My factory has to shut for planned maintenance and revenue stops for a fortnight

Why a planned pause still creates a cash problem

It's tempting to treat a scheduled shutdown as low-risk because you saw it coming. But knowing the date doesn't change the arithmetic: no production means no shipments, which means no invoices, which means no cash landing for however long the line is down. Meanwhile payroll runs on its usual date, landlords and lenders don't pause their direct debits, and the maintenance contractor typically wants paying on or before completion, not 60 days later.

The companies that handle this smoothly are the ones that treat the shutdown as a funding event from the moment it's scheduled, not a surprise to react to once the factory floor goes quiet.

Sizing the gap properly

Add up the full period of reduced or zero output, including the days needed to ramp back up to normal throughput afterwards — most lines don't hit full speed on day one back. Then lay your fixed costs for that whole window against it: payroll, rent, insurance, existing loan repayments, plus the maintenance invoice itself and any parts or contractor costs.

Undersizing is the most common mistake. A two-week shutdown often creates a three-to-four-week cash dip once ramp-up and the payment lag on the first post-shutdown invoices are included.

Matching the finance to the timeline

Because the shutdown is scheduled, a short-term working capital facility timed to start a few days before the line stops and run through to when the first invoices from resumed production clear is usually the cleanest option. It avoids paying for finance you don't need and avoids being caught short if restart takes a day or two longer than planned, which is common with maintenance work.

Credicorp lends to the trading company, assesses on the business's own numbers, and doesn't take a personal guarantee from the director, which matters when the funding is for an internal operational event rather than a customer-driven shortfall.

What to have ready before you apply

Lenders assessing this kind of request want to see the shutdown is planned and bounded, not an early sign of wider trouble. Have the maintenance schedule, recent management accounts, and a simple week-by-week cash view covering the shutdown and ramp-up period. That turns a vague "we're closing for two weeks" into a clear, fundable, time-limited request.