Finance

Crack It Open And See What’s Inside

By Jamillah Warner - Jun 25, 2012 - 4 Comments

Business is full of exchanges. At the local coffee shop, I watched an older gentleman give a little boy and a little girl a dollar coin each. His big sister knew what it was immediately. But the three year old boy, we’ll call him Charlie, turned to his mother and said, “What’s … Read More

Learning About Net Profit And Cash Flow From A Sculptor

By Steve Wilkinghoff - Jun 7, 2012 - 3 Comments

What can a sculptor teach you about making net profit and cash flow? A lot. The sculptor starts with a block of stone. But that doesn’t automatically mean they will end up with a pleasing statue. The stone is nothing more than the raw material – the potential - for the sculptor to … Read More

Crowdfunding: The Answer to Startups’ Financial Woes?

By Susan Payton - May 31, 2012 - 5 Comments

Getting funded is one of the biggest challenges for startups. Venture capitalists and angel investors are bombarded with "great" ideas for businesses, and they can only invest in so many. Banks are turning small businesses away for loans. So what's a startup founder to do if they need … Read More

The Drop in Lending by Finance Companies

By Scott Shane - May 7, 2012 - 5 Comments

Many people have discussed the evaporation of bank credit during the financial crisis and the Great Recession. But few have pointed out how non-bank credit shrank substantially during the same period. Loans from finance companies are an important source of credit for many small businesses. Next … Read More

A Young Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Credit Cards

By Odysseas Papadimitri… - Apr 18, 2012 - 4 Comments

I don’t know if you’ve been following it, but that young lady named Susie from those Verizon commercials sure has had a meteoric rise – from the owner of a single front-yard lemonade stand to neighborhood magnate to venture capitalist darling to, eventually, the nationwide distributor of … Read More

What Type of Financing Is Right For Your Business?

By Nellie Akalp - Apr 5, 2012 - 6 Comments

When the 2008 financial crisis hit, it spawned a widespread freeze in lending. Many small businesses who once were able to get financing suddenly found themselves cut off from credit. We’ve seen the impact over the past years, as many small businesses have cut back on hiring, been forced to lay … Read More

How to Boost Your Chances of Getting a Small Business Loan

By Rieva Lesonsky - Apr 4, 2012 - 18 Comments

Are you seeking financing for your small business? A report from the SBA’s Office of Advocacy has some interesting insights that might help improve your chances of success. Even though the economy was picking up overall, and total business lending was slowly trending upward, the SBA reports … Read More

Spring Cleaning Your Small Business Financials

By Nicole Fende - Mar 28, 2012 - 7 Comments

Spring is here! New grass is coming in. Perennials are starting to bloom. You might even be motivated to do a bit of cleaning (or pay someone else to do it). You’re probably getting outside more, perhaps starting practice on your softball team, prepping your garden, or using the extra … Read More

Have A Checking Account With A Big Bank: Buyer Beware

By Tom Gazaway - Mar 14, 2012 - 26 Comments

Unbeknownst to you, and for almost a decade in some cases, the banks have been playing a little game behind the scenes. It just so happens that the game that's being played is with your money. It was August, 2010 when the stuff kinda hit the fan as they say. That's when Wells Fargo had to … Read More

Small Business Credit Remains Tough to Get

By Scott Shane - Feb 27, 2012 - 4 Comments

The last quarter saw a dip from 34 to 33 percent in the share of small business owners reporting that credit is difficult to get, according to the most recent Wells Fargo Small Business Survey. Statistically, however, the share of small business owners reporting trouble obtaining credit has … Read More

Cash Flow, Complex Issues and Conversation: Back to Business

By Jamillah Warner - Jan 30, 2012 - 4 Comments

I heard this statement from a small business owner several years ago — “run your business lean and mean,” he said. But the difference between talking about it and doing it, you know, making the tough decisions to remove the fluff, manage the details and strategically market your message - … Read More

5 Easy Ways to Stay on Top of Your Accounting

By Nicole Fende - Jan 26, 2012 - 21 Comments

Failing to keep good financial records is like driving a sports car at top speed with your eyes closed. It may be ok for a little while, but eventually you will crash and burn. Perhaps one of your new year’s resolutions is to keep better financial records for your business. You may have … Read More