Education: AA Liberal Studies, Limestone University
Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader’s Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
One form of relief offered to small businesses is the Employee Retention Tax Credit. First introduced in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this tax credit could be claimed by eligible employers on quarterly tax returns. This program was expanded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law in December 2020, making the credit accessible to more employers.
The SBA offers a variety of loan programs that vary according to business needs. Its flagship program is the 7(a) loan program, which offers loans for most general business purposes. However, it also offers special programs such as microloans and disaster loans. Find out more about SBA loans, including who qualifies.
QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software. It has the complex accounting capabilities that small business owners need and supports numerous integrations. Quickbooks Online has a lot to offer in terms of features, accounting, and usability.
US Business Funding offers many different financial products to help business owners score the capital they need. It is a great choice for equipment financing, SBA loans, or working capital loans. US Business Funding has earned a 95% approval rate and 60-second approvals.
A $10,000 business loan is a fairly small amount, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for many businesses to receive one. Many online lenders have short applications and can fund as quickly as the same business day of approval. Lenders may evaluate factors including personal credit score, monthly or annual revenue, and time in business to determine if you qualify.
If you need extra capital for your business as a result of unpaid invoices, invoice factoring or financing might be the solution. Learn how factoring works and take a look at our top invoice factoring solutions for 2021.
Since the loan amount is so low, many small business owners will be able to get a $5K small business loan. While not exactly difficult, one thing to remember is that $5,000 loans usually come with short repayment terms and higher interest rates.
If you default on your SBA loan, you’ll be notified by the lender. If you’re unable to get on track with your loan, your lender may seize your assets. The lender will later reach out to the SBA to receive the guaranteed portion of the loan, and the SBA will contact you seeking payment. If payment isn’t received or an agreement isn’t made, the SBA will report the loan to the Treasury Department, which can take further action against you.
Provided she meets all requirements set by the SBA and the lender, it’s no more difficult for a woman to get an SBA loan than her male counterparts. The SBA does not discriminate and provides low-cost funding opportunities for all eligible small business owners.
In this complete QuickBooks Comparison, we’ll explain what each program is capable of, what type of business is best for each version of QuickBooks, and the main differences between each product. We’ll also walk you through what questions to ask so you can pinpoint the perfect QuickBooks software for your business and choose the right QuickBooks accounting solution with confidence.
Xero and Wave are top-rated small business accounting software. While both have a lot of similarities, there are also a few distinct differences between the two. Doing your research and pinpointing these differences can help you make the right choice for your business.
Want to help shape the future of the Merchant Maverick website? Join our testing and survey community!
By providing feedback on how we can improve, you can earn gift cards and get early access to new features.
We Want Your Feedback!
Help us to improve by providing some feedback on your experience today.
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.
