FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Waiwhetu Small Business Loans
Let me know about the Waiwhetu Small Business Loans
Waiwhetu unsecured loans offers amounts between $5,000 and $100,000, with terms ranging from 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What makes this Unsecured Loan different from an ordinary company loan?
The application to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes online or over the phone. You’ll get a same day response and have the funds on your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans reference an annual rate of interest as well as other fees and charges. Our company loan is a loan that is priced upfront which means you know in advance the total amount payable including the interest, fees and charges. Then, it is broken down into either weekly or daily payment amount.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly every business reason, such as managing cash flows, business renovations, marketing, to purchase inventory or new equipment, as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About Larger Waiwhetu Business Loans
What is the Larger Waiwhetu 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 with a term fixed that can last up to 36 months. Repayments are weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your situation.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, calculated at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan of this size the company needs to be operating for at least three years and generate an annual revenue of $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old or have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at minimum 12 months of continuous trading.
What can I use the funds for?
A Larger Business Loan can be used to fund almost all business reason, such as company renovations, to purchase equipment or inventory as well as for general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is needed to obtain funding above $150,000. This is by way of charge over assets, and could include registration on the PPSR or filing a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a commitment to repay credit that is general in nature, rather than specifying security over a particular asset. The person signing the ensure is personally liable in the event that the company creditor is unable to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central register that is operated by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests registered in respect of personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR gives prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned in accordance with the date on which a registration of a security interest.
An affidavit is an official document that is filed to provide notice of a legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval minus Credit Check?
If you’re requesting an enterprise loan that is greater than $250,000 we can offer an initial pre-approval in order to smooth out 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 you answering some financial health checks. This is neither an offer nor a guarantee of finance. Unconditional approval is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you may receive may have different conditions.
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 at least 18 years old, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months of business (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and easy. Simply complete the online form within a few minutes and an experienced company lending specialist will call you to help you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll need proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) and a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll also require:
$100K to $250K: Information about the application including credit consent, 6-12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if loan above $150K).
$250K – $500K: Details for application including credit consent twelve months of bank records, IRD statement as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, in addition to interim financial statements for the current year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summary.
What speed will I be able to get a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) we usually provide an answer within an hour if you submit your request during quality business hours and let us make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statements , we’ll be able to offer the decision in just 1 company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we could be capable of offer you with a conditional pre-approval in about six hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this can be quicker based on the particular circumstances of each application. Certain deals have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is make sure you apply during standard company hours, and permit us to use the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you opt to send us duplicates of your banking statements it will take a little longer.
How soon will I receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) We can usually provide a response in one hour – as long as you apply at normal business time and allow us to make use of 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 can provide an answer within an business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we could be likely to offer you with conditional pre-approval within six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait between 2 and 3 days for the final approval. However, this can be faster depending upon the circumstances for each application. Some transactions have received approval in 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours. You can also allow us to use our advance bank verification link to confirm your bank details online. If you choose to send us the copies of bank statement, it can take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide loans that range from $5,000 to $500,000. When you submit an application for a particular amount, we consider a variety of aspects in order to assess what is the well-being that is your company and the extent of repayments your company can afford. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances for your business.
When you make an application for a set amount, we will consider a number of aspects to determine the well-being for your company as well as the amount of repayments that your company is able to afford. The total amount of your loan will be determined by the specific circumstances the business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for an business loan?
If you decide to request our business credit, we’ll assess the risk profile of your business and provide an individualised offer including loan amount, term and interest rates. The company loan is an upfront priced loan so you will be aware of the total amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What is the factor that determines the price I’m charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of factors including the amount borrowed, what business assets the funds will be used for as well as the field the company operates in, the long the company is in operation for, what percentage of the business has enough cash flow to fund the loan, and the general health or financial standing of the business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden fees with our company loans. You’ll know precisely how much it is that you be required to pay and when, from the very first day. There’s not any compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You can request a credit loan without any upfront costs or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated with setting up and managing the loan. You are only charged this fee if you proceed with the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan early?
You can choose to repay all of your loan at any point in time.
If you do decide to pursue this option, please call our helpful business credit specialists. They’ll provide you with details on repayment as well as an early payout amount. The figure will be calculated as the total of the remaining principal amount and any accrued interest at the date of early payout, plus 1.5% of the principal balance and any fees that remain unpaid.
What is the process for repayments?
To ensure that you don’t miss repayments and to fit in your cash flow schedule, we offer repayments either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be secure?
The security of your personal information, as well as making it clear the ways we gather information, use it, and exchange it, as well as ensure the security of your information is of huge importance and is a crucial 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 protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our dedication to security for our customers and security. We utilise a sophisticated bank verification system that allows you to immediately confirm your bank account information online, allowing us to offer an immediate response.
About business loans
What exactly is an asset-based loan (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when an business owner uses an asset they own to obtain the funds for a loan. The asset can be either a personal asset like the family home or it could be a business property like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of the lenders including the major banks, prefer to make loans secured by assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, the asset could be taken over by the lender. In essence, it is a way of securing new financing by making use of the value of what you already have.
What do I need security to secure an business loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans the requirement for asset security is not required before you are able to access the money but we do require an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with your loan obligations (as stated in the loan contract) Asset security is not needed. If you take out loans in excess of $150,000 generally, you are able to get an individual ensure and security in the form of the charge of assets.