FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Sefton Small Business Loans
Tell me how you are able to avail the Sefton Small Business Loans
Sefton unsecured loans offers amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 months, cash flow-friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
What makes what makes the Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
Apply for the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an answer within the same day and the funds could be in your account in 24 hours. Traditional company loans are based on an annual interest rate plus other fees and charges. Our company loan is a pre-paid loan and you’ll be aware of the total amount to be paid, including any fees, charges or charges. Then, it is broken down into either weekly or daily payment amount.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every business purpose including cash flow management, business remodeling, marketing, to purchase inventory or new equipment, to fund general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
About larger Sefton Business Loans
What is the Larger Sefton Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company expansion opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 for a fixed period of with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is calculated at 2.5 percent of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan of this size, your company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years, and have an annual income of at least $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old or have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of business.
What can the funds be used for?
A Larger Business Loan can be used to fund almost any business purpose including business renovations, purchase of inventory or new equipment as well as for general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is needed for accessing funds over $150,000. It’s by way of charge against assets, and could be registered on the PPSR or making a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a commitment to pay off a credit line that is generally based rather than defining security over an asset. The person signing the ensure is personally liable if the company creditor is unable to make the repayment.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online register operated by the New Zealand Government. It reflects security interests that are registered for personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR grants the priority of personal property granted depending on the date that a security interest was registered.
Caveats are legal document that is filed to provide notice of a legal claim to property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
If you’re requesting an enterprise loan that exceeds $250K it’s possible to offer an initial pre-approval that will help ease the process. We could be able to make this decision without a credit check, and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval is based upon a preliminary assessment which includes you answering a few financial health checks. It is not an offer or guarantee of financing. A conditional approval is subject an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer that you might receive could be based on different conditions.
The application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You may apply for an business loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months of business (for for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trade (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and easy. Just complete the online application in few minutes and a dedicated business expert in lending will be in touch to assist you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s License) along with an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least six months of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K – $250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 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 twelve month bank accounts, the IRD statement as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, plus interim financial statements for the current year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summaries.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we usually offer an answer within an hour – as long as you submit your request within standard business times and allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank details online. If you choose to upload copies of your banking statements , we’ll be able to provide a decision in as little as an business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we might be able to offer the conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait around 2-3 days for final approval, however this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Some offers have been approved in the space of 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours. You can also allow us to use our modern bank verification to check your bank’s information online. If you decide to send us documents from your account statement, it will take a little longer.
How quickly will I receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we usually offer a response in one hour if you make your application at normal business time and you allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to submit copies of your bank statements, we will be able to offer an answer within one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we might be capable of offer you with pre-approval conditional to your application in around 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will require to wait around 2-3 days for final approval, however this could be shorter based on the specifics of each application. Some transactions have received approval in 24 hours.
The most efficient method is to make sure you apply during standard business hours and let us use the advance bank verification to check your bank’s information online. If you upload duplicates of your banking statement, it takes a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a certain amount, we will consider a number of elements that determine the well-being of the business and the level of repayments that your business can support. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the specifics that are unique to your business.
When you apply for a specific amount we will consider a number of factors to determine how much we can lend you such as health of the company and the level of repayments your company is able to afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particulars of your company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for a business loan?
When you apply for one of our business loans, we will assess the risk assessment the business and offer an individualised offer including the amount of loan, the term and the interest rates. A business loan is an upfront-priced loan therefore you will know in advance the total amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What determines the amount I will be charged?
The interest rates on business loans rates differ based on various factors like the amount of money borrowed, the company assets the money are used to purchase, the industry the company operates in, the long the business has been in operation for, how long the business has enough cash flow to support the loan, as well as the general well-being as well as creditworthiness company.
What are the cost?
There are no hidden costs for our business loans, and you’ll know exactly how much it is that you be required to pay and when, right from the first day. There’s no compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as long as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can apply for a loan absolutely no upfront cost and no any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated with setting up and managing the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5% of the loan amount.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan earlier?
You can repay the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you choose to pursue this option, please call our helpful company loans experts. We will provide you with details for repayment and an early payout figure. The figure will be calculated as the sum of the principal amount remaining plus any accrued interest as of the time of early payout, plus 1.5 percent of the principal remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
How do you make repayments work?
To make sure you do not miss payments and to work with your cash flow cycle we offer repayments either daily or weekly. They will be automatically deducted from your nominated company account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be secure?
Protecting your information, and making it clear how we collect the information we collect, use, share and secure your information, is crucial and is a crucial element of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption standards to secure your sensitive, personal as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to protecting the security of clients and security. We utilise a sophisticated banking verification system to instantly confirm your bank account information online. This allows us to provide quick responses.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when a business owner borrows from an asset they own to make the funding. The asset can be either an individual asset, such as the family home or a company asset such as a vehicle or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of banks, including the largest banks, are inclined to make loans secured by assets. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, then your assets could be sold by the lender. In essence it’s an opportunity to secure new funding using the worth of the asset you already own.
Are I require security for an business loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans it is not necessary to secure assets prior to the loan’s access, however we do need a personal guarantee. As long as you follow the loan terms (as specified in your loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not needed. If you take out loans in excess of $150K typically, you will need a personal ensure and security that is in the form an asset charge.