September, 2020

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9 Benefits of Getting an EIN (Even If You Don’t Have To)

Fundera

Benefits of Getting an EIN. File Business Taxes and Avoid Tax Penalties. Prevent Identity Theft. Add Credibility as a Freelancer and Independent Contractor. Speed up Business Loan Applications. Open a Business Bank Account. Build Trust With Vendors. Establish Business Credit. Easily Hire Employees. Get More Options as an Overseas Entrepreneur. An employer identification number (EIN), or business tax ID, is a unique nine-digit number that you use when filing taxes for your business.

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How CFIs Can Remain Relationship-Focused in a Digital World

Abrigo

Key Takeaways With more customers leveraging channels like online and mobile banking, community financial institutions are trying to solve how to maintain their hallmark community focus in an increasingly digital world. Technology can create efficiencies that allow them to reimagine customer interactions moving forward. The PPP might have been the first time many community financial institutions saw such clear returns on digitization investments, but the same automation and efficiency gains can

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How to Finance Your First Commercial Real Estate Deal

StackSource

How a first time commercial real estate investor can get approved for a commercial mortgage. Hint: it's not the same underwriting as residential mortgage loans!

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GoCardless for Salesforce Billing: a fully integrated and automated Quote-to-Cash journey

GoCardless

Salesforce customers now benefit from the GoCardless global bank debit network.

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10 Small Business Marketing Ideas for Fall

Fundera

Top 10 Fall Marketing Ideas. Fall-Specific Content Marketing. Fall Contests and Giveaways. Get Your Business in the Fall Spirit. Create Special Fall Products or Services. Fall-Themed Direct Mail Campaign. Infuse Fall Energy Into Your Social Media Channels. Launch a Thanksgiving Charity Initiative. Put a Fall Spin on Your Loyalty Program. Cross-Promote With Fall in Mind.

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145 New Service Business Ideas for 2020

Fundera

Service Business Ideas: The Top 15. Personal fitness trainer. Grocery shopping and delivery. Makeup artist. Doula and birth coaching services. Private school application consultant. Elder companion and care provider. Pet sitting. Handyman service. Mobile car-wash and detailing. Virtual assistant. Graphic designer. IT systems consultant. Mobile notary public.

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Burn Rate: Definition, Formula, How to Calculate

Fundera

Burn rate is one of the most important metrics you can know for your business. Unfortunately, many small business owners don’t understand what burn rate is or how to calculate it. Burn rate isn’t a metric your accounting software will calculate for you directly, but by using your financial statements, you can calculate it easily. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at burn rate, discuss why it’s essential, and show you exactly how to calculate this vital metric.

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Labor Laws for Small Business Owners: Everything You Need to Know

Fundera

Many small business owners are expected to do everything themselves. Those duties include everything from hiring employees and running payroll to filing taxes and everything in between. While some aspects of running a business don’t need to be done perfectly, others—like complying with labor laws—must be done correctly. Between various state and federal laws, there’s a lot for a small business owner to know about labor laws.

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Collateral Coverage Ratio: Formula, Definition, and Examples

Fundera

What Is the Collateral Coverage Ratio? The collateral coverage ratio is the percentage of a loan that’s secured by a discounted asset. This ratio is calculated by the collateral coverage ratio formula, which is the discounted collateral value divided by the total loan amount. The lower the ratio, the higher the risk for lenders; the higher the ratio, the lower the risk for lenders.

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Businesses That Have Filed for Bankruptcy Due to COVID-19

Fundera

No business has been immune to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few months, thousands of businesses, from mom-and-pop corner stores to corporate giants, have been forced to lay off employees, close locations, and take drastic action to stay solvent. And although there are grants and other relief options available to help businesses, one of the most viable avenues toward recovery is by declaring bankruptcy.

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How to Void a Check in QuickBooks Online

Fundera

You’re familiar with the process of voiding paper checks. Writing “VOID” on a check—whether you’ve made an error writing the check or because you need to submit a voided check for electronic payment purposes—indicates the check is no longer valid to use for payment. This gives you some level of protection from fraud. However, there’s another step you must follow when you void a check.

