First van finance for a new business
Funding a first van when there are no filed accounts, no trading history and no limited company behind the application.
- FCA regulatedAppointed Representative, FRN 1031964
- 60+ lendersWhole-of-market panel, not one bank
- 5.0 from 19 Google reviews
- No credit checkEnquiring leaves no mark on your file
Yes, including as a sole trader with no filed accounts and no previous finance history, which is the situation most first-van buyers are actually in. Lenders that fund new businesses look at what you are earning now and what the van is for rather than at three years of accounts you do not have. A deposit usually helps, and the first agreement is rarely the cheapest you will ever sign, its real value is the payment record it creates, which every later asset is priced against.
Who finances this
Newly self-employed tradespeople, fitters, plumbers, electricians, groundworkers, who need a van before they can start earning. The van is not an upgrade; without it there is no business.
How lenders see it
This is the hardest profile in the market to place, and the reason is mechanical rather than moral. A lender running a single credit policy has nothing to score: no accounts, no history, no company. It declines, and the applicant concludes the van was unfundable when in fact that lender simply does not write new starts. Applying to several in turn makes it worse, because each leaves a footprint and each decline makes the next more likely. Lenders that do write new starts assess bank statements and work pipeline instead, and a van is good security with a deep used market behind it.
Buying used
Yes, to around ten years old
Also in van and light commercial finance
See everything we fund in van and light commercial finance →
Van buying guides
We are a broker, not a dealer. We have no stake in which van you choose. These are written on that basis.
The van is one cost
Flowzo covers fuel, wages and the wait for customers to pay, working capital rather than the vehicle itself.
Machines we have funded
| Ford Transit Custom L1H1 | Short medium van, the trade default |
|---|---|
| Vauxhall Vivaro L2H1 | Well-priced medium van for new traders |
| Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 | Medium van with strong resale value |
| Ford Transit L3H2 | Large panel van for bigger loads |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315 L2H2 | Durable large van for long mileage |
| Renault Trafic SL28 | Compact medium van for city work |
| Peugeot Partner Professional | Small van for tools and light loads |
| Citroen Berlingo Enterprise | Car-like small van with low running costs |
| Toyota Proace Medium | Medium van with long warranty cover |
| Maxus eDeliver 3 | Small electric van for urban start-ups |
A newly self-employed sole trader with no filed accounts, funded and paid out within 24 hours of first contact.
Can I get van finance with no trading history?
Yes. Some lenders assess bank statements and confirmed work rather than filed accounts. Being declined by a high-street lender usually means that lender does not write new starts, not that the van was unfundable.
Will applying damage my credit file?
Applying to several lenders in turn leaves a footprint each time and makes each subsequent decline more likely. Going to the right lender first is the point of using a broker.
Do I need a deposit as a new start?
Often, though not always. A deposit gives a lender with no trading history to look at something tangible to weigh against the risk, and it widens the number of funders willing to consider a first agreement. Nil-deposit is achievable in the right circumstances. Tell us what you have available and we will tell you honestly what it changes.
How fast can a new start be funded?
Fast, when it goes to the right lender. The example below was paid out within 24 hours of first contact.
Tell us what you need
About a minute of plain questions, and no documents to dig out.
Prime is established and profitable with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining, the asset carries part of the risk, so finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Illustrative only, not a quote, a flat rate is not an APR, so the APR on a given agreement will be higher. VAT and fees excluded.
Start my enquiryNo credit check, and enquiring leaves no mark on your credit file. Finance is subject to status. We are a credit broker, not a lender.
Only pricing it up?
An enquiry is a conversation, not an application. Nothing runs against your file until you tell us to go ahead.
No credit check to enquire
Your credit scoreUntouched
Conor reads every enquiry himself. We will call you within 24 business hours, and it will be the person who actually arranges the finance, not a call centre, and not a form that disappears.
A real person on your side
One adviser from your first enquiry to the money in your account. No call centres.
Your adviser
Conor HullMon to Fri, 9am–6pm
5.0 from 19 Google reviews
Thinking about first van finance for a new business?
A few questions, and we will tell you what the panel can do. No obligation, and no call centres.
