Small Business Finance Tips Business Financing Information

18Oct/100

New Business Credit Card Deals

The thing about having a new business is that you usually have to raise the money first so that you can invest in all the things you need to get started. However, these days, credit card companies and banks have made it easier. Just get a new business credit card and you will be well on your way to starting your own business in no time. Just make sure to follow the following tips so that you can at the very least stay organized.

• Keep separate purchases - This means that you should make sure that your business transactions should be made with your new business credit card and that you should have a different credit card for all your personal purchases. This will be good for your accounting books in the long run so that you will not be confused as to why you have been spending so much. You will also be able to track specific purchases.

• Tracking - This is something that can get really out of hand especially with the tons of receipts that you might collect each day. Business credit cards have this all sorted out for you. At the end of each year you will receive an itemized report of all the things that you have purchased in the past 12 months and this keeps you organized. Make sure that you are offered this by your bank.

• Credit building - Even when you are using a new businesscard, you will have to think about your credit score. For the business, the credit score must be good so that you will have chances at better loans in the future so that you can make your business better.

• Reward programs - Yes, your business credit cards have them too so don't ignore them. You need to reward yourself too and these rewards can be quite luxurious from machine equipment for your business to plane tickets to places that you have never before seen in your life. Make sure that you take advantage of this service.

1Sep/100

Business Cash Advance – Business Funding Made Easy!

There is one question that haunts each and every small business owner: "How do I get enough cash to run my business smoothly?" The question is not as easy as it appears to be. While people who are new to this might be thinking of those nice bank loans and SBA funds, ask someone who has actually tasted the water! Most banks would have a long list of terms and conditions that you will need to fulfill besides the hefty collateral that they would demand before issuing a loan. Talk about SBA funding, well that's too little for the total number of entrepreneurs applying for it. So what other alternative do we have?

Business cash advance is probably the best alternative in such a situation. A cash advance is nothing new, the concept has been around for a while, but with the increasing use of Internet, it is becoming more popular and easier for people to get a business cash advance.

It is pretty easy to get a business cash advance. You can fulfill some easy conditions and easily have a decent fund at your disposal. The most important factor that determines whether you qualify for a business cash advance is whether your business accepts credit card sales. Business cash advance providers provide cash against your credit card receipts.

The typical conditions that any business cash advance providers would ask for are:

The business should be in existence for at least 1.5 -2 years
The business should have a minimum amount ($1500) of credit card sales per month.
Credit card statement or bank statement of 12 months (3 months for seasonal business)

Most small business owners can satisfy these conditions, which makes it a lucrative option for funding their business.

In addition, the application process is very simple. Most good cash advance providers would not charge you any application fee and you can apply for a business cash advance by simply filling out the online application form on their websites.

As a bonus, business cash advance doesn't come with a fixed repayment schedule; hence there are no late fees. Also, in most cases, you don't need to guarantee the cash advance personally.

A small business loan is not just hard to get but often its use is tied down by certain conditions put forward by the lender. Business cash advance frees you from any such bindings - it's your money and you can spend it the way you like. So if you need money for your business now, be it for the recurring expenses, for business expansion, to buy a machinery, purchase inventory, advertising or for any other business expense, don't get frustrated by the NO's you get from the banks. Just say YES to Business Cash Advance to let your business have a smooth sailing.

19May/100

Top Ten Small Business Mastermind Advisers All Small Business Owners Need To Have to Succeed



The statistics on small businesses going broke in the first 12 months of operation are nothing short of obscene and seriously scary. In Australia and other western countries such as the United States 70% of all small businesses fail within the first 12 months of operation but let me tell you from experience, surviving after that 12 months is no less harrowing.

After 10 years of running four small businesses and creating them from scratch I can tell you with some authority, that I did not do this on my own. In fact, I reckon I have made every mistake in the book on how not to run a small business, but yet I have still survived. The secret to staying in business is all down to being able to talk to my ten Small Business Mastermind Advisers.

My ten Small Business Mastermind Advisers are there as my support team in helping me make the right decisions. See often when we make a decision in small business, it might be right at the time but down the track it can do you a lot of harm. Having your small business mastermind advisers on call, you can simply call them and ask them the consequences of the choices you are about to make.

