FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Ocean Reef Small Business Loans
Tell me more about Ocean Reef Small Business Loans
Ocean Reef unsecured loans provides amounts of between $5,000 and $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 months, cash flow-friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
What is what makes the Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
It is possible to apply to your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an immediate response, and have the funds in your account in 24 hours. Traditional company loans reference an annual interest rate along with other charges and fees. Our company loan is a loan that is priced upfront so you will be aware of the total amount payable including any fees, interest or charges. Then, it is broken down into a daily or weekly amount to be paid back.
What can be the Small Business Loan be used for?
It is a Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost any company purpose including the management of cash flow, company renovations, marketing to purchase inventory, new equipment, for general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal use.
About Larger Ocean Reef Business Loans
What is the Larger Ocean Reef Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger loan size to support business expansion opportunities. The loan ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 over a fixed term for up to 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly, depending on you cashflow.
How is the Origination Fee calculated?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee, which is calculated at 2.5 percentage of the amount of the loan.
Am I eligible for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a loan of this size, your business needs to have been operating for at least three years, and have an annual income of $700K. Your company must belong to a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) over 18 years or have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at the least 12 months of operating.
What can I use the funds for?
A Business Loan of a larger size can be used to fund almost all company need, including business improvements, purchasing new equipment or inventory or as general working capital and much more. The loan cannot be used for personal purposes.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is required for funding of more than $150,000. It’s by taking a charge over assets, and could include the registration of this with the PPSR or making a caveat.
A director’s or personal guarantee is a guarantee to repay a loan which is generally in nature rather than stating security over an asset. The person who signs the guarantee is personally accountable if the company the borrower fails to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online register operated by the New Zealand Government. It contains security interests that are registered for personal property (including goods or assets). The PPSR gives the priority of personal property assigned depending on the date that a security interest has been registered.
The caveat can be described as a formal document lodged to provide the public notice of a legal claim to a property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
If you’re seeking the Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250K we can offer an initial pre-approval in order to simplify the process. We might be able to apply for this without a credit check and within 6 hours of the initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment, which involves you answering some financial well-being checks. This is not an offer of credit or guarantee of funds. Acceptance without condition is subject to an exhaustive credit evaluation, and any offer that you receive could have different terms.
Application process
Are I eligible for funding?
You can apply for a company loan if you:
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- must show at least six months worth of trade (for a 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 easy. Just fill out the online application within a few minutes and an experienced company lending specialist will contact you to guide you.
To apply for up to $100,000 you’ll need the right identification documents (valid Driver’s License), a valid NZBN/IRD and at least 6 months of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K to $250K: Application details including credit consent, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if the loan is greater than $150K).
$250K to $500K: Details of the application, including credit consent twelve month bank accounts, the IRD statement and the last two years’ finalised financial statements, in addition to interim financials from the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summary.
How fast will I get a decision?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) We can usually offer an answer within an hour, provided you submit your request in quality company timings and permit us to utilise the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank details online. If you opt to upload copies of your bank statements , we’ll be able to offer a decision in as little as the span of one company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K or more) we may be capable of provide you with conditional pre-approval within about six hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval form, it will take between 2 and 3 days for the final approval, however this can be quicker based upon the circumstances for each application. Certain agreements have been approved within 24 hours.
The quickest method would be to ensure you apply during standard business hours, and allow us to use the modern bank verification to instantly verify your bank information online. If you choose to upload copies of your bank statements it takes a bit longer.
How quickly will I receive the funds?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K to $100K) we usually offer a response in one hour – provided you apply during normal business time and allow us to use the advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank’s information online. If you decide to send us copies of your bank statements, we are able to offer a decision in just an business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) we may be in a position to provide you with conditional pre-approval within 6 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 upon the circumstances for each application. Some agreements have been approved within 24 hours.
The fastest way is to ensure you apply during normal business hours, and let us use the sophisticated bank verification to instantly verify your bank information online. If you opt to upload duplicates of your banking accounts, it may take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We offer the loan amount between $5,000 and $500,000. When you make an application for a specific amount we take into consideration a range of variables to determine the health for your business and the extent of the repayments your business is able to afford. The amount you receive from your loan will depend on the specifics of your business.
If you apply for a particular amount, we consider a variety of elements to assess your well-being that is your company and the extent of payments your business can afford. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the particulars for your company.
Fees & repayments
How much do you charge for a company loan?
When you make an application for our company loan, we’ll assess the risk assessment that you have for your business and offer you with a customised offer including loan amount, term and the interest rates. A business loan is a loan that is priced upfront so you will know in advance the total amount payable including any costs, fees, or interest rates.
What determines the rate that I pay?
The interest rates on company loans rates vary due to factors like the amount of money that is borrowed, what company assets the money will be used for, the industry the company is operating in, how long the company is in operation and what percentage of the business has sufficient cash flow to cover the loan, as well as the general health or creditworthiness of the business.
What are the charges?
There are no hidden fees for our company loans, and you’ll know precisely what you’ll need to pay, and when, right from day one. There’s not any compounding interest and no additional fees (as long as you make your payments on time).
We don’t charge an Application Fee. You are able to apply for a loan without any upfront costs or obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee includes the expenses associated with the setting up and management of the loan. You are only charged this fee if you decide to take the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the amount of loan.
Can I pay out the loan in advance?
You can decide to repay the entire amount of the loan at any point in time.
If you are deciding to take this route, please contact our helpful company loan professionals. We will provide you with repayment details along with an early payout estimate. This will be calculated as the total of the principal amount remaining and any accrued interest at the date of early payout plus 1.5% of the principal remaining plus any outstanding fees.
What are the repayment methods?
To ensure you do not miss payment dates and to align with your cash flow routine, we provide payments that are either daily or weekly. They will be automatically deducted from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be secure?
Security of your data, and being upfront about the ways we gather data, process, exchange and secure your information, is crucial and a vital part 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 sensitive, personal financial information and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to customer security and privacy. We use an advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify the bank account details online, allowing us to offer a fast response.
About business loans
How do you define asset-based lending (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where a business owner uses an asset they own to obtain the loan. The asset could be an individual property, such as the family home, or a company asset like a truck or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of the lenders even the largest banks, are inclined to secure loans against an asset. If you’re struggling to pay back the loan, then the asset could be transferred to the lender. In essence, it’s a way of securing new financing using the worth of the asset you already have.
Do I require security to get an business loan?
For loans up to $150,000 the requirement for asset security is not required in advance to gain access to the funds but we do need a personal guarantee. If you adhere to your loan obligations (as stated in your loan contract) and you are able to meet your obligations, asset security is not required. For loans of over $150K generally, you can get an individual guarantee and security in the form a charge over assets.