8 Alternative Lending Options for Small Businesses

Finding capital for your company when the banks and other traditional lenders have all turned you down isn’t as tough as it was 10 years ago. There are a number of options to consider and what you decide to go with will depend heavily on your company’s current financial situation and future forecast.

Lending options for small business

Factors like credit worthiness, company assets, future earnings, inventory, your own personal assets and savings, and the amount of credit currently available to you are all important things to consider when deciding on what option to choose.

Alternative small business lending options

Here’s 8 common alternative lending options a small business should consider when the banks won’t touch you:

1.

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Big Traffic Methods for a Small Business Website

As long as you have a fantastic product (or service), capable customer service, great positioning within your marketplace, and a price people are willing to pay for your offer, you shouldn’t have trouble becoming a profitable small business…

But even then it’s not always the case.

Stand out

Imagine you offer all these great features but no one knows where you’re located or how to differentiate you from the sea of competition? Imagine all the work you can place into every aspect of your business yet still fall flat because you’re not driving individuals to the offer.

Hundreds of websites are created every minute and although the chances of someone creating a competing business site would be somewhat low in the percentages – it’s still being done – and every day that passes is another chance for them to be the major brand in the marketplace.…

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How to Find the Perfect Co-Founder

One of the most critical elements of each startup are its initial founders. It might sound surreal, but team composition matters as much or even more than the product idea. One of the rules angel investors have is: “Invest on the team, not the idea”. Finding the perfect co-founders to begin your entrepreneurial journey is one of the most challenging tasks you will stumble upon.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

You might be tempted to become a solo founder, but try to think about 3 founders who succeeded on their own… Hard, isn’t it? Maybe there is a reason for that. In a study conducted by MIT university, data showed that larger teams tend to do better than solo founders.…

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SOC Reports: A Mini-Guide for Business Owners Who Want to Establish Credibility

As a business owner, you want to do everything you can to gain the trust and respect of your customers, This will not only help you keep the ones you do have, but will help you gain new ones as well. As you earn more and more credibility through hiring management consultants and/or change management firm – or even better, adopting organizational design process – you should see your revenue increase as well.

Preparing SOC reports

One of the best ways for service organizations to earn that credibility is to use SOC reports. These reports can help organizations identify problems with their services as well as let them know needs and wants of their customers.…

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At Your Fingertips: Conducting Industry Research Like a Pro Without a Lot of Dough

You might think that to become an expert in your industry it will take years of experience and a deep wallet to fund all the research that you need access to in order to drill down into the details and form a solid opinion.

Chemist doing industry research

Taking a look through the detailed data available at Money Morning for example, you can quickly get an idea that conducting research and staying ahead of the competition by spotting trends and openings, doesn’t have to set you back a small fortune.

Here is a look at how to go about conducting industry research like a pro, without spending loads of dough.…

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Basic Essentials Every Lean Startup Office Needs

When it comes time to launch your lean startup, you and your employees will need a comfortable, functional work environment to conduct business in. There are a lot of considerations to make, depending on the industry you work in.

Lean startup office

There are common items that most businesses will definitely need to get started. While there are also plenty of traditional considerations that have been recently outdated by technological advancements and other changes occurring in the modern workplace.

Here’s a short list of things you’ll definitely need to consider outfitting a professional work environment with – without killing your budget:

Furnishings

You can source furnishings for your startup office almost anywhere.…

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6 Tips for Starting a Home Healthcare Business

Whether you’re a doctor looking to start your own practice or a healthcare administrator seeking to establish a home healthcare regimen, you need to understand that starting your own business won’t be easy. There are several factors that go into the process, including building up a clientele. Before jumping into the business, here are six things you’ll want to do.

Home healthcare visit

1. Have Your Finances Ready

Recognize that starting business will require a significant financial investment. You’ll need funds to register your business, purchase office space, market your brand, build clientele, buy equipment, travel, and more. Whether this comes from personal savings or from a group of investors, make sure you have adequate cash flow.…

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4 Key Tips For Diversifying To Succeed In Your Local Economy

The Big Box retailers has endangered local small businesses. The model we see growing involves large companies getting larger and beating the small local companies to death through pricing. How can your business stay alive and relevant in the face of these giants?

Coffee shop owner

Value Added

Super customer service is the primary answer. Attaching a face to your company – a real, live, caring, local face – is one of the most important values you add. Big box operations try, but ultimately they can’t compete with the relational component you bring.

Your business is an extension of you. Take good care of it and take good care of your people.…

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5 Reasons You Should Be Taking Your Small Business Online

How can you as a localized small business owner, combat the growing online purchase market? Opening your own online store should be an option for you to consider. Providing the ability for your customers to shop online and either pick up directly from you or have it delivered locally will earn you more of your local market.

Online business

So, why should you take your business online?

It’s not that hard

There are an amazing number of tools already developed for you to use to build your online store. Shopify, Big Commerce, Weebly, and Square are just a few of the companies that have pre-built packages to help you get started.…

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3D Printed Lattice: Breaking New Ground in Product Design

3D printers and their products are gaining increasing amounts of attention for their use in both education and innovative design. While you can quickly create some fun objects with a 3D printer, many of the groundbreaking products are being produced using what is called lattice structuring.

3D printed object

A lattice structure is a web-like, or honeycombed, design that has several design benefits. It can be created to be flexible or rigid. It can also withstand a high degree of pressure, is waterproof, lightweight, and has a high durability factor. Here are just a few of the ways that the 3D printed lattice is making new inroads in product design.…

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