Self-employment does not disqualify you. It changes what you have to prove, because your income is not a fixed number arriving on a fixed date.
What providers look for
- Business or personal bank statements, usually three to six months, showing money coming in consistently.
- Trading history — a business operating for a year or more is assessed more favourably than one three months old.
- For larger personal loans, financial statements or tax documents.
Practical advice
Keep business and personal accounts separate. It is the single thing that makes a self-employed application straightforward, because it lets a provider see what your income actually is rather than untangling it from household spending.
When you state income on an application, use a conservative monthly average across several months rather than a good month. Overstating it does not get you approved — it gets you declined when the statements are read.