Small Business Blog Posts | Page 12

With both contenders offering minimal fees and nearly identical flat-rate pricing, most businesses won’t see a significant overall price difference between them. Whether Square or QuickBooks will be the better choice will mainly come down to which of the two companies offers the better features your business needs to grow and thrive.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Opportunity Grant Program! Each one of the winning businesses will receive $10,000 in grant funding from Merchant Maverick to help cover current and future expenses. We wish every one of these women the best of luck going forward and strongly believe that they have what it takes to succeed long-term.

Grant writing is a year-long endeavor that can take up a lot of your time and resources, including the emotional labor of hoping and grieving as announcements are made and the cycle continues. Read on for our top tips on how to write a winning business grant application, and what not to do when you’re applying for a grant.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been harsh, particularly on small businesses. Fortunately, there have been a number of loan and grant programs open to small business owners to offer financial help during these tough times, one being EIDL.

Guidance for the new and improved program was released January 6, 2021, with the program expected to be online by January 21. With thousands of small businesses under unprecedented stress, you can expect demand for these programs will be extremely high.

Buying something now but paying for it later has always been a tantalizing concept. But the idea is gaining even more steam now thanks to current events. Traditionally, people turned to credit cards when they didn’t have the cash on hand to afford a purchase. Today’s consumer is increasingly wary of credit card debt, however, and interest in other avenues has grown. Not surprisingly, a bevy of buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have sprung into action to meet the need.

You’ve probably heard the old cliche: You’ve got to spend money to make money. Businesses are investments, and investments imply an allocation of money. Or do they? We talked to business owners who say they started their companies without any substantial outlay of money to find out how they did it.

Ever wondered what the difference is between a 1099 contractor and a W2 employee? Believe it or not, the answer is both easier — and more complicated — than you might expect. It all boils down to this: If you tell your workers both what to do and how to do it, then they are probably W2 employees. On the other hand, if you only control the results and not the process, then they are probably 1099 contractors. Read more about the 1099 VS W-2.

Payroll processing is the method of paying employees and contractors, including managing payroll taxes, withholding, deductions, calculating pay, and keeping payroll records.

Payroll has an impact on your business’s finances (especially considering salary inflation), tax liabilities, and your employee management. Not only will you have to account for employee payments and payroll taxes in your business budget, but you’ll also need to ensure that your employees are compensated fairly, on time, and in accordance with the law.

A business license is a permit to operate your business, and it is non-negotiable. In fact, it is illegal to operate a business without a permit or license. This keeps you accountable to the city in which you operate and helps local government agencies regulate the businesses in their jurisdiction. Learn more about getting and maintaining a license to run a business in your state.