Van leasing leads from new trades businesses

There aren't many businesses that literally can't start without one specific purchase. A new trades firm is one of them. No van, no first job. That's why new builders, electricians, plumbers and couriers are some of the best leads a van or fleet leasing broker can get, as long as you reach them before they've bought something.

The window is short

Most new trades companies are formed by someone who's been working for another firm and is going out on their own, often with a contract or a first job already lined up. They need a vehicle now. If nobody has offered them a sensible lease, they'll go to a dealer and buy a used van on finance, frequently at a worse rate and with no maintenance included.

Once they've done that, they're out of the market for two or three years. So the first few weeks after the company registers are the ones that count.

Which new companies to go after

• Builders, roofers, scaffolders and groundworkers. Often need more than one vehicle: a tipper or flatbed plus a crew van. Several declared activities on the register is a good hint the business is bigger than one person.
• Electricians, plumbers and heating engineers. A panel van, usually small to medium, with racking.
• Hauliers. Bigger vehicles and real fleets, but more likely to have an existing relationship.
• Couriers and cleaners. Real leads, but usually one small van, and single-driver couriers are often better left out.

You can spot most of these from their SIC codes on the register. 43 codes are specialised construction (43210 electrical, 43220 plumbing and heating, 43910 roofing, 43991 scaffolding), 41 is building, 49410 is road haulage and 53202 is unlicensed couriers.

What to lead with

New business owners are watching every pound, so the pitch that works is about keeping cash in the business:

• Low upfront cost, so money goes on tools and materials rather than a deposit.
• Maintenance included, because a van off the road is a day without income.
• Fixed monthly cost that's easy to price into quotes.
• The right spec for the trade: racking, a tow bar, a crew cab.

A two-vehicle offer for a new scaffolding firm, or a ready-racked van for a new electrician, shows you've thought about their business and not just your stock list.

Reaching them

Every new company's directors are on the public register, so a letter to a named director at the registered office is easy and still unusual. For limited companies, email to a generic company address is allowed under PECR if you identify yourself and include an opt-out. Many new trades firms register at a home address, which is fine for post.

You can find them yourself with the Companies House advanced search, filtered by incorporation date and SIC code, or read our guide to finding new companies. Or our van leasing lens sends you every new trades and haulage company in your area each morning, with the bigger, multi-activity firms scored highest and the director named on each lead.