Articles
Got Student Loans? You Can Still Own a Small Business
Student debt can create a daunting financial maze for would-be small business owners. Recent research shows that regions where the population carries student debt boast significantly fewer small businesses. Does that mean that owning a small business is not an option for those with student loans to repay? Absolutely not. With careful planning, you can…
5 Questions with Olive My Pickle’s Charlotte Tzabari
We’re thrilled to start sharing a new series called “5 Questions With…,” which takes a behind-the-scenes look into the daily lives of our small business customers. Name: Charlotte and Shai Tzabari Company: Olive My Pickle Location: Jacksonville, Fl. Products/Services: Lacto-fermented pickles, hummus, and olives Years in Business: 5 Years Facebook: olivemypickles Twitter: @olivemypickle Instagram: olivemypickle…
Content Marketing Essentials for Small Business Owners
Content marketing isn’t a new idea; businesses of all sizes have long used the power of education and entertainment to increase brand loyalty and create familiarity among buyers. What’s new is consumers’ constant use of online media and the infiltration of digital apps and devices into all areas of life. Content marketing, in other words,…
3 Types of Financing that Make Sense for Funding Inventory
Keeping the shelves stocked with what customers want to buy is sometimes a challenge for a small business owner trying to manage his or her other cash flow needs too. Fortunately there are inventory-financing options that can help you keep inventory on the shelves and your cash flow under control. What Type of Inventory Financing…
5 Success Stories that Prove Economic Crises Aren’t Always Bad for Business
With the ongoing turmoil in Greece, we’re reminded, yet again, that boom times don’t last forever. But In fact, economic recessions are not all bad news for businesses. Here’s why: Downtrodden economies can lead to great innovation. Existing companies must find new ways to survive and thrive, launching products that might not have fit in…
What is Operations? And Why Does My Business Need It?
So you want to extend your product line? Open a branch in an up-and-coming neighborhood? Resolve a purchasing inefficiency? Improve customer loyalty? If you answered yes to any of these, or have any specific goal in mind for your business, you should look to your company’s operations – the internal engine that powers your business.…
When Do Short-Term Business Loans Make Sense for Your Business?
There was a time not too many years ago when the local bank was the only place to get a small business loan. For a number of reasons, that isn’t always the case today. In fact, loan purpose, credit profile, and other factors play an important role in determining where a small business owner should…
5 Effective Ways to Manage Your Summer Interns
The blessing and the burden of the summer intern: finally, you have someone to help with all those odds and ends, those administrative details, the daily never-ending tasks and projects sitting unfinished since last summer. But you also need to figure out exactly what this bonus set of hands should be prioritizing, without getting bogged…
A Business Line of Credit – What You Need to Know
Similar to a personal line of credit that leverages the equity in your home to provide extra cash for home improvements or other household needs, a business line of credit is a revolving credit line that gives business owners access to a fixed amount of money they can use to meet short-term capital needs. A…
4 Ideas to Tackle a Slow Summer Slump
Summer sales slump? No problem. This slow time can be valuable for your small businesses. Now’s your chance to do what you normally don’t have time to do: instead of working in your business, you can work on your business. These projects could benefit any small business; pick one or two and make the most…
7 Useful Ways to Train Small Business Employees
Even if they come with years of experience, every new employee you hire needs training. But all too often, small business owners are so overwhelmed with running the business to come up with anything better than a “follow me around for two weeks and learn the ropes” system. Unfortunately, that’s both inefficient and frustrating: owners…
5 Tips to Help You Qualify for a Business Credit Card
The temptation to use personal credit to pay for business expenses can be tempting for many small business owners—particularly when other small business financing is so hard to come by. Nevertheless, you should avoid the temptation. Using your personal credit cards, for example, to pay for business expenses can actually damage your personal credit score,…
Small Business Owners are Living the American Dream
We released our latest Main Street Pulse Report today and are pleased to report the American Dream is alive and well. What does that mean? 81 percent of survey respondents traded the security of a corporate “9 to 5” job to build their own businesses, have more flexibility, and follow their true passion. While owning…
What Is a Good Personal Credit Score and Why Does it Matter to My Business?
Any time you apply for a loan—regardless of whether it’s a personal loan or a small business loan—the loan officer will likely ask you about your personal credit score. The need to maintain a good personal credit score will likely never go away for most business owners, so knowing your score and what it means…
Leasing vs. Buying: What Makes Sense for Your Business?
You don’t need to be a construction company that uses heavy equipment or a manufacturer who needs machine tools to take advantage of equipment leasing or an equipment loan. Almost any equipment required to do business can qualify—including computers or even a pizza oven. Think of equipment with a high dollar value that is considered…