FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Highgate Small Business Loans
Tell me more about Highgate Small Business Loans
Highgate unsecured loans provides the range of $5,000 to $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
What is the Unsecured Loan different from an ordinary company loan?
Apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes over the phone. You’ll get an instant response and funds may be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans reference an interest rate per annum as well as other fees and charges. We offer a company loan is an upfront priced loan and you’ll be aware in advance of the total amount to be paid, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is divided into weekly or daily installment amount.
What could be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly any business use, including cash flow management, business renovations, marketing to purchase inventory or new equipment, for general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
About the Larger Highgate Business Loans
What is the Larger Highgate Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund company expansion opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 with a fixed-term for up to 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your cash flow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
The Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is calculated at 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan of this size, your business needs to have been in operation for at least 3 years and have an annual turnover of $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at least 12 months of trading.
What can the funding be used for?
A large company loan can be used for almost any business reason, such as company renovations, to purchase new equipment or inventory or as general working capital and so much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is required for funding of more than $150,000. This can be done by way of charge on assets, which could also include the registration of this with the PPSR or making as a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a commitment to repay credit that is generally based rather than stipulating the security of a specific asset. The person who is signing the ensure is personally accountable if the company creditor is unable to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central registry run by the New Zealand Government. It records security interests that have been registered in respect of personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR permits preference over private property assigned in accordance with the date on which a security interest was registered.
An affidavit is an official document lodged to provide the legal claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that is greater than $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval that will help ease the process. We might be able to do this without a credit check, and within 6 hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment, which involves the answer to a series of financial health checks. It’s not an offer of credit or guarantee of finance. A conditional approval is subject a full credit assessment and any offer that you might receive could be subject to different terms.
Application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You may be eligible for a company loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over 18 years, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months’ worth of transactions (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trade (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and easy. Just complete the online application in just a few minutes, and a dedicated company lending specialist will contact you to help you.
To apply for up to $100,000 you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s License) as well as an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K-$250K: Details of application, including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K – $500K: Application details including credit consent and 12 months of bank records, IRD statements Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, and interim financial statements for the current year as well as Aged Payables and Receivables summary.
How quickly will I receive an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) We can usually offer an answer in just one hour, provided you submit your request during quality company hours and let us utilise the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you decide to submit copies of your bank statements we can provide a decision in as little as one company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we may be likely to provide you with a conditional pre-approval within about six hours. After you’ve signed your pre-approval document, you will need to wait around 2-3 days for final approval. However, this can be quicker based upon the circumstances for each application. Some agreements have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The fastest way would be to make sure you apply during normal company hours. You can also allow us to use the advance bank verification to verify your bank information online. If you upload the copies of bank statement, it may take a bit longer.
How fast will I get the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we can often provide a response in one hour if you submit your request in standard business timings and permit us to use the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you want to submit copies of your bank statements, we’ll be able to offer a decision in just one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we could be in a position to provide you with pre-approval conditional to your application within 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval form, it will take approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this can be faster depending on the specifics of each application. Some agreements have been approved in just 24 hours.
The fastest method can be make sure you apply during standard business hours. Also, permit us to use the advance bank verification to confirm your bank details online. If you send us the copies of bank statements it will take a little longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount we will consider a number of elements for determining what is the health that is your business and the level of repayments that your business can afford. The total amount of your loan will depend on the particular circumstances for your company.
If you apply for a set amount, we will consider a number of aspects to determine the well-being of the business and the amount of repayments your company can afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the particulars of your business.
Fees & repayments
What is the cost for the cost of a company loan?
When you make an application for business loans with us business credit, we’ll assess the risk assessment for your business and offer you with a customised offer that includes 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 to be paid, including any costs, fees, or interest rates.
What is the factor that determines the price I will be charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of variables like the amount to be borrowed, the company assets the funds are used to purchase and the sector the business operates in, the long the company has been operating as well as whether the business has sufficient cash flow to cover the loan, and overall health or creditworthiness of the company.
What are the fees?
There aren’t any hidden costs with our business loans. You’ll know exactly how much it is that you need to pay, and at what time, from day one. There’s not any compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as long as you are able to make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You are able to apply for a loan with with no upfront cost or the obligation to take action.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated with setting up and managing the loan. You are only charged this 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 repay the loan in advance?
You can decide to repay the total amount of your loan at any point in time.
If you decide to do this please speak to our friendly company lending experts. The experts will provide you with details on repayment as well as an early payout amount. This will be calculated as the sum of the remaining principal amount and accrued interest to the time of the early payout and 1.5% of the principal balance plus any outstanding fees.
How do you make repayments work?
To help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line with your cash flow standard, we offer repayments that are either daily or weekly. These are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being clear about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and ensure the security of your information is of huge importance and an integral aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We employ industry-recognised encryption protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our dedication to customer security and privacy. We employ a highly sophisticated banking verification system to instantly confirm your bank account information online to offer quick responses.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing occurs when the business owner utilises an asset that they own to obtain the funds for a loan. The asset may be a personal asset like the family home or it could be a business asset such as a vehicle or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lending institutions, including the largest banks, are inclined to secure loans against assets. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan then the asset might be sold by the lender. In essence, it’s a way of securing additional financing using the worth of the asset you already own.
Do I require security to secure a company loan?
For loans up to $150K no asset security is required in advance to gain access to the funds however, we do require a personal guarantee. In the event that you fulfill your loan obligations (as detailed in your loan contract) the security of assets is not needed. For loans that exceed $150K, typically, you will need the option of a personal guarantee and security that is in the form a charge over assets.