For example, having the right business structure and putting your business assets in the right structure will play a major roll in the success of your business when you decide to exit the business. Se e most people who go into business only ever think of the business as a job they do not look at it from the perspective of how they will exit the business when they have built it into an enterprise.

Those ten small business mastermind advisers will help you to ensure that you have met your obligations and that there are no hidden issues that might come up in the future for your business. For example, we recently chose to sell off our car cleaning business as my wife wanted to pursue something different. Because of the way I had structured some of the trademarks in my company that related to hers, when we went and sold the business it created a number of headaches in the sale process. Essentially we had to shift ownership of those trademarks to her company prior to the sale which created a number of financial costs that we have had to endure even though my company never made any money. This issue arose simply because in the early days, I did not have my 10 Small Business Mastermind Advisers to tell me how my choices would impact on me in the future.

Adviser 1: Accountant

In business today, with the complexities of superannuation, sales tax or GST, income tax and all the other taxes out there an accountant is a must. As a small business owner you need to find an accountant that is a small business specialist and is proactive in working with you.

What I have found is that some accountants will only do what you ask them to do and will not step in and give you advice if you do not ask. You want an accountant that if they see you are doing something wrong then they will tell you without you asking.

The other thing you will need to ensure is that you hire an accountant that outlines where all of their hours are going. It is very easy for you with accountants and solicitors to end up with 5 or 6 figure bills.

Adviser 2: Solicitor

The solicitor is another important Small Business Mastermind adviser. Just like the accountant you need to make sure that the solicitor is a small business specialist. The role of the solicitor is to help you with all legal issues like what structure suits what you want to achieve, do your forms and policies meet your legal obligations, like your privacy policy, recruitment policy etc.

They can also help you protect your assets and in particular your intellectual property like trademarks, copyright etc. Often small business owners do not do the basics of trademarking their business name and logos to stop other business predators using their identities.

Adviser 3: Marketing and Advertising Expert

A Marketing and Advertising Expert is a must in today's market place. I have found that with the various media types, people in the industry can get better deals than if you dealt with the media owners. For example, recently I chose a new advertising specialist to join my small business mastermind advisers because their company was able to negotiate lower television advert placements, than what I could dealing directly with the station.

Your marketing and advertising expert should have some experience in your industry and be able to show real statistics of adverts and marketing campaigns that actually achieved results. More so, they should also have a mantra of test and measure to ensure that your campaigns are giving you value for money and more so, are making you a profit.

Adviser 4: Bookkeeper

Some accountants have their own bookkeepers, but I have found that quite often they are more expensive than bookkeepers not tied into an accountant. Further to this you should always check to make sure the bookkeeper is certified. In some countries, including Australia, bookkeepers can be certified through the National Bookkeepers association or the CPA.

Your bookkeeper must be prepared to work with your accountant and if they have questions you must give them permission to speak with your accountant and more so, you need to make sure that they document all communications with your accountant.

Remember one thing, it does not matter whether your Bookkeeper or your accountant makes a mistake, ultimately, you as the business owner are responsible for your books. If they get it wrong, it will be on your head, so always make sure that you understand what they are doing.

Adviser 5: IT Person

Everybody hates computers and I am a 20 year veteran of the industry and I still hate them. Having a good IT person is essential. Most businesses today are now totally reliant on their IT Technology and if your technology goes down, the question you need to ask is, "could your business still operate?" If the answer is no, then you need to hire an IT person who will be there in an emergency.

When choosing an IT Person or company make sure they are qualified in the technology you are using. For example, if you are using Microsoft Windows technology in your office, then your IT Person should have at the very least the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician qualification.

Adviser 6: Website and Search Engine Expert

If your business is not on the web and you are not selling products to the global market then you are making your life incredibly difficult and you are missing out on lots of opportunities. The internet is a fantastic tool for doing business but be warned there are lots of crooks out there, especially in the search engine optimization industry.

Before choosing a web builder and search engine expert ask to speak with some of their existing clients or talk to other business associates and find out who they use. I will say you should expect to pay anywhere between $1,500 to $5,000 per month for this service depending on your business and what sort of income you want to derive from the internet.

Adviser 7: Business Coach

Business Coaches, are like website and search engine experts, there are a lot of snakes out there who have no real small business experience. Before choosing a Business Coach ask them if they have ever owned a small business or if they had been a principle small business manager.

