POST CATEGORY : Finance

5 Alternative Financing Options for Startups

Lack of funding is one of the biggest hurdles startups face. Banks are reluctant to lend to a brand-new business – or even an established business. Even loans from the Small Business Administration can be tough to secure.

Alternative financing options

If you’re struggling to get the capital you need for your startup, consider these four alternative financing options.

1. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding can be an extremely effective way to raise capital. Platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter have helped countless startups get up and running.

The idea behind crowdsourcing is simple: everyday people make small investments in your project, or business.

Maybe you have an innovative new product.…

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What Makes Up a Development Finance Funding Process?

One of the major problems with property development lenders is that it can be a little awkward to stay abreast of all the different nuances, developments and changes.

Constant comparison and monitoring can prove a tall order, but it can be rewarding in the form of insights into the different lenders’ pros and cons, and getting the cheapest deal. Most importantly, you need to understand how the lenders operate, so here’s a breakdown when it comes to property developer finance.

Property developer

Pre-Approval

Standard property lending is calculated via a percentage of the property value, with the value dropped to 80%, to take into account repossession and low resale value risks.…

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5 Things Your Accountant Should be Doing

Is your accountant giving you more than just tax advice? If not, it may be time to find a new one.

Happy accountant

Your accountant should be helping you with these five important things:

1. Helping You Prepare for Tax Season – Well in Advance

Most business owners hire an accountant purely for tax purposes, although they can offer assistance in other ways as well.

Ideally, your accountant should be helping you prepare for taxes well in advance, so there are no last-minute surprises. He or she should be helping you understand:

  • Which credits to claim
  • Which deductions to claim
  • Tax laws that can maximize your write-offs

Tax opportunities, like the R&D credit, can help reduce your tax burden, and your accountant should know if you qualify for such opportunities.…

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3 Accounting Tools to Drive Your Small Business

Small business owners often scramble come tax season. There is a lot to worry about as a business owner, and the last thing most businesses want to think about is paying their taxes. Keeping the lights on is far more important to a business owner.

Using online accounting software

But you don’t have to scramble last minute to figure out your taxes.

There are tools that can help make tax season a little less taxing on a small business owner.

1. QuickBooks Online

Quickbooks website screenshot

Quickbooks offers an online version that is ideal for small businesses. The “standard” for small businesses, this software makes bookkeeping systematic. The good news is that you can use QuickBooks and then allow access to the account to your accountant.…

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How to Find Finance Without Calling Your Bank

Accessing finance at key moments is very often absolutely critical for small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) and for obvious reasons. Whether the aim is to get started, to pursue growth opportunities or simply to stay in business, getting your hands on the cash you need as an SMB is essential.

alternative business financing

The problem is that banks aren’t always ready to offer loans or financing facilities that SMBs need and in many cases they’re reluctant to lend money even to perfectly viable and successful companies. The good news is that there are now a growing array of alternative routes to finance available to companies of all sizes and across a full range of different industries.…

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Loan Consolidation Can Save Your Business

Measures To Control Costs

Business is cutthroat today. You’ve got to deal with taxes, you’ve got to deal with economic booms and busts, and you’ve got to deal with technological development silhouetting your competition. Additionally, you’ll have to continually expand operations to remain competitively viable. If you don’t, your business will implode.

SMB CEO navigates business boat in stormy sea

The thing with most modern business is that within the first five to ten years, you’re likely going to have to expand beyond your immediately available means, and that means going into debt. There are multiple reasons this can happen.

You may have to spend thousands for an increased influx of product as a result of increased demand, you might have to build a new storage warehouse, you may have to upgrade your technology systems to remain competitive—in short, the reasons your business may have a pressing need to take out a loan are numerous.…

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5 Accounting Tips for New Restaurant Owners

One thing’s for sure: you’re getting into the restaurant business because you love it. For many people just like you, opening a restaurant the ultimate dream — combining a love of food, hospitality, people and entrepreneurship. It will be a lot of work but it will be worth it.

Restaurateur

But while passion is the glue that will hold it all together, we’ve already mentioned the most important ingredient: hard work. It’s not just about choosing great staff or even about coming up with a great restaurant business plan (though of course, both help) — opening a restaurant also requires fantastic accounting.…

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4 Ways Small Businesses Can Reduce Workers’ Compensation Costs

Workers’ compensation costs extend far beyond the cost of your insurance policy. The costs of a workplace accident also include time lost, attorney fees, disruption to your daily operations and medical costs.

Injuries – no matter how minor or severe – can be time-consuming and costly for any business.

Hardhats help preventing costly injury compensation costs

Here are four ways you can reduce workers’ compensation costs.

1. Make Safety a Priority

Failure to make safety a priority can lead to more accidents and higher workers’ compensation costs.

Instead of looking at safety as an expensive choice, look at it as an essential part of your company’s mission and daily practice.…

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Tips for Insuring Your Car When You Have a Disability

If you or any of your employees are categorized as a driver with disability, you should be aware of a thing or two about insuring your business vehicle.  Read on for some tips.

Driver with disability

You may not be aware that insurers are not allowed to refuse cover or charge more for disabled drivers. However, it it is essential that any motorist with a disability is aware of how to find the right policy and also if there are any ways that they can reduce their premium.

Insuring an Adapted Automobile

The key factor impacting the amount you pay will be the adapted automobile that you drive.…

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