FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Information About The Reservoir Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Reservoir Small Business Loans
Reservoir unsecured loans provides amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
How is this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional company loan?
The application to get this Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an instant response and have the funds on your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans are based on an interest rate per annum as well as other fees and charges. Our company loan is an upfront priced loan so you will be aware of the amount you will have to pay, including any interest, fees or charges. Then, it is broken down into a daily or weekly amount to be paid back.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly every company purpose including cash flow management, business remodeling, marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, or as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
Concerning Larger Reservoir Business Loans
What is the Larger Reservoir Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support business growth opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 over a fixed term with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly, depending on your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
It is crucial to note that the Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is determined at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan in this amount, your company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. Your business must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) who is over the age of 18 or have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at minimum 12 months of business.
How can the funds be utilised?
A larger business loan can be used for almost every company purpose including business renovations, purchase of equipment or inventory, as general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is necessary to obtain funding above $150,000. This can be done in the form of a charge against assets and can be registered with the PPSR or the registration of a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a promise to pay back a loan that is generally based rather than stipulating security over a particular asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally accountable if the business the borrower fails to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central register run by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests which are registered with respect to personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR grants prioritisation over property that is personal to be granted according to the date the security interest has been registered.
A caveat is a legal form of document to provide an official notice of a claim to property.
What is a pre-approval minus Credit Check?
If you’re applying for an enterprise loan that is greater than $250K we can offer a preliminary pre-approval to help smooth out the process. We may be able to do this without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is based on an initial evaluation that involves answering a couple of financial well-being questions. This is neither an offer nor a guarantee of finance. Unconditional approval is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you may receive may be based on different terms.
The application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You are eligible to apply for an business loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are at least 18 years old, own a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- can demonstrate at least 6 months of trading (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and easy. Just complete the online application within a couple minutes, and an experienced business lending specialist will call you to guide you.
To apply for up to $100,000, you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s Licence) and a valid NZBN/IRD as well as at least 6 months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also need:
$100K – $250K: Details of application, including credit consent, 6-12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if credit is over $150K).
$250K to $500K: Information on the application including credit consent as well as 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim financials for the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summaries.
What speed will I be able to get an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) we typically offer a response in one hour if you apply within quality business timings and you allow us to utilise the bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer a decision within one company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we could be likely to offer you with a conditional pre-approval in around six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is about 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some offers have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The most efficient method for you to apply is ensure you apply during normal business hours, and permit us to use the advance bank verification link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you upload the copies of bank accounts, it will take a little longer.
How fast will I get the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we typically provide an answer within an hour, provided you make your application at standard business hours and let us make use of the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you decide to submit copies of your bank statements, we will be able to offer an answer in as little as an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) We may be capable of offer you with conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are around 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some agreements have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The most efficient method is to make sure you apply during normal business hours, and let us use the modern bank verification to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you upload copies of your bank statements it may take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide loans that range from $5,000 and $500,000. When you make an application for a specific amount we will consider a number of aspects for determining the well-being that is your business as well as the amount of payments your company is able to afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particular circumstances the business.
When you make an application for a certain amount, we will consider a number of variables to assess the health of your company and the level of repayments your business can support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the particular circumstances for your company.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for an business loan?
If you decide to make an application for our company credit, we will assess the risk profile the business and offer you with a customised offer, including the loan amount, the terms and interest rates. The business loan is a loan that is priced upfront which means you be aware in advance of the total amount to be paid, including any charges or interest.
What determines the rate that I am charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates depend on several factors such as the amount that is borrowed, what company assets the money will be used for as well as the field the business operates in, how long the business is in operation for, in the event that the company has enough cash flow to fund the loan, and the general well-being as well as creditworthiness business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden fees for our company loans. You’ll be aware of the amount you’ll be required to pay, and when, right from the very first day. There’s no compounding interest, and no additional fees (as long as you make your payments punctually).
We do not charge an Application Fee. You are able to get a cash loan without any upfront costs or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated with the setting up and management of the loan. It is only charged for this fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Can I pay out the loan early?
You may choose to pay back the total amount of your loan early at any time.
If you are deciding to pursue this option, please talk to one of our helpful company lending experts. We will offer you with repayment details along with an early payout estimate. This is calculated as the sum of the principal remaining and accrued interest to the time of the early payout and 1.5 percent of the principal amount remaining and any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
In order to help you avoid missing payments and to work with your cash flow cycle we provide payments that are either weekly or daily. These are automatically withdrawn from your business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Security of your data, and being upfront about the ways we gather data, process, exchange and safeguard your data, is vital and is an essential aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We employ industry-recognised encryption standards to protect your personal, sensitive as well as financial data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We utilise a sophisticated bank verification system that allows you to immediately verify the bank account details online. This allows us to offer a fast response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
An asset-based loan is when a business owner makes use of the assets they have to obtain the funding. The asset can be a personal asset like the family home, or an business asset such as a vehicle or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of banks, including the major banks, prefer to guarantee loans against an asset. If you have trouble paying back the loan then your asset may be taken over by the lender. In essence it is a way of securing new financing using the worth of the asset you already own.
Should I require security to get an company loan?
For loans up to $150K there is no requirement for asset security before you are able to access the money, however we do require a personal guarantee. If you adhere to the loan terms (as stated in your loan contract document) Asset security will never be required. For loans of over $150,000 generally, you can get an individual ensure and security in the form of a charge over assets.