Blog Posts | Page 79

Businesses that need $500,000 or less should consider applying for the SBA Express loan. Loan approval is guaranteed within 36 hours, while approval for an SBA 7(a) loan may take several weeks. However, businesses that are willing to wait and need a larger loan should look into the 7(a) program.

We hope you’re reading this article before you’ve been placed on the MATCH list, but if not, we’ll do our best to explain what it is, how it might affect the way you run your business, and whether there’s anything you can do to get yourself off the list. We’ll also look at alternative payment processing methods.

Fast business loans can be a lifesaver, whether you’re ready to grow your business or you need financial assistance to make it through the end of the month. If you don’t have time for a bank loan, consider working with an alternative online lender. Alternative lenders can put money in your account within a couple of days. But this speed comes at a price — specifically, higher interest rates and shorter repayment terms.

Choosing a high-risk merchant account provider isn’t the same as working with other payment processors. You can expect different pricing and contract terms — but you shouldn’t compromise on customer service. Here are six great providers that offer great service, fair pricing, and reasonable contracts for small businesses.

When you accept credit cards as payment, you are always charged a fee for processing. We’ll show you how fees work, which ones are mandatory, and which ones you can negotiate away or just skip by finding a great processor!

Knowing your effective rate helps you understand what you actually pay for credit card processing. Here’s how to calculate it, and use that information to find the best rates on merchant services.

Buying a business can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but getting a loan to finance this purchase is tricky if you don’t have spotless credit or an already-established business. Fortunately, alternative lenders have made it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to secure non-standard business loans, SBA loans, and other types of financing.

After you’ve worked through the details of your 2-3 consecutive statements, it’s worth repeating your effective rate calculation on each one, just to ensure you didn’t miss any charges. You may have also spotted an extra or padded fee here and there that you’re ready to confidently take up with your MSP. You should also be able to locate any anomalies that occurred during a given month (e.g., excessive penalty fees, chargebacks, one-time incidental fees, etc.) that may have impacted your effective rate.

Lenders like to know exactly how you plan on using the money they may potentially lend to you. If you’ve made successful investments in the past, like purchasing additional equipment that increased your sales revenue by 25%, and are planning on purchasing more equipment with the loan your applying for, be sure to tell your lender! It will demonstrate that you’re experienced in business and that you’re likely to increase your cash flow (which a lender hears as “we’re getting our money back”).

Looking for a line of credit? We have searched out and evaluated the best credit lines currently available to businesses of all sizes — from startups and incubator businesses to stable and established operations.