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.
Fundera is a business funding matchmaker who will match you up with other business funders you may be qualified for. Fundera is a good place to start your search for business funding, including SBA loans. Not only is Fundera convenient and helpful, but it also has transparent terms and fees.
P2Binvestor is a peer-to-peer lender that offers asset-backed lines of credit to qualified B2B businesses. The initial application is fast and easy, and the company is transparent and communicative. It’s competitively priced and solves problems commonly experienced by mid-sized B2B businesses.
Small business loan rates and fees affect your cost of borrowing, so it’s important to make sure you do your research to find the most affordable loan for your business. The most effective way to get the best deal on a business loan is to educate yourself, starting with this guide.
SmartBiz provides SBA 7(a) and PPP loans to small and large businesses. SmartBiz is a fantastic resource for any eligible merchant that needs a low-cost, long-term loan and wants to leverage a marketplace solution.
Square Capital is a convenient and relatively inexpensive source of financing. This company has streamlined the lending process, so it’s almost completely hands-off.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is a tax software with a few accounting features thrown in. However, QuickBooks Self-Employed still has a way to go as the software has several gaps. It is suitable for freelancers.
In a world where mobile apps are often pale shadows of their web software counterparts, Invoice2go stands out by offering invoicing apps for both iPhone and Android with the same — if not better — functionality than the desktop software.
Though it started with a simple focus on time tracking in 2006, Harvest has grown considerably over the last decade and now encompasses invoicing and project management. Even after expanding into the invoicing world, the software is still focused on time and team management and has over 50,000 users. However, the software has limited invoicing features and is unsuited for product-based businesses.
When it comes to invoicing, Zoho Invoice simply can’t be beaten. With 16 templates to choose from, a beautiful client portal, the option to autoschedule invoices, and the ability to send invoices in 14 languages, it’s easy to see why Zoho Invoice is our top-rated invoicing software.
Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting program with advanced invoicing features as well as features such as auto-scheduling invoices, reporting tags, and inventory. Zoho Books offers a strong set of features that could be ideal for many small businesses. It is nearly on par with QuickBooks Online — and at half the cost.
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.
Get Started With A Top Pick! 🏆Fundera by NerdWallet gets our expert seal of approval.Our team of experts spends hours on every review so that we can find the best companies to recommend to our readers. Fundera by NerdWallet made the cut.Learn MoreSee what this company has to offer.
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.
Get Started With A Top Pick! 🏆Fundera by NerdWallet gets our expert seal of approval.Our team of experts spends hours on every review so that we can find the best companies to recommend to our readers. Fundera by NerdWallet made the cut.Learn MoreSee what this company has to offer.
