FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Somerville Small Business Loans
Let me know about the Somerville Small Business Loans
Somerville unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months and cash flow friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
How is this Unsecured Loan different from the traditional company loan?
Apply to the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or over the phone, receive an immediate response, 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. This business loan is a loan that is priced upfront which means you be aware of the total amount due, which includes any interest, fees or charges. Then, it is broken down into weekly or daily amount to be paid back.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for virtually any company purpose including the management of cash flow, business remodeling, marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, as general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
About Larger Somerville Business Loans
What is the Larger Somerville Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund business growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 for a fixed period of with a maximum of 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly, depending on you cashflow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
The Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is determined at 2.5% of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan in this amount the company needs to be in operation for at least 3 years, and have an annual income of $700K. Your business must belong to 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 least 12 months of trading.
How can the funding be utilised?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used to fund almost any company use, including business remodeling, buying equipment or inventory or as general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is needed for funding of more than $150,000. This is as a result of an charge over assets and can include the registration of this on the PPSR or making as a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a guarantee to repay credit that is generally based rather than defining the security of a specific asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally liable if the company creditor is unable to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central register that is operated by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are registered in respect of personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR allows prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned depending on the date that a security interest was registered.
A caveat is a legal document lodged to provide notice of a legal claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
If you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250K, we may offer an initial pre-approval in order to make the process. We may be able to do this without credit checks and within six hours of your initial application. The pre-approval is based upon an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial health checks. This is neither an offer nor a guarantee of financing. Unconditional approval is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer you receive could have different conditions.
The application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You are eligible to apply for a company loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months’ worth of transactions (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is simple and simple. Just complete the online application within a couple minutes, and an experienced company expert in lending will be in touch to guide you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll require the right identification documents (valid Driver’s License) as well as an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least six months worth of bank statements.
If you’re looking for loans with larger sizes, you’ll also require:
$100K – $250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if credit is over $150K).
$250K to $500K: Details of the application, including credit consent twelve months of bank records, IRD statement Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, in addition to interim current financial year financials, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables summaries.
What speed will I be able to get an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we usually offer an answer within an hour if you submit your request at standard company timings and you allow us to utilise the bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you opt to upload copies of your banking statements we can provide the decision in as little as an business day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K to $500K) we may be likely to provide you with conditional pre-approval within 6 hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain offers have been approved within just 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply for you to apply is make sure you apply during standard company hours. You can also allow us to use the advance bank verification to instantly check your bank’s information online. If you send us duplicates of your banking statements , it can take a bit longer.
What is the time frame to receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K up to $100,000) we can often offer an answer within one hour if you make your application in normal business times and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you want to upload copies of your bank statements, we’ll be able to offer the decision in as little as the span of one business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) We may be in a position to offer you with conditional pre-approval in around six hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however this can be faster depending on the circumstances of each application. Certain transactions have received approval within less than 24 hours.
The fastest method would be to ensure you apply during standard business hours and allow us to use the advance bank verification link to verify your bank information online. If you upload documents from your account accounts, it takes a bit longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We provide loan amounts between $5,000 and $500,000. When you make an application for a specific amount we look at a variety of elements for determining the well-being of the company and the extent of repayments that your company can afford. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances that are unique to your business.
When you make an application for a certain amount, we look at a range of variables to determine how much we can lend you such as health for your company as well as the amount of payments your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the particulars the business.
Fees & repayments
How much do you charge for a company loan?
If you decide to make an application for the business credit, we will assess the risk profile of your business and offer you with a customised offer including loan amount, term and interest rates. The company loan is a loan that is priced upfront which means you be aware in advance of the total amount payable including any interest rates, fees or charges.
What determines the rate that I’m charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates vary due to variables like the amount to be borrowed, the company assets the funds will be used for as well as the field the company is in, how long the company has been in operation for, in the event that the business has sufficient cash flow to pay for the loan, and overall well-being or creditworthiness of the business.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden costs with our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much it is that you need to pay and at what time, from the first day. There’s not any compounding interest and the loan comes with no additional fees (as long as you make your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You are able to apply for a loan without any upfront costs or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated with establishing 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 loan.
Can I pay out the loan earlier?
You can decide to repay the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you are deciding to pursue this option, please call our helpful company loan professionals. The experts will offer you with the details of your repayment along with an early payout estimate. This is calculated as the sum of the principal balance plus any accrued interest as of the time of early payment plus 1.5 percent of the remaining principal plus any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
To ensure you do not miss due dates and also to be in line your cash flow cycle we provide payments that are either daily or weekly. They are automatically deducted from your designated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being transparent about how we collect information, use it, and exchange it, as well as secure your information, is of paramount importance and is an essential part of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption standards to protect your sensitive, personal financial and other data. Our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to security for our clients and privacy. We make use of an advanced banking verification system to instantly verify the bank account details online, allowing us to provide a fast response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where an business owner borrows from the assets they have to make the funding. The asset may be an individual property, such as the family home, or a business asset like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of lending institutions, not just the banks with the biggest size, prefer to secure loans against assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan then the asset might be taken over by the lender. In essence it is a way of securing additional financing using the worth of the asset you already have.
Are I require security to secure a business loan?
For loans that exceed $150K, no asset security is required before you can access the money, however we do require a personal guarantee. In the event that you fulfill the loan terms (as detailed in the loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not required. For loans that exceed $150,000, typically, you will need an individual guarantee and security is provided in the form of the charge of assets.