ClearAccept Revenue Finance is available to GaragePay customers and is built around how your business actually performs. The application takes minutes and you could have funds in your account within 24 hours.
Find out more and check your eligibility here.
Offer available to GaragePay customers only.
ClearAccept Ltd t/a GaragePay is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2017 (FRN 926372) for the provision of payment services.
Terms and conditions
This product is provided by Liberis Limited, Scale Space Building, 58 Wood Lane London, W12 7RZ (company number: 05654231). This product is a form of receivables finance not a loan. Liberis is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service will not be able to consider a complaint about Liberis. Financing is subject to status and our underwriting process.
*Amounts may be subject to change depending on your credit profile at enquiry. Revenue Based Finance is subject to an underwriting process before any offer can be made.
**In June 2025, 70% of merchants were funded within 1 working day.
***You will be expected to operate your business in a way that ensures Liberis receives a minimum monthly amount of up to 3% of the total amount owed to Liberis.
