A steel fabricator in Perth: a new workshop and a bigger payroll

Steel products and a payroll

The business manufactures and fabricates steel products in Perth, and hires out labour on the side. Its customers are other businesses, and they pay once the work is invoiced, on their terms.

It had just moved into its own workshop when it came to FundTap. A workshop means more jobs can be taken on at once, and the owner had taken them. When they signed up in September 2024, the owner told the FundTap team the move had doubled the business, and the wages had to keep going out while the invoices were paid.

Payday comes before the customer pays

A bigger workload means a bigger payroll. The team expects to be paid on payday, whether or not a customer has paid, and the invoices for the extra work sit on the customer’s terms.

That was the gap. The work was there and the invoices were out, but payday arrived first.

Funding the first invoices

Their broker introduced them to FundTap. The business signed up in September 2024 and funded its first invoices in October 2024, four that month, and the wages went out. Their funding limit was raised that month and again in November 2024.

The owner picks the invoice that covers the payroll, sees the fee before committing, and funds nothing when the customers have already paid. The customers settle with the business directly, as before.

Wages paid, workshop busy

With an invoice funded, the payroll was covered and the new workshop kept running at the pace the owner had set. The extra jobs the workshop made room for could be taken on, because the wages for them were covered before the customer paid.

In March 2026, the owner told the FundTap team there were subcontractors to pay and a bigger invoice to fund. They funded it. Five invoices were funded in 2024, three in 2025 and three in 2026 to September.

When a bigger invoice comes up

Over two years the owner has funded 11 invoices, mostly to keep the wages going out while a customer’s terms ran. In September 2026 they connected MYOB and funded their most recent one.

The stretches in between carry no fee at all. The next one gets funded when payday and the customer’s terms don’t line up.

The timeline

1. September 2024 Introduced by their broker and signed up, with a new workshop and wages to pay.
2. October 2024 Funded their first invoices, four that month, and their funding limit was raised.
3. November 2024 Funding limit raised again.
4. March 2026 Funded a bigger invoice, with subcontractors to pay.
5. September 2026 Connected MYOB and funded their most recent invoice.

In numbers

• 11 invoices funded since October 2024, mostly to keep the wages going out
• 4 invoices funded in October 2024, the first and busiest month
• 2 increases to their funding limit, in October and November 2024
• 3 invoices funded in 2026 to September

Sound like your business?

Payday doesn’t move, and the customer’s terms don’t either. Fund the invoice that covers the wages and keep the workshop turning.

Fund the next order without waiting on the last one.

Invoice finance for makers and distributors  •  All case studies