FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
Information About The Seatoun Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Seatoun Small Business Loans
Seatoun unsecured loans provides the range of $5,000 to $100,000. Terms range from 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
What is this Unsecured Loan different from an traditional company loan?
The application to get this Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or over the phone, receive an instant response and funds may be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans are based on an annual interest rate together with additional fees and charges. Our company loan is a loan that is priced upfront therefore you’ll know ahead of time the total amount payable including any fees, charges or charges. Then, it is broken down into either weekly or daily payment amount.
What could you use the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly any business reason, such as control of cash flow business improvements, advertising to purchase inventory, new equipment, for general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal reasons.
About larger Seatoun Business Loans
What is the Larger Seatoun Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support company expansion opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 with a term fixed with a maximum of 36 months. The repayments are made weekly or fortnightly depending on your cash flow.
How’s the Origination Fee determined?
A Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, which is determined at 2.5 percent of the loan amount.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a credit of this size, your company needs to have been trading for at least 3 years and generate an annual revenue of $700,000. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of continuous trading.
How can the funds be used for?
A Business Loan of a larger size is a great option for almost all business reason, such as company remodeling, buying inventory or new equipment, as general working capital and so much more. The loan is not available for personal purposes.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is needed to obtain funding above $150,000. This is in the form of a charge over assets and can include registering this through the PPSR or registering a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a commitment to pay back a loan that is general in nature rather than defining security over an asset. The person signing the ensure is personally liable in the event that the business creditor is unable to re-pay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online register operated by the New Zealand Government. It reflects security interests registered in respect of personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR permits priority over personal property to be assigned depending on the date that a security interest was registered.
A caveat is a legal document that is filed to provide an official notice of a claim to property.
What is a pre-approval without Credit Check?
If you’re requesting the Larger Business Loan that is greater than $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval in order to ease the process. It is possible to get this done without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. The pre-approval process is based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial health questions. It’s not an offer or guarantee of finance. The approval of a conditional loan is subject to a full credit assessment and any offer you might receive could be on different terms.
The application process
Do I have the right to receive funds?
You may 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)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months worth of trade (for the unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or three years of trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K to $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and simple. Just complete the online application within a couple minutes, and a dedicated company loan specialist will call you to assist you.
To apply for up $100,000 you’ll require ID details (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months’ worth of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll also require:
$100K-$250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6 – 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if loan above $150K).
$250K – $500K: Application details including credit consent as well as 12 months of bank records, IRD statements Last 2 years’ finalised financial statements, plus interim current financial year financials including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summary.
How quickly will I receive a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K and up) we can often offer an answer in just one hour, provided you make your application during quality company time and let us make use of the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statement, we’ll offer an answer within just the span of one company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we might be in a position to offer the conditional pre-approval within 6 hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are between 2 and 3 days for the final approval. However, it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some transactions have received approval in less than 24 hours.
The quickest method can be ensure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our modern bank verification to confirm your bank details online. If you send us duplicates of your banking statement, it will take a little longer.
What is the time frame to receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we typically provide an answer in just one hour – as long as you make your application in standard business times and you allow us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to send us copies of your bank statements, we will be able to provide a decision in just one business day.
If you are applying for Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we might be in a position to offer the conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will require to wait between 2 and 3 days for the final approval. However, this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Some agreements have been approved within just 24 hours.
The fastest method can be ensure you apply during standard business hours, and allow us to use our sophisticated bank verification to instantly verify your bank information online. If you decide to upload duplicates of your banking statements 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 particular amount, we will consider a number of elements that determine the health of your company and the extent of payments your company will be able to support. The amount you receive from the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances that are unique to your business.
When you apply for a particular amount, we look at a range of aspects to determine your well-being of the company and the amount of repayments that your company can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the specific circumstances the company.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for the cost of a business loan?
When you request the company loan, we’ll assess the risk assessment the business and offer you with a customised offer including the amount of the loan, the duration and the interest rates. A business loan is an upfront priced loan therefore you will be aware of the total amount to be paid, including any interest rates, fees or charges.
What determines the rate that I will be charged?
Interest rates for company loans rates differ based on various factors such as the amount that is borrowed, what business assets the funds will be used for and the sector the business operates in, how long the company has been running and whether the company has enough cash flow to fund the loan, as well as the general well-being as well as creditworthiness company.
What are the cost?
There are no hidden costs with our company loans, and you’ll know exactly how much it is that you need to pay and when, starting from the first day. There’s no compounding interest, and the loan comes with no additional fees (as as long as you pay your payments punctually).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to make an application for loans absolutely no upfront cost and no commitment to apply.
The Origination Fee covers the expenses involved in establishing and managing the loan. You are only charged this cost if you take out the loan. Our Origination Fee is 2.5% of the amount of loan.
Can I pay off the loan early?
You can choose to repay the entire amount of your loan in full at any time.
If you are deciding to do this please talk to one of our helpful company loan professionals. The professionals will provide you with the details of your repayment along with an early payout estimate. This will be calculated as the total of the principal balance plus any accrued interest as of the time of the early payout and 1.5 percent of the principal remaining as well as any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
In order to help you avoid missing payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we offer repayments that are either daily or weekly. They are automatically deducted from your nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
The security of your personal information, as well as knowing how we collect the information we collect, use, share and ensure the security of your information is crucial and a vital element of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption protocols to safeguard your personal, sensitive financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to the security of our customers as well as their privacy. We use an advanced bank verification system that allows you to instantly verify your bank account information online so we can provide rapid response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
Asset-based borrowing is when the company owner borrows from assets they own to get the funds for a loan. The asset can be either a personal asset like the family home or a company asset like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The majority of lenders, including the major banks, prefer to guarantee loans against an asset. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan, your assets could be sold by the lender. In essence it’s a way of securing new funding taking advantage of the value of what you already own.
Do I need security for a company loan?
For loans that exceed $150K, it is not necessary to secure assets in advance to gain access to the funds however, we do need the personal guarantee. So long as you comply with the loan terms (as stipulated in the loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not required. For loans that exceed $150,000, generally, there is a personal ensure and security in the form the charge of assets.