From Garage to Giant:

Twelve years ago, Vic Gigliotti launched Muscle Republic with a clear mission: to build a sportswear brand anchored in performance, community and heart.

Inspired by values of resilience and progress — and led by his trusted four-legged “CEO”, Charlie — Vic turned a garage operation into a thriving e-commerce business with a fiercely loyal customer base. But like any business scaling from a passion project to a national brand, growth wasn’t linear. It required smart decisions, grit, and constant reinvestment.

Vic went through periods of traction and it was taking off, then no sales, then some traction, then no sales, then traction, and no sales… it was a constant roller coast. Cash was so tight at one stage he had to sell everything he had and it was Charlie and him, living in the warehouse.

Finding the right product, the right brand, the right target audience, took trial and error, trial and error, time and time again. But Charlie and him, and his grit carried him through to persist on what he wanted to achieve.

Then COVID hit, he trialled new products, was sharing his business journey via social media and thought to himself, this is everything I’ve got and I’m throwing it all in – and then traction came, it stayed and it sales was through the roof.

As the sales continued to grow, the ordering of stock increased, and he got three warehouses to support all the inventory. But sales was still out growing the space, and he needed a better solution.

Recently, Muscle Republic made a major leap — consolidating three separate warehouses into one massive 3,000sqm facility. That kind of move doesn’t just represent growth. It requires it.

As a business owner, these kinds of milestones are exciting, but they come with serious considerations:

• Upfront costs: Think fit-outs, racking, packing stations, and new machinery.
• Operational logistics: Coordinating a move across multiple sites while staying online.
• Marketing pressure: You need volume to justify the space, which means investing in demand.
• Cash flow: The less talked-about piece, but often the most make-or-break.

Vic summed it up well:

“Scaling up the warehouse is a big leap – but if you believe in the vision, you back yourself and the team to make it happen.”

Scaling is more than just signing a bigger lease or hiring more staff. It’s about making decisions that protect your liquidity while fuelling growth.

For Vic, one of those decisions was choosing a Lease Bond over a traditional bank guarantee for his commercial lease security — a choice that freed up capital that he could put directly into the business. That meant faster fit-outs, smoother transitions, and marketing dollars ready to drive sales.

Six months later, eGuarantee went to visit Vic and the team, and the warehouse is already 80% full. It’s a reminder that when businesses protect their cash flow, they position themselves to move quickly, take bold steps, and make the most of growth opportunities.

If you’re facing a similar leap — whether it’s moving into a larger space, expanding operations, or investing in infrastructure — the lesson from Muscle Republic is clear:

Growth rewards businesses that stay nimble, protect their capital, and invest in the things that drive momentum.

eGuarantee’s Lease Bond solution helped Vic protect his capital to fuel his business growth. As the first of its kind to be offered to the Australian and New Zealand market, eGuarantee’s Lease Bond solution replaces bank guarantees as the new standard for commercial lease security that requires no cash collateral. Now tenants and landlords can enjoy superior financial and administrative benefits with all the protection and legal credibility of a traditional bank guarantee from a big 4 bank.

No large upfront costs

With an eGuarantee Lease Bond solution, tenants can forget about having to provide large sums of capital at the start of their lease. As a non-cash, non-collateral lease security, eGuarantee allows commercial renters to improve their financial situation by freeing up their working capital to invest back into the growth of their business.

Enhanced security

As a completely digitised form of lease security, Lease Bonds allow both tenants and landlords to avoid the unwanted exposure of outdated paper authentication. Have peace of mind knowing that your lease securities are safe and secure, stored on an encrypted platform.

Talk to our team today to find out how you can release the cash from your bank guarantee.