FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Tell me how you can avail the Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Lower Hutt unsecured loans provides amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What is the Unsecured Loan different from an traditional business loan?
The application for this Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes over the phone, receive a same day response and the funds could be in your account in 24 hours. Traditional business loans are based on an annual rate of interest along with other charges and fees. We offer a business loan is a cash-based loan which means you know in advance the total amount due, which includes the interest, fees and charges. This is then broken down into either weekly or daily payment amount.
What could the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used for virtually any business reason, such as managing cash flows, company remodels and marketing to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About the Larger Lower Hutt Business Loans
What is the Larger Lower Hutt Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size loan to aid in company expansion opportunities. Loans are between $100,000 and $500,000 with a fixed-term with a maximum of 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly depending on you cashflow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
It is important to note that the Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, determined at 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
In order to be eligible for a loan that is this large the business needs to have been trading for at least 3 years with an annual turnover of $700K. The applicant must also be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years as well as own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of business.
How can the funds be utilised?
A larger company loan can be used for almost every company need, including business renovations, purchase of inventory or new equipment as well as for general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is necessary to access funding over $150,000. It is usually as a result of an charge on assets, and could be registered with the PPSR or registering as a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a commitment to repay a loan which is general in nature rather than specifying security over an asset. The person who is signing the guarantee is personally accountable if the business creditor is unable to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central register operated by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are that are registered for personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR grants priority over personal property to be granted according to the date a security interest has been registered.
Caveats are legal form of document to provide 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 an enterprise loan that exceeds $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval in order to ease the process. We may be able to make this decision without a credit check, and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial well-being questions. It is not an offer of credit or guarantee of funds. Unconditional approval is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you may receive may be on different conditions.
Application process
Do I have the right to receive funds?
You can apply for a company loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are at least 18 years old, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months worth of trade (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and easy. Just fill out the online application within a few minutes and a dedicated business lending specialist will contact you to guide you through the process.
For a loan of up to $100,000 you’ll need the right identification documents (valid Driver’s Licence) along with a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also require:
$100K to $250K: Information about the application including credit approval, 6-12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if credit is over $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details for application including credit consent and 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statement, last 2 years finalised financial statements, and interim financial statements for the current year as well as Aged Payables and Receivables summary.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we usually offer a response in one hour, provided you make your application within standard business timings and you allow us to make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements we can provide an answer within 1 company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we may be likely to provide the conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however it could be faster based on the circumstances 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 permit us to use the advanced bank verification system to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you choose to upload duplicates of your banking statement, it takes a bit longer.
What is the time frame to receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we can often provide an answer within one hour – as long as you make your application in standard business hours and let us utilise the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to upload copies of your banking statements, we will be able to provide a decision in as little as an business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we might be likely to provide you with a conditional pre-approval in about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are around 2-3 days for final approval, however this may be quicker depending upon the circumstances for each application. Some offers have been approved in just 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours. Also, permit us to use the modern bank verification link to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you opt to send us documents from your account statements, it will take a little longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a specific amount we consider a variety of aspects to determine your well-being that is your company and the amount of the repayments your business can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specifics of your business.
When you make an application for a certain amount, we take into consideration a variety of variables to assess how much we can lend you such as well-being for your company and the amount of repayments that your business can afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the particulars for your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for a business loan?
When you apply for our company loan, we will assess the risk profile for your company and provide you with a tailored offer that includes loan amount, term and interest rates. A business loan is an upfront-priced loan so you will be aware in advance of the total amount you will have to pay, including costs, fees, or interest rates.
What is the basis for the rate I will be charged?
Interest rates for business loans rates depend on several factors including the amount borrowed, the business assets the money are used to purchase and the sector the business operates in, how long the company is in operation for, what percentage of the business has enough cash flow to support the loan, and overall well-being and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the charges?
There aren’t any hidden charges for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much you’ll need to pay, and when, right from the day you sign up. There’s not any compounding interest and no additional fees (as as long as you pay your payments in time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You can make an application for loans with without any upfront costs or obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with establishing and managing the loan. This is only a fee if you decide to take the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Can I pay out the loan early?
You can choose to repay the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you choose to pursue this option, please contact our helpful business loan professionals. They will provide you with details for repayment and an early payout figure. This will be calculated as the total of the principal amount remaining and the accrued interest up to the date of early payout plus 1.5 percent of the principal remaining and any fees that remain unpaid.
What is the process for repayments?
In order to help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line your cash flow schedule, we provide repayments either weekly or daily. These are automatically withdrawn from your business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being transparent about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and safeguard your data, is of paramount importance and an integral part of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We utilise industry-recognised encryption protocols to safeguard your sensitive, personal financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to the security of our clients as well as their security. We make use of an advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account details online. This allows us to provide an immediate response.
About business loans
What is asset-based borrowing (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where a company owner utilises an asset that they own to obtain the funding. The asset could be an individual asset, such as the family home, or it could be a company property like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The majority of banks, even the big banks, tend to secure loans against assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, the asset could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence it is an opportunity to secure new financing making use of the value of what you already have.
Should I need security for an business loan?
For loans of up to $150K, it is not necessary to secure assets upfront to access the money However, we require a personal guarantee. require an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with your loan commitments (as specified in the loan contract) Asset security is not required. For loans over $150,000 typically, you will need an individual ensure and security that is in the form a charge over assets.