Surprisingly Useful AI Article Enhancements
Job management software provider, Fergus, has launched a financing product for eligible Australian trade businesses, built in partnership with financial infrastructure platform, Stripe.
Called Fergus Capital, the product is designed to address the cash flow challenges common across the trade sector, where businesses frequently need to pay for materials, tools and staff before receiving payment from their own customers.
How it works
Rather than relying on traditional credit assessments, Fergus Capital uses a tradie’s actual payment activity to determine financing eligibility.
Stripe bases its offer of finance on the volume of payments a business processes through Fergus Pay, the company’s Stripe-powered payment gateway that allows tradies to accept credit cards, mobile wallets and contactless payments directly from customers.
Funds attract a fixed flat fee rather than a variable interest rate and are repaid via a percentage of the business’s ongoing sales until the total amount is cleared. Fergus says the system can make funds available within days.
Bridging the cash flow gap
The CEO of Fergus, Mark Bartels, pointed to cash flow as a persistent pain point for trade businesses.
“Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges facing trade businesses. You often need to pay for materials, tools or staff before you get paid yourself,” Bartels explained. “Fergus Capital is designed to help bridge that gap, giving our customers fast, simple access to funding when they need it most.”
Bartels noted that traditional lending processes are often a poor fit for the trade sector, where income can vary significantly between projects.
“Traditional lenders often struggle to assess trade businesses because income can fluctuate from project to project. By partnering with Stripe, we are able to use real trading activity to make the process much simpler and more accessible.”
Reducing paperwork barriers
Fergus is also positioning the product as an alternative for tradies who struggle to meet the documentation requirements of conventional lenders.
Most business lenders require applicants to complete extensive paperwork and provide evidence of their business history, which can make obtaining finance difficult for newer operators. In some cases, tradies are required to put up significant collateral, including their homes, to secure a loan.
“For many of our customers, months of trading history is enough to receive a financing offer,” Bartels remarked. “That means less paperwork, faster decisions and more time focused on serving customers and growing their business.”
Market positioning
Bartels expressed confidence that the product addresses a gap in the market for finance suited to active trade businesses.
“We are excited to be working with Stripe and expanding our services for our clients,” he added. “I am confident it will fill a gap in the market for finance tailored to active trades businesses.”
About Fergus
Founded in 2012, Fergus is a cloud-based job management platform built for small to mid-sized trade businesses operating in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The platform covers end-to-end operations management including quoting, scheduling, timesheets, invoicing, workforce tracking, health and safety management and resource planning.
Related: Best Business Laptops for work & school
Related: Best Gaming Laptops
Related: Best Portable Laptop
The company claims more than 25,000 tradespeople worldwide use its software. Fergus integrates with accounting platforms including Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks, as well as suppliers such as Bunnings, Reece, Rexel, Tradelink, MMEM, AWM, CNW, Haymans and Samios.
More information is available at fergus.com.
Last Updated on July 31, 2026 by Nick Ross