If you have been in small business for a while, then it will be very obvious to you as to which business coaches have owned businesses before going into business coaching. Their approach will tend to be more practical then something out of a book. Once again before choosing a business coach, talk to your business colleagues and see if they can recommend someone.

Adviser 8: Financial Planner

Managing your money is a major issue and most accountants will not give you Financial Planning Advice. A good financial planner will be able to help you where to put your business money, to get good growth but also to be easily accessible.

You should also have a good financial planner for your personal 401k or superannuation policy but also if you are managing an employer superannuation program. Most small business owners forget to build their own 401k or superannuation policy as they are building their business and when they get to selling their business they find they do not have enough to live on once they retire because once the business debts are paid off, nothing is left.

Adviser 9: Business Banker

Finding the right bank and right business banker is essential to succeeding in business. You definitely need to build a constructive relationship with your business banker as they will be your life line in a dire cashflow situation or if you need money for a deal you just could not let go by.

Business Bankers can also help you with other issues like leasing and hire purchase accounts, but also other facilities like merchant facilities, sales tax bank accounts etc.

Adviser 10: Insurance Broker

I learned the hard way on how important an insurance broker is to your business. The previous insurance company I dealt with did not advise me that none of the glass in my building was covered if I was broken into. I have extensive insurance, but because Glass was an optional extra, the previous insurance company did not tell me this and when we were broken into, even though I pay over $5,000 per year in insurance, I still had a $4,000 bill for all the glass damaged during a break and enter.

This particular experience really drove home, how a good insurance broker, whilst upfront might cost you more, in the future will save you more.

Just like any employee when you are putting together your Small Business Mastermind Advisers you need to interview each adviser and ensure that you are able to work with them. Further to this, to get the best advice from your Small Business Mastermind Advisers you must be 100% honest and open with them, even when things are looking dire. If you are not totally honest, then they cannot give you the advice that will help you get out of trouble.

8May/100

Low Rate Business Loans – Commercial Money Advance at Cheap Rates

Everyone who is running a commercial venture has got the sole aim, to make money and when he gets into trouble because of some lack of cash, he goes for finances. However, if you want finances, as a commercial person, your pursuit is obviously to grab cheap finances and it is here, with low rate business loans.

These cheap finances advance money for any commercial venture, be it a big or small or a medium. Also, you can take the help of them when you are going to build up a new venture even. So, apart from the old ventures, new ones also get money in these schemes.

You can take the money for any industry need. You may want to spruce up your factory premise, may want to buy a new land for the industry, want to new machineries and want to put some capital for any other reason or for any of the commercial needs you can have the finances.

There are finances for all running businesses. You may be able to pledge security for the finance or may not; in every case you can have the aid. There are both secured funding and unsecured finances too. In secured finances, the money you can have against a security placing and this rivets benefits of cheap rates and flexible repayment terms. While the unsecured options do not ask you to pledge any collateral and this makes the loans burden free.

However, you can have the low rate business loans for a term ranging from 12 months to 10 years while the amount ranges between

10Sep/090

Small Business Loans – Aid for A Healthy Business

Doing a small business is tougher than doing a big business. Those who run big ventures have got enough money to keep it healthy. But for miniature ventures, to have the funds always ready to put is not always possible. For them, here are small business loans.

Small business loans are the special packages for the people running mini industry. They are available for every business need you might have. You may need to spruce up your factory premise, buy new machine, buy a space or buy a computer or anything else in term of commercial activity.

Well, these finances are available both for the old ventures or to set up a new one. And, there are again, both the secured and unsecured options of availing the cash. In secured options, you can have the money at cheap rates as well as with flexible repayment terms. Here it is the collateral assurance attached that makes the rates cheap enough for your ease. However, the unsecured options allow you to have the loans without flexing your muscles to pledge the collateral.

However, to have the small business loans, you need to have a firm and well-designed layout of the business or the business activity for which you need the cash advance. You are to show it to the lender to have better deals of loans for doing the business well.

You can have the finance for a term ranging between 12 months to 10 years. But, if the borrower pledges a real estate property, he can fetch the loans for a longer term. However, the amount stands between