FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Kensington Small Business Loans
Tell me what you think of the Kensington Small Business Loans
Kensington unsecured loans provides amounts between $5,000 and $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 months, cash flow friendly repayments that are either per day or weekly.
What makes this Unsecured Loan different from a traditional business loan?
It is possible to apply to your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes online or over the phone. You’ll get an instant response and the funds could be in your account within 24 hours. Traditional business loans are based on an annual rate of interest along with other charges and fees. This business loan is a cash-based loan therefore you’ll know in advance the total amount to be paid, including the interest, fees and charges. This is then broken down into weekly or daily installment amount.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for virtually every company purpose including control of cash flow business remodels and marketing for purchasing inventory or new equipment, to fund general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal purposes.
About Larger Kensington Business Loans
What is the Larger Kensington Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company growth opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 over a fixed term that can last up to 36 months. Repayments are weekly or fortnightly depending on your cash flow.
How is the Origination Fee determined?
It is important to note that the Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is calculated at 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan that is this large the company needs to be operating for a minimum of 3 years and have an annual turnover of at least $700,000. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) who is over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at minimum 12 months of continuous trading.
What can the funds be used for?
A larger business loan is a great option for almost any business need, including company renovations, purchase of inventory or new equipment for general working capital, and much more. The loan cannot be used to fund personal expenses.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is needed for accessing funds over $150,000. This is in the form of a charge over assets, and may be registered through the PPSR or making a caveat.
A director’s or personal ensure is a commitment to repay a loan which is generally based rather than stipulating the security of a specific asset. The person who is signing the ensure is personally responsible if the company creditor is unable to make the repayment.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online registry run by the New Zealand Government. It records security interests that have been which are registered with respect to personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR permits prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned according to the date a security interest has been registered.
A caveat is a legal document lodged to provide an official notice of a claim against a property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
If you’re applying for a Larger Business Loan that is greater than $250K we can offer a preliminary pre-approval to help ease the process. It is possible to make this decision without a credit verification and within 6 hours of your initial application. The pre-approval process is based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering a few financial well-being checks. This is neither an offer nor a guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer that you receive could have different terms.
Application process
Do I have the right to receive funds?
You may be eligible for a business 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)
- must show at least six months’ worth of transactions (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trade (for the Larger Business Loan $100K up to $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and simple. Complete the online form in just a few minutes, and an experienced business expert in lending will be in touch to guide you.
To apply for up to $100,000, you’ll require proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) and a valid NZBN/IRD and at least six months worth of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K-$250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if you have a loan of more than $150K).
$250K to $500K: Information on the application including credit consent as well as 12 month bank accounts, the IRD statements as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, as well as interim financials for the current financial year such as age-related payables and aged Receivables reports.
How soon will I hear a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K and up) we typically offer an answer within one hour – as long as you make your application during quality business hours and allow us to utilise the bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you opt to submit copies of your bank statements we can provide an answer in just 1 business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) we may be in a position to provide you with a 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 can be quicker based on the particular circumstances of each application. Certain transactions have received approval within 24 hours.
The most effective method would be to make sure you apply during normal business hours. You can also let us use the modern bank verification link to confirm your bank details online. If you send us copies of your bank statements it will take a little longer.
How soon will I receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K and up) we typically offer an answer in just one hour – provided you make your application within normal business times and allow us to make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank details online. If you want to submit copies of your bank statements we can offer an answer within the span of one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we might be capable of provide you with conditional pre-approval within about 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, the turnaround time is approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however this may be quicker depending upon the circumstances for each application. Certain transactions have received approval in the space of 24 hours.
The fastest method for you to apply is make sure you apply during standard business hours. Also, let us use the sophisticated bank verification to check your bank’s information online. If you send us duplicates of your banking statement, it will take a little longer.
How much can I borrow?
We provide loans that range from $5,000 to $500,000. If you apply for a certain amount, we will consider a number of factors for determining your well-being of your business and the amount of repayments that your business is able to afford. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specifics of your company.
When you apply for a particular amount, we consider a variety of variables to assess your health for your business and the extent of the repayments your company can support. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances of your business.
Fees & repayments
What is the cost for a business loan?
When you make an application for our business loan, we’ll assess the risk profile for your business and provide you with a customised offer that includes the loan amount, the terms and interest rates. This business loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you will know the exact amount you will have to pay, including charges, interest rates or fees.
What determines the amount I am charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on a variety of variables like the amount to be borrowed, the company assets the money are used to purchase and the sector the company is in, how long the business has been in operation for, in the event that the company has sufficient cash flow to fund the loan, as well as the overall well-being and creditworthiness of the business.
What are the cost?
There aren’t any hidden charges with our company loans, and you’ll be aware of the amount it is that you be required to pay, and when, from the very first day. There’s not any compounding interest and there are no additional charges (as long as you are able to make your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can get a cash loan without any upfront costs or any obligation to sign up.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved with setting up and managing the loan. The only way to pay this fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Can I repay the loan early?
You may choose to pay back all of your loan at any point in time.
If you decide to do this please talk to one of our helpful business loan professionals. We will provide you with details for repayment and an early payment figure. It will be calculated using the sum of the principal amount remaining plus any accrued interest as of the time of early payout and 1.5% of the remaining principal and any outstanding fees.
What are the repayment methods?
In order to help you avoid missing repayments and to fit in with your cash flow general, we provide payments that are either weekly or daily. They are automatically deducted from the nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Making sure that your information is secure, and knowing how we collect information, use it, and exchange it, as well as safeguard your data, is of huge importance and a vital aspect of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption standards to protect your sensitive, personal and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We employ a highly sophisticated bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account details online so we can provide an immediate response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when the company owner borrows from an asset that they own to secure 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 the lenders including the banks with the biggest size, prefer to secure loans against assets. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, the asset might be taken over by the lender. In essence it is the process of securing additional financing making use of the value of what you already have.
Are I need security to secure 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. need a personal guarantee. As long as you follow your loan commitments (as specified in your loan contract) the security of assets will never be needed. For loans over $150,000 generally there is personal guarantee and security in the form of the charge of assets.