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Alibaba vs. AliExpress: Differences, Dropshipping, Costs

Fundera

The world of selling goods online goes far beyond Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, and other brand names that might come to mind. Both Alibaba and AliExpress, once considered online shopping behemoths specific to the Asian market, have become global forces for ecommerce that rival Western-born competitors across most industries. Many people may not know the difference between Alibaba vs.

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7 Best Business Budget Software for 2020

Fundera

Best Budget Software for Small Businesses. QuickBooks Online : Best for overall functionality. Xero : Best for advanced features. FreshBooks : Best for basic budgeting. PlanGuru : Best for forecasting. Float : Best for cash flow management. Budget Maestro : Best for collaboration. Adaptive Planning : Best for bigger businesses. Online business budget software is a must-have for many businesses, freelancers, and accounting professionals looking to automate their business financial tasks.

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Illinois Small Business Grants: The Top Options

Fundera

7 Grants for Small Businesses in Illinois. Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. South Side Pitch. Metro East Startup Challenge. City of Urbana Business Grants. Feed the Seed Business Grants. Amber Grant for Women. Illinois GrantWatch. Finding working capital to help start or run a business in Illinois can be complicated, especially when you’re looking into small business grants.

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Navy Federal Business Account Review, Plus Top Alternatives

Fundera

It’s not easy to figure out which business bank account might be best for your business, or even where to begin looking. If you’re an active military member or veteran, or a Department of Defense employee, you’re probably curious about what Navy Federal Business accounts offer. After all, credit unions offer tons of perks that commercial banks don’t.

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LawDepot Review 2020: Fees, Services, Alternatives

Fundera

Founded in 2001, LawDepot is an online legal service aimed at providing every possible document you will need to not only start your business, but also continue to manage it for years to come. They offer over 150 document templates for use in all 50 states, but are they right for your business? In this LawDepot review, we’ll explore the features, cost, pros, cons, and alternatives to consider.

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How to Hire Virtual Assistants

Fundera

When you’re starting a business , you might be wearing multiple hats. You’re answering emails, onboarding clients, managing projects, and doing the bookkeeping. With your plate stacked high with tasks demanding your attention, you’re bound to feel overwhelmed. Instead of just wishing for someone to help keep the order, you can hire virtual assistants to free your plate of administrative tasks and odd jobs.

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8 Best Business Card Scanner Apps for 2020

Fundera

Despite how frequently people connect over email and social media, business cards are still the quickest, simplest way to exchange contact information. When you’re starting a business, networking with the right people is essential to growth, which is why it’s worth having business cards on-hand when you attend a networking event or meet with a potential client.

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Michigan Small Business Grants: The Top Options

Fundera

6 Grants for Small Businesses in Michigan. Match on Main. Moving Flint Forward Small Business Grant Program. Hatch Detroit. Emerge Fund. Michigan GrantWatch. Amber Grant for Women. Known for its natural beauty and proximity to the Great Lakes, Michigan is a beautiful state, and home to over 800,000 small businesses. [1] But owning or starting your own small business means finding ways to sustain your cash flow and business operations.

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Payroll4Free Review 2020: Features, Fees, Alternatives

Fundera

Finding an easy way to manage and streamline your payroll is a concern shared among top small businesses across the country. When choosing payroll software for your small business , you must take features, cost, and usability into account. While there are many affordable payroll solutions on the market, not all small or new businesses have the budget to pay for payroll software.

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Cost Adjustments: Why Living in the 1990s Might Be Depressing Your Financial Institution’s Market Value Premium

Abrigo

Key Takeaways Financial institution executives wondering about changes in their market value premiums might need to look at the assumption used for modeling deposit servicing costs. Some ALM models rely on cost of servicing assumptions that haven't been updated in years. Ideally, have your own cost of servicing data, but if not, here's a basic formula that might generate more meaningful discussion with your board and ALCO.

