Maintenance now, new builds next
The business does plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying across Auckland. Most of the work is maintenance on existing homes and buildings, and the owner is moving it into new builds and commercial work as well.
It’s a young business, run by someone with a long time in the trade before going out on their own. The customers are mostly good payers: a lot of them pay before the due date, and the ones who run late aren’t far behind.
“...pretty much all my customers are pretty good. They either pay well in advance than their due date...”
From a call with the FundTap team, January 2026
Month end is the worst time
The hard part is month end. That’s when the supplier accounts for the month’s materials fall due and the wages go out, and it’s also when the invoices for that work are still sitting with customers.
In January 2026, the owner told the FundTap team the hard part was supplier and wage bills landing at month end while the invoices for that work were still out.
The timing got harder with growth, and the business had just taken on its first employee. A new plumber on the tools means more materials going through the supplier accounts before the extra hours come back as paid invoices.
“...I don’t get absolutely shafted at month end, because that’s the worst time for me.”
From a call with the FundTap team, January 2026
Funding an invoice ahead of the bills
Their broker introduced them to FundTap. They signed up in January 2026, connected Xero, and in February 2026 funded their first invoice.
It works the way a small trade business needs it to: pick the invoice, see the fee before committing, and pay nothing when nothing is funded. The customers still pay the business on their usual due dates.
Room to grow the team
With an invoice funded ahead of month end, the suppliers and the new plumber get paid on the day, and the business keeps its customer relationships exactly as they were.
That’s the point for a business in a growth period. The invoices for the new hire’s work cover the materials for it, just earlier than the customer’s due date.
“...I’d rather say, look, it’s a growth period at the end of the day, like, I know how it operates...”
From a call with the FundTap team, January 2026
Building something to last
The owner’s plan is bigger than month end: building it into a family business. FundTap is one of the tools for the stretch in between.
They’ve funded three invoices since February 2026, two of them in May 2026, the most in a month so far. Each quiet stretch between those cost them nothing.
“...I do understand that it takes a lot of effort and sometimes it just takes a little bit of help to move that forward so I can build this into a family business...”
From a call with the FundTap team, January 2026
The timeline
- January 2026 Introduced by their broker and signed up, with a first employee just started and month-end bills ahead.
- February 2026 Funded their first invoice, ahead of the month-end supplier accounts.
- May 2026 Funded two invoices, the most in a month so far.
In numbers
- Month end when the supplier accounts and wages fall due, before the invoices are paid
- 3 invoices funded since February 2026, picked around month end
- 2 invoices funded in May 2026, the most in a month so far
Sound like your business?
The new hire’s on the tools, the supplier account is due at month end, and the invoices are still out. Fund one and pay everyone on the day.
Get paid now for work you’ve already done.
Invoice finance for construction and trades • All case studies
