E-Commerce Financing: Funding Your Online Business
It’s a Catch-22: you sell your products to make money, but you need money to buy those products to sell. What if you don’t have the working capital on hand to do so? That’s where...
6 Things to Do After Receiving Your PPP Loan
You’ve gotten your PPP loan, spent it properly and hopefully qualify for full forgiveness. Congratulations! What’s next? StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here Here are six steps you can...
Restaurant Revitalization Fund to Provide $28.6 Billion in Grant Funding to Restaurants Hit Hard by COVID-19
No question, the pandemic has taken its toll on a lot of small restaurants over the last 12 months. For a lot of them, because of the way the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was structured,...
General Liability Insurance: Protect Your Small Business
Like most homeowners who rely on their homeowner’s insurance to cover their liability in the event of an accident or some other unforeseen liability, many businesses rely on general liability insurance for the same type...
New Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans: How to Qualify and Apply
Updated January 11, 2021: The SBA has released guidance for new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans available under the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (the Economic Aid Act). This article...
How to Accept Credit Card Payments
Accepting debit and credit card payments can help your business make more money. The more payment methods you offer to customers, the more likely they are to shop with you. But if you’re new to...
Why Was My Business Loan Application Denied?
This is a pretty simple question with a more complicated answer. There are a lot of reasons why a business loan application might be denied, but what most small business owners should be asking themselves...
Further COVID Stimulus on Hold for Now: What Does That Mean for Small Businesses?
Last week, the president announced that COVID stimulus is on hold for now and that further negotiations on a comprehensive stimulus bill wouldn’t take place until after the election—just weeks away (at this writing). Although...
How to Pay Back an EIDL or PPP Loan
If your business received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, you may have determined it isn’t a good fit for your small business for any number of reasons: You...
5 Ways to Make Budgeting and Strategic Borrowing Easier
Over the nearly 40 years I’ve either owned or otherwise worked in a small business, I’ve observed that even businesses that might not be considered “seasonal” in the traditional sense ebb and flow over the...
5 Simple Ways to Organize Your Small Business Finances
Credit scores are often seen as the number one obstacle preventing small businesses from getting financing. But disorganized financials may be equally to blame. In today’s challenging economic environment in particular, lenders want to make...
7 Ways the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act Can Help Your Business
Update 6/5/2020: President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act into law. The legislation gives small business owners more flexibility in how they can use PPP funds and may make it easier to qualify...
What Lenders Want to Know About Your Business Right Now
Whether you’re talking to an SBA lender or any other lender, they all are trying to get the answer to basically three questions. They might not all ask the questions in the same way, but...
What You Need to Know About Managing Cash Flow Post-COVID-19
Poor cash flow management has rung the death knell for many small businesses over the years, making successful cash flow management a very important part of building a sustainable business. Like many business owners, 20...
Additional PPP Guidance for Seasonal Businesses
It took a while to get here, but the SBA has provided some additional PPP guidance for seasonal businesses to calculate the maximum loan amount for seasonal employers. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell...
COVID-19 Small Business Relief Funds Exhausted
You may have heard that the Small Business Administration (SBA) has run out of money to fund the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. In other words, at least...
COVID Disaster Loans vs. Paycheck Protection Program Loans
This article was updated on April 3, 2020 to clarify that there is no guaranteed amount for the EIDL advance/grant. We want to correct original guidance we gave regarding the $10,000 grant—it’s a common misconception,...
Frequently Asked Questions About Applying for SBA Disaster Loans (EIDL) Due to Coronavirus
This article has been updated April 23, 2020 to include additional funding approved by Congress. Small business owners impacted by the coronavirus crisis may want to consider an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan. These loans...
Applying for a Business Loan is Changing Due to COVID-19: Here’s What it Means
As the coronavirus ravages businesses, small business lenders are re-evaluating their underwriting policies, along with reviewing their risk tolerances for those industries that look like they may be hit hardest by the disruption. Here’s what...
11 Ways Retailers Can Combat Coronavirus Fears
Rita Mitchell, Certified Counselor at the USM Small Business Development Center’s College of Business and Economic Development, compiled a great list of 11 ways retailers can combat coronavirus fears, the closures, and the financial decline...