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.
Loans expert Erica Seppala talks inflation with Nasdaq.
Financial expert Erica Seppala analyzes in Real Simple what people in their 40s can do to strengthen their finances.
Loans expert Erica Seppala tells Real Simple why an app might help people pay down their debt faster.
Need cash flow to make payments on time, operate your business, or secure that dream loan you’ve been waiting for? Get your business’s finances on track with these 12 tips for improving cash flow.
Credit card machines have evolved from having little more than simple transaction processing capabilities to today’s high-tech devices with color touch screens, multiple displays, and the ability to install additional software apps to help your run your business.
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card is a cash back card that offers differing rates of cash back depending on your purchases and limits the amount of cash back you can earn. Chase’s business credit cards are quite well-regarded in the industry.
LendingTree is an online platform connecting individuals and businesses to a wide range of financial products through its lending partners. It has relaxed loan qualifications and ideal for new businesses. Be cautious of its non-transparent terms and fees.
The decisions you make, the research you do, and the experiences you have with the POS system support team are all going to impact your journey to finding the right POS system.
TD offers short-term loans and lines of credit to small businesses. East Coasters with excellent credit and branches in their area can take advantage of TD’s origination fee-free loans if they’re seeking less than $100,000. Be aware of their stringent borrower qualifications.
In a perfect world, you’d be able to take a series of proactive measures that would protect you from ever having to deal with chargebacks. Unfortunately, they’re an inevitable part of running a business that you’ll have to deal with sooner or later. For most merchants, chargebacks will only be an occasional irritant. For others, a high chargeback rate can lead to your business being classified as a high-risk merchant or even having your merchant account frozen or shut down. While we can’t make your business 100% chargeback-proof, we can help you to minimize their frequency and offer some tips on dealing with them when they inevitably occur.
Read on for a breakdown of the four different QuickBooks Online (QBO) plans. We’ll discuss how to know which plan is right for you and what additional costs to expect, so you can know precisely what you’re getting into before deciding to purchase QuickBooks Online.
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.
Before you even begin researching or trying to figure out how much you can afford, you need to ask yourself if a loan is right for your small business. Just because you can afford to take one out doesn’t mean you should.
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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.
