FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Birchgrove Small Business Loans
Let me know what you think of the Birchgrove Small Business Loans
Birchgrove unsecured loans offers amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 with terms between 3 and 24 months, cash flow friendly repayments that are either daily or weekly.
How is how is the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional company loan?
The application for your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes online or by phone. You will receive an immediate response, and funds may be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans are based on an annual rate of interest plus other fees and charges. Our company loan is a cash-based loan which means you know in advance the total amount due, which includes any fees, interest or charges. This is then broken down into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What could be the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used for almost any company use, including managing cash flows, company remodels and marketing to purchase inventory, new equipment, to fund general working capital, and 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 size of loan that can be used to fund company expansion opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 with a term fixed up to 36 months. Repayments are scheduled weekly or fortnightly in order to accommodate you cashflow.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee which is calculated at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a credit of this size the company needs to be operating for at least three years and have an annual turnover of $700,000. Your business 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 demonstrate at the least 12 months of operating.
How can the funding be utilised?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used to fund almost every business use, including business renovations, to purchase new equipment or inventory, as 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 required to obtain funding above $150,000. This can be done by way of charge over assets, and may be registered with the PPSR or registering as a caveat.
A director’s or personal ensure is a promise to pay back a loan that is general in nature rather than stipulating security over an asset. The person who signs the ensure 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 run by the New Zealand Government. It records security interests that have been registered in respect of personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR allows the priority of personal property assigned according to the date the security interest that is registered.
An affidavit is an official document filed to offer the legal claim to a property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for the Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval in order to smooth out the process. We may be able to make this decision without credit checks and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval process is based on an initial evaluation that involves answering a couple of financial health questions. It is not an offer or guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer that you may receive may be on different conditions.
The 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 18 years or older, have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- can demonstrate at least 6 months of trading (for a 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 simple. Just fill out the online application in few minutes and a dedicated business credit specialist will call you to guide you through the process.
To apply for up $100,000, you’ll require ID details (valid Driver’s License) and a valid NZBN/IRD and at least six months of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also need:
$100K-$250K: Details of application, including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if the loan is greater than $150K).
$250K – $500K: Information on the application including credit consent twelve month bank accounts, the IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, in addition to interim financial statements for the current year, Aged Payables and Aged Receivables summaries.
How quickly will I receive a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K up to $100,000) we typically provide a response in one hour, provided you submit your request at standard business time and you allow us to utilise the bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements , we are able to provide an answer in just one business day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K or more) we could be able to provide the conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once 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 on the specifics of each application. Some deals have been approved in 24 hours.
The quickest method for you to apply is ensure you apply during normal company hours. You can also let us use the modern bank verification link to verify your bank information online. If you send us the copies of bank accounts, it takes a bit longer.
What is the time frame to receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we typically provide an answer within one hour if you make your application in normal business timings and permit us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements we can provide a decision in just the span of one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we may be in a position to offer you with conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once you’ve signed your pre-approval, turnaround times are around 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain transactions have received approval within the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method can be ensure you apply during standard business hours. Also, allow us to use the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload copies of your bank statements, it can take a bit longer.
How much can I borrow?
We offer loan amounts between $5,000 and $500,000. If you apply for a particular amount, we look at a variety of factors in order to assess the well-being of the company and the level of the repayments your business is able to afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particular circumstances the company.
If you apply for a certain amount, we look at a range of aspects to assess the health for your business and the amount of repayments that your company will be able to support. The total amount of your loan will be determined by the particulars for your business.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a business loan?
If you decide to request business loans with us business loans, we’ll assess the risk profile that you have for your company and provide you with a tailored offer that includes the amount of the loan, the duration and the interest rates. It is a business loan is an upfront priced loan which means you be aware in advance of the total amount to be paid, including any interest rates, fees or charges.
What determines the rate that I’m charged?
The interest rates on business loans rates vary due to factors including the amount borrowed, the business assets the funds will be used for and the sector the business operates in, the long the business has been operating, whether the business has enough cash flow to pay for the loan, and also the general well-being or financial standing of the business.
What are the cost?
There are no hidden costs with our business loans, and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to pay and at what time, from day one. There’s no compounding interest, and no extra fees (as long as you are able to make your payments on time).
We do not charge an Application Fee. You are able to get a cash loan with absolutely no upfront cost and no obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated with setting up and managing the loan. You are only charged this fee if you decide to take the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percent of the loan amount.
Can I repay the loan earlier?
You can repay the entire amount of the loan at any point in time.
If you decide to take this route, please call our helpful company lending experts. The specialists will offer you with details for repayment along with an early payout estimate. This will be calculated as the total of the principal amount remaining plus any accrued interest as of the time of early payment, plus 1.5% of the principal balance and any fees that remain unpaid.
How do you make repayments work?
To ensure you do not miss payment dates and to align your cash flow schedule, we offer repayments that are either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my information be secure?
Security of your data, and being upfront about how we collect information, use it, and exchange it, as well as safeguard your data, is of paramount importance and is a crucial aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption techniques to protect your sensitive, personal financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 qualified for our commitment to the security of our customers as well as their security. We use an advanced banking verification system to immediately verify the bank account details online. This allows us to provide quick responses.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when a company owner makes use of the assets they have to obtain a loan. The asset could be a personal asset like the family home or an company asset such as a truck or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lenders, including the banks with the biggest size, prefer to make loans secured by an asset. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan then your assets could be offered for sale by the lender. In essence, it is a way of securing new funding using the value of what you already own.
Are I need security to secure a company loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans no asset security is required before you are able to access the money however, we require a personal guarantee. need an individual guarantee. If you adhere to your loan commitments (as stipulated in the loan contract) the security of assets is not required. If you take out loans in excess of $150K generally, there is personal guarantee and security that is in the form charges on assets.