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Short-term business loans are a relatively recent addition to a merchant’s arsenal of business loan options. Introduced in the last decade or so, short-term loans are similar to traditional installment loans, but fees are calculated a little differently.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a number of loan programs designed to help small businesses grow. SBA loans are known for having some of the lowest interest rates available. We’ll explain the rates for three of the SBA’s most popular loan programs: 7(a) Loans (business loans for most general business purposes), CDC/504 Loans (business loans to finance real estate and other fixed assets), and Disaster Loans (loans to rebuild following a disaster).

If you need business financing, an installment loan is probably the first type of loan you think of. Also commonly referred to as term loans, installment loans can be useful for many business financing needs — from working capital to business expansion and refinancing. If you’re new to business funding, this guide will help you understand […]

A merchant cash advance is a sales agreement where the merchant (the “seller”) is selling their future revenue at a discount to the merchant cash advance company (the “buyer”). Because merchant cash advances are sales agreements, they generally aren’t covered by usury laws that govern loans. This is where they get their dubious reputation. The effective APRs of merchant cash advances can easily crawl into the triple digits.

Popular crowdfunding platform Patreon has become less popular recently thanks to policy changes. Monetizing your work online has long been a challenge, but there are good options out there. Let’s look at the several other great platforms for raising money from the public to support what you do.

Affirm is a loan company offering “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options. By providing short-term credit, Affirm lets customers spread out payments in a way that suits their budget. To read more about how Affirm works or to determine whether it would be a good fit for your business and your customers, read on.

Credit card associations, like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, charge fees for their services every time a credit card is used. If you take credit cards, then card association fees are a necessary evil, since these fees comprise a part of wholesale fees you have to pay in order to take credit card payments. Here’s everything small businesses need to know about card brand fees.

Many insurance companies offer cybersecurity coverage. Contact your agent today to ask about adding cyber coverage to your business owners policy or purchasing separate cybersecurity insurance.

Shopify Shipping is a built-in shipping suite that gives merchants tools to calculate real-time shipping rates, purchase and print shipping labels, and track shipments. Although Shopify Shipping is free for Shopify users on every pricing plan, you should note that it’s only available for orders shipped from the United States and Canada. Read on for more details.

In addition to any background checks the hard money lender may decide to factor in, the property’s qualities will be considered. Properties in booming real estate markets and “up-and-coming” neighborhoods may push the lender’s LTV tolerance close to 75%, often considered the upper limit for hard money. In contrast, a property in a poor market, or a remote one, will push the maximum LTV closer to zero.