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.
P2Binvestor is a peer-to-peer lender that offers asset-backed lines of credit to qualified B2B businesses. The initial application is fast and easy, and the company is transparent and communicative. It’s competitively priced and solves problems commonly experienced by mid-sized B2B businesses.
Of course, everyone’s experience with a particular processor won’t be the same. It’s important to weigh the complaint volume of a company against its processing volume. A processor serving a hundred thousand merchants with 100 complaints is a much different scenario from a processor serving ten thousand merchants with 100 complaints. That being said, a processor with a lot of complaints about the same issue should be an immediate red flag.
Small business loan rates and fees affect your cost of borrowing, so it’s important to make sure you do your research to find the most affordable loan for your business. The most effective way to get the best deal on a business loan is to educate yourself, starting with this guide.
Inventory software for restaurants can include ingredient tracking, vendor management, low-stock notifications, and recipe costing. A good restaurant inventory management system saves time and money by preventing food waste. Learn about the best restaurant inventory management software, including Toast, Upserve, TouchBistro, and more.
SmartBiz provides SBA 7(a) and PPP loans to small and large businesses. SmartBiz is a fantastic resource for any eligible merchant that needs a low-cost, long-term loan and wants to leverage a marketplace solution.
Different types of businesses need different types of POS hardware. Retail businesses typically need a tablet, tablet stand, cash drawer, receipt printer, and barcode scanner. A restaurant may not need s barcode scanner (unless they also sell merch), but will need other peripheral POS equipment such as kitchen printers and handheld ordering devices.
Square Capital is a convenient and relatively inexpensive source of financing. This company has streamlined the lending process, so it’s almost completely hands-off.
Square’s merchant services are powerful and well priced — but they aren’t the same as having your own dedicated merchant account to accept credit card payments. See how Square’s credit card processing compares to top-tier merchant accounts in terms of pricing, support, overall value, and more.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is a tax software with a few accounting features thrown in. However, QuickBooks Self-Employed still has a way to go as the software has several gaps. It is suitable for freelancers.
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.
