FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Information About The Houghton Small Business Loans
Tell me more about Houghton Small Business Loans
Houghton unsecured loans provides amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 months, cash flow friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
What makes the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional company loan?
It is possible to apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes over the phone. You’ll get an answer within the same day and have the funds available in just 24 hours. Traditional business loans reference an interest rate per annum as well as other fees and charges. Our company loan is an upfront priced loan which means you be aware of the total amount to be paid, including any interest, fees or charges. Then, it is broken down into a daily or weekly amount to be paid back.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for almost any company need, such as cash flow management, company improvements, advertising to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used to fund personal expenses.
About Larger Houghton Business Loans
What is the Larger Houghton Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company expansion opportunities. Loans range from $100,000 to $500,000 with a term fixed that can last up to 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your situation.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
It is important to note that the Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, determined at 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan that is this large, your company needs to have been operating for a minimum of 3 years, and have an annual income of at least $700K. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old as well as own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at least 12 months of trading.
What can the funding be used for?
A Business Loan of a larger size is a great option for almost every company reason, such as company renovations, to purchase equipment or inventory for general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is required for accessing funds over $150,000. It’s as a result of an charge against assets and can include registering this on the PPSR or making a caveat.
A director’s or personal ensure is a promise to pay off a credit line that is generally based rather than stipulating the security for a particular asset. The person who signs the ensure is personally liable if the business creditor is unable to make the repayment.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central registry run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests that are registered for personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR allows the priority of personal property granted in accordance with the date on which a security interest that is registered.
A caveat is a legal document filed to offer notice of a legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan of more than $250K we can offer an initial pre-approval that will help simplify the process. We may be able to do this without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. The pre-approval is based upon an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial health questions. It is neither an offer nor a guarantee of financing. Unconditional approval is subject to a full credit assessment and any offer that you may receive may be based on different terms.
The application process
Can I be eligible for funding?
You may apply for an business loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over 18 years, have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months worth of trade (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and easy. Just fill out the online application in just a few minutes, and an experienced company loan specialist will contact you to assist you.
To be eligible for up to $100,000 you’ll need proof of identity (valid Driver’s License) and a valid NZBN/IRD and at least six months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K – $250K: Information about the application including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details for application including credit consent twelve months bank statement, an IRD statements, last 2 years finalised financial statements, in addition to interim financials for the current financial year such as age-related payables and aged Receivables summary.
What speed will I be able to get an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) we usually offer an answer within one hour – as long as you make your application within quality business timings and permit us to make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you want to upload copies of your bank statement, we’ll provide a decision within the span of one company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we might be in a position to provide you with a conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this may be quicker depending upon the circumstances for each application. Some agreements have been approved in 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is ensure you apply during standard business hours. Also, permit us to use the modern bank verification link to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statements it may take a bit longer.
How quickly will I receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K or more) we usually offer an answer within one hour if you submit your request in normal business timings and you allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statements, we’ll be able to offer an answer within the span of one business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we may be in a position to offer the conditional pre-approval in about six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this may be quicker depending upon the circumstances for each application. Certain agreements have been approved in 24 hours.
The most effective method is to ensure you apply during standard business hours. You can also let us use the modern bank verification to instantly verify your bank information online. If you send us documents from your account statements, it takes a bit longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We offer loans that range from $5,000 to $500,000. When you make an application for a particular amount, we take into consideration a range of variables that determine your well-being of the business and the level of repayments your company can afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances the business.
When you apply for a particular amount, we consider a variety of factors to determine how much we can lend you such as well-being of your company and the level of the repayments your business will be able to support. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the particulars for your company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a company loan?
If you decide to request one of our business loans, we’ll assess the risk assessment that you have for your company and offer you with a customised proposal that includes loan amount, term and interest rates. A company loan is an upfront cost loan so you will know in advance the total amount to be paid, including any charges or interest.
What is the basis for the rate I pay?
The interest rates on business loans rates differ based on various factors such as the amount that is of money borrowed, the company assets the funds are used to purchase and the sector the business is in, how long the company has been in operation for, whether the business has enough cash flow to cover the loan, and overall health or financial standing of the company.
What are the cost?
There aren’t any hidden charges with our company loans, and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be required to pay and at what time, from the very 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 are able to get a cash loan with without any upfront costs or the obligation to take action.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved in establishing and managing the loan. The only way to pay this fee if you decide to take the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Can I repay the loan earlier?
You may choose to pay back the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you are deciding to do this please speak to our friendly company lending experts. They will offer you with details for repayment and an early payout figure. This will be calculated as the sum of the principal amount remaining and the accrued interest up to the date of early payout and 1.5 percent of the principal remaining and any outstanding fees.
What are the repayment methods?
To ensure that you don’t miss payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from your designated company account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Protecting your information, and being clear about the ways we gather, use, exchange and protect your information, is of paramount importance and is a crucial element of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We employ industry-recognised encryption techniques to protect your sensitive, personal financial and other data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our dedication to security for our customers and privacy. We employ an exceptionally sophisticated bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account details online, allowing us to offer a fast response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when a company owner borrows from an asset they own to get the funds for a loan. The asset may be an individual asset, such as the family home, or it could be a business asset like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The majority of lending institutions, not just the major banks, prefer to make loans secured by assets. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, your asset may be taken over by the lender. In essence, it’s a way of securing new financing by taking advantage of the value of what you already have.
What do I need security to get an business loan?
For loans of up to $150K, it is not necessary to secure assets before you are able to access the money however, we do require a personal guarantee. In the event that you fulfill the loan terms (as specified in your loan contract) Asset security will never be required. If you take out loans in excess of $150,000 generally there is a personal guarantee and security in the form of the charge of assets.