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How Your Asset/Liability Management Model Makes Budgeting and Forecasting Easier

Abrigo

Key Takeaways A good asset/liability management (ALM) model has a wealth of information and tools that can be used in the budgeting process. An ALM model can help budgeters consider the impacts of the pandemic on balance sheets and strategies. The what-if scenarios available in an ALM model help you weigh options in budgetary decisions. Budgeting? Don't forget your ALM model as a resource.

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How Your Asset/Liability Management Model Makes Budgeting and Forecasting Easier

Abrigo

Key Takeaways A good asset/liability management (ALM) model has a wealth of information and tools that can be used in the budgeting process. An ALM model can help budgeters consider the impacts of the pandemic on balance sheets and strategies. The what-if scenarios available in an ALM model help you weigh options in budgetary decisions. Budgeting? Don't forget your ALM model as a resource.

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7 Reports Your ALM Model Can Provide to Manage Changes Ahead

Abrigo

Key Takeaways ALM professionals often inquire about reports they can run using their ALM models to help manage their financial institutions. It's a good question, because the impact of changes are often hard to discern in the short term -- the focus of our typical reports. Set up these ALM model reports once and run them monthly as needed. What kind of reports can your ALM model provide?

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7 Reports Your ALM Model Can Provide to Manage Changes Ahead

Abrigo

Key Takeaways ALM professionals often inquire about reports they can run using their ALM models to help manage their financial institutions. It's a good question, because the impact of changes are often hard to discern in the short term -- the focus of our typical reports. Set up these ALM model reports once and run them monthly as needed. What kind of reports can your ALM model provide?

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How CFIs Can Remain Relationship-Focused in a Digital World

Abrigo

Key Takeaways With more customers leveraging channels like online and mobile banking, community financial institutions are trying to solve how to maintain their hallmark community focus in an increasingly digital world. Technology can create efficiencies that allow them to reimagine customer interactions moving forward. The PPP might have been the first time many community financial institutions saw such clear returns on digitization investments, but the same automation and efficiency gains can

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3 Ways SBA Lending After PPP Can Help Banks, Credit Unions Grow, Mitigate Risk

Abrigo

Key Takeaways Most financial institutions have implemented technology to help handle Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Lenders leveraging that technology to provide SBA loans after PPP can add products, grow customers, and add portfolio stability. Lenders restructuring existing loans with SBA funding should move quickly before financials deteriorate.

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3 Ways SBA Lending After PPP Can Help Banks, Credit Unions Grow, Mitigate Risk

Abrigo

Key Takeaways Most financial institutions have implemented technology to help handle Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Lenders leveraging that technology to provide SBA loans after PPP can add products, grow customers, and add portfolio stability. Lenders restructuring existing loans with SBA funding should move quickly before financials deteriorate.

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10 Thanksgiving Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Fundera

Unique Thanksgiving Marketing Ideas. Plan ahead. Create Thanksgiving-specific content. Update your website. Give thanks to customers. Offer special discounts. Decorate your store. Host a Thanksgiving-themed giveaway. Collect charitable donations. Create a nostalgic sensory experience. Volunteer. It’s no secret that Thanksgiving is an exciting time of year, not only for families and loved ones, but also for small business marketing.

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How to Promote Your Business on LinkedIn

Fundera

Most people know LinkedIn as the social network for job seekers and professionals to connect. But LinkedIn is also a valuable resource for new business owners as well as a viable small business marketing tool. Whether you’re looking to make connections, generate leads, establish partnerships, or increase brand awareness, LinkedIn’s significant social engagement makes it a unique place for businesses to grow.

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Avvo Review 2020: Pros, Cons, and Best Alternatives

Fundera

Avvo is an online legal service that offers the largest online directory of lawyers and lawyer reviews. Avvo also has an active legal forum, where you can post a legal question for free and get a response from lawyers within a few hours. Avvo was founded by an attorney in 2006; today 97% of U.S. lawyers have an Avvo profile, and there are currently over 11.5 million questions and answers in their legal forum.