FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Information About The Waterfall Small Business Loans
Let me know how you can avail the Waterfall Small Business Loans
Waterfall unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What makes this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional company loan?
Apply for the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the phone. You’ll receive a same day response and the funds could be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans refer to an annual interest rate along with other charges and fees. We offer a company loan is an upfront priced loan so you will be aware of the total amount due, which includes the interest, fees and charges. This is then divided into weekly or daily payment amount.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used for virtually any business use, including the management of cash flow, company improvements, advertising to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
About larger Waterfall Business Loans
What is the Larger Waterfall Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company expansion opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 over a fixed term with a maximum of 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly to work with your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that 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 business needs to be operating for at least three years, and have an annual income of $700,000. Your business must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old or have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able demonstrate at least 12 months of trading.
How can the funds be used for?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used for almost any company reason, such as business renovations, purchase of new equipment or inventory, as general working capital and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
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 over assets, which could also be registered on the PPSR or the registration of a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a promise to pay off a credit line that is general in nature rather than stipulating security over a particular asset. The person who signs the ensure is personally responsible if the company creditor is unable to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online, central register run by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are which are registered with respect to personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR permits priority over personal property to be granted according to the date a security interest was registered.
An affidavit is an official form of document to provide an official notice of a claim to property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
If you’re seeking larger business loans that exceeds $250K it is possible to offer an initial pre-approval that will help make the process. It is possible to do this without a credit check and within six hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is based on a preliminary assessment which includes the answer to a series of financial well-being checks. It’s neither an offer nor a guarantee of credit. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you are offered could be subject to different terms.
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 over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- can demonstrate at least 6 months of business (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and easy. Just complete the online application in few minutes and an experienced business loan specialist will call you to help you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s License) along with a valid NZBN/IRD and at least six months worth of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K-$250K: Details of application, including credit approval, 6-12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K to $500K: Details of the application, including credit consent and 12 months of bank records, IRD statements and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim current financial year financials, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables Summary.
How soon will I hear an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) We can usually offer an answer in just one hour – as long as you submit your request in quality company hours and allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer the decision in as little as an company day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we may be in a position to provide you with pre-approval conditional to your application in around 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this could be shorter based on the specifics of each application. Certain deals have been approved within 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during normal company hours, and let us use the modern bank verification link to verify your bank account information online. If you opt to send us the copies of bank statement, it can take a bit longer.
How soon will I receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) We can usually provide an answer within an hour, provided you submit your request at normal business times and permit us to use the bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you want to send us copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer an answer in just an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) We may be capable of provide you with conditional pre-approval in around six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will require to wait about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this may be quicker depending on the particular circumstances of each application. Some deals have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The fastest way can be ensure you apply during standard business hours, and allow us to use the advance bank verification link to confirm your bank details online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank accounts, it will take a little longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loan amounts between $5,000 to $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount we will consider a number of aspects for determining how much we can lend you well-being that is your business and the extent of the repayments your company can afford. The total amount of your loan will depend on the specifics the company.
If you apply for a set amount, we take into consideration a variety of aspects to determine your health of the company and the level of the repayments your company is able to afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the particular circumstances for your company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for an company loan?
If you decide to make an application for one of our business loan, we will assess the risk assessment that you have for your company and offer you with a customised offer, including the amount of loan, the term and interest rates. The company loan is an upfront-priced loan which means you know the exact amount payable including any charges or interest.
What is the factor that determines the price I am charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on several factors including the amount of money borrowed, the company assets the money are used to purchase, the industry the company is operating in, how long the company has been operating as well as what percentage of the business has enough cash flow to fund the loan, and overall well-being and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the costs?
There are no hidden fees with our company loans. You’ll know exactly how much it is that you need to pay and when, right from the day you sign up. There’s no compounding and no additional fees (as as long as you pay your payments punctually).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to apply for a loan with without any upfront costs or commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee covers the costs associated with the setting up and management of the loan. This is only a cost if you take out the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percent of the amount of loan.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan in advance?
You can decide to repay the entire amount of the loan early at any time.
If you are deciding to pursue this option, please talk to one of our helpful business loan experts. The professionals will offer you with details on repayment and an early payment figure. The figure will be calculated as the sum of the principal remaining and any accrued interest at the time of early payout, plus 1.5 percent of the principal amount remaining and any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
In order to help you avoid missing payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either daily or weekly. These are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Security of your data, and being clear about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and ensure the security of your information is of paramount importance and an integral part of our relationship you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We employ an exceptionally sophisticated bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online to provide rapid response.
About business loans
What exactly is an asset-based loan (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where the business owner makes use of assets they own to obtain a loan. The asset could be an individual asset, such as the family home, or a business asset such as a truck or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lending institutions, even the largest banks, are inclined to secure loans against an asset. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, the asset might be taken over by the lender. In essence, it’s the process of securing additional financing taking advantage of the value of what you already own.
What do I need security to secure an business loan?
For loans that exceed $150,000, the requirement for asset security is not required upfront to access the money however, we require a personal guarantee. need the personal guarantee. In the event that you fulfill the terms of your loan (as stated in your loan contract), asset security will never be required. For loans that exceed $150K, generally, you can get the option of a personal ensure and security is provided in the form of the charge of assets.