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.
More and more, and especially with the younger crowd, people just don’t carry cash anymore. To do business at all, small businesses need to be able to take some sort of payment card, be it debit or credit. Taking credit card payments can get expensive and complicated, but we’re here to help break it down for you.
QuickBooks Premier is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that have outgrown QuickBooks Pro and need more users, more reports, and industry-specific features. The downsides? More features come at a higher cost and there’s still a learning curve.
Whether you’re looking for an equipment lease or loan, one of these seven equipment financing companies is sure to be the best option for your small business.
Payment service providers (PSPs) streamline the process of obtaining credit card processing services by aggregating all users into a single merchant account. This eliminates the need for a lengthy underwriting process before a merchant can be approved for an account, but also increases the chance of a hold, freeze, or account termination. Your business will not receive a unique merchant ID number if you sign up with a payment service provider. Well-known PSPs include Square, PayPal, and Stripe.
Equity crowdfunding has only been around for a few years. Suffice to say, it is a work in progress. If you play your cards right, however, it might be just the thing to take your startup to the next level. If you’ve done your due diligence in preparing your offering and you possess the ability to excite investors, professional and amateur, then it’s certainly an avenue worth exploring.
The crowdfunding industry continues to grow and expand as a means of soliciting donations, product sales, and investments. Naturally, nonprofit organizations are now looking to get into the crowdfunding game too. Let’s look at six good options for nonprofit organizations looking for a crowdfunding solution.
If you want a quick and easy business loan, LoanBuilder is certainly worth looking into, especially if you don’t meet the requirements of traditional lenders. However, be aware that new borrowers can only borrow up to $100,000, terms are only available up to 52 weeks, and weekly repayments are required.
Biz2Credit is an alternative lending platform that offers multiple types of financing to small businesses. Biz2Credit is a viable option for many young businesses. It has relaxed borrower requirements but potentially expensive terms and fees.
QuickBooks Capital is a good option for existing QuickBooks Online users looking for an easy application and fast funds. QuickBooks Capital loans are ideal for inventory purchasing and working capital, but may not be ideal for long-term needs, such as business expansion.
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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.
