September, 2019

article thumbnail

How Many Small Businesses Are in the U.S.? (And Other Employment Stats)

Fundera

How Many Small Businesses Are There in the U.S.? There are 30.2 million small businesses in this country. Small businesses comprise 99.9% of all United States businesses. You’ve probably heard it said that “small business is the backbone of America.” But what does that saying mean in practice? How many small businesses are there in this country, and how many people do they employ?

article thumbnail

New Community Bank Sentiment Index Shows Bankers Largely Positive

Abrigo

Community bankers are largely positive about the future, based on the first results of a new index gauging business sentiment among the financial professionals who serve a critical role in local economies. More than two-thirds of community banks surveyed for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) Community Bank Sentiment Index indicated they expect business conditions will be the same or better in the next 12 months.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

What is Cloud Accounting & How Does it Work?

GoCardless

Cloud-based solutions abound in the digital age, with many of us using online software to manage our emails, our banking or our photo storage. So why not move your business’ accounting and bookkeeping needs to the cloud too?

52
article thumbnail

How Using Probing Questions Can Get Your Overdue Accounts Paid

Eastern Credit Management Services

If you work in an Accounts Receivable department odds are you’ve heard just about every line in the book from your past-due customers. In this blog, we are going to explore some ways that probing questions our account agents use can help get overdue accounts paid. The goal being that we empower you with the same knowledge as one of our agents so you can collect just like a collection agency!

article thumbnail

8 Young Entrepreneurs and How They Found Business Success

Fundera

Young entrepreneurs are leaving a big impression on the business world. From their innovative products and inventions to their ability to network like pros, a lot can be said about the newest generation of go-getters starting their own businesses. They’re often the first to try something new or support other business ideas as frequently demonstrated by the wildly successful crowdfunding websites.

article thumbnail

How to Launch a New Product: 8 Steps for Success

Fundera

When you’re first starting a business , you may have a small set of products—or even just one—to sell. But as your business grows and you work to boost your revenue growth , you may decide to launch a new product to increase sales and expand your customer base. Launching new products is a natural progression for scaling businesses, but, according to the Harvard Business Review , there are over 300,000 new consumer products introduced to the market every year—the majority of which fail. .

More Trending

article thumbnail

How This Entrepreneur Built a Successful Roommate-Matchmaking Business

Fundera

Finding an apartment in New York City on a tight budget is no small feat, especially if you’re moving from outside the area. Jordan Davidovit probably knows this better than anyone. After moving to New York City from Montreal in 2014, Davidovit witnessed firsthand the fragmented and often shady process that goes into finding an apartment, particularly for those who are young, unfamiliar with the area, and without a lot of financial means.

article thumbnail

5 Best Cafe and Coffee Shop POS Systems for 2019

Fundera

5 Best Coffee Shop POS Systems. Best All-Around Coffee Shop POS: Square for Restaurants. Best Coffee Shop POS for High Volume Shops: ShopKeep. Best Coffee Shop POS for Larger Shops: Toast. Most Flexible Coffee Shop POS: Lightspeed for Restaurants. Best Low-Cost Coffee Shop POS: Loyverse. There’s nothing quite like the neighborhood coffee shop. It’s the perfect place to sip a hot beverage while you read your book, do some work, people watch, or reconnect with an old friend.

article thumbnail

Main Street Businesses That Found Success—and Ideas to Start Your Own

Fundera

What Is a Main Street Business? You can think of a “Main Street” business as a local small business that’s typically a staple in its community. Main Street businesses can range across industries, from coffee shops to dry cleaners, florists, auto repair shops, and more. Main Street businesses are also referred to as mom-and-pop shops.

article thumbnail

Stripe vs. Square: How to Choose One for Your Business

Fundera

Stripe vs. Square: The Breakdown. When it comes to Stripe vs. Square, Stripe is the best choice for those looking for a developer-friendly online payment platform that offers far more payment options for customers. Square will offer you more powerful in-person payment options and an easy ecommerce store setup option. What about fees ? Square and Stripe have the same fees for online transactions at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, so it’s a draw.

