CapitalOne Business CreditWise vs. Nav: Free Business Credit Reports Compared

CapitalOne Business CreditWise vs. Nav: Free Business Credit Reports Compared

CapitalOne recently announced Business CreditWise, a service that offers business owners a free business credit report and ongoing monitoring. Nav has been offering business owners free business credit reports and monitoring for over five years. How do these two services compare? Here I describe the features of the two services so you can understand what each one offers.   Disclosure: I work for Nav. In addition, Nav offers credit cards issued by CapitalOne in its marketplace. CapitalOne Business CreditWise Business Read More
How to Build Business Credit from Scratch

How to Build Business Credit from Scratch

Building credit for your company is a wise use of your time as a business owner. There’s a lot of value in establishing good credit for your business. Having solid business credit can help you to qualify for a business loan or credit card. It can make it easier to take out leases and commercial rentals. Good business credit might even help you save money on your monthly insurance premiums and contracts with suppliers. Perhaps most importantly, building credit in Read More
How to Keep Your Employees Engaged at Work

How to Keep Your Employees Engaged at Work

From big-picture organizational strategies to everyday operational tasks, the success of a business depends on the employees who make things happen. When employees are happy and have a vested interest in their jobs and the company, things run smoothly, but when workers become disenfranchised, the picture can become quite bleak. According to a study by the Conference Board’s Engagement Institute, employees who check out can cost companies a whopping $450 to $550 billion dollars a year. And while your company Read More
The Best Business Credit Cards for Non-Profits

The Best Business Credit Cards for Non-Profits

The biggest difference between a non-profit organization and a business is that eligible non-profits have tax-exempt status with the government. So if you’re looking for a credit card for your organization, a business credit card may be a better option than a consumer credit card. Finding the right card for a non-profit can be tough, though, because it largely depends on where you spend your money and whether you have unique needs. As a result, you may need to spend Read More
How to Get a Business Phone Number Listed

How to Get a Business Phone Number Listed

You’ve set up your food truck or your doggie daycare, and you’re ready to win at this small-business game. But how do you go about finding customers? While there are a lot of notable ways, such as social media, a website, ads in local publications, innovative PR that gets you featured on local (or national) media, and, of course, good old-fashioned word of mouth, there’s one thing a reputable business can’t forget: The old-school method of having your business phone Read More
How This Entrepreneur Used Credit Cards to Grow Her Business

How This Entrepreneur Used Credit Cards to Grow Her Business

Lorena Tomasini, together with her mother, owns MALM Life and Health Insurance Agency, a business based in Miami. Tomasini works with families and small business owners, helping them navigate life and health insurance. She said, “We’re brokers that represent different insurance companies. Depending on what the clients are looking for, we find the best fit for them.” Starting Out Why did you start the business? I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration. I majored in finance. At the time, Read More
3 Vendors That Will Help You Build Business Credit

3 Vendors That Will Help You Build Business Credit

One of the easiest ways to start off on the right foot when it comes to business credit is to get net-30 accounts with companies that report to commercial credit agencies. What is a Net-30 Account? A net-30 account is one that extends you 30 days to pay the bill in full after you have purchased products. It’s vendor credit that allows you to buy now and pay later. Vendors that report those payments to commercial credit agencies help your Read More
How UCC Filings Can Affect Your Business Credit Scores

How UCC Filings Can Affect Your Business Credit Scores

If you have reviewed your business credit reports or scores, you may have seen reference made to something called “UCC filings.” As someone who has been involved in the fintech industry since 2007, running my own one-man sales office providing merchant financing and merchant services to small business owners, I know they cause a lot of confusion. Failing to understand them can lead to issues down the road relating to securing approval for higher quality forms of business credit. (Editor’s Read More
How to Show Your Business Some Love This Valentine’s Day

How to Show Your Business Some Love This Valentine’s Day

Love it or hate it, the holiday of hearts is nearly here, and even if you don’t plan on spending it with a special someone, there’s a special something in your life that deserves some TLC: your business. It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day minutia that fills the work week, but if you don’t take the time to show your business some love, then you run the risk of missing valuable opportunities to nurture and grow your business. Read More
8 Financial Habits to Break Up With This Valentine’s Day

8 Financial Habits to Break Up With This Valentine’s Day

Numerous factors come into play when running a successful business. The most important factor, however, isn’t a strong work ethic or easy access to caffeine — it’s smart financial management. Your money-making and spending habits can propel your business forward or drag it down. Good financial habits translate to higher profits and improved growth potential, while bad habits can result in wasted resources and stalled plans. If you want to run a successful, sustainable operation, here are eight bad financial Read More