October, 2019

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The 10 Biggest Business Problems Entrepreneurs Face—and How to Beat Them

Fundera

The 10 Biggest Business Problems for Small Business Owners. Managing your money – creating a budget, running financial reports, tracking expenses, paying bills, and more. Building a quality team – finding and hiring the right people to help your business grow. Providing health care for your employees – finding the right solutions for your employees, fitting it into your budget, etc.

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Creating a Customer-Centric, Digital Financial Institution

Abrigo

A farmer, a university student, and a business owner walk into a bank. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but for many community financial institutions, a spectrum of different customers and banking needs is something that they see every day. However, they’re probably seeing fewer of these customers walking into a physical branch. Today, 73% of all consumer interactions with financial institutions are done digitally , according to the 2019 FIS Performance Against Customer Expectations (PACE

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Faster Payments: Everything you need to know

GoCardless

A Faster Payment is a type of electronic transfer, designed to speed up the process of sending money within the UK. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the Faster Payments Service and how your business can use it.

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How do you turn $1,799 into $1,635,000 in one year?

TrueBuild

I wanted to share a story with you about a recent client of ours. He is a pool contractor in Florida that had been in business for about three years. His business had been slowly growing but not at the pace that he wanted it to. He had a relatively good stream of business but it was mostly residential where the average job size was $15k to $20k. What he really wanted to do was crack into the large commercial market building pools for hotels and resorts.

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Using Business Credit Line to Double Profits – 3 tips & Case Study

Midwest Corporate Credit

How many bags of maple bacon flavored organic K-9 Krunchies can you buy with $25,000? I ask because that’s how much one of our clients increased her MONTHLY profit by! $25,000 every month. Source.

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The Ultimate Guide to Managing Small Business Finances

Fundera

How to Manage Small Business Finances in 5 Comprehensive Steps. Choose a business bank account and separate your personal and business finances. Organize your business finances by using accounting software and hiring a professional. Understand and fulfill your business tax responsibilities. Get a handle on your personal and business credit scores. Understand your business loan options and work to qualify for the financing you’ll need in the future.

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Do You Need a Financial Advisor as a Small Business Owner?

Fundera

Some projects perfectly lend themselves to the DIY route: You can change your own car oil, paint your home, maybe even patch up your own roof. But managing your small business finances ? Unless you have a background in the subject, this is definitely something you should consider leaving in the hands of an expert. For a small business owner, your finances are like gas in the car.

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How to Find the Right Business Attorney in 5 Steps

Fundera

How to Find and Pick a Business Attorney in 5 Steps. Determine why you need a business attorney. Source business attorneys through your network or legal directories. Compare business attorneys by asking the right questions. Work out a fee arrangement that fits your budget. Know when it’s okay to skip the small business lawyer. If you run a small business, one of your biggest fears is probably getting sued.

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The 11 Best Untapped Cities for Startups in 2020

Fundera

The location of your startup could have a big impact on its growth and eventual success. The interest of investors in your startup, the availability of talent in the local labor pool, and an area’s cost of living can all work in a company’s favor or against it. . Startup culture is centered in a few regions in the United States. The Silicon Valley Bay Area accounts for 45% of total venture capital investment in the U.S.

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Opening an Etsy Shop: The Ultimate Guide on How to Start an Etsy Business

Fundera

How to Start an Etsy Shop in 8 Steps. Register for an Etsy account to get started. Set your shop preferences including language, home country, and currency. Choose your Etsy shop name. Add items, complete their listings, and publish them to your shop. Choose how you’d like to accept payments. Set up your billing information. Open your Etsy shop.

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27 FOMO Marketing Tips to Increase Sales and Brand Awareness

Fundera

If you’ve ever logged onto Instagram during a quiet night in, only to see pictures that make you suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety that you’re missing out on all the fun, then you’ve likely experienced FOMO. FOMO, which stands for fear of missing out, is an anxiety that stems from humans experiencing feelings of “other” or of being out of the loop. 69% of millennials say they’ve experienced FOMO at one point, and 33% admit that they’ve tried to elicit the feeling in their peers.

