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.
Unpaid invoices can be a burden for any business. While you know that the money from the invoices will come eventually, slow-paying customers or long repayment terms could have a negative impact on your incoming cash flow — and this could be a problem for your business. Instead of waiting to receive the money owed […]
Even if you have a steady income and a high personal credit score, additional requirements such as time in business or a business credit score make it a tough task to get a business loan. This can be a problem, particularly for startups. Using a personal loan for business allows you to bypass some of these restrictions to get financing for your business.
Our list of best personal loans for businesses should provide a good starting point for entrepreneurs looking for small loans to help jumpstart their businesses. Our list includes Rocket Loans, LendingPoint, Discover Personal Loans, Avant, Lending Club, Prosper, and Upstart.
In the world of accounting, QuickBooks is a big name, but how does the online version of this popular software stack up against Wave, a free online accounting software? Which program is better? Are they even in the same league? The answers to these questions are more complex than you might think.
Variable APR isn’t good or bad. If the terms of a variable APR credit card or loan are agreeable for you and your business, great! If not, look for fixed APR options that are a better fit.
For beauty salons, short-term loans and business lines of credit can be funded very quickly — sometimes as soon as the next business day. Other loans, such as bank loans and SBA loans, may take several weeks or longer to be funded.
Because it is so difficult for startups to qualify for bank loans, many startup owners turn to SBA programs for their funding needs. A government guarantee on loans takes some of the risk off of lenders while providing startup and small business owners with rates and terms that are competitive with bank loans.
Once a merchant account has been set up, business owners can start accepting payments when customers use their credit cards to pay for a product or service. But what sets merchant accounts apart from other credit card processing solutions and how, exactly, do you integrate them with your business? Let’s quickly cover what merchant accounts are, how they work, and why so many business owners use them to accept cashless payments.
Credit score requirements for business loans vary by lender, borrowing amount, and type of loan. Borrowers with excellent scores and a solid credit history will have more options for low-interest, long-term loans. Borrowers with fair to poor credit scores may find the funding they need with alternative lenders that offer short-term, high-interest business loans.
To obtain a small business loan, lenders often require the borrower to pay a percentage out of pocket as a down payment. But why do you have to pay money upfront when you need to borrow money? Is there a way around this apparent catch-22? What loans require down payments, and what are your options if you don’t have the funds to pay it?
Want to help shape the future of the Merchant Maverick website? Join our testing and survey community!
By providing feedback on how we can improve, you can earn gift cards and get early access to new features.
We Want Your Feedback!
Help us to improve by providing some feedback on your experience today.
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.
