FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the West Harbour Small Business Loans
Tell me how you can avail the West Harbour Small Business Loans
West Harbour unsecured loans offers amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 months. They also offer cash flow friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
How is this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional company loan?
The application to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes by phone. You will receive a same day response and have the funds in your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans refer to an annual rate of interest plus other fees and charges. This business loan is a loan that is priced upfront which means you know ahead of time the total amount to be paid, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is broken down into either weekly or daily repayment figure.
What can you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost any company use, including managing cash flows, company remodeling, marketing to purchase inventory, new equipment, for general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
About larger West Harbour Business Loans
What is the Larger West Harbour Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support business expansion opportunities. Loans are between $100,000 and $500,000 with a fixed-term up to 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your situation.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, which is calculated at 2.5% of the loan amount.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
In order to be eligible for a loan in this amount, your company needs to have been operating for at least three years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old, own a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at least 12 months of trading.
What can the funds be used for?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used to fund almost all company purpose including business remodeling, buying 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 is secured?
Asset security is needed to access funding over $150,000. It is usually by taking a charge against assets, and may include registration in the PPSR or making a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a promise to repay a loan which is generally based rather than stating the security of a specific asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally liable if the company lender is not able to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online registry run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests registered in respect of personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR gives preference over private property granted depending on the date that a registration of a security interest.
A caveat is a legal document that is filed to offer the public notice of a legal claim to property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
If you’re applying for the Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval to ease the process. We might be able to apply for this without credit checks and within 6 hours of the initial application. The pre-approval process is based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial health questions. This is not an offer or guarantee of finance. Unconditional approval is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you receive could be based on different conditions.
Application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You are eligible to apply for a company loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months’ worth of transactions (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K up to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is quick and easy. Just fill out the online application in just a few minutes, and an experienced business credit specialist will call you to help you.
To apply for up to $100,000, you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s License), a valid NZBN/IRD as well as at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K-$250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 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 statements and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, and interim financials from the current financial year as well as Aged Payables and Receivables summary.
How quickly will I receive a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we usually provide a response in one hour, provided you make your application during quality company times and allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank details online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements we can offer an answer within an business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we may be in a position to provide you with pre-approval conditional to your application in around 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval form, it will take about 2-3 days for final approval, however this can be quicker based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain transactions have received approval within the space of 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our advance bank verification to check your bank’s information online. If you choose to send us duplicates of your banking accounts, it may take a bit longer.
What is the time frame to receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we usually provide an answer within an hour – provided you submit your request within normal business time and allow us to use the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements we can offer an answer in as little as an business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) We may be in a position to provide the conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain offers have been approved within less than 24 hours.
The fastest method is to make sure you apply during standard business hours. Also, permit us to use the advanced bank verification system link to verify your bank account information online. If you choose to upload duplicates of your banking statements it will take a little longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide loans ranging from $5,000 to $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount, we look at a variety of aspects for determining what is the well-being that is your company and the level of the repayments your business is able to afford. The total amount of your loan will be contingent on the specifics of your company.
When you apply for a specific amount we take into consideration a variety of elements to assess your health that is your company as well as the amount of the repayments your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the particular circumstances for your company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a company loan?
If you decide to apply for our company credit, we will assess the risk profile of your company and provide an individualised offer, including loan amount, term and the interest rates. A company loan is a loan that is priced upfront and you’ll be aware of the total amount payable including any interest rates, fees or charges.
What determines the rate that I am charged?
The interest rates on company loans rates depend on a variety of factors such as the amount that is of money borrowed, the business assets the funds are used to purchase in addition to the industry that the business is in, how long the business has been running, what percentage of the business has sufficient cash flow to pay for the loan, and the overall health and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the fees?
There aren’t any hidden costs for our company loans. You’ll know precisely how much you’ll need to pay and when, from the first day. There’s no compounding interest and the loan comes with no additional fees (as long as you are able to make your payments on time).
We do not charge an Application Fee. You are able to request a credit loan with no cost upfront or the obligation to take action.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated in establishing and managing the loan. This is only a fee if you decide to take the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Can I pay out the loan earlier?
You can repay the total amount of your advance loan at any time.
If you are deciding to take this route, please speak to our friendly business loans specialists. The experts will offer you with the details of your repayment and an early payment figure. The figure will be calculated as the total of the remaining principal amount and any accrued interest at the time of early payout, plus 1.5% of the principal balance plus any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
To ensure you do not miss due dates and also to be in line with your cash flow routine, we offer repayments that are either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from your designated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be secure?
Security of your data, and being clear about the ways we gather, use, exchange and safeguard your data, is vital and is a crucial part of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We utilise industry-recognised encryption techniques to protect your personal, sensitive financial and other data. Our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We employ a highly sophisticated banking verification system to immediately confirm your bank account information online to offer an immediate response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing occurs when a business owner borrows from assets they own to obtain the funding. The asset may be an asset belonging to the personal, like the family home or a business asset such as a vehicle or piece of equipment.
The majority of lending institutions, not just the major banks, prefer to secure loans against an asset. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan then the asset could be transferred to the lender. In essence it is the process of securing new funding using the value of what you already own.
Should I need security for a business loan?
For loans that exceed $150K, it is not necessary to secure assets before you can access the money, however we require a personal guarantee. need a personal guarantee. If you adhere to your loan obligations (as specified in the loan contract), asset security will never be required. For loans of over $150,000 generally there is personal ensure and security that is in the form the charge of assets.