Of all the necessary functions a business must perform each day, few are more costly or inefficient than handling paper transactions – processing, posting, printing, mailing, and tracking checks. To make matters worse, businesses then have to contend with the delays, risks, and errors involved in sending and receiving checks. With paper transactions, businesses must Read More »

Business capital comes in many forms. In fact, businesses use a variety of financial resources to grow, acquire assets and expand product and service offerings. Which source of capital is best for your business depends on how much capital you need, how you plan to use it, how long you need it and what interest Read More »

Banks and other lenders have extensive experience evaluating existing companies to determine if they’re good candidates for commercial loans. Ideal candidates for business loans: generate sufficient cash flow to cover loan payments; have a solid, long-term track record of meeting financial obligations, aka, a good credit history; have financial reserves to weather unexpected downturns or Read More »

There are two basic types of loans: unsecured loans and secured loans. An unsecured loan is made without any collateral to back up the loan. Your signature, as the business owner or authorized representative of the company, is all you need to obtain an unsecured loan once you’ve been approved. A secured loan is backed Read More »

It’s no real surprise that money flowing into a business receives a lot of attention, which is why so much emphasis is placed on tracking sales and revenues. It may surprise some business owners, however, that it is through the money flowing out of the business when they can make the most significant and controllable Read More »

A loan is pretty easy to understand, though the paperwork and legal boilerplate may be more than a bit confusing – even to a company owner. The lender gives the loan recipient money to be repaid over a period of months or years. In exchange for the loan, the loan recipient pays interest on monies Read More »

Most businesses require capital, especially during their start-up and growth phase. While some small businesses – especially service businesses such as consulting firms – are funded by using the entrepreneur’s savings or other assets, most companies will at some point apply for financing to help manage cash flow, purchase needed equipment and supplies, or expand Read More »

It wasn’t so long ago that the biggest issue facing smaller businesses was whether or not to accept credit card payments. For many small businesses, barriers such as cost, technology and financial instability made it difficult to make the leap to credit transactions using merchant services. Today, the issue isn’t whether they should accept credit Read More »

One of the most challenging aspects of running a business, whether you own a start-up or a mature business in expansion mode, is raising capital. Many businesses fail due to insufficient capital to cover operating expenses and invest in growth. Without operating and expansion capital, business owners have limited options at a time when more Read More »