Chelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been with Merchant Maverick helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho.
Looking for an accounting definition? We cover all of the basics in our quick guide to accounting terms, so you can quickly understand important accounting terms and get back to running your business.
Credit bureaus arose to help lenders quickly gauge the reliability of a potential borrower. In the past, you could go to the good ol' general store and the owner would know you, your character, and whether or not putting your items on "charge" (or on credit) was a good idea. That method may have worked in the past, when communities were small and isolated, but there had to be a better way moving forward. Thus credit bureaus were born.
Learn what invoice financing is, whether it’s right for your business, and how to find a great financing company to work with in our complete guide.
Lenders like to know exactly how you plan on using the money they may potentially lend to you. If you've made successful investments in the past, like purchasing additional equipment that increased your sales revenue by 25%, and are planning on purchasing more equipment with the loan your applying for, be sure to tell your lender! It will demonstrate that you're experienced in business and that you're likely to increase your cash flow (which a lender hears as "we're getting our money back").
When overwhelmed by debt, it’s tempting to look for the quickest, easiest path out. Unfortunately, paying down debt is a process that takes time. Even if you are a good candidate for credit card debt consolidation and have the credit score to unlock low rates on a balance transfer card or a loan, this doesn’t mean your debt will go away overnight.
Since your personal cash and assets are still on the hook with an unsecured loan — particularly if the lender requires a personal guarantee — it’s usually best to get a secured loan in order to qualify for a higher lending limit and lower interest on your payments.
Despite the real differences involved in our VantageScore vs. FICO comparison, these differences should have minimal impact on your scores, ability to apply for loans, credit cards, etc. So long as you practice good credit discipline, you shouldn’t have a problem building and maintaining an attractive credit profile.
If you don’t have a credit score, a credit card is the best way to kick off your journey to creditworthiness. Check out our favorite credit cards for no credit!
Fuel cards (also known as fleet cards) are designed to help trucking companies save money on fuel and maintenance costs and monitor their workforce’s spending. Check out this roundup of the best fuel cards and find the best fit for your trucking business.
Registering your business? Wondering if a sole proprietorship is the right business structure for you? Learn the pros and cons of this type of business structure.
A complete break down of the different business structures and the benefits and drawbacks of each to help you make the most informed decision for your business.
Newtek is a direct lender that provides personalized solutions to fit the specific needs of each small business that seeks financing. Newtek is ideal for small businesses but be wary of its opaque rates and terms.
It’s perfectly reasonable to use a personal credit card to cover business expenses. Make sure you avoid taking a personal financial hit when charging business expenses to your personal credit card.
ReadyCap Lending LLC is a non-bank lender that specializes in Small Business Administration loans. ReadyCap Lending helps small business owners and entrepreneurs gain access to affordable, long-term SBA loans to start or expand their businesses.
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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.
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