FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Information About The West Harbour Small Business Loans
Let me know how you can avail the West Harbour Small Business Loans
West Harbour unsecured loans offers amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 with terms between 3 and 24 months, cash flow-friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
What makes this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional business loan?
Apply to your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an immediate response, and the money could be available in just 24 hours. Traditional business loans reference an interest rate per annum as well as other fees and charges. We offer a company loan is a cash-based loan therefore you’ll be aware of the total amount to be paid, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is divided into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every company reason, such as cash flow management, company renovations, marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, or as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About Larger West Harbour Business Loans
What is the Larger West Harbour Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 for a fixed period of for up to 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly to work with the flow of cash.
How’s the Origination Fee calculated?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, determined at 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan of this size the company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years and have an annual turnover of $700K. Your company must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years or have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at the least 12 months of operating.
What can the funding be used for?
A large company loan can be used to fund almost all company need, including business renovations, purchase of equipment or inventory as well as for general working capital and so much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is needed for accessing funds over $150,000. This is as a result of an charge against assets, which could also include the registration of this with the PPSR or filing a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a commitment to pay off a credit line that is general in nature rather than stipulating the security of a specific asset. The person signing the ensure is personally liable in the event that the business borrower is unable 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 which are registered with respect to personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR allows prioritisation over property that is personal to be granted according to the date a security interest that is registered.
The caveat can be described as a formal document that is filed to provide an official notice of a claim to property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
When you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250,000 we may be able to provide a preliminary pre-approval to help simplify the process. We may be able to get this done without a credit check and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval process is based on a preliminary assessment which includes the answer to a series of financial health questions. It’s not an offer of credit or guarantee of finance. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer that you are offered could be based on different terms.
Application process
Are I eligible for funding?
You are eligible to apply for a company loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are 18 years or older, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months of trading (for you to qualify for 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 fast and easy. Simply complete the online form in few minutes and a dedicated business expert in lending will call you to assist you.
To apply for up to $100,000, you’ll need proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as a valid NZBN/IRD as well as at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K-$250K: Application details including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K – $500K: Application details including credit consent, 12 months bank statement, an IRD statement, last 2 years finalised financial statements, plus interim financials from the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summaries.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) We can usually offer an answer within one hour, provided you make your application in standard company hours and let us utilise the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank details online. If you choose to send us copies of your bank statements we can offer the decision in as little as one company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we could be likely to offer you with pre-approval conditional to your application in around six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are around 2-3 days for final approval, however this could be shorter based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some transactions have received approval within 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during normal business hours, and permit us to use the modern bank verification link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload duplicates of your banking statements it will take a little longer.
How soon will I receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K or more) We can usually provide an answer within an hour, provided you make your application at normal business timings and permit us to make use of the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank details online. If you decide to upload copies of your bank statements, we’ll be able to provide a decision in just the span of one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) we may be able to provide you with conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will require to wait around 2-3 days for final approval. However, this may be quicker depending on the specifics of each application. Some offers have been approved in 24 hours.
The fastest way would be to make sure you apply during normal business hours. Also, allow us to use the sophisticated bank verification to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you opt to send us the copies of bank statement, it can take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 to $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount, we will consider a number of factors to determine how much we can lend you health for your company as well as the amount of repayments that your company can support. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances the company.
When you apply for a certain amount, we take into consideration a variety of elements to determine how much we can lend you such as well-being for your business and the extent of payments your company can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specifics the company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a business loan?
If you decide to apply for the company loans, we will assess the risk profile the business and offer an individualised offer including loan amount, term and the interest rates. This business loan is an upfront cost loan and you’ll know the exact amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What is the basis for the rate I will be charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates vary due to factors like the amount of money of money borrowed, the business assets the money are used to purchase, the industry the company is in, how long the business has been running as well as in the event that the company has sufficient cash flow to fund the loan, and general health and creditworthiness of the company.
What are the fees?
There are no hidden fees for our business loans. You’ll be aware of the amount you be required to pay and when, right from the first day. There’s no compounding and no extra fees (as as long as you pay your payments in time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to make an application for loans with no upfront cost or commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with 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 percentage of the loan amount.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan in advance?
You can repay all of your loan at any point in time.
If you choose to take this route, please speak to our friendly business lending professionals. We will offer you with details for repayment and an early payout figure. This is calculated as the total of the remaining principal amount and accrued interest to the time of the early payout, plus 1.5 percent of the principal remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
What are the repayment methods?
To ensure that you don’t miss payments and to work your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either daily or weekly. They are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
The security of your personal information, as well as being clear about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and safeguard your data, is vital 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 techniques to protect your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to security for our customers and privacy. We utilise a sophisticated bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online so we can provide rapid response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when the business owner makes use of an asset that they own to obtain a loan. The asset can be an asset belonging to the personal, like the family home, or an business property like a truck or piece of equipment.
The majority of the lenders even the largest banks, are inclined to secure loans against assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, then the asset could be transferred to the lender. In essence, it’s means of securing new funding making use of the value of what you already own.
Should I need security to secure a company loan?
For loans that exceed $150K, there is no requirement for asset security upfront to access the money but we do require an individual guarantee. If you adhere to your loan obligations (as specified in your loan contract) the security of assets will never be required. For loans over $150K generally, you are able to get an individual guarantee and security is provided in the form of charges on assets.