Why the bank says no
Most independent shops fall below the revenue threshold a commercial lending team is set up to write. It is a size decision more than a risk decision.
The bays, the lifts and the diagnostic equipment are usually leased or financed, and the premises are usually rented, so there is little unencumbered to secure against.
Shops often run lean on paper for tax reasons, which is sensible and reads badly to a model looking at declared profit.
What a revenue-based funder reads instead
Daily tickets produce exactly the deposit pattern underwriting likes: frequent, consistent, and verifiable against card settlement.
The work is non-discretionary. Cars break regardless of the economy, and demand that holds through a downturn is a genuine underwriting positive.
Diagnostic equipment and lifts are financeable as equipment, which is cheaper than buying them out of working capital.
What to have ready before you apply
Six months of business bank statements, plus card processing statements if you have them.
Average monthly deposits — count both card and cash going through the account.
Whether existing equipment is financed and with whom.