FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Let me know how you are able to avail the Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Lower Hutt unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months and cash flow-friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
How is this Unsecured Loan different from the traditional company loan?
The application to get the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or by phone. You will receive an answer within the same day and the funds could be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans refer to an annual rate of interest plus other fees and charges. The business loan is a pre-paid loan which means you know ahead of time the amount you will have to pay, including the interest, fees and charges. Then, it is divided into a daily or weekly repayment figure.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used for nearly every business purpose including control of cash flow company improvements, advertising to purchase inventory, new equipment, or as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
About Larger Lower Hutt Business Loans
What is the Larger Lower Hutt Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund company growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 over a fixed term that can last up to 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly to work with the flow of cash.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, which is determined at 2.5 percent of the loan amount.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan that is this large the business needs to have been operating for a minimum of 3 years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. The applicant must also be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at the least 12 months of operating.
What can I use the funds for?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used to fund almost any company purpose including business renovations, to purchase new equipment or inventory for general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is necessary to access funding over $150,000. This can be done by way of charge on assets, which could also include registering this in the PPSR or making a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a guarantee to repay credit that is general in nature, rather than specifying security over an asset. The person who is signing the guarantee is personally responsible if the business lender is not able to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central register run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests that are registered for personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR gives prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned in accordance with the date on which a security interest has been registered.
A caveat is a legal document that is filed to provide the public notice of a legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval minus Credit Check?
If you’re requesting an enterprise loan that is greater than $250,000 it is possible to offer an initial pre-approval that will help make the process. It is possible to apply for this without a credit check, and within 6 hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is based on a preliminary assessment which includes you answering a few financial health questions. It’s not an offer or guarantee of finance. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you may receive may be on different terms.
The application process
Are I eligible for funding?
You can apply for a business loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are at least 18 years old, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months’ worth of transactions (for for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and easy. Simply complete the online form within a few minutes and a dedicated business loan specialist will contact you to help you.
To be eligible for up to $100,000 you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months of bank statements.
In addition, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also need:
$100K – $250K: Information about the application including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details of the application, including credit consent, 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, as well as interim financials for the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summaries.
How fast will I get an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) We can usually offer an answer within one hour if you make your application in quality company time and you allow us to make use of the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to submit copies of your bank statements , we are able to offer an answer within the span of one business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we might be in a position to offer you with pre-approval conditional to your application in around 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is about 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the circumstances of each application. Some offers have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during normal business hours and permit us to use the modern bank verification link to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you opt to upload duplicates of your banking statements it may take a bit longer.
What is the time frame to receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we can often provide a response in one hour if you apply at standard business time and you allow us to use the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to submit copies of your bank statement, we’ll provide a decision in just one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we could be capable of offer you with conditional pre-approval within six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this may be quicker depending on the circumstances of each application. Some deals have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is ensure you apply during standard business hours. You can also allow us to use our modern bank verification to instantly check your bank’s information online. If you decide to upload the copies of bank accounts, it may take a bit longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 to $500,000. When you make an application for a particular amount, we consider a variety of factors that determine your health that is your business and the level of repayments that your company can afford. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specifics of your company.
If you apply for a particular amount, we look at a range of aspects to assess your well-being for your company and the amount of repayments your company can support. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the specific circumstances that are unique to your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for the cost of a company loan?
If you decide to request our company loan, we will assess the risk assessment for your business and offer an individualised offer that includes the loan amount, the terms and the interest rates. This company loan is an upfront-priced loan so you will know in advance the total amount due, which includes any charges or interest.
What determines the rate that I pay?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of factors like the amount of money borrowed, what business assets the funds are used to purchase in addition to the industry that the company operates in, how long the business is in operation for, whether the company has sufficient cash flow to support the loan, as well as the overall well-being or financial standing of the company.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden costs with our business loans, and you’ll know exactly how much you be required to pay, and when, from day one. There’s no compounding interest and the loan comes with no additional fees (as as long as you pay your payments in time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to request a credit loan without any upfront costs or commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated in establishing and managing the loan. This is only a fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan in advance?
You may choose to pay back the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you do decide to pursue this option, please call our helpful company credit specialists. They’ll provide you with the details of your repayment as well as an early payout amount. It will be calculated using the sum of the principal amount remaining and accrued interest to the time of early payout plus 1.5% of the principal remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
To make sure that you don’t miss due dates and also to be in line with your cash flow general, we offer repayments that are either daily or weekly. They are automatically deducted from your designated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Making sure that your information is secure, and knowing the ways we gather, use, exchange and secure your information, is of huge importance and a vital aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption standards to secure your sensitive, personal as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to security for our customers and security. We make use of an advanced banking verification system to instantly verify the bank account details online. This allows us to offer an immediate response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing occurs when a business owner borrows from an asset they own to obtain the funds for a loan. The asset may be a personal asset like the family home or a company asset like a truck as well as a piece of machine.
The vast majority of the lenders even the banks with the biggest size, prefer to secure loans against an asset. If you have trouble paying back the loan then your assets could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence it is the process of securing additional financing using the value of what you already own.
Are I require security to get a business loan?
For loans up to $150K it is not necessary to secure assets in advance to gain access to the funds but we do require an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with the terms of your loan (as stipulated in the loan contract) the security of assets is not required. For loans of over $150,000 generally there is an individual ensure and security that is in the form a charge over assets.