Friday, September 3, 2010

Help Your Small Business Succeed With A Credit Card

One of the many difficulties of starting a small business is gaining access to capital during the startup phase. With the large growth in small specialty businesses across the country, credit card companies are beginning to design special programs to help this new breed of business achieve success. For even those small businesses that have access to capital, the perks and benefits associated with small business credit card programs, can still be useful to help you compete more effectively in the marketplace. Below are just six of the many ways in which a small business credit card can help your business to operate more smoothly and improve your bottom line.

Ease Your Cash Crunch
A small business credit card can ease your business’s cash woes. Through the development and implementation of a sound financial plan that utilizes a credit card you can guarantee that your business will always meet payroll, be able to purchase inventory on an as needed basis, and manage both seasonal and business fluctuations without depleting your cash reservoir. Another added advantage is the cash advance feature, which allows you to withdraw cash from an ATM to cover emergencies and other unanticipated expenses.

Unlike a personal credit card, a business credit card also provides a business size credit line, which is substantially higher.

Keep Track of Business Expenses
Through the use of a credit card, you can, with little to no effort, separate your business expenses from your personal expenses. This allows for easy identification of tax deductions and filing of accurate income tax returns.

Secure Multiple Cards
You can also secure more than one card through small business credit card programs. This allows you to give employees the authority to make purchases while freeing up your schedule for more pressing issues. You can also do this with ease since you are also given the ability to set spending limits for different employees, which will further help you to control your expenses.

Access Free Business Resources
Anything free is good! Some credit card companies also provide clients with a wealth of resources to help manage cash flow and develop good record keeping procedures free of charge. Extensive reporting is conducted on both a monthly and bimonthly basis to help you track your expenses down to the penny. Additionally, free business checks and electronic funds transfers are also available.

In addition to that, you can also access reports, data and advice on developing business and marketing plans, conducting market analysis, and pricing products through a company’s web site. You can also increase your knowledge of other products and services like software programs that can help your day-to-day operations run more efficiently.

Build Credit to Qualify for Larger Loans
Obtaining a credit card and using it wisely can also be a stepping-stone to help your business qualify and secure a loan with a major bank or venture capitalist firm. By establishing a good relationship and credit history with a company that also offers other products and services, it’ll just be a matter of time before other cost-saving services are thrown your way.

Perks and Rewards
Perks and Reward Programs designed especially for small businesses are by far one of the best features of a small business credit card program. Small businesses can earn airline points and cash back rewards just like the big boys. Discounts are also available through select merchants like FedEx and Staples, which can result in huge cost savings for supplies and other operational expenses. Some companies also go an extra mile by providing rental car and lodging benefits.


small business grants | grants for businesses

What Is A Business Startup?

If you want to start your own business, one main problem is searching enough startup funds to begin moving towards their end. The trade startup cost can look to be unachievable and even daunting until you are familiar with where to look. Unluckily, business startup financial capital is one of the chief things that keep people from acquiring to begin business in the first place, or even being successful once they do manage to get to commence. But on the good side, there are several organizations and programs that specialize in helping serve businessmen overcome this problem.

Some people who may find this small industry start up money to be out of range or unreachable, banking establishment just add more to their worries. Many banks will not like the idea of helping a new enterpriser get small industry startup money until there is a current record of some success achieved. Also, banks do want a foolproof industry program, which can be challenging for someone who is starting his small business for the first time. Fortunately, you have other ways to search for business startup capital.

Business startup funding for small business is not only a hindrance in the way of an enterpriser from starting a trade, but also can obstruct growing of a new enterprise. On top of being a problem at the start, having limited startup funds can also make it difficult to employ employees or get sufficient stocks. Enterpriser can solve these issues by searching for various sources in finding enough startup funds to be able to implement their business plan.

New trade seekers can also decide to apply for several companies that are offering small trade loans to aid people get the necessary startup capital they demand. There is one good company which is called "American One", offering unbarred loans for assistance to small entrepreneurs for starting their business. They specialize with business startup cost and understand the hardships of trying to set it up and they work hard to make the procedure simple and easy.

Some entrepreneurs seek out business partners to assist them with their small business startup price. An investing partner can supply you with the essential assistance needed for a small trade startups. They can run as "silent partner" where they just contribute their investment money and then have their commission paid based on the partnership agreement. Other investing partners are more than involved and might aid in the operation of the trade in order to ensure that their business investment is profitable and well managed.

Since small trade business is really the backbone of world economic system, several government authorities offer a mixture of programs to aid startup business organizations become successful in their endeavor. This is important since small industry startup investment value is a primary ground that most clever people with superb ideas do not get their trade started. Banks can be unapproachable to small industry businessmen, but they also have other options such as functioning with companies who build the procedure easier and less stressful for businessmen. As an event, many individuals have gotten their dreams true and achieved successfully by operating and starting their very own small business.


small business grants | grants for businesses

Small Business Consultants: Avoid Clients Using Peer-to-Peer Networks

Very small businesses, those with less than a handful of PCs, often use informal peer-to-peer networks to share files and printers. This is in sharp contrast to a more robust client/server network with a dedicated server computer, and often selected to keep costs to a minimum.

They are generally built around a consumer-oriented operating system, such as Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows ME.

Small Business Consultants and Peer-to-Peer Networks Don’t Mix

Although rarely utilized in the field, a business-grade desktop OS on a dedicated, business-class PC can provide a solid "happy medium" between extreme low-budget solutions and more robust (and more expensive) client/server solutions.

For small business consultants however, peer-to-peer networks are generally not a good thing - unless of course an upgrade is imminent.

Peer-to-Peer Networks Often Come With Other Problems

Since peer-to-peer networks are often selected to keep costs to a minimum, there is generally little or no budget for outside small business consultants or the owner or manager has plenty of funds, but just doesn’t "believe" in the value of technology.

Many times peer-to-peer networks go hand-in-hand with lots of other undesirable IT issues, such as a complete inattention to software licensing, data security, virus protection and data backup.

The Bottom Line about Small Business Consultants

On the flip side however, the above "IT-plagued" small business may be so fed up with the unreliable performance of their peer-to-peer network, the owner or manager may finally be receptive to your dedicated-server recommendations. And as their small business consultant, that’s your golden opportunity!



small business grants | grants for businesses