FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Aotea Small Business Loans
Let me know how you can avail the Aotea Small Business Loans
Aotea unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months, cash flow-friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What makes this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional business loan?
The application to get the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or over the phone, receive a same day response and have the funds in your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans have an annual interest rate as well as other fees and charges. Our company loan is a cash-based loan therefore you’ll know ahead of time the total amount to be paid, including the interest, fees and charges. This is then divided into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every business use, including the management of cash flow, business improvements, advertising for purchasing inventory or new equipment, for general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About larger Aotea Business Loans
What is the Larger Aotea Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund company growth opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 over a fixed term up to 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate you cashflow.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
This 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 qualify for a loan in this amount, your business needs to be trading for at least 3 years, and have an annual income of $700,000. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at the least 12 months of operating.
How can the funds be used for?
A Larger Business Loan can be used for almost all company need, including business improvements, purchasing equipment or inventory, as general working capital and so 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 funding of more than $150,000. It is usually in the form of a charge against assets, and could include registration in the PPSR or making as a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a commitment to pay back a loan that is general in nature, rather than defining security over a particular asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally responsible if the business borrower is unable to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central registry run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests which are registered with respect to personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR allows the priority of personal property assigned according to the date the security interest was registered.
A caveat is a legal document filed to provide notice of a legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
If you’re applying for an enterprise loan that exceeds $250,000, we may offer a preliminary pre-approval to help ease the process. We could be able to do this without a credit check and within six hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering a few financial well-being checks. It’s in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of financing. Unconditional approval is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you may receive may be on different conditions.
The application process
Are I eligible for funding?
You can apply for an company loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and own a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months of business (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 easy. Just complete the online application in few minutes and a dedicated company lending specialist will be in touch to guide you through the process.
To apply for up $100,000, you’ll need the right identification documents (valid Driver’s Licence), a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months of bank statements.
If you’re looking for loans with larger sizes, you’ll require:
$100K to $250K: Application details including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K to $500K: Information on the application including credit consent and 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statements, last 2 years finalised financial statements, in addition to interim financials from the current financial year as well as Aged Payables and Receivables summary.
How fast will I get a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we typically provide an answer in just one hour, provided you submit your request within quality company time and let us utilise the bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank details online. If you decide to upload copies of your bank statements , we are able to provide a decision in as little as the span of one company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K up to $500,000) we may be likely to offer you with a conditional pre-approval within six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however it could be faster based upon the circumstances for each application. Some deals have been approved within 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply is to ensure you apply during standard company hours, and permit us to use the advanced bank verification system 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 quickly will I receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K up to $100,000) we can often provide an answer in just one hour, provided you apply in normal business timings and let us make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload copies of your banking statements, we are able to offer a decision within 1 business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we could be in a position to provide you with pre-approval conditional to your application within 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this could be shorter based on the specifics of each application. Some offers have been approved within 24 hours.
The fastest method for you to apply is ensure you apply during standard business hours. Also, allow us to use our sophisticated bank verification to verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload the copies of bank statements it can take a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount, we consider a variety of elements that determine what is the health for your business and the level of repayments your business is able to afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specifics that are unique to your company.
When you apply for a set amount, we look at a range of factors to assess your health for your business and the amount of payments your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the particulars the company.
Fees & repayments
What is the cost for an company loan?
When you make an application for one of our business credit, we will assess the risk assessment that you have for your company and provide you with a tailored offer that includes the loan amount, the terms and interest rates. It is a business loan is an upfront cost loan which means you be aware in advance of the total amount payable including any charges or interest.
What determines the rate that I am charged?
Interest rates for business loans rates differ based on various factors like the amount of money of money borrowed, the business assets the funds will be used for, the industry the company operates in, how long the business is in operation and in the event that the business has sufficient cash flow to fund the loan, and also the general health or creditworthiness of the business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden fees for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much you need to pay, and when, right from the very first day. There’s not any compounding interest and no additional fees (as as long as you pay your payments punctually).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to apply for a loan without any upfront costs or obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated with the setting up and management of the loan. This is only a fee if you proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Can I pay off the loan earlier?
You may choose to pay back all of your loan in full at any time.
If you decide to pursue this option, please call our helpful business lending specialists. They’ll provide you with details for repayment along with an early payout estimate. This is calculated as the total of the principal amount remaining and the accrued interest up to the time of early payout, plus 1.5% of the principal amount remaining and any fees that remain unpaid.
How do you make repayments work?
In order to help you avoid missing payments and to work your cash flow cycle we provide payments that are either weekly or daily. These are automatically deducted from your designated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being upfront about the ways we gather, use, exchange and ensure the security of your information is crucial and is an essential 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 as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We utilise a sophisticated bank verification system to instantly verify the bank account details online. This allows us to offer rapid response.
About business loans
What exactly is an asset-based loan (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when a business owner makes use of assets they own to secure the funds for a loan. The asset could be an asset belonging to the personal, like the family home or an business asset such as a vehicle or piece or equipment.
The vast majority of lenders, even the big banks, tend to guarantee loans against an asset. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, your asset may be transferred to the lender. In essence it’s a way of securing additional financing using the value of what you already own.
Should I require security to secure an business loan?
For loans of up to $150,000, no asset security is required prior to the loan’s access However, we do require a personal guarantee. As long as you follow your loan obligations (as detailed in your loan contract) the security of assets is not required. For loans over $150,000 generally, you can get an individual guarantee and security that is in the form an asset charge.