article thumbnail

8 Small Business Facts to Know About the Industry Today

Fundera

8 Small Business Facts. There are 30.2 million small businesses in the United States. Eight million small businesses are minority-owned. Student debt is hurting small businesses and potential small-business owners. The chance of making it past your first year is pretty good. The most common reason businesses fail is a lack of demand. Small businesses were responsible for 66% of the new jobs in 2016.

article thumbnail

Examiners’ Shift in Focus Calls for Institutions to Develop a Risk-Based AML Program

Abrigo

The burden of extensive regulatory exams on a financial institution’s BSA/AML program has taken its toll on the financial crimes industry for years. In an effort to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of those regulatory exams, the collective financial institution regulatory bodies (the Agencies) issued a Joint Statement on Risk-Focused Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) Supervision (the Statement) on July 22, 2019.

article thumbnail

Should My Financial Institution Enter into This Interest Rate Swap?

Abrigo

A rather common method for financial institutions to hedge earnings or value at risk is an interest rate swap transaction. As we move into ever-changing rate environments, eventually you or someone on your ALCO committee may wonder exactly what an interest rate swap would do for the institution. A good interest rate risk model should have the capability to do this type of what-if modeling so that you and the committee have the information needed to make the best decision.

article thumbnail

Can Financial Institutions Bank CBD Retailers? Did the Farm Bill Legalize CBD?

Abrigo

The Federal Trade Commission’s latest round of warning letters to companies selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD) is a reminder to financial institutions to tread carefully as they look into the possibility of providing banking services to cannabis-related retailers and other cannabis-related businesses (CRBs). The FTC warned three unidentified companies that it is illegal to advertise that a product can “prevent, treat, or cure human disease without competent and reliable scientific e

article thumbnail

Leverage New Bank Technology by Examining Current Processes, Pain Points

Abrigo

Imagine buying a new engine for your car. Your car, however, happens to be 8 years old, with tread-worn tires, and a window that won’t roll up. You could buy that engine and get some good use out it, but the car would be a lot better if you also added a set of new tires and fixed the window at the same time. The same is true of financial institutions when they consider technology investments to transform their lending and credit operations.

article thumbnail

August Jobs Report: Hiring Slows, but Wages Increase

Abrigo

This morning’s BLS Employment Situation Report showed a disappointing 130,000 net jobs created for the month of August. Analysts had anticipated a gain of 150,000 jobs. Moreover, 25,000 of those jobs created were by the Federal Government due to hiring for Census-related activities. The Census will distort the payroll numbers until the process is completed.

60
article thumbnail

“We Spent All This Money on Software, Why Aren’t People Using It?”

Abrigo

When a community financial institution spends a lot of money on technology, the last thing management wants is to be disappointed. It’s actually the last thing the technology provider wants as well – if the vendor plans to stay in business. The good news is that financial institutions can take several steps to ensure they avoid troublesome software integrations, says Steven Martin of Marcato Advisors, a bank consulting firm focused on achieving success with fintech.

CECL 60
article thumbnail

How to Start a Painting Business in 7 Steps

Fundera

How to Start a Painting Business. Draft a business plan. Get your business registered. Purchase insurance and get licenses. Set up a business bank account. Get an equipment financing loan. Get a small business term loan. Get a 0% intro business credit card. There are few certainties in life besides death, taxes, and the inevitability of home renovations, which may be good news for you if you’re looking to start your own business.

article thumbnail

Cost-Benefit Analysis: The Complete Guide

GoCardless

The cost-benefit analysis: A procedure used by businesses to assess the value of undertaking a project or making an important decision. Here's how you do one, and when and why you should.

52
article thumbnail

Main Street Businesses That Found Success—and Ideas to Start Your Own

Fundera

What Is a Main Street Business? You can think of a “Main Street” business as a local small business that’s typically a staple in its community. Main Street businesses can range across industries, from coffee shops to dry cleaners, florists, auto repair shops, and more. Main Street businesses are also referred to as mom-and-pop shops.

article thumbnail

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: D/E Definition, Formula, and Examples

Fundera

How to Calculate Debt-to-Equity Ratio. To calculate your business’s debt-to-equity ratio, you’ll divide your total liabilities by your total equity. This is known as the debt-to-equity ratio formula. The debt-to-equity ratio is a measure of your business’s overall stability. If your ratio is too high, this may signal that your business is in trouble and lenders may be less likely to extend financing options.

article thumbnail

Employment Practices Liability Insurance: Does Your Business Need EPLI?

