Education: AA Liberal Studies, Limestone University
Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader’s Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
One form of relief offered to small businesses is the Employee Retention Tax Credit. First introduced in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this tax credit could be claimed by eligible employers on quarterly tax returns. This program was expanded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law in December 2020, making the credit accessible to more employers.
The SBA offers a variety of loan programs that vary according to business needs. Its flagship program is the 7(a) loan program, which offers loans for most general business purposes. However, it also offers special programs such as microloans and disaster loans. Find out more about SBA loans, including who qualifies.
QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software. It has the complex accounting capabilities that small business owners need and supports numerous integrations. Quickbooks Online has a lot to offer in terms of features, accounting, and usability.
What is a PEO? In short, PEOs are human resource companies that contract with small and mid-size businesses to manage HR services, such as payroll, employee benefits, and tax administration. We’ll explore professional employer organization for payroll and how to know if it is a good fit for your small business in this post.
Payroll and HR software can save precious time for small business owners, but searching through a laundry list of payroll products and features may be hard to squeeze into an already busy schedule. To help get you started, we’ll take an in-depth look at two premier payroll software apps: QuickBooks Online Payroll and ADP.
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been harsh, particularly on small businesses. Fortunately, there have been a number of loan and grant programs open to small business owners to offer financial help during these tough times, one being EIDL.
Xero and QuickBooks Online are both cloud-based software with accounting features you’d expect like invoicing and inventory management. However, Xero stands out for its strong security and supported users, while QBO is easier to use and has better mobile apps.
One form of relief offered to small businesses is the Employee Retention Tax Credit. First introduced in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this tax credit could be claimed by eligible employers on quarterly tax returns. This program was expanded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law in December 2020, making the credit accessible to more employers.
Tired of nightly 86’ed items? Losing fresh veggies to spoilage? Learn how to manage your restaurant inventory effectively and efficiently. Whether you are new to running a restaurant or have reached a point where any inventory processes you have are not working, this article is a great starting point to help you develop or improve your restaurant inventory management. Â
Payroll software isn’t a cookie-cutter solution. By examining Square Payroll vs. Gusto, we’ll weigh the pros and cons, including a plan-by-plan breakdown for each. While both software apps boast easy-to-use interfaces and competitive pricing, there are some key differences to consider when choosing between Square Payroll and Gusto. Read on!
Xero’s advanced features, numerous integrations, and support for unlimited users make it a top choice for mid-to-large-sized businesses that are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the software. FreshBooks is a better fit for smaller businesses that want easy-to-use software equipped with basic features such as invoicing.
Wondering how to know when to hire your first employee? Hiring your first employee is an essential step to take to continue to grow your business, and there are a couple of things to keep in mind to help you successfully — and legally — hire and pay them. Let’s take a look at everything required for you to feel confident in hiring and paying your business’s first employee.
Intuit QuickBooks’ Workforce service makes it much easier for employers to share paycheck information with their employees online. By activating QuickBooks Workforce, you can give your employees control over when and how they want to review their W-2 forms and pay stubs. Read on for a full look at QuickBooks Workforce to see if it’s right for your business.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.