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How to Start a Winery: 5 Steps Starting a Wine Business

Fundera

How to Start a Winery: 5 Steps to Starting a Wine Business. Come up with a name and choose a business entity. Write a business plan. Navigate licensing, permits, and taxes. Create a budget. Get funding for your wine business. To take on the challenge of how to start a winery, you need to be determined, fearless, and passionate about your craft—although owning a vineyard seems romantic, starting a business in any industry is work, and the wine business is a tough one. .

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Opening a Salon: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Fundera

Opening a Salon in 6 Steps. Step 1: Write a Business Plan. Step 2: Determine the Costs. Step 3: Insure Your Salon. Step 4: Choose a Location and Hire Staff. Step 5: Market Your Salon. Step 6: Scale Carefully. If you’re interested in starting a new business , specifically opening a salon, you’re not alone: The beauty industry is worth over $56 billion annually , and haircare the largest segment with 86,000 locations nationwide.

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Accounting Principles: A Guide to Understanding the 10 Basic Principles of Accounting

Fundera

Basic Accounting Principles. Economic entity assumption : A business is an entity unto itself and should be treated as such. Monetary unit assumption : All financial transactions should be recorded in the same currency. Specific time period assumption : Financial reports should show results over a distinct period of time. Cost principle : The cost of an item doesn’t change in financial reporting.

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8 Best Credit Unions for Small Business Owners in 2019

Fundera

8 Best Credit Unions for Small Business Owners in 2019. America First Credit Union. Alliant Credit Union. Navy Federal Credit Union. First Tech Federal Credit Union. Self-Help Credit Union. Consumers Credit Union. Digital Federal Credit Union. Boeing Employees Credit Union. One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a small business owner is finding a hub for your business’s finances.

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How a Shareholder Loan Affects Your Taxes

Fundera

If you’re a principal or shareholder of an S-corporation, you already know the many tax advantages the structure provides you—and the few disadvantages you have to deal with. . Being part of an S-corp means your shareholder assets are protected and you can take advantage of pass-through taxation and other tax benefits, making the S-corp entity a good choice for both you and the business. .

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23 Time Management Tips for Business Owners

Fundera

As a small business owner, you’re probably juggling about a million different tasks and projects, so your time is in short supply. Learning how to manage your time effectively when you start a business is crucial for increasing your productivity, getting through your miles-long to-do list every day, and generally maintaining your sanity. And who better to ask about time management tips for entrepreneurs than entrepreneurs themselves?

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The 8 Best Business Insurance Companies in 2020

Fundera

The Best Business Insurance Companies. Next Insurance: Best for businesses that need coverage fast. State Farm: Best for customer service. Insureon: Best for finding the lowest premiums. The Hartford: Best for purchasing a business owner’s policy (BOP). Chubb: Best for international businesses. Lloyd’s of London: Best for hard-to-insure industries. Founder Shield: Best for high-growth startups.

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How to Be a Good Manager

Fundera

Managing isn’t easy. Accepting a managerial role is like that feeling you get when all the nerves in your body crowd in your belly — similar to trying bungee jumping for the first time and hoping the rope has your back. Management controls the most valuable asset of a company: employees. That’s why it’s essential that small business owners strive to be good managers.

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How to Start a Cleaning Business in 7 Steps

Fundera

How to Start a Cleaning Business: 7 Steps. Fund your cleaning business. Choose your market. Find your specialty—and stick to it. Plan your cleaning business budget. Register your cleaning business. Find and maintain clients. Invest in advertising and expanding. If you’re looking to start a new business with low overhead, the absence of typical operating costs, and reliable demand, you might be interested in learning how to start a cleaning business.

