Who We Work With
Trades.
Finance for trade businesses — funding the fleet, the equipment and the working capital that fills the gap between starting a job and getting paid for it.
Overview
How we work with the sector.
Trade businesses sit between two cash pressures. There's the cost of getting on site — vehicles, tools, equipment, insurance, materials, wages — and then there's the wait, often weeks or months, before the builder or principal contractor settles the invoice. We work with electricians, plumbers, carpenters, builders, civil contractors, HVAC specialists and the full range of specialist trades, from sole-operator setups to firms running multiple crews and yards. The sector is distinct in that a single business often needs several loans running side by side: asset finance on the fleet and gear, insurance premium funding to spread annual premiums, and a working capital line or debtor finance to carry receivables on 30, 60 or 90-day terms. We take each piece to the lenders that understand trade contracting — how invoices get paid, how plant and equipment hold value, and how trade businesses actually run. The aim is simple: cash available when it's needed, and lenders who don't slow the job down.
Sector Snapshot
- Typical Loan Size
- $50K — $5M+
- Common Products
- Asset finance, cashflow finance, insurance premium funding
- Settlement Window
- 1 — 4 weeks
- Security Profile
- Primarily asset-backed
Common Scenarios
What we finance most often.
01 / 03
Vehicles, tools & equipment
Funding utes, trucks, plant and the gear a trade business runs on — secured against the asset, taken to lenders who understand it.
02 / 03
Working capital between jobs
Carrying the gap between paying for materials, wages and subbies — and getting paid by the builder on 30, 60 or 90-day terms.
03 / 03
Insurance premium funding
Spreading large annual public liability, workers comp and contract works premiums across the year so a single renewal doesn't drain working capital in one hit.
Finance Products
Products most relevant to trades.
FAQ
Trades finance — questions answered.
Yes. For most vehicles under $250K we can use a low-doc or no-doc structure backed by your ABN registration period, GST registration, and a clean credit file. Useful for newer ABNs or sole traders still building their books. Settled in days, not weeks.
Chattel mortgage gives you ownership from day one and lets you claim GST upfront plus depreciation. Hire purchase transfers ownership at the end of the term. Most tradies are better off on a chattel mortgage — better tax outcome, lower stamp duty in most states. We run both numbers past your accountant's structure before settling.
Often yes. The debt isn't the disqualifier; how it's being managed is. Active payment plan, business otherwise trading well — several non-bank lenders on our panel will write the deal. Bank approval will be harder. We know which lenders to go to first.
Depends on whether the gap is one-off or recurring. For larger contracts, invoice finance against issued invoices is usually cheapest. For shorter, smaller gaps, an unsecured business overdraft works. We structure based on contract size and frequency, not the dollar number in isolation.
On asset finance, yes — putting down 10-20% can shift you a full lender tier and materially drop the rate. On working capital and unsecured business loans, deposit doesn't apply; rate is set on cash flow, ABN length, and credit file. If you've got cash sitting we'll model both scenarios so you're not over-depositing on the wrong product.
Ready?
Let's structure your next trades deal.
One short application puts your deal in front of the lenders most likely to fund it. No obligation, no cost to find out where you stand.