Articles
November Roundup: Headlines From Around the Web
Our blog isn’t the only place you can read what we’re saying about the world of small business. Here’s what we don’t want you to miss from November: USA Today: Where the Rubber Hits the Road: What it Really Takes to Succeed on Main Street—Noah Breslow There’s no shortcut to driving business success, but Noah…
Why Does My Lender Want to Know My Personal Credit Score?
Why is your lender asking about your personal credit score? It’s a reasonable question if you’re looking for a small business loan. For most small business owners, particularly if you’ve been in business less than five years, your personal credit score is every bit as important as your business credit score. For startups and early-stage…
It’s Not Too Late to Create the Perfect Holiday Display
The holidays are officially upon us. If you haven’t already, it’s time to get serious about the perfect holiday display for your small business. Holiday shoppers are probably already at your door, and the right display – either in your window or on the floor – will help attract even more buyers and show off…
7 U.S. Presidents Who You Never Knew Ran Small Businesses
You may be surprised to know that among the lawyers and captains of industry, many of the Chief Executives of the United States gained valuable leadership experience as small business owners. Here’s a roundup of 7 presidents who ran their own businesses. 1. George Washington (1st President) Washington ran two successful whiskey stills in early…
5 Reasons Small Businesses Don’t Rely On Black Friday
Black Friday (a term born in the 1960s when Philadelphia cops complained about holiday shopping traffic) has become an increasingly important event for the likes of Walmart, Target, BestBuy, and other big box stores. Last year, about 141 million consumers took advantage of the day’s famous deals, with the average customer spending a little over…
6 Business Secrets From America’s Biggest CEOs
Growing and running a business at the highest level takes a wide variety of skills, many of which aren’t taught in a classroom. Here are 6 takeaways from business leaders who have used all manner of routes and abilities to rise to the top of their fields. 1. Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Create…
How to Find Your Business Credit Score
In addition to your personal credit score, if you’re a small business owner you also have a business credit score. Although personal credit scores are used to evaluate most small business owner’s credit worthiness—even those who have been around for several years – your business credit score is a key piece of being able to…
5 out of 5 Business Owners Agree: Bankers Just Don’t Get Main Street
Earlier this week we invited five OnDeck customers in for a face-to-face discussion about their experience finding a small business loan, and their experience with us. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing what the panel had to say and how it could help other small business owners on their journey. All five, before…
3 Easy Tips for Choosing a Payment Processor
With so many payment processors out there, how do you decide which one you should choose for your business? A new study from NerdWallet suggests both brick and mortar, as well as online small businesses, consider a number of factors before picking a provider. In order to narrow it down to what should work for…
The 4 Best States for Veteran-Owned Businesses
Across the country, states are finding ways to give thanks to the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. From dedicated government contracts to affordable and help securing small business loans, there are certain states that are making a concerted effort to for help veterans business owners. Here are four of…
8 Celebrities You’ll Be Surprised to Know Own Small Businesses
As Us Weekly would put it, “Stars: they’re just like us!” – and that’s true in business too. These eight celebrities have created and grown small businesses by following their passions, remembering their roots, keeping an eye on the details, and being persistent – traits familiar to every small business owner. Sandra Bullock: The Academy…
Severe Weather Lurking? Know That Federal Aid Can Help
Although extreme cold is lurking in the MidWest, small businesses can rest assure severe weather damage won’t put them out of business. One vital resource to know about is the Physical Disaster Loan offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If your business is in a declared “disaster area”, you can apply for this type…
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What is civil forfeiture? For small business owners, it can mean persecution by a government agency – without committing a crime. And recently, small businesses have come under fire by the IRS for just this reason. Take the case of Carole Hinders, the owner of a Mexican cash-only restaurant. She had her entire checking account seized…
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Veterans make great entrepreneurs. In fact veterans own roughly 9% of all American firms and employ about the number of people who live in cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, or Dallas-Fort Worth. To honor Veteran’s Day, we asked the veteran small business owners we’re proud to call customers to share their key to success. Mike…
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Small business owners are dealing with a higher number of lawsuits related to disability access these days. Federal legislation requires certain accessibility standards be met by all businesses, including curb ramps, self-opening doors and other accommodations. Soon, the list could even grow to include requirements online, such as video and audio captions and transcriptions for…