FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Seaholm Small Business Loans
Tell me how you can avail the Seaholm Small Business Loans
Seaholm unsecured loans offers amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What is this Unsecured Loan different from a traditional business loan?
It is possible to apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes online or over the phone. You’ll get an instant response and funds may be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans have an annual rate of interest plus other fees and charges. Our company loan is an upfront priced loan and you’ll know ahead of time the amount you will have to pay, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is broken down into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost any business need, such as control of cash flow company improvements, advertising to purchase inventory or new equipment, to fund general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
About Larger Seaholm Business Loans
What is the Larger Seaholm Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size loan to aid in company expansion opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 over a fixed term that can last up to 36 months. Repayments are weekly or fortnightly to work with your cash flow.
How’s the Origination Fee calculated?
The Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, calculated at 2.5% of the loan amount.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
In order to be eligible for a loan that is this large the company needs to be trading for at least 3 years and have an annual turnover of $700,000. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of continuous trading.
What can the funding be used for?
A large business loan can be used for almost any business need, including business renovations, to purchase inventory or new equipment or as general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is required to obtain funding above $150,000. It is usually in the form of a charge on assets, and could be registered with the PPSR or the registration of a caveat.
A director’s or personal ensure is a guarantee to pay off a credit line that is general in nature, rather than specifying the security of a specific asset. The person signing the guarantee is personally liable in the event that the business the borrower fails to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online registry run by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are 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.
Caveats are legal document lodged to provide the public notice of a legal claim to property.
What is a pre-approval minus Credit Check?
When you’re applying for larger business loans that exceeds $250K we may be able to provide an initial pre-approval that will help simplify the process. We could be able to get this done without a credit check and within six 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 or guarantee of funds. Unconditional approval is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer that you may receive may have different conditions.
Application process
Do I have the right to receive funds?
You may apply for a business loan if you;
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are 18 years or older, have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- can demonstrate at least 6 months of business (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $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 credit specialist will contact you to guide you through the process.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll need ID details (valid Driver’s License) and an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least 6 months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K-$250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K-$500K: Application details including credit consent twelve months bank statement, an IRD statements as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, in addition to interim financials from the current financial year, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables reports.
What speed will I be able to get a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) We can usually offer an answer within one hour – as long as you make your application at standard company timings and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you want to send us copies of your bank statements , we’ll be able to provide an answer in as little as 1 company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we could be in a position to offer you with a conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is around 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Certain transactions have received approval in less than 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during standard company hours. Also, allow us to use our advance bank verification to instantly verify your bank information online. If you send us duplicates of your banking statement, it can take a bit longer.
How quickly will I receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) We can usually provide an answer within an hour if you make your application at normal business timings and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to submit copies of your bank statements, we are able to provide the decision in just the span of one business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we might be able to offer you with pre-approval conditional to your application within 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this can be faster depending on the specifics of each application. Some deals have been approved in the space of 24 hours.
The fastest method can be ensure you apply during normal business hours. Also, permit us to use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you choose to send us the copies of bank statement, it may take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 to $500,000. When you make an application for a certain amount, we consider a variety of factors that determine how much we can lend you health that is your business and the amount of repayments that your business will be able to support. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances for your business.
When you apply for a set amount, we will consider a number of factors to determine how much we can lend you such as health that is your company and the level of repayments your business will be able to support. The total amount of your loan will be determined by the specifics the company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a business loan?
If you decide to make an application for our business loan, we’ll assess the risk assessment that you have for your company and provide you with a customised offer, including the amount of loan, the term and the interest rates. The company loan is a loan that is priced upfront and you’ll know the exact amount due, which includes any charges or interest.
What is the factor that determines the price I will be charged?
Business loan interest rates vary due to factors like the amount of money borrowed, what business assets the money are used to purchase and the sector the business is in, how long the company has been in operation for, how long the business has enough cash flow to fund the loan, and also the general health and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the cost?
There are no hidden costs with our company loans, and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be required to pay and when, right from the day you sign up. There’s no compounding interest and no extra fees (as as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can request a credit loan with no cost upfront or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with setting up and managing the loan. You are only charged this fee if you proceed with 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 choose to repay the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you decide to do this please contact our helpful business loan professionals. We will offer you with details on repayment and an early payment figure. It will be calculated using the total of the principal balance and accrued interest to the time of the early payout and 1.5 percent of the principal amount remaining plus any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
To help you avoid missing due dates and also to be in line your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either weekly or daily. These are automatically withdrawn from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be protected?
Protecting your information, and being transparent about the ways we gather data, process, exchange and safeguard your data, is of huge importance and an integral 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 techniques to protect your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our dedication to security for our customers and privacy. We employ a highly sophisticated bank verification system that allows you to immediately verify the bank account details online, allowing us to provide quick responses.
About business loans
What exactly is an asset-based loan (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where an company owner makes use of the assets they have to secure a loan. The asset can be either an individual property, such as the family home or a business property like a truck or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lenders, not just the big banks, tend to secure loans against an asset. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, then your assets could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence, it is an opportunity to secure new financing by using the value of what you already have.
What do I need security to get an company loan?
For loans up to $150K the requirement for asset security is not required upfront to access the money, however we do need the personal guarantee. So long as you comply with the terms of your loan (as specified in your loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not needed. 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.