FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Ashcroft Small Business Loans
Let me know what you think of the Ashcroft Small Business Loans
Ashcroft unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 months. They also offer cash flow-friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What is this Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
It is imaginable to apply to your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the phone. You’ll receive an immediate response, and have the funds in your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans have an annual interest rate plus other fees and charges. This company loan is an upfront priced loan which means you know ahead of time the amount you will have to pay, including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is broken down into weekly or daily amount to be paid back.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used for almost any business reason, such as managing cash flows, business remodels and marketing, to purchase inventory or new equipment, to fund general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used to fund personal expenses.
Concerning Larger Ashcroft Business Loans
What is the Larger Ashcroft Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help business growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 over a fixed term for up to 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly, depending on you cashflow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
It is important to note that the Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is calculated at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan that is this large the business needs to be in operation for at least 3 years and have an annual turnover of $700K. The applicant must also be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to prove at least 12 months of trading.
How can the funding be used for?
A large company loan can be used to fund almost all business purpose including company improvements, purchasing new equipment or inventory as well as for general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan a secured loan?
Asset security is required to obtain funding above $150,000. This can be done as a result of an charge against assets and can include registering this with the PPSR or filing as a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a promise to pay off a credit line that is general in nature, rather than specifying security over an asset. The person signing the guarantee is personally responsible if the company the borrower fails to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online register operated by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests which are registered with respect to personal property (including items or assets). The PPSR gives priority over personal property to be assigned in accordance with the date on which a security interest has been registered.
An affidavit is an official document lodged to provide an official notice of a claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
If you’re applying for an enterprise loan that exceeds $250K, we may offer an initial pre-approval that will help smooth out the process. We could be able to do this without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment that includes answering a couple of financial health questions. It’s in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer that you may receive may be based on different terms.
Application process
Can I be eligible for funding?
You can apply for an company loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and own a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months’ worth of transactions (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and easy. Just fill out the online application in few minutes and a dedicated business loan specialist will be in touch to help you.
To apply for up to $100,000 you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s License), an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least six months of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K to $250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if loan above $150K).
$250K – $500K: Details of the application, including credit consent as well as 12 months of bank records, IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, and interim current financial year financials, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables Summary.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we typically offer a response in one hour, provided you make your application in quality company times and permit us to make use of the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statements , we’ll be able to offer a decision within just 1 business day.
For the Larger Business Loan ($100K to $500K) we could be capable of offer the conditional pre-approval in about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is about 2-3 days for final approval, however this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain deals have been approved within the space of 24 hours.
The fastest way is to ensure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to instantly check your bank’s information online. If you choose to upload the copies of bank statements it takes a bit longer.
How soon will I receive the cash?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we typically provide an answer within an hour – as long as you submit your request in standard business time and allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you opt to send us copies of your bank statement, we’ll provide a decision within an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we might be capable of provide you with conditional pre-approval in around 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take 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 within 24 hours.
The fastest method would be to make sure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our modern bank verification to confirm your bank details online. If you opt to send us documents from your account statements it will take a little longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We offer the loan amount between $5,000 to $500,000. When you submit an application for a particular amount, we look at a variety of variables in order to assess the well-being for your company and the level of repayments that your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances for your business.
When you apply for a certain amount, we consider a variety of aspects to assess how much we can lend you such as well-being of the business and the level of the repayments your business is able to afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances for your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for a business loan?
When you request the company financing, we’ll assess the risk assessment of your business and provide you with a customised offer that includes loan amount, term and the interest rates. It is a business loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you will know in advance the total amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What determines the rate that I am charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates vary due to factors including the amount of money borrowed, the business assets the funds will be used for, the industry the company operates in, how long the company has been in operation, whether the business has enough cash flow to fund the loan, and also the overall well-being and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden costs for our business loans. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to pay and when, from the day you sign up. There’s no compounding interest, and no extra fees (as as long as you pay your payments in time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to apply for a loan with without any upfront costs or obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with setting up and managing the loan. The only way to pay this cost if you take out the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Can I repay the loan early?
You can repay all of your loan at any point in time.
If you are deciding to take this route, please speak to our friendly company loan professionals. They will offer you with the details of your repayment and an early payment figure. This is calculated as the sum of the principal amount remaining plus any accrued interest as of the time of the early payout, plus 1.5 percent of the principal amount remaining and any fees that remain unpaid.
What are the repayment methods?
To help you avoid missing payments and to work with your cash flow standard, we provide repayments either daily or weekly. They will be automatically deducted from the nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and being upfront about the ways we gather, use, exchange and secure your information, is vital and is an essential 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 protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to protecting the security of clients and security. We use an advanced banking verification system to immediately verify the bank account details online. This allows 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 the business owner uses assets they own to secure the funding. The asset can be a personal asset like the family home or an company asset like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of the lenders including the largest banks, are inclined to secure loans against an asset. If you have trouble paying back the loan, then your assets could be transferred to the lender. In essence it is an opportunity to secure new financing by taking advantage of the value of what you already have.
Should I require security to get an company loan?
For loans of up to $150,000, it is not necessary to secure assets prior to the loan’s access but we require a personal guarantee. require a personal guarantee. As long as you follow your loan obligations (as stipulated in your loan contract document), asset security is not needed. If you take out loans in excess of $150K generally there is a personal guarantee and security that is in the form charges on assets.