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How to Start a Home Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Fundera

How to Start a Home Business in 8 Steps. Step 1: Decide what type of business to start. Step 2: Choose a name and entity for your home business. Step 3: Write a business plan. Step 4: Register your home-based business. Step 5: Get a business license. Step 6: Get a business bank account and credit card. Step 7: Secure funding. Step 8: Hire any employees you may need.

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FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: Which Accounting Software Is Best for Your Business?

Fundera

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks, Summarized. FreshBooks: With three plan options and a focus on time tracking and invoicing, FreshBooks is an accounting solution best suited for self-employed professionals like independent contractors and freelancers. QuickBooks Online: One of the most popular small business accounting platforms, QuickBooks Online is well-suited for a variety of business owners, especially those who need more advanced accounting tools for reconciliation, taxes, reporting, and inventor

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How Do Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) Pay Taxes?

Fundera

How Do LLC Taxes Work? An LLC is typically treated as a pass-through entity for federal income tax purposes. This means that the LLC itself doesn’t pay taxes on business income. The members of the LLC pay taxes on their share of the LLC’s profits. State or local governments might levy additional LLC taxes. Members can choose for the LLC to be taxed as a corporation instead of a pass-through entity.

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The Best Payment Processing Companies for Small Businesses

Fundera

The Top Payment Processing Companies for Small Business. Veem. Authorize.Net. Stripe. PayPal. QuickBooks Payments. Square. Clover. Payment Depot. Payline Data. Fattmerchant. Whether you run a brick-and-mortar retail store or an online-based business, you’ll more than likely need to accept a variety of payment methods—including credit cards and digital payments.

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Amazon Lending: How to Determine If an Amazon Loan Is Right for Your Business

Fundera

Amazon Lending: An Overview. Amazon Lending is a program in which Amazon offers short-term business loans to qualified sellers so that they can finance additional inventory to sell through the Amazon marketplace. Amazon loans are invitation-only and amounts range from $1,000 to $750,000. Amazon Lending does not check credit. Between their online marketplace, streaming service, and grocery delivery platform, there isn’t much that ecommerce giant Amazon isn’t involved in—and that incl

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Employee Loans: Everything You Need to Know

Fundera

The Best Employee Loan Policy. The best employee loan policy and checklist to follow is to find out your employee’s needs for borrowing, formalize your agreement to protect your business, have your employee sign a promissory note, keep pristine records of the agreement, and charge an interest rate of at least the Applicable Federal Rate if the loan is more than $10,000.

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Sole Proprietorship Taxes: Everything You Need to Know

Fundera

How Are Sole Proprietorships Taxed? Sole proprietorships are subject to pass-through taxation, meaning the business owner reports income or loss from their business on their personal tax return, but the business itself is not taxed separately. A sole proprietor will submit a Schedule C with their personal 1040 tax return on an annual basis. They will also be responsible for filing Schedule SE with these returns and paying self-employment taxes on a quarterly basis.

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Opening a CrossFit Gym: 8 Steps to Starting a CrossFit Box

Fundera

8 Steps to Opening a CrossFit Gym. Choose your gym name and business entity. Write a business plan. Get certified, pay CrossFit fees. Register your business, get an EIN. Get funding. Find a gym space and obtain permits. Get a business checking account, credit card. Get insurance. These days, more and more people are discovering that their favorite way to exercise involves rope climbing, weight lifting, ball dodging, and kettlebell swinging.

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Best Credit Cards for Nonprofits: Top 10 Options

Fundera

10 Best Credit Cards for Nonprofits. Chase Ink Business Cash. Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business. American Express Blue Cash Business. Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard. Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business. American Express Blue Business Plus. Chase Ink Business Preferred. Capital One Spark Classic for Business.

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IRS Form SS-4 Instructions: What It Is and How to Find Yours

Fundera

What Is IRS Form SS-4? Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, is the IRS form that businesses use to apply for an employer identification number (EIN). You may need to provide your business lender with your IRS Form SS-4 notice. That way, they can verify your EIN when they evaluate your business loan application. Note, when a lender asks for your IRS Form SS-4 they want the notice you receive after filing the form, not the form itself. .