“Said yes to the biggest order we'd ever had.”

Marco's workshop in Geelong makes custom metal components — the kind of precise, unglamorous work that other businesses depend on. He'd built it up steadily over a decade with a small, capable team. Then a national customer came knocking with an order several times larger than anything he'd handled.

It was the order that could change the business — and also the order that could break it. Filling it meant buying a lot of raw material upfront and running an extra shift, all before the customer paid a cent. The cash needed to flow out months ahead of flowing in, and Marco's reserves couldn't cover the gap on their own. His bank wanted weeks to consider it; the customer wanted a yes now.

The turning point

A trade contact mentioned Zupo. Marco did the application that evening and was relieved it wouldn't touch his credit score with a deadline looming. Zupo focused on the thing that mattered: a signed order from a solid customer, and a workshop with the capacity and track record to deliver it.

Funding came through quickly to cover the materials and the extra shift, structured so it would be repaid once the customer settled the invoice.

A bank saw the risk in the order. Zupo saw the contract and the workshop that could fill it.

The outcome

Marco said yes. He bought the materials, ran the extra shift, and delivered the order on time and to spec. The customer was impressed enough to put him on a recurring supply arrangement — turning a one-off into the steady, larger-scale work he'd been hoping to grow into.

• Won an order far bigger than the business had handled
• Funded materials and an extra shift against the signed contract
• Delivered on time and won a recurring supply arrangement

Where they are now

Marco's workshop is busier and steadier than ever, with a major customer on the books for the long run. If a big order is too good to turn down but too big to self-fund, it's worth seeing what's possible.