Articles
OnDeck Customer Success Story: CyberImaging Systems
Hal Wilson of CyberImaging Systems needed a short-term small business loan to help him over a cash flow crunch, to meet some marketing expenses, and ramp up for a new customer. After completing the application, he had the cash he needed in less than 24 hours. Check out what he calls the three benefits to…
How to Keep Your Best Salespeople Happy (And Selling)
Salespeople may seem easy to find, but top-performing salespeople are not. Once you’ve put the time and resources into attracting a top talent, or developing skills in a new hire, you’ll want to invest time and energy into retaining them. To accomplish this goal, and hold on to your best salespeople, follow these 4 steps:…
Put Friends and Family Business Loans in Writing
According to the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business Management’s most recent Private Capital Access Index for Q1 of 2015, small business financing success rates for loans from friends or family remain very high for business owners seeking financing. 68 percent of the business owners surveyed who sought funding from a friend or family member found…
OnDeck Customer Success Story: Procraft Interiors
When Tom Bernard wanted to expand his New York construction company, Procraft Interiors, the bank wasn’t too interested in helping him access the money he needed. After noticing a social media add for OnDeck, he decided to give us a try. It didn’t take long before he had the capital he needed to expand and…
Don’t Enter a Business Partnership Until You’ve Answered These Five Questions
In many ways, entering a business partnership can be compared to entering a marriage. There’s an intense level of trust and commitment required from the people involved, and the relationship takes ongoing work and attention in order to thrive. Which means that, just as you would consider many factors carefully before getting married, so should…
6 Ways Marketing Can Make or Break Your Business
The point of marketing is to show current customers that you value their business, and to win the attention of potential customers. A business that consistently shows how much it values customers can consistently win customer attention. Here are six areas in which marketing can lead you to make decisions that will help your bottom line,…
A “Fair” Personal Credit Score Can Cost You
We’ve talked before about how a low personal credit score makes it harder to get a small business loan—along with how a good personal credit score often leads to more favorable loan terms and lower interest rates. Credit.com has introduced a Lifetime Cost of Debt calculator that gives you visibility into what credit might cost…
The 4-Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, While Still Growing Your Business
There’s a trap that many small business owners fall into, often without realizing it. Days are constantly packed, and the work week only seems to get longer, but there never seems to be enough time to slow down and handle certain tasks. Business consultant Joanne Macdonald has created a system for escaping this trap, and…
OnDeck Customer Success Story: Grand Slam Market
After purchasing the Grand Slam Market in Fallon, Nevada, new owner Cheryl McCormick saw the need to expand her business and started looking for financing to purchase a new walk-in cooler. After being turned down for an SBA loan at the local bank, they suggested she contact OnDeck. After completing a simple online application, she…
These 6 Steps Will Help You Hire Salespeople Who Deliver
If you’re looking to hire a salesperson, there are many candidates out there. But if your goal is to impact your company’s bottom line through smart and strategic hires, you’ll need to find and hire only top performers—a much harder task. To create a recruiting process that weeds out average performers and gets you to…
Is a Business Debit Card a Good Idea?
San Francisco startup, Bento’s co-founders Farhan Ahmad and Sean Anderson, think their new prepaid MasterCard (that acts like a debit card) is just the ticket for startups whose employees purchase equipment, supplies, services, or company travel. The card is designed to help small business owners put limits on employee cards and manage their spending. The…
Crain’s 40 Under 40: OnDeck CEO Noah Breslow
The 40 Under 40 is Crain’s annual list celebrating the accomplishments of 40 people who have achieved great success in business before their 40th birthday. This year, OnDeck’s first employee and now our CEO, Noah Breslow, was chosen by a panel of editors at Crain’s as part of this year’s list of high achievers. Noah…
Busy Isn’t Always Productive: 5 Steps to Better Time Use
As a small business owner, you’re undoubtedly busy. But just how productive are you? The two aren’t the same thing, and many small business owners need smart strategies and strong time management skills to keep their days from being eaten up by emergencies, and other people’s priorities. Here are five essential steps that will help…
OnDeck Customer Success Story: J.a.m.b.s. Jewelry
Mark Desrochers, owner of J.a.m.b.s Jewelry, wasn’t really looking for financing when he received a letter from OnDeck but the availability of capital to invest in resources for his store appealed to him so he started looking into an online small business loan. He applied with another lender before OnDeck, but they didn’t give him…
How to Give Performance Reviews – 3 Tips from the Experts
Performance reviews can be dreaded by employees and employers alike. But good feedback can be a vital tool for employee productivity, and happiness. Use these three tips from experts to help you make performance reviews appreciated, not dreaded. 1. Cut out an annual review, and switch to regular performance feedback One of the most frustrating…