FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Details of The Birchgrove Small Business Loans
Let me know what you think of the Birchgrove Small Business Loans
Birchgrove unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 with terms between 3 and 24 months, cash flow-friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
What makes what makes the Unsecured Loan different from a traditional business loan?
Apply for your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes online or over the phone. You’ll get an instant response and the funds could be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans refer to an annual rate of interest plus other fees and charges. This business loan is a cash-based loan so you will be aware of the amount you will have to pay, including any fees, interest or charges. This is then broken down into either a daily or weekly payment amount.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used for almost any business need, such as managing cash flows, company remodels and marketing to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
About the Larger Birchgrove Business Loans
What is the Larger Birchgrove Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support business expansion opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 with a term fixed with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly, depending on you cashflow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is calculated at 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan of this size, your business needs to be trading for at least 3 years and have an annual turnover of $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old as well as own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able demonstrate at minimum 12 months of business.
What can the funding be used for?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used for nearly any business need, including company renovations, to purchase inventory or new equipment for general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available for personal purposes.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is needed to access funding over $150,000. This is in the form of a charge over assets, and could include registering this through the PPSR or the registration of as a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a guarantee to pay off a credit line that is generally based rather than defining security over an asset. The person who is signing the guarantee is personally liable if the business borrower 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 reflects security interests which are registered with respect to personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR allows prioritisation over property that is personal to be granted according to the date the security interest was registered.
An affidavit is an official document that is filed to offer the public notice of a legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
If you’re seeking the Larger Business Loan of $250K or more it’s possible to offer an initial pre-approval that will help make the process. We might be able to get this done without a credit check and within six hours of your initial application. The pre-approval process is based on an initial assessment, which involves the answer to a series of financial health checks. It’s not an offer or guarantee of financing. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer that you may receive may have different terms.
Application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You may apply for an business loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months worth of trade (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and simple. Just complete the online application in few minutes and a dedicated company credit specialist will contact you to help you.
For a loan of up to $100,000 you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as an active NZBN/IRD, and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
In addition, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also require:
$100K-$250K: Application details including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details of the application, including credit consent as well as 12 months bank statement, an IRD statements Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim financials from the current financial year, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables Summary.
How soon will I hear an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) we usually offer a response in one hour – as long as you submit your request within quality company times and allow us to utilise the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statement, we’ll provide the decision in as little as the span of one company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we may be able to offer you with pre-approval conditional to your application in about six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain deals have been approved in less than 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is ensure you apply during standard business hours. You can also allow us to use our modern bank verification to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you choose to upload copies of your bank statement, it will take a little longer.
How quickly will I receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we typically offer an answer in just one hour if you apply at standard business times and permit us to use the bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your bank statements we can offer an answer within one business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we could be likely to provide the conditional pre-approval in about six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is around 2-3 days for final approval. However, this can be faster depending on the particular circumstances of each application. Some offers have been approved within less than 24 hours.
The most effective method can be ensure you apply during standard business hours and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload copies of your bank statements, it may take a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide the loan amount between $5,000 and $500,000. When you make an application for a particular amount, we look at a variety of variables for determining your well-being for your company and the amount of repayments your business can support. The total amount of your loan will be contingent on the specific circumstances the company.
When you apply for a particular amount, we look at a range of factors to assess how much we can lend you such as health for your business as well as the amount of repayments your company is able to afford. The total amount of your loan will be determined by the specific circumstances for your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for a company loan?
If you decide to apply for business loans with us company loans, we will assess the risk profile of your company and provide you with a tailored offer including loan amount, term and the interest rates. It is a business loan is an upfront-priced loan so you will know the exact amount you will have to pay, including costs, fees, or interest rates.
What determines the rate that I will be charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on several factors like the amount of money borrowed, what company assets the funds will be used for in addition to the industry that the business operates in, how long the business has been operating for, whether the company has sufficient cash flow to fund the loan, and also the overall well-being as well as creditworthiness business.
What are the fees?
There are no hidden costs for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much you need to pay, and when, starting from day one. There’s no compounding and there are no additional charges (as as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can make an application for loans absolutely no upfront cost and no the obligation to take action.
The Origination Fee covers the costs associated with the setting up and management of the loan. You are only charged this fee if you decide to take the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Can I pay off the loan in advance?
You can choose to repay all of your loan at any point in time.
If you choose to pursue this option, please speak to our friendly business lending specialists. They’ll provide you with the details of your repayment along with an early payout estimate. It will be calculated using the sum of the principal balance and the accrued interest up to the time of early payment plus 1.5% of the principal remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
To make sure you do not miss payments and to work with your cash flow cycle we offer repayments either weekly or daily. These are automatically deducted from the nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Protecting your information, and being upfront about the ways we gather data, process, exchange and safeguard your data, is vital and a vital aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We make use of industry-standard encryption standards to protect your personal, sensitive financial and other data. Our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to security for our customers and privacy. We make use of an advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account details online so we can offer an immediate response.
About business loans
What is asset-based borrowing (a secured loan)?
An asset-based loan is when a company owner borrows from assets they own to obtain a loan. The asset may be a personal asset like the family home, or it could be a business property like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The majority of lenders, not just the major banks, prefer to secure loans against assets. If you have trouble paying back the loan, the asset might be offered for sale by the lender. In essence, it is a way of securing new financing by using the worth of the asset you already own.
Do I require security to get a company loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans no asset security is required prior to the loan’s access but we require a personal guarantee. require a personal guarantee. If you adhere to your loan obligations (as specified in the loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not required. If you take out loans in excess of $150,000 generally there is an individual guarantee and security is provided in the form of an asset charge.