Receiving a rejection letter for a business loan you were counting on can be discouraging. Data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) reveals that nearly 50% of small business loan applications are rejected for a variety of reasons. Understanding the most common reasons banks decline loan applications can be useful for your own business endeavors. 1. You applied for the wrong loan product Some banks may specialize in a certain type of lending or industry. For example, a lender may choose to fund large corporations that reach a certain revenue threshold or carry a specific number of assets. Other banks […]

Whether you are a newbie in the business building process or an experienced entrepreneur launching into a new venture, one thing is for sure- startup capital is necessary. Business funding is usually one of the toughest stages for the new entrepreneur and the truth is not many pass this stage. One common misconception is that building a brick and mortar business (offline business) is tougher than bringing up a software company Well, sorry to burst your bubble but they both have their risks and intensities accrue to them. There are various ways to source for capital for your new business. […]

So, a business cash advance is something that most every merchant needs at one time or another.  But, what happens when you have bad credit? Well, for some merchant account providers this means that you are no-go when it comes to getting a business cash advance. You need to look for one option, and that option lies with FAM. A merchant cash advance is not a short term loan or a high interest advance. It is a simple sale. Merchant cash advances purchase your future sales at a discount. Both parties agree to the amount of sales being purchased and […]

Working capital management is often misunderstood. It is not a task that takes place once, or even once in a while. It needs to be a continuous process that is closely managed to maintain the financial health of your company. What is working capital? Your business’ working capital is the funds it has immediately available to cover day-to-day business expenses. Assessing the state of working capital can be done by pulling out your business’ balance sheet. Working capital is also used by investors to assess your business’ financial health and liquidity (how easily assets can be sold to generate cash […]

When planning a startup, entrepreneurs may be tempted by the innovative atmosphere of the Silicon Valley or other large urban landscapes. But plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs exist in small town America too. There are whole new sets of challenges, trends and other factors for small town entrepreneurs to consider. But there are advantages as well like lower costs and lower competition. And with the internet there is, of course, the option of reaching those larger markets while you and your staff enjoy a lower standard of living where your money goes further — especially in the lean years. Merchants, […]

Forget applying to banks to get a loan for your business. Most of them stopped being in the “give a loan to a small company who has no collateral” business in 2007. This does not, however, mean that you are out of options to fund the growth of your company. Below are some of the anti-bank ways to finance your new business. Retirement accounts  Borrowing money from your IRA or 401(k) can be tempting. First consider a 60 day interest free loan from it. There are no fees if it is paid back in this time frame. Remember: This is […]

While some of us pre-plan our funerals, the majority of us are faced with a costly task when someone either dies without plans, or dies unexpectedly. This is the sad reality for Americans every day, and without the ability to pay weekly or monthly, some pay feel hard-pressed to give their loved one the funeral they deserve. Funeral homes should offer consumer financing options to their clients, and while this can be hard to come by with your merchant account provider, you still need to consider all of your options. FAM, or First American Merchant, offers a funeral financing program […]

With all the talk these days around health insurance and the exchange, one big thing that is sneaking in on merchants is pet insurance. Yep – insurance that covers the vet bills. This is great for pet parents, but for merchants who are now accepting pet insurance, you may be wondering if there are other services you can offer pet parents. Well, there is one major service you can offer – but you need to make sure that your merchant account provider is on board. Veterinary consumer financing is one major service that all pet-centric merchants should look into. Those […]

What is working capital? And why should it matter to your business? Working capital is the funds your business has available to cover day-to-day expenses. Without it, your business could quickly find itself in a dangerous cash-flow situation. Or, worse case scenario, facing bankruptcy. It’s also important to keep an eye on working capital because it’s what investors consider when assessing your business’ financial health and liquidity; that is, how easily your business’ assets can be sold to generate cash on hand. Working capital can be found through the following, simple formula: Working capital = current assets – current liabilities […]

So, you are a small business owner. You have committed your whole life in propelling your business forward. But as you might have noticed that it has become increasingly difficult to attain capital to grow your business in this day and age. Banks are becoming tyrants instead of actually helping businesses, they always seem to have a problem with everything. They will make you sign a dozen documents, put many restrictions on the use of the money you will get from them, and even after you are done with all the formalities, you still have to wait a while before […]