FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Tell me more about Lower Hutt Small Business Loans
Lower Hutt unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 with terms between 3 and 24 month and cash flow-friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
What is the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional business loan?
You can apply to your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or by phone. You will receive an answer within the same day and the money could be in your account in 24 hours. Traditional company loans reference an annual rate of interest together with additional fees and charges. The business loan is a loan that is priced upfront and you’ll know in advance the amount you will have to pay, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is divided into weekly or daily payment amount.
What could be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost any business use, including managing cash flows, business improvements, advertising for purchasing inventory or new equipment, for general working capital and so much more. The loan is not available for personal purposes.
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 company expansion opportunities. Loans range from $100,000 to $500,000 for a fixed period of for up to 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly, depending on your cash flow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, which is calculated at 2.5 percent of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan of this size, your business needs to have been in operation for at least 3 years, and have an annual income of $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years, own a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able demonstrate at minimum 12 months of business.
What can I use the funds for?
A Larger Business Loan can be used for almost any company reason, such as company renovations, purchase of new equipment or inventory as well as for general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is required for funding of more than $150,000. It’s by taking a charge against assets, and may include registering this in the PPSR or registering a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a promise to pay back a loan that is general in nature, rather than specifying the security for a particular asset. The person signing the guarantee is personally responsible if the company the borrower fails to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online registry run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests that are registered for personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR permits prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned according to the date a registration of a security interest.
Caveats are legal form of document to provide an official notice of a claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval minus Credit Check?
If you’re requesting larger business loans of more than $250,000 we may be able to provide an initial pre-approval in order to make the process. We might be able to get this done without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. The pre-approval is based upon an initial assessment that includes answering a couple of financial health questions. It is not an offer of credit or guarantee of funds. A conditional approval is subject a full credit assessment and any offer you are offered could be based on different terms.
The application process
Do I have the right to receive funds?
You can apply for an business loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over 18 years, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months of trading (for a 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 quick and easy. Just complete the online application in few minutes and an experienced company credit specialist will contact you to guide you through the process.
To apply for up to $100,000 you’ll need the right identification documents (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as a valid NZBN/IRD as well as at least six months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K – $250K: Information about the application including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if loan above $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details of the application, including credit consent as well as 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statements Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim financial statements for the current year, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables reports.
How fast will I get a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) we can often offer an answer within an hour if you submit your request at standard company hours and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements , we’ll be able to offer a decision in just an business day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K up to $500,000) we might be capable of provide you with pre-approval conditional to your application within about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is around 2-3 days for final approval. However, this can be quicker based upon the circumstances for each application. Some transactions have received approval within just 24 hours.
The most effective method would be to ensure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our advance bank verification to check your bank’s information online. If you opt to send us duplicates of your banking accounts, it may take a bit longer.
How soon will I receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we usually provide an answer within an hour – as long as you submit your request at standard business times and permit us to use the bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you want to upload copies of your bank statements, we will be able to offer an answer in just one business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we may be in a position to offer the conditional pre-approval in around six hours. Once you’ve signed your pre-approval form, it will take about 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Certain deals have been approved in 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to verify your bank account information online. If you choose to upload the copies of bank statement, it will take a little longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a certain amount, we look at a variety of factors to determine your health that is your company as well as the amount of the repayments your company can support. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specific circumstances that are unique to your company.
If you apply for a certain amount, we consider a variety of variables to determine how much we can lend you such as well-being of the business and the level of the repayments your company is able to afford. The total amount of your loan will depend on the specifics the business.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for an business loan?
When you request our business loan, we will assess the risk profile of your company and provide an individualised proposal that includes loan amount, term and the interest rates. A company loan is an upfront priced loan which means you know the exact amount payable including any costs, fees, or interest rates.
What determines the amount I will be charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on several variables like the amount to be borrowed, the company assets the funds are used to purchase, the industry the business is operating in, how long the business has been running as well as what percentage of the company has sufficient cash flow to pay for the loan, and general health or creditworthiness of the company.
What are the charges?
There aren’t any hidden charges for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much you be required to pay, and when, starting from the first day. There’s not any compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as as long as you pay your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You are able to apply for a loan absolutely no upfront cost and no commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated in establishing and managing the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you decide to take the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Can I pay off the loan in advance?
You can decide to repay all of your loan at any point in time.
If you are deciding to do this please talk to one of our helpful company loans specialists. They’ll offer you with details on repayment along with an early payout estimate. This will be calculated as the sum of the principal remaining and any accrued interest at the date of early payout and 1.5 percent of the remaining principal as well as any outstanding fees.
How do you make repayments work?
To help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line with your cash flow cycle we provide payments that are either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from your business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be secure?
Protecting your information, and making it clear how we collect, use, exchange and secure your information, is crucial and is an essential aspect 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 and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to security for our customers and security. We employ an exceptionally sophisticated bank verification system link to immediately verify the bank account details online, allowing us to provide rapid response.
About business loans
What exactly is an asset-based loan (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where the company owner uses the assets they have to make a loan. The asset may be a personal asset like the family home, or it could be a business asset such as a vehicle as well as a piece of machine.
The majority of the lenders not just the banks with the biggest size, prefer to make loans secured by assets. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan, the asset could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence it’s an opportunity to secure new financing using the value of what you already own.
Should I need security to secure a business loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans it is not necessary to secure assets upfront to access the money However, we do require an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with your loan commitments (as specified in the loan contract), asset security will never be needed. For loans over $150K typically, you will need a personal ensure and security in the form of an asset charge.