FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Semaphore South Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Semaphore South Small Business Loans
Semaphore South unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow-friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
How is what makes the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional business loan?
Apply to the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an immediate response, and funds may be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans are based on an annual interest rate as well as other fees and charges. The business loan is an upfront priced loan which means you be aware of the total amount due, which includes any fees, interest or charges. This is then divided into a daily or weekly repayment figure.
What could be the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every business need, such as control of cash flow business improvements, advertising, to purchase inventory or new equipment, for general working capital and so much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
About the Larger Semaphore South Business Loans
What is the Larger Semaphore South Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size loan to aid in business growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 for a fixed period of with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is determined at 2.5% of the loan amount.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan that is this large, your company needs to have been operating for at least three years and generate an annual revenue of $700K. Your company must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at the least 12 months of operating.
How can the funding be used for?
A larger business loan can be used to fund almost every business need, including company improvements, purchasing new equipment or inventory for general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is necessary for funding of more than $150,000. It is usually as a result of an charge against assets, and could include the registration of this through the PPSR or filing a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a commitment to pay back a loan that is generally in nature rather than stipulating the security of a specific asset. The person who signs the ensure is personally liable if the company the borrower fails to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central registry run by the New Zealand Government. It lists security interests that are that are registered for personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR grants the priority of personal property assigned according to the date the security interest was registered.
An affidavit is an official document lodged to provide the legal claim on a property.
What is a pre-approval that does not require Credit Check?
If you’re seeking a Larger Business Loan of $250K or more we can offer a preliminary pre-approval to help smooth out the process. We could be able to make this decision without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment that includes the answer to a series of financial well-being questions. It’s not an offer or guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to a full credit assessment and any offer you receive could have different conditions.
The application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You are eligible to 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 prove at least 6 months worth of trade (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trade (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is quick and easy. Just complete the online application in just a few minutes, and a dedicated business credit specialist will be in touch to guide you through the process.
For a loan of up to $100,000 you’ll need the right identification documents (valid Driver’s Licence) along with an active NZBN/IRD, and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K to $250K: Details of application, including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K-$500K: Details for application including credit consent twelve months of bank statements, IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim current financial year financials such as age-related payables and aged Receivables summaries.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) We can usually provide an answer within one hour if you make your application in quality company timings and let us make use of the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer the decision within 1 company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K and up) we might be in a position to provide you with conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is between 2 and 3 days for the final approval. However, this may be quicker depending on the particular circumstances of each application. Some agreements have been approved in 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 link to instantly verify your bank account information online. If you upload copies of your bank statements , it may take a bit longer.
How fast will I get the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we can often provide a response in one hour – as long as you submit your request at normal business times and permit us to utilise the advanced bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements we can offer a decision in just 1 business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we might be likely to provide the conditional pre-approval within about 6 hours. Once you’ve signed your pre-approval, turnaround times are between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however it could be faster based on the circumstances of each application. Certain offers have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method can be make sure you apply during standard business hours and allow us to use the sophisticated bank verification to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements it may take a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide loan amounts between $5,000 to $500,000. When you submit an application for a certain amount we will consider a number of variables to determine what is the health of the company as well as the amount of payments your business can support. The total amount of your loan will depend on the particular circumstances the business.
If you apply for a particular amount, we look at a range of elements to assess the health for your company and the amount of repayments that your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particulars that are unique to your business.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for a business loan?
When you request one of our business financing, we’ll assess the risk profile for your business and offer an individualised proposal that includes the amount of loan, the term and the interest rates. A company loan is an upfront cost loan so you will know in advance the total amount to be paid, including any charges, interest rates or fees.
What is the factor that determines the price I am charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates depend on a variety of factors like the amount of money borrowed, what business assets the funds will be used for and the sector the business is operating in, how long the company has been in operation for, what percentage of the business has enough cash flow to cover the loan, and the general health as well as creditworthiness business.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden costs for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much you need to pay and when, starting from the first day. There’s no compounding and no extra fees (as long as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You can apply for a loan with absolutely no upfront cost and no obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with setting up and managing the loan. This is only a fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5% of the amount of loan.
Can I pay out the loan earlier?
You can repay all of your advance loan at any time.
If you decide to take this route, please call our helpful company loans experts. They will offer you with the details of your repayment and an early payout figure. The figure will be calculated as the total of the principal balance and accrued interest to the time of the early payout plus 1.5% of the remaining principal and any fees that remain unpaid.
What are the repayment methods?
In order to help you avoid missing repayments and to fit in with your cash flow cycle we offer repayments that are either weekly or daily. These are automatically deducted from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being transparent about the ways we gather data, process, exchange and safeguard your data, is of paramount importance and a vital part of our relationship you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We utilise industry-recognised encryption techniques to protect your personal, sensitive financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our dedication to protecting the security of customers and privacy. We use an advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank account information online to provide quick responses.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when an business owner uses the assets they have to secure the funds for a loan. The asset could be a personal asset like the family home, or it could be a company asset such as a truck as well as a piece of machine.
The vast majority of the lenders even the major banks, prefer to guarantee loans against an asset. If you have trouble paying back the loan then your asset may be sold by the lender. In essence, it’s an opportunity to secure new funding using the worth of the asset you already have.
Are I require security to get an company loan?
For loans that exceed $150,000, the requirement for asset security is not required before you can access the money, however we do need an individual guarantee. So long as you comply with the terms of your loan (as stated in your loan contract document) the security of assets is not required. For loans of over $150K typically, you will need an individual ensure and security is provided in the form of the charge of assets.