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Erica Seppala

Editor & Senior Staff Writer

7+ Years At Merchant Maverick

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.

Merchant Maverick Archives for Erica Seppala | Page 22

Prepayment penalties

What Is A Prepayment Penalty?

Lenders want borrowers to pay as much interest as possible, which is why some loans discourage and penalize early payment through the use of prepayment penalties. However, using the strategies outlined in this article, you may be able to make prepayments on your business loan while avoiding or minimizing any penalties, even if your loan does include a prepayment penalty.

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Dec 17, 2025 Filed under: Business Loans

The Complete Guide To Square Payroll Pricing

Time is precious when you’re running a small business. Streamlining employee payroll can recoup hours previously spent every pay period crunching numbers and writing checks. Square is a reputable payroll option that will likely come up in your search, and you may already be familiar with their point of sale (POS) system and other applications. Read on for a detailed look at Square Payroll pricing and plans.

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May 24, 2026 Filed under: Payroll

How Much Does Gusto Payroll Cost?

Gusto makes payroll processing easy for small businesses that need to focus on growing their base of customers. The payroll and time-tracking software offer multiple tiers of plans with different price tags and features, each of which is suitable for different small business needs. This article breaks down each plan’s pricing structure to help you figure out which one benefits your company the most.

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May 27, 2026 Filed under: Payroll

ADP VS Paychex Comparison

Small businesses have plenty on their to-do lists. To help narrow down your search for payroll apps, we will compare two leading payroll software solutions available to small businesses: ADP and Paychex. We’ll dive into features, pricing, customer support, feedback from small business users, and more. Read on to compare ADP vs. Paychex.

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May 27, 2026 Filed under: Payroll

What Are Business Grants & Are They Taxable?

There are business grants out there that give small business owners and entrepreneurs access to capital. However, it isn’t as easy as pulling out your credit card and receiving a magic list in your mailbox. It takes work to find grants that you qualify for, and even then, competition is pretty stiff. That doesn’t mean you should automatically write-off business grants, though.

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Mar 20, 2026 Filed under: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Invoicing, Business Grants

The Complete Guide To California Payroll & Payroll Taxes

California’s payroll taxes are more involved than other states, so small businesses need to be extra careful when processing payroll in California. We’ve made understanding California’s payroll taxes and labor laws easy so that you can pay your payroll taxes on time and stay compliant with the latest payroll laws.

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May 27, 2026 Filed under: Payroll
seed funding

Seed Funding Explained: What It Is & When It Makes Sense

Seed funding can be any amount of money, from any source, that helps move a business from the conceptual phase to the implementation phase. Seed funding is typically a small amount of money relative to the scope of the business proposal and often comes from personal sources like family and friends.

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Dec 17, 2025 Filed under: Business Loans

Klarna for Business

A buy-now-pay-later can give customers the ability to spread out payments in a budget-friendly fashion. Issuing short-term loans to customers yourself can be risky, both financially and legally. The smart choice might be to partner with an established BNPL partner like Klarna to give customers financing options while keeping your own risk low. Read on for more information about Klarna!

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Dec 3, 2025 Filed under: Buy Now Pay Later

Guide To Payroll Best Practices & Payroll Compliance

Payroll can be hard to stay on top of for a small business owner. Even if you’re doing your employees’ payroll as a solo job, best practices will help you keep track of submission requirements and deadlines without affecting how much you get done. Read on to discover nine payroll best practices you can start working on today to make your payroll process a breeze.

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May 19, 2026 Filed under: Payroll

The Complete Guide To Maryland Payroll & Payroll Taxes

Small business owners are no stranger to the need to be self-sufficient and balance competing tasks. Some responsibilities, such as paying taxes and employees, are difficult to complete without proper planning. Additionally, there are many legal and financial risks for not fulfilling these obligations, especially in the state of Maryland. We know time is precious, so we’ve broken down the essential regulation and steps needed to complete payroll for small businesses in Maryland.

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May 25, 2026 Filed under: Payroll