FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Let me know about the Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Lower Hutt unsecured loans provides the range of $5,000 to $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months. They also offer cash flow-friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
What makes how is the Unsecured Loan different from an traditional business loan?
It is possible to apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes over the phone. You’ll get a same day response and have the funds in your account in 24 hours. Traditional company loans reference an annual rate of interest as well as other fees and charges. Our business loan is an upfront priced loan therefore you’ll know ahead of time the total amount to be paid, including the interest, fees and charges. Then, it is broken down into either weekly or daily payment amount.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly any business reason, such as cash flow management, business improvements, advertising to purchase inventory or new equipment, for general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used to fund personal expenses.
About Larger Lower Hutt Business Loans
What is the Larger Lower Hutt Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help business growth opportunities. Loans range from $100,000 to $500,000 for a fixed period of for up to 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly depending on you cashflow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
The Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is determined at 2.5 percent of the amount of the loan.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan of this size, your company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. Your company must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at least 12 months of trading.
How can the funds be used for?
A Larger Business Loan is a great option for almost all business reason, such as business remodeling, buying equipment or inventory, as general working capital and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is required for accessing funds over $150,000. This is as a result of an charge against assets, which could also include registration through the PPSR or registering as a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a promise to repay credit that is general in nature, rather than defining the security for a particular asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally liable in the event that the company borrower is unable to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central register run by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are granted to individuals who own personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR gives prioritisation over property that is personal to be granted 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 against a property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
When you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that is greater than $250K, we may offer a preliminary pre-approval to help smooth out the process. We could be able to apply for this without credit checks and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is based on an initial evaluation that involves you answering a few financial health checks. This is in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of financing. A conditional approval is subject an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you might receive could be on different terms.
The application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You may apply for an business loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are at least 18 years old, have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months worth of trade (for for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K up to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and easy. Just complete the online application in just a few minutes, and an experienced company loan specialist will contact you to assist you.
To apply for up to $100,000 you’ll require ID details (valid Driver’s Licence) along with an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also need:
$100K-$250K: Application details including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K – $500K: Information on the application including credit consent, 12 months bank statement, an IRD statement Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, in addition to interim financial statements for the current year such as age-related payables and aged Receivables summaries.
How soon will I hear an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) We can usually offer an answer within an hour, provided you submit your request in quality company timings and allow us to utilise the bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements we can offer an answer within just one company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K and up) we might be capable of offer you with conditional pre-approval within about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this can be quicker based on the circumstances of each application. Certain agreements have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The quickest method is to make sure you apply during normal business hours and let us use the advance bank verification to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you choose to upload documents from your account statement, it takes a bit longer.
How soon will I receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we can often offer a response in one hour, provided you submit your request during standard business timings and let us utilise the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to submit copies of your bank statements, we are able to provide the decision within an business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we may be able to provide you with conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however this could be shorter based on the specifics of each application. Some agreements have been approved in the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is ensure you apply during standard business hours. You can also allow us to use our advance bank verification to confirm your bank details online. If you upload the copies of bank accounts, it takes a bit longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We offer the loan amount between $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a certain amount we will consider a number of aspects that determine how much we can lend you well-being of the business and the amount of repayments that your business can support. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specific circumstances that are unique to your business.
If you apply for a set amount, we take into consideration a variety of variables to assess how much we can lend you such as health of the company and the level of repayments that your company can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particular circumstances for your business.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for an business loan?
If you decide to request the business loans, we’ll assess the risk profile the business and offer an individualised offer that includes loan amount, term and the interest rates. A business loan is an upfront cost loan therefore you will be aware of the total amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What determines the amount I’m charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of factors like the amount of money of money borrowed, the business assets the funds are used to purchase in addition to the industry that the company is operating in, how long the business has been operating and whether the company has sufficient cash flow to fund the loan, and the general well-being and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the costs?
There are no hidden costs for our business loans. You’ll know precisely what you need to pay and when, starting from day one. There’s no compounding and no extra fees (as long as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can apply for a loan with no upfront cost or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated in establishing and managing the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Can I pay out the loan early?
You can repay the entire amount of your loan early at any time.
If you choose to take this route, please talk to one of our helpful company lending experts. The professionals will provide you with the details of your repayment along with an early payout estimate. It will be calculated using the sum of the remaining principal amount and accrued interest to the time of the early payout in addition to 1.5 percent of the principal balance plus any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
In order to help you avoid missing payments and to work with your cash flow general, we offer repayments that are either daily or weekly. These are automatically withdrawn from your business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being clear about how we collect, use, exchange and ensure the security of your information is of huge 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 secure your sensitive, personal as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to security for our customers and privacy. We employ an exceptionally sophisticated bank verification system link to immediately verify the bank account details online, allowing us to provide quick responses.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing occurs when the company owner utilises assets they own to obtain the funds for a loan. The asset could be an individual property, such as the family home or it could be a business property like a truck or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lenders, not just the banks with the biggest size, prefer to guarantee loans against assets. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan, your asset may be taken over by the lender. In essence, it is means of securing new funding taking advantage of the value of what you already own.
Should I need security for a business loan?
Up to $150K in loans no asset security is required upfront to access the money however, we do require a personal guarantee. If you adhere to your loan obligations (as detailed in your loan contract document), asset security is not required. For loans of over $150,000 generally, there is a personal guarantee and security in the form a charge over assets.