Not every job requires a $200,000 machine. For the majority of Canadian tradespeople, landscapers, small contractors, and owner-operators, the equipment that drives revenue is smaller: a skid steer for a landscaping crew, a dump trailer for a junk removal business, a used pickup for a plumbing company, a mini excavator for a utility contractor. These are the assets that keep small businesses running day to day, and they are often the hardest to finance through a traditional lender. Mintage Capital specializes in exactly this segment: practical, working equipment for the businesses that build, haul, and maintain Canada.

Why Small Equipment Is Hard to Finance at the Bank

Banks have a natural preference for large, clean deals with incorporated businesses and provable income. A $500,000 equipment loan for an established construction company checks all their boxes. A $35,000 lease for a used skid steer for a self-employed landscaper does not.

CFIB’s Financing Main Street research series documents this challenge directly: access to financing remains critical for small businesses across Canada, and the struggle is most acute for sole proprietors, new businesses, and tradespeople whose income is variable or project-based. Bank underwriting models are built for salaried employees and mature corporations. They do not handle the realities of self-employment well: seasonal revenue, draws instead of salaries, recent business formation, or credit that took a hit during a difficult stretch.

The result: a roofer who needs a used dump trailer to expand their business gets turned down at the bank. A landscaper with two solid years of revenue cannot get a skid steer lease because their personal credit sits at 610. A general contractor who operates as a sole proprietor cannot finance a used pickup through a dealer because the lender wants two years of corporate financials.

These are not high-risk deals. They are simply deals that fall outside the bank’s preferred template. Independent brokers like Mintage Capital work with a wider network of lenders who understand the trades and small business market.

What Equipment Can Mintage Capital Finance?

If it generates revenue for your business, Mintage Capital can likely finance it. This includes a wide range of light and medium commercial equipment:

• Skid steers and compact track loaders
• Mini excavators and compact excavators
• Dump trucks (single axle, tandem, and small vocational trucks)
• Cargo trailers, equipment trailers, and dump trailers
• Vocational trucks (service trucks, utility bodies, mechanics trucks)
• Used pickup trucks (half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-ton work trucks)
• Landscaping and groundskeeping equipment
• Small cranes, boom lifts, and aerial work platforms

Financing is available on new and used equipment, whether you are buying from a dealer, a private seller, or at auction. Smaller-ticket transactions that many lenders pass on are welcome at Mintage Capital.

The Case for Financing Instead of Paying Cash

A lot of tradespeople default to paying cash for smaller equipment because it feels simpler. The problem is that cash purchases drain working capital a business needs to operate smoothly.

Consider a plumber who pays $28,000 cash for a used one-ton work truck. That is $28,000 tied up in a depreciating asset, capital that is no longer available to cover materials on a large job, bridge a slow month, or take advantage of a good opportunity. If a pump fails on a key piece of equipment the following month, there may not be cash left to repair it quickly.

A structured equipment lease on the same truck spreads the cost over 24 to 60 months. The monthly payment is predictable, working capital stays intact, and depending on how the business is structured, the lease payments may be fully deductible as an operating expense, producing a better tax outcome than a cash purchase.

For businesses generating revenue with the equipment from day one, the math often works clearly in favour of financing. The asset earns more than it costs each month, and the capital that would have gone into the purchase remains available to grow the business.

All Credit Types Considered, Including Situations Banks Decline

One of the most common misconceptions about equipment financing is that you need strong personal credit to qualify. That is true at banks. It is not the reality for brokers who work across a broader lender network.

Mintage Capital considers all credit types, including:

• Business owners who are actively rebuilding credit after a difficult period
• Newer businesses with limited credit history
• Self-employed individuals and sole proprietors whose income does not fit standard bank templates
• Operators who have been declined elsewhere and are looking for an alternative

Every application is assessed on the full picture: the business, the asset being financed, the revenue the operation generates, and the owner’s actual ability to make payments. That approach consistently opens doors that a bank’s checklist closes.

What Makes Mintage Capital the Right Fit for Trades and Small Contractors

Mintage Capital is an independent commercial financing broker working exclusively with Canadian small business owners, owner-operators, and self-employed individuals. There are no corporate minimums and no preference for large transactions: a $15,000 trailer and an $80,000 excavator receive the same attention.

• All credit types considered. Imperfect credit, thin history, and non-traditional income are not automatic disqualifiers.
• New and used, any source. Dealer lot, private sale, or online auction: Mintage Capital finances equipment wherever you find it.
• Flexible terms built around your cash flow. Seasonal payment structures, deferred starts, and term lengths tailored to how your business earns.
• Fast approvals. You found the right skid steer at the right price. It should not take two weeks to find out if you can buy it.
• One advisor from application to funding. No file handoffs, no repeating yourself, no surprises.

Optional payment protection coverage is available as well. For a self-employed tradesperson who cannot afford to miss payments if illness or injury takes them off the job, that coverage provides meaningful security. It can be added to a new lease at the time of financing or as a standalone addition to an existing one.

Final Thoughts

Canadian tradespeople and small contractors depend on practical, revenue-generating equipment to keep their businesses moving. The assets on this list, from skid steers and mini excavators to dump trailers and used work trucks, are not luxury items. They are the tools of the trade, and getting access to them through traditional bank financing is harder than it should be for the majority of self-employed operators in Canada. Mintage Capital was built to close that gap.

Roxane Hankins