Articles
Four More Great Pieces of Small Business Advice From Four Great Movies
Did you know a relaxing trip to the movies might also be a valuable learning experience? Beloved classics and recent releases can shed light on many of the issues small business owners face every day. Who knew your favorite flick could provide a valuable lesson or two about running a successful business. Check out these…
5 Smart Business Lessons From Your Favorite Christmas Movies
1. Think Before Committing to a Big Purchase on Credit: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) Who can forget how desperate Clark Griswold is for his year-end bonus, since he’s already put down an advance on a new swimming pool. When his “bonus letter” reveals a membership to a Jelly of the Month club rather than…
Cell-Phone-Fixated Customers Can Be Nightmares—Share Your Stories With Us
Cell phones have transformed the way we do business. They’ve enabled millions of businesses to reach customers and sell goods instantaneously around the world. But these devices we carry with us every moment of the day also create a host of problems for business owners, especially when it comes to people using their phones inside…
Looking For a Small Business Loan? You’ll Need These 6 Documents
It’s true, every lender is different and many of them don’t require the same documentation, but here’s a list of six important financial documents that will help you prepare for just about any small business loan—from the SBA to an online lender. 1. Your business financial statements: These are the documents the lender will look…
You Might Be Surprised By Who Experiences a Holiday Bump—I Was
Many small businesses experience a boost in business during the holiday season. Restaurants do very well during the holidays, almost as good as February when they get a boost in traffic for Valentine’s Day. December is actually the best day of the month for Grocery stores too. Looking a little deeper, I noticed a few…
4 Simple Bookkeeping Tips to Start of 2015 Right and Prepare for Tax Season
Most small business owners don’t start a small business because they’re excited about doing the bookkeeping or managing the finances—but it’s a critical component to a successful business. The following four tips will help even a novice small business owner, turned bookkeeper, get a handle on his or her business finances: 1. Organization is critical…
Customer Success Story: The Mystic Florist
About The Mystic Florist Shop Richard Carrillo has been a professional florist for more than 30 years. His Mystic, Connecticut floral shop, The Mystic Florist, specializes in beautiful floral arrangements—with styles that include New York City Contemporary, Hawaiian Tropical, and New England Wild and Country for weddings, anniversaries, bridal, and other special events. Like Many…
Why Our Customers Choose OnDeck
ONDK: An Incredible Milestone for the OnDeck Team
In 2007, OnDeck launched with one goal in mind: to power the growth of small business through lending and technology innovation. Over the last seven years, we’ve made tremendous strides by staying 100% focused on small businesses and meeting their financing needs. And today, we reached an incredible milestone in our company’s journey. We’re excited…
Customers Told Us What They Really Thought of Us
In November we invited five customers to OnDeck to share their experiences getting a small business loan—what was it like, was it easy, was it time consuming? Not long ago we shared what they thought of their experience with the bank—they unanimously agreed, bankers just don’t get Main Street. Then we held our breath and…
Sometimes It’s the Little Things that Ruin Your Credit
You might be surprised to learn how some seemingly harmless things can make a mess of your personal credit—making it harder to get a small business loan. Not long ago, I came across a list of five seemingly harmless things Gerri Detweiler, Director of Consumer Education for Credit.com, suggests wreak havoc on your credit score—you…
5 Key Rules for Handling Customer Complaints on the Internet
This past October, a restaurant in Kansas City found itself involved in a “Yelp battle” of sorts after a disgruntled customer questioned their takeout policy. Now while this back and forth may be entertaining to read, was it good for business? Here are 5 tips to live by when addressing an angry customer online: 1.…
The 9 Songs that Speak to Every Small Business Owner
It’s the holiday season, and as a small business owner, the chances are you’re going nonstop to stay on top of the holiday season and finish up the year strong. If you need to decompress, here are some classic songs that any small business owner can relate to. 1. “Takin’ Care of Business” Bachman-Turner Overdrive,…
3 Ways to Win Government Contracts
On a typical day, there are between 25,000 and 30,000 active government contracts available on the Federal Business Opportunities website. For entrepreneurs and small business owners, this amounts to thousands of chances to grow your company with the help of the federal government. While you may know about government contracts, you might be wondering how…
My Banker Turned Down My Loan Application, Now What?
You’re not alone. Depending upon the study you read, as many as 40% to 90% of small business owners get turned away by the bank—many of them are strong and healthy businesses, but get rejected for a number of reasons. If you’ve been turned down by the bank, here’s what you should do next: 1.…