FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Forrest Hill Small Business Loans
Let me know more about Forrest Hill Small Business Loans
Forrest Hill unsecured loans provides amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000, with terms ranging from 3 and 24 months and cash flow friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
What is what makes the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional business loan?
You can apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes over the phone. You’ll get an answer within the same day and the funds could be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans refer to an annual rate of interest together with additional fees and charges. This business loan is an upfront priced loan therefore you’ll be aware of the total amount due, which includes any interest, fees or charges. This is then broken down into weekly or daily installment amount.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used for virtually every company use, including cash flow management, company improvements, advertising to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
Concerning Larger Forrest Hill Business Loans
What is the Larger Forrest Hill Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size loan to aid in company growth opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 for a fixed period of for up to 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is calculated at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan that is this large the company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years with an annual turnover of $700K. The applicant must also be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) who is over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of continuous trading.
How can the funding be utilised?
A Larger Business Loan can be used for almost any business purpose including company renovations, purchase of new equipment or inventory or as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is necessary for funding of more than $150,000. It’s by taking a charge against assets, and may include registering this with the PPSR or making as a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a guarantee to repay a loan which is generally based rather than defining the security for a particular asset. The person who is signing the ensure is personally liable if the company borrower 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 contains security interests registered in respect of personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR permits preference over private property assigned depending on the date that a security interest that is registered.
An affidavit is an official form of document to provide the legal claim to property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for larger business loans that is greater than $250,000 it is possible to offer an initial pre-approval in order to simplify the process. We may 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 you answering some financial well-being checks. It is not an offer or guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer that you might receive could be subject to different conditions.
Application process
Can I be eligible for funding?
You may 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)
- must show at least six months of business (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K up to $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and easy. Just fill out the online application within a few minutes and a dedicated company loan specialist will call you to assist you.
To be eligible for up to $100,000 you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) along with an active NZBN/IRD, and at least 6 months of bank statements.
If you’re looking for loans with larger sizes, you’ll also need:
$100K to $250K: Application requirements, including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K – $500K: Information on the application including credit consent, 12 months of bank records, IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, in addition to interim current financial year financials such as age-related payables and aged Receivables Summary.
How soon will I hear an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we typically provide an answer within one hour – as long as you submit your request in quality business timings and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you want to send us copies of your bank statements we can provide the decision within just the span of one company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K up to $500,000) we may be capable of provide you with a conditional pre-approval within 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however this may be quicker depending on the specifics of each application. Some agreements have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal company hours, and allow us to use the advance bank verification link to check your bank’s information online. If you decide to upload the copies of bank statement, it will take a little longer.
How fast will I get the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K or more) we can often offer an answer within an hour – provided you apply within normal business time and allow us to make use of the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to submit copies of your bank statements we can provide a decision within the span of one business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we may be able to offer you with a conditional pre-approval within 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this could be shorter based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some agreements have been approved within the space of 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 information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statement, it can take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide loan amounts between $5,000 to $500,000. If you apply for a specific amount we will consider a number of elements in order to assess what is the health for your business and the extent of repayments that your business will be able to support. The total amount of your loan will depend on the specifics the company.
When you submit an application for a set amount, we take into consideration a variety of aspects to determine your well-being of the business and the extent of the repayments your business will be able to support. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the particulars the business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for a business loan?
When you apply for our business loans, we will assess the risk profile of your company and offer you with a customised offer that includes the amount of the loan, the duration and interest rates. A company loan is an upfront cost loan therefore you will be aware of the total amount you will have to pay, including costs, fees, or interest rates.
What is the factor that determines the price I’m charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of factors such as the amount that is borrowed, what business assets the money are used to purchase, the industry the business is operating in, how long the company is in operation and what percentage of the business has sufficient cash flow to support the loan, and the overall well-being or financial standing of the company.
What are the fees?
There are no hidden costs with our company loans. You’ll know precisely how much it is that you be required to pay, and when, starting from the day you sign up. There’s not any compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as long as you make your payments punctually).
We do not charge an application fee. You are able to apply for a loan with no cost upfront or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated in establishing and managing the loan. You are only charged this fee if you proceed with the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5% of the amount of loan.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan in advance?
You may choose to pay back all of your loan early at any time.
If you do decide to do this please speak to our friendly business lending professionals. They will provide you with the details of your repayment and an early payout figure. The figure will be calculated as the sum of the principal amount remaining and accrued interest to the time of early payment, plus 1.5 percent of the principal amount remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
What are the repayment methods?
To help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line your cash flow schedule, we offer repayments either weekly or daily. They will be automatically deducted from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
The security of your personal information, as well as making it clear the ways we gather the information we collect, use, share and protect your information, is of paramount importance and is an essential part of our relationship 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 customers as well as their privacy. We utilise a sophisticated banking verification system to instantly verify the bank account details online. This allows us to provide an immediate response.
About business loans
What is asset-based borrowing (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when an company owner uses an asset that they own to get the funds for a loan. The asset can be an individual asset, such as the family home, or an business property like a truck as well as a piece of machine.
The vast majority of the lenders not just the big banks, tend to guarantee loans against assets. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, the asset could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence, it’s a way of securing new financing by taking advantage of the value of what you already own.
Should I require security for a business loan?
For loans up to $150,000 no asset security is required prior to the loan’s access but we do require the personal guarantee. So long as you comply with the loan terms (as detailed in your loan contract), asset security is not required. For loans that exceed $150K, generally, you are able to get personal ensure and security is provided in the form of a charge over assets.