FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Houghton Bay Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Houghton Bay Small Business Loans
Houghton Bay unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000, with terms ranging from 3 and 24 months and cash flow-friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
How is this Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
The application to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or by phone. You will receive an instant response and the funds could be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans are based on an interest rate per annum together with additional fees and charges. The business loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you’ll know ahead of time the total amount to be paid, including any fees, interest or charges. This is then broken down into weekly or daily amount to be paid back.
What can you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every company need, such as managing cash flows, company renovations, marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, to fund general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About Larger Houghton Bay Business Loans
What is the Larger Houghton Bay Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund company growth opportunities. Loans range from $100,000 to $500,000 for a fixed period of with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly, depending on the flow of cash.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
It is important to note that the 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?
In order to be eligible for a loan of this size, your business needs to have been in operation for at least 3 years with an annual turnover of at least $700,000. Your business must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years or have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at the least 12 months of operating.
How can the funding be utilised?
A larger business loan is a great option for almost any business use, including business renovations, purchase of new equipment or inventory, as general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is needed for funding of more than $150,000. This is by way of charge against assets, and could include registration on the PPSR or registering a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a commitment to repay credit that is generally based rather than defining security over a particular asset. The person who is signing the ensure is personally accountable if the company the borrower fails to pay back 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 granted to individuals who own personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR permits the priority of personal property assigned depending on the date that a security interest has been registered.
The caveat can be described as a formal document filed to offer an official notice of a claim to property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that is greater than $250,000 we can offer an initial pre-approval to smooth out the process. We may be able to do this without a credit verification and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval is based upon a preliminary assessment which includes answering a couple of financial health questions. It’s not an offer of credit or guarantee of financing. Unconditional approval is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer you may receive may be on different conditions.
Application process
Can I be eligible for funding?
You may be eligible for a company loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months of business (for for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and simple. Complete the online form in just a few minutes, and a dedicated company lending specialist will contact you to guide you through the process.
To be eligible for up to $100,000, you’ll need ID details (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as an active NZBN/IRD, and at least 6 months of bank statements.
In addition, for larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K to $250K: Information about the application including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K-$500K: Application details including credit consent, 12 months of bank statements, IRD statements Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim current financial year financials as well as Aged Payables and Receivables summaries.
How quickly will I receive an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) We can usually offer an answer in just one hour, provided you submit your request during standard company timings and let us utilise the bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statements we can provide an answer in as little as the span of one company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K up to $500,000) we may be capable of provide the conditional pre-approval in about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this could be shorter based on the particular circumstances of each application. Certain deals have been approved within 24 hours.
The quickest method is to make sure you apply during normal company hours, and allow us to use our advance bank verification link to confirm your bank details online. If you upload duplicates of your banking statements it may take a bit longer.
How quickly will I receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we typically provide an answer within one hour, provided you apply at normal business times and let us use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you want to send us copies of your bank statements, we’ll be able to provide an answer within an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we might be capable of provide you with conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. Once you’ve signed your pre-approval, the turnaround time is about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this can be faster depending on the specifics of each application. Certain offers have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method can be make sure you apply during standard business hours. Also, let us use the sophisticated bank verification link to check your bank’s information online. If you opt to upload duplicates of your banking accounts, it takes a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a certain amount, we consider a variety of elements that determine your health for your business and the amount of repayments your business can support. The total amount of your loan will depend on the specific circumstances for your business.
If you apply for a set amount, we take into consideration a variety of factors to assess the health of the business as well as the amount of repayments your company can support. The total amount of your loan will be contingent on the specific circumstances of your company.
Fees & repayments
What is the cost for the cost of a business loan?
If you decide to make an application for business loans with us company financing, we’ll assess the risk profile that you have for your company and offer an individualised offer, including the amount of loan, the term and interest rates. The company loan is an upfront priced loan therefore you will know the exact amount to be paid, including any charges, interest rates or fees.
What is the factor that determines the price I’m charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on several factors such as the amount that is borrowed, what company assets the funds are used to purchase in addition to the industry that the business operates in, the long the business has been running for, whether the company has enough cash flow to pay for the loan, and also the general health or creditworthiness of the business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden fees with our company loans. You’ll know precisely how much you be required to pay, and at what time, from the very first day. There’s no compounding interest, and no additional fees (as long as you are able to make your payments punctually).
We don’t charge an application fee. You are able to apply for a loan with without any upfront costs or commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated with setting up and managing the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Can I pay out the loan early?
You can decide to repay all of your loan in full at any time.
If you do decide to do this please talk to one of our helpful company loans professionals. The experts will offer you with repayment details and an early payout figure. It will be calculated using the total of the principal remaining and the accrued interest up to the time of early payout and 1.5% of the principal balance and any fees that remain unpaid.
What is the process for repayments?
In order to help you avoid missing payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we offer repayments either weekly or daily. These are automatically withdrawn from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Protecting your information, and being clear about the ways we gather the information we collect, use, share and safeguard your data, is of paramount importance and a vital part 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 protect your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our dedication to protecting the security of customers and privacy. We utilise a sophisticated banking verification system to immediately verify the bank account details online, allowing us to provide rapid response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where the company owner borrows from an asset they own to get the funds for a loan. The asset can be an individual property, such as the family home or it could be a company property like a truck as well as a piece of machine.
The vast majority of the lenders including the big banks, tend to guarantee loans against an asset. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan, then your asset may be transferred to the lender. In essence it’s an opportunity to secure new financing using the value of what you already have.
Should I require security to secure an business loan?
For loans that exceed $150K, it is not necessary to secure assets prior to the loan’s access however, we do require an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with the terms of your loan (as stated in your loan contract) Asset security will never be required. If you take out loans in excess of $150,000 generally there is the option of a personal ensure and security is provided in the form of the charge of assets.