# Can I get finance if I am newly self-employed?

> Just gone out on your own? You can often still get tradie finance. Here is what bridges a short trading history and how we match you to a lender that backs newer trade businesses.

Source: https://tradiefinance.co.nz/help/can-i-get-finance-if-newly-self-employed
Published: 2026-05-13T08:00:00.000Z
Category: getting-started
Tags: faq, getting-started
Image: https://tradiefinance.co.nz/images/resources/generated/tradie/faq/can-i-get-finance-if-newly-self-employed-primary.jpg
Image alt: Tradie finance application documents for Can I get finance if I am newly self-employed?


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Just gone out on your own and worried no one will touch you? You are not stuck. Plenty of newly self-employed tradies get finance every month — you just need to know which doors are open and how to make your application stack up.

## Why the first 12 months feel harder

Most lenders like to see a full year of trading and a set of financials before they fund a business at full whack. That is not them being difficult — they want proof the business throws off enough cash to cover the repayments. When you have only been invoicing for a few months, there is less of that proof on paper.

The good news: a short trading history is a hurdle, not a wall. We are a broker, not the lender, and we work across a panel of lenders — some of them built for exactly this. Newly registered businesses, fresh GST registrations, and tradies who just left a wages job to go out on their tools are bread and butter for them. The trick is putting your application in front of the right one, which is the bit we do.

## The bridge options

There are a few ways to get over the line before you have a full year behind you:

- **Low-doc finance.** A [low-doc loan](/glossary/low-doc-loan) uses things like bank statements and a business-purpose declaration instead of full year-end accounts. Good fit when the work is flowing but the financials are not finished yet. More detail in [low-doc finance for self-employed tradies](/blog/low-doc-finance-for-self-employed-tradies).
- **Hire purchase in your personal name.** A [hire purchase](/glossary/hire-purchase) can lean on your personal credit and income while the business finds its feet, and you own the asset once the last payment clears. One thing to know: finance taken in your personal name for a personal vehicle can sit under the consumer [CCCFA](/blog/does-the-cccfa-apply-to-my-business-loan) regime, whereas genuine business-purpose finance largely sits outside it. We will flag which way a deal falls when we set it up.
- **A solid deposit.** Putting 10–20% down lowers the lender's risk and opens more of the panel. Trade-in equity from your old ute counts toward it too.

## What actually helps your case

Lenders look at the whole picture, not just months trading. These move the needle:

- **A clean personal credit record.** No missed payments, no defaults, nothing chasing you. This carries a lot of weight when the business history is thin. (Bad credit is not an automatic no either — see [does bad credit stop tradie finance](/help/does-bad-credit-stop-tradie-finance).)
- **Prior industry experience.** Ten years as a sparkie before you started your own company tells a lender you know the trade and the work will keep coming. Say so on the application.
- **A deposit or trade-in.** Skin in the game, as above.
- **Confirmed work.** Signed contracts, a full job book, or a steady main client all show the income is real.

## A quick worked example

Say you are a chippie six months in, GST-registered, with a clean credit file and a $5,000 trade-in on your old van. You want a $35,000 replacement van.

| Factor | Your position | Lender view |
|---|---|---|
| Trading history | 6 months | Light on its own |
| Personal credit | Clean | Strong positive |
| Trade-in deposit | $5,000 (about 14%) | Lowers their risk |
| Industry experience | 12 years on the tools | Reassuring |

On trading history alone you might get knocked back. Add the clean credit, the deposit and the years on the tools, and a newer-business lender on the panel will often take a serious look. That is the difference we make as your broker — we know which lender weighs which factor, so the same set of facts gets sent where it lands best. The numbers above are illustrative, not a quote.

If you are not sure whether you are ready, the [starting a trade business finance guide](/guides/starting-a-trade-business-finance-guide) walks through getting set up, and [what documents do I need for tradie finance](/help/what-documents-do-i-need-for-tradie-finance) covers the paperwork. Anything to do with GST claims, depreciation or tax thresholds should be confirmed with your accountant or IRD — that sits outside the finance itself.

Being newly self-employed is not the dead end it feels like. Have a no-pressure chat with a real broker and we will tell you straight where you stand and which lenders fit — [book a call](/book-a-call) or [get in touch](/help) whenever it suits.