Fundera

What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance? Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) protects businesses when they are sued for employment discrimination, harassment, unlawful termination, or similar claims. EPLI covers the business’s cost to defend against or settle such employment-related lawsuits. Most business owners rely on a good team to help their company succeed.

article thumbnail

Equity Ratio: Definition, Formula, and Examples

Fundera

What Does Equity Ratio Mean? The equity ratio shows the amount of your company you own outright versus how much is financed by debt. You can calculate this number with the equity ratio formula, which divides your total equity by your total assets. Both of these numbers will be found on your balance sheet. A company with a high equity ratio is one that has less debt relative to its assets.

Default 52
article thumbnail

Quick Ratio: Definition, Formula, Examples

Fundera

What Is the Quick Ratio Formula? The quick ratio is a number that tells you within moments whether your company can pay all of its current debts. Also called the acid test ratio, the quick ratio is a measure of your business’s liquidity. The quick ratio formula is relatively uncomplicated. It is: (Cash & Equivalents + Short-Term Investments + Accounts Receivable) / Current Liabilities = Quick Ratio.

article thumbnail

Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio: Definition, Examples

Fundera

Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio. Accounts payable turnover ratio is calculated by adding your beginning accounts payable with your ending accounts payable for a specific period of time, dividing this number by two, and then dividing your total purchases by this number. The ratio is a measure of your business’s liquidity, or ability to pay its debts.

article thumbnail

Grocery Store Financing: How to Get Grocery Store Business Loans

Fundera

Few places are as important to a neighborhood as a local grocery store. They’re must-visit stores that have a high propensity toward repeat customers, can excite customers with new offerings and exotic ingredients, and can even give a town a gathering place to meet neighbors old and new. If you’re thinking about opening one of your own, you’re likely exploring your small business financing options as well.

article thumbnail

Interest Rate: Definition and Examples

Fundera

What Is an Interest Rate? An interest rate is the percentage charged by a lender to a borrower for lending a sum of money. This rate is quoted as a percentage of the amount of money you borrow (known as the “principal”). Based on the interest rate you are quoted, you will pay back a portion of your loan plus interest and other fees in accordance with your repayment schedule.

article thumbnail

Cash Flow Forecast: How It Works and Why You Need It

Fundera

What Is a Cash Flow Forecast? A cash flow forecast estimates how much money will flow in and out of your business at any given time. This means it includes all your projected revenues, and excludes all your non-cash expenses and costs. A cash flow forecast typically covers a yearly period, though can be made for any time frame—a week, a month, or a year.

article thumbnail

Best Small Business Banks in California

Fundera

4 Best Small Business Banks in California. Best Business Bank for Customer Support: California Bank & Trust. Best Business Bank for Nationwide Access: Chase. Best Business Bank for Branches: Bank of the West. Best Business Bank for Account Options: Wells Fargo. If you’re beginning your journey as an entrepreneur, you’re keenly aware of how important it is to set up a business bank account for your enterprise.

article thumbnail

Starting an LLC in Arizona: The Ultimate Guide

Fundera

Arizona is home to over 550,000 small businesses in agriculture, technology, health, manufacturing, and other industries. The warm weather, natural beauty of the outdoors, and bustling tourist scene contribute to a strong small business environment in Arizona. If you operate a business in Arizona, you’ll need to choose a business entity structure for your company. .

article thumbnail

How to Accept Credit Card Payments Over the Phone

Fundera

How to Accept Credit Card Payments Over the Phone. In order to accept credit card payments over the phone, you’ll need to work with either a merchant account provider or payment service provider. With your chosen provider, you’ll be able to take phone payments by inputting credit card information into a virtual terminal on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, or—if you have a POS system that allows you to do so, you can input phone-based payments this way.