Event season cash flow: how mobile traders fund the months before the money

Ask any festival or market trader about their hardest month and it’s rarely the quiet one. It’s the month before the season starts, when the site fees, the stock order, the new tyres and the first wage run all land at once and the till hasn’t rung yet. That’s event season cash flow: a profitable year with a hole in the middle of it.

Why does the cash run out before the season starts?

Because the costs and the income are on different calendars. A typical spring-to-summer pattern for an outdoor trader in the southern states might look like this:

When	Money out	Money in
Two to three months before	Site fees and bonds for the big events	Very little
One month before	Stock orders, servicing, gas and electrical checks	Some small events
Event month	Wages, fuel, more stock	Event takings
After the event	Wage costs, restocking	Remaining takings, any organiser payments

This is illustrative — your events, your state and your trade will change it. The point is that spending runs ahead of earning, and the gap can be large even when the season makes a good profit overall.

How do I work out how big the gap is?

Start with what’s in the bank today, then work forward one month at a time. For each month:

1. Add expected takings (be conservative).
2. Subtract fixed costs: insurance, existing repayments, phone, storage, registrations.
3. Subtract event costs in the month they’re paid, not the month of the event.
4. Subtract wages and super. Under Payday Super, from 1 July 2026 super must reach employees’ funds within seven business days of payday, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
5. Don’t forget your BAS. Quarterly BAS is due 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July, per the ATO.

The lowest balance you hit is the number that matters. If it goes below zero, that’s roughly how much working capital you need, plus a buffer for a rained-out weekend.

The event-season planner in the truck-stop calculator does this for you: enter your events, fees, stock and expected takings, and it draws your bank balance month by month.

Found a dip? See if you qualify for funding to cover it — the form’s short and enquiring involves no credit check.

Which funding suits event season?

It depends on what the gap is made of:

• A line of credit — draw when fees and stock bills land, repay as takings arrive, use it again next season. Often the best fit for a gap that repeats every year.
• A short-term business loan — a lump sum for a defined need, repaid over a set term. Suits a one-off season or a big single outlay.
• Equipment funding — if part of the gap is a new fryer, generator or trailer, fund that separately over a longer term so it doesn’t crowd out the season’s working capital. See generator and equipment finance.
• Property-secured funding — for owners with property equity and a larger or longer-term need.

Season funding without property security generally ranges from $5k to $500k, and your yearly turnover is what sets the limit. With property as security, the band runs from $20k to $5m.

How can I shrink the gap?

Funding isn’t the only lever. Before you borrow, look at:

• Negotiating fee timing with organisers — some offer instalments
• Booking fewer, better events — test each one with our guide to whether a festival is worth it
• Supplier terms — 14 or 30 days on stock can move a cost past the event
• Staggering equipment upgrades into the quieter months
• Building a buffer from last season’s peak before spending it

Illustrative example: the October squeeze

A dumpling truck books six summer events. Four want site fees paid in September and October, the truck needs new tyres and a gas compliance check, and a bulk stock order is due in November. The owner’s bank balance is healthy in August but the planner shows it dropping below zero in late October, recovering by January. Rather than cancel an event, the owner arranges a revolving facility in August, draws on it in October and clears it by February — ready to use again next spring. (Illustrative only.)

What should I bring to a funding conversation about the season?

The more clearly you can show the season, the easier it is to size funding properly. Useful things to have on hand:

• Last season’s takings by event or by month, even a rough spreadsheet
• This season’s bookings, with fee amounts and due dates
• Your current bank balance and any existing facilities
• Your fixed monthly costs, including existing repayments and insurance
• A printout or screenshot of your planner results, showing the low point

A lender doesn’t need a glossy business plan for event season. They need to see that you understand when money goes out, when it comes back, and how the facility gets cleared.

Plan the dip before it plans you

Event season rewards traders who see the squeeze coming. If your planner shows a dip, talk to us before the first fee is due. Tell us about your season, your events and what you need. It takes around a minute, there’s no credit check to enquire, and a real person — not a swarm of lenders — looks at it and calls you back.

Please fill in the form accurately, including your usual annual takings. It helps us line up the right option first time.

Talk to us about event season →