Category: Business Financing

Behalf vs. Bluevine: The Latest in Invoice Factoring

September 16, 2015 Lydia Roth

The easiest way to run a B2B business is to require an upfront payment from all customers. In today’s environment, however, this is often not realistic. Customers who do not pay upfront request 30 or more days to repay their outstanding bills, upsetting their vendors ability to sustain and grow their business. This can turn a profitable, growing business into a slow, ticking time bomb of cash flow emergencies. That’s the reason for a number of inventive invoice, or accounts… Read More

How community banks can bring out the big guns to keep business

September 15, 2015 Lydia Roth

With a growing and increasingly mobile world, community banks are having a harder time competing, both with their large commercial counterparts, as well as new fintech entrepreneurs exploiting the strict regulation in the banking industry. But the final bell hasn't tolled for these more compact financial institutions. The challenges small banks face are not new, as the trend of declining community banks has been occurring for some time, according to FDIC data. Commercial banks have more locations and in many… Read More

Funding Circle vs. StreetShares: Term Loan Lenders for Small Business

September 9, 2015 Lydia Roth

If your business needs an influx of cash before the end of the month, or if you’ve already been denied by a bank, an online term loan can be your next best option. Funding Circle and StreetShares are two such online lenders that provide loans to small businesses at reasonable interest rates. Both sites claim their qualification process takes 10 minutes to complete, and the money reaches your bank account within 2 weeks — in the case of StreetShares, you… Read More

Celtic Bank vs. SmartBiz: What to Consider When Deciding on a SBA Loan

August 26, 2015 Lydia Roth

The SBA has lent over $18.75 billion through its 7(a) program this year alone. $18.75B — all through preferred lenders across the U.S., all to small business owners, and all at a very reasonable interest rates. So how can you get your hands on some of that low-cost cash for your business? There are a number of factors to consider before applying for an SBA loan, including whether or not your business can qualify and with which providers. Here… Read More

4 Types of Businesses That Typically Don’t Qualify for Bank Loans & Why

August 14, 2015 Lydia Roth

Small business is booming, but you’d never know it judging from small business loan approval rates. Although the economy is rebounding from the 2008 financial crisis, not much has changed for those seeking small business loans from traditional banks. At just 21.3 percent approval rate in January 2015, less than a quarter of small business loan applicants receive their loans. So, what kind of shot do you have at securing funding? And do you even qualify for a small business… Read More

How to Shop for a Non-Bank Loan

July 30, 2015 Yun-Fang

With the IPOs of LendingClub and OnDeck and the recent $150 million funding for FundingCircle, it's an exciting time for the non-bank business financing industry. These loans promise a much better customer experience than banks can offer, but it can be costly. As a business owner, how do you take advantage of these new products and get the best out of it? Here are some tips: Don't make quick decisions Almost all online lenders would say that they exist to… Read More