FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Gracefield Small Business Loans
Tell me how you can avail the Gracefield Small Business Loans
Gracefield unsecured loans offers amounts between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow-friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
How is the Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
You can apply to get the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or over the phone, receive an immediate response, and the money could be in your account in 24 hours. Traditional company loans reference an annual interest rate plus other fees and charges. We offer a business loan is a pre-paid loan and you’ll be aware in advance of the total amount to be paid, including the interest, fees and charges. This is then broken down into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for almost any business reason, such as managing cash flows, company remodels and marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, or as general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal use.
About Larger Gracefield Business Loans
What is the Larger Gracefield Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support company expansion opportunities. Loans are between $100,000 and $500,000 with a term fixed that can last up to 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly depending on your situation.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is determined at 2.5 percent of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a credit of this size, your company needs to have been in operation for at least 3 years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old or have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at minimum 12 months of business.
How can the funds be utilised?
A Larger Business Loan is a great option for almost all business use, including business improvements, purchasing inventory or new equipment or as general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is needed to obtain funding above $150,000. It is usually in the form of a charge on assets, which could also include registering this in the PPSR or registering a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a promise to repay a loan which is general in nature, rather than stating security over an asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally liable if the business the borrower fails to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central register that is operated by the New Zealand Government. It reflects security interests which are registered with respect to personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR allows the priority of personal property granted according to the date the security interest that is registered.
Caveats are legal document that is filed to provide the legal claim to property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
If you’re seeking a Larger Business Loan of $250,000 or more we may be able to provide an initial pre-approval that will help simplify the process. We might be able to do this without a credit verification and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial evaluation that involves the answer to a series of financial well-being checks. It is in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of financing. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you are offered could have different terms.
Application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You are eligible to apply for an business loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are 18 years or older, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months’ worth of transactions (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and easy. Just fill out the online application within a couple minutes, and a dedicated company expert in lending will contact you to guide you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s Licence) along with an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
In addition, for larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K to $250K: Information about the application including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K to $500K: Application details including credit consent and 12 months of bank records, IRD statements as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, plus interim financials from the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summary.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) we can often offer an answer within an hour – as long as you make your application at standard company time and let us utilise the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank details online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statements , we are able to provide a decision within the span of one business day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K up to $500,000) we may be able to offer the conditional pre-approval in about six hours. After you’ve signed your pre-approval form, it will take around 2-3 days for final approval, however this can be quicker based on the specifics of each application. Some transactions have received approval in 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply is to ensure you apply during standard company hours, and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to instantly check your bank’s information online. If you choose to send us duplicates of your banking statements it takes a bit longer.
How fast will I get the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K or more) we typically offer an answer in just one hour – as long as you submit your request at standard business time and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload copies of your banking statements, we are able to offer an answer in just one business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) we may be likely to provide you with a conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this may be quicker depending on the circumstances of each application. Certain agreements have been approved in the space of 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours, and allow us to use the modern bank verification to verify your bank account information online. If you decide to send us documents from your account statement, it takes a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 to $500,000. When you make an application for a certain amount, we consider a variety of aspects that determine how much we can lend you well-being of the business and the extent of repayments that your company can support. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specifics of your company.
When you apply for a set amount, we look at a range of variables to assess the health for your company and the extent of the repayments your business will be able to support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the particulars of your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for the cost of a business loan?
If you decide to apply for business loans with us company loans, we’ll assess the risk profile that you have for your business and provide you with a customised offer including the loan amount, the terms and the interest rates. The company loan is an upfront priced loan which means you know the exact amount payable including any charges, interest rates or fees.
What determines the rate that I pay?
Interest rates for business loans rates differ based on various variables like the amount to be borrowed, the company assets the money will be used for in addition to the industry that the business is operating in, how long the company has been operating and how long the company has enough cash flow to support the loan, and overall health or creditworthiness of the business.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden costs with our business loans. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll be required to pay and when, starting from the day you sign up. There’s no compounding interest and no extra fees (as long as you make your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can apply for a loan no cost upfront or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated in establishing and managing the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5% of the loan amount.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan earlier?
You can repay the total amount of your advance loan at any time.
If you are deciding to do this please speak to our friendly company loan specialists. The experts will offer you with details on repayment as well as an early payout amount. This is calculated as the sum of the principal amount remaining and accrued interest to the date of early payout in addition to 1.5% of the principal remaining and any fees that remain unpaid.
How do repayments work?
To help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line with your cash flow routine, we offer repayments that are either weekly or daily. These are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Making sure that your information is secure, and making it clear how we collect information, use it, and exchange it, as well as secure your information, is vital and is an essential element of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We make use of industry-standard encryption standards to secure your personal, sensitive financial and other data. Our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to the security of our customers as well as their security. We use an advanced bank verification system that allows you to instantly verify your bank account details online, allowing us to offer quick responses.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where a business owner makes use of assets they own to make the loan. The asset can be a personal asset like the family home, or a company asset such as a vehicle or piece of equipment.
The majority of lenders, including the banks with the biggest size, prefer to secure loans against assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, then your assets could be sold by the lender. In essence, it is the process of securing new funding making use of the value of what you already have.
Do I require security to get an business loan?
For loans of up to $150K, the requirement for asset security is not required upfront to access the money but we do need a personal guarantee. So long as you comply with the terms of your loan (as stipulated in your loan contract document), asset security is not required. If you take out loans in excess of $150K generally, there is a personal guarantee and security is provided in the form of a charge over assets.