FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Northgate Small Business Loans
Let me know what you think of the Northgate Small Business Loans
Northgate unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000, with terms ranging from 3 and 24 months and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What is how is the Unsecured Loan different from an ordinary company loan?
It is possible to apply for your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or over the phone. You’ll get an instant response and have the funds in your account in 24 hours. Traditional business loans reference an annual rate of interest as well as other fees and charges. Our company loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you’ll know in advance the amount you will have to pay, including any interest, fees or charges. Then, it is divided into weekly or daily amount to be paid back.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for almost any company need, such as the management of cash flow, company improvements, advertising for purchasing inventory or new equipment, or as general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
About the Larger Northgate Business Loans
What is the Larger Northgate Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size of loan that can be used to fund company expansion 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 calculated?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, calculated at 2.5% of the loan amount.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan that is this large, your business needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years with an annual turnover of $700,000. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at least 12 months of trading.
What can the funding be used for?
A larger business loan can be used to fund almost every company use, including company improvements, purchasing inventory or new equipment, as general working capital and so much more. The loan cannot be used for personal reasons.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is required for funding of more than $150,000. This can be done in the form of a charge against assets, which could also include the registration of this with the PPSR or making a caveat.
A personal or director’s ensure is a promise to pay back a loan that is generally in nature rather than specifying security over an asset. The person signing the guarantee is personally accountable if the company lender is not able to pay back 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 granted to individuals who own personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR grants priority over personal property to be granted depending on the date that a security interest was registered.
Caveats are legal form of document to offer notice of a legal claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
If you’re applying for larger company loans that is greater than $250,000 it is possible to offer an initial pre-approval that will help make the process. It is possible to apply for this without a credit check, and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval is based upon an initial evaluation that involves answering a couple of financial health questions. This is neither an offer nor a guarantee of credit. Unconditional approval is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you may receive may be based on different terms.
Application process
Can I be eligible for funding?
You may apply for an business loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over 18 years, have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months’ worth of transactions (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and easy. Just complete the online application within a few minutes and an experienced company lending specialist will be in touch to help you.
For a loan of up to $100,000, you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s License) along with a valid NZBN/IRD as well as at least six months worth of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K-$250K: Details of application, including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if credit is over $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details for application including credit consent twelve months of bank records, IRD statements as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, plus interim financials for the current financial year, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables Summary.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) We can usually provide an answer within an hour if you make your application within quality business times and you allow us to make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you want to upload copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer a decision in as little as the span of one company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we could be likely to provide the conditional pre-approval in around six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval. However, this may be quicker depending on the circumstances of each application. Some agreements have been approved within 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during standard business hours. Also, allow us to use our modern bank verification link to confirm your bank details online. If you opt to upload duplicates of your banking statements it may take a bit longer.
How fast will I get the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we typically provide an answer within one hour if you submit your request in normal business hours and you allow us to use the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements, we will be able to provide a decision in as little as an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we may be capable of offer the conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait between 2 and 3 days for the final approval. However, this can be faster depending on the circumstances of each application. Some transactions have received approval within just 24 hours.
The fastest way for you to apply is make sure you apply during normal business hours and let us use the advanced bank verification system to verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your bank statement, it takes a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide loan amounts between $5,000 to $500,000. When you make an application for a specific amount we take into consideration a range of factors for determining the well-being for your company as well as the amount of repayments that your company can support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the particular circumstances that are unique to your business.
If you apply for a set amount, we will consider a number of factors to assess your well-being of the company as well as the amount of repayments your company can support. The total amount of your loan will depend on the particulars for your company.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for an business loan?
When you make an application for one of our company loan, we’ll assess the risk assessment that you have for your company and offer you with a customised offer including loan amount, term and the interest rates. The company loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you will know the exact amount payable including any charges or interest.
What determines the rate that I am charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates differ based on various variables like the amount to be borrowed, what company assets the money will be used for and the sector the business is operating in, how long the business has been operating, whether the business has enough cash flow to pay for the loan, and overall health and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden costs for our business loans, and you’ll know exactly how much you need to pay and when, from day one. There’s no compounding interest and no extra fees (as long as you make your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You are able to request a credit loan without any upfront costs or commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated in establishing and managing the loan. It is only charged for this cost if you take out the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Do I have the option of paying off the loan early?
You may choose to pay back the entire amount of the loan at any point in time.
If you decide to do this please speak to our friendly business lending professionals. They will provide you with details on repayment and an early payment figure. It will be calculated using the sum of the remaining principal amount plus any accrued interest as of the date of early payout in addition to 1.5% of the principal remaining and any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
In order to help you avoid missing payments and to work with your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either daily or weekly. These are automatically deducted from your business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be protected?
The security of your personal information, as well as being upfront about how we collect, use, exchange and ensure the security of your information is of paramount 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 protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our dedication to customer security and security. We employ an exceptionally sophisticated bank verification system that allows you to instantly verify your bank account details online. This allows us to provide an immediate response.
About business loans
What is asset-based borrowing (a secured loan)?
An asset-based loan is when an business owner makes use of an asset they own to get the funds for a loan. The asset could be an individual asset, such as the family home, or it could be a company asset such as a vehicle or piece or equipment.
The majority of lending institutions, even the largest banks, are inclined to make loans secured by an asset. If you have trouble paying back the loan, the asset might be taken over by the lender. In essence, it is means of securing new financing by using the worth of the asset you already have.
Are I need security to get a business loan?
For loans that exceed $150,000, there is no requirement for asset security prior to the loan’s access but we require a personal guarantee. need an individual guarantee. If you adhere to your loan commitments (as specified in your loan contract document) Asset security will never be required. For loans over $150,000 generally there is a personal guarantee and security that is in the form an asset charge.