Blog Posts | Page 46

Discover Credit Scorecard is a great way to keep an eye on your FICO score and the factors that go into determining your FICO score.

You need to be PCI compliant. This isn’t just a matter of complying with a bureaucratic regulatory requirement or avoiding a PCI non-compliance fee. A data breach that exposes your customers’ cardholder data can have a catastrophic effect on your business, and following proper PCI compliance procedures is your best method of ensuring that this never happens to you.

A merchant account is designed to temporarily hold funds from credit and debit card transactions until they can be settled. When processing is complete, these funds will then be deposited into the merchant’s business bank account.

This article will explain the four PCI merchant risk levels and show you how to figure out which one applies to your business. Don’t worry — it’s really very easy! We’ll also review the various requirements that apply to each of these levels.

Corporate credit cards are designed for large companies and corporations. Business credit cards, meanwhile, work similarly to traditional personal credit cards.

More business owners are moving away from traditional banks and are turning to credit unions for their business financing needs. Offering many of the same services as traditional banks, credit unions are becoming the go-to resources for smart business owners.

Grants represent a viable form of free funding for select, exceptionally talented women business owners. If you can present an especially impressive application, essay, business plan, and in some cases an in-person pitch, you might come away with some free cash to help bring your entrepreneurial dreams to fruition.

A convenience fee is an amount you add to the purchase price; the customer pays this fee in return for being able to use a more convenient payment method. The important thing to remember is that the customer must always have the choice to use another standard method of payment that does not require the added convenience fee. The fee isn’t technically related to taking credit cards. It is meant to help the merchant recoup the added cost for setting up a new payment channel.

A home equity loan certainly has its benefits — startups can qualify, interest rates are low, and terms are favorable. However, there may be other options that make sense for your business that don’t put the roof over your head at risk. As with any other loan, shop around, compare lenders, and understand the terms of your loan or line of credit before signing a contract.

You will need anywhere from $1,000 – $100,000 before you start your business, depending on your industry, location, and business plan.