Trading since / founded year

Your "Trading since" year appears on your public profile as a trust signal. It tells homeowners how long your business has been operating, which is one of the factors customers weigh when comparing quotes. This article explains where to set it, when it needs verification, and what to do if the TruePro team asks you to confirm it.

Where does "Trading since" appear?

The year appears on your public profile page, typically shown as "Trading since 2011" or similar. It is visible to any homeowner who opens your profile from a job lead or from the TruePro directory.

How to set or update your founded year

1. Go to Business Settings.
2. In the Business details section, find the Trading since field.
3. Enter the year your business began operating — this is typically the year you registered your business or first started trading under your current name.
4. Click Save business details.

Which year should I use?

Use the year you actually started trading, not the year you registered on TruePro. If you operated as a sole trader before incorporating, use the year you started the sole trader business. The aim is to accurately represent how long you have been in the trade — customers use this to judge experience, and inflating the number reduces trust if it is ever questioned.

Is the year verified?

Years within the last two years are accepted automatically. Years more than two years ago require admin verification before the year is displayed on your profile. You can upload your CIPC certificate (PDF or image) in the Business details section — this speeds up verification considerably.

If admin asks you to verify your trading history

You may receive an email notification — and an amber banner in your Business Settings — if the TruePro team wants to confirm your trading history. The banner will include a note explaining what needs to be checked.

To respond:

1. Go to Business Settings.
2. Read the note in the amber banner at the top of the page.
3. Update your Trading since year if it was incorrect.
4. Upload your CIPC certificate — this is the fastest way to resolve the request.
5. Click Save business details. The TruePro team will review and update your profile.

This check does not affect your live status or your ability to receive and respond to job leads.

What if I acquired an existing business?

If you acquired an established business, you can use its original founding year, but only if you fully took over the business (including its liabilities and trading name). If you started a new entity under a different name, use the year that entity was formed.