Category: Business Credit
Should you incorporate your small business?
It’s the age-old question for small business owners: to incorporate or not to incorporate? Incorporation may have seemed like a distant dream when you started your business, but as your business grows and evolves, you may find yourself considering this option more seriously. It can be tempting to put off this decision, but the truth…
Top trends affecting SMBs in 2023 – Part 2
Small businesses face a unique set of challenges in 2023 when it comes to staying ahead of emerging trends. With limited resources and a constantly evolving marketplace, it can be difficult to know where to focus your efforts. However, staying on top of the latest trends can be crucial to the success of your small…
Valentine’s Day: A Holiday for SMBs
While it has evolved over the years, Valentine’s Day still holds a special place in hearts across the globe. For small businesses, it’s mostly seen as a great opportunity to boost sales. In fact, over the last 5 years, Canadians spent an estimated 3 billion dollars on February 14th. Whether it’s through creative marketing campaigns,…
Understanding personal & business credit
When it comes to managing your finances, understanding the difference between personal and business credit can help you make informed decisions about your business and ensure that you are making the best use of your resources. Good personal and business credit scores are vital for any small business owner to access the financing they need.…
Black Friday for small businesses – Should you care?
Holiday sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are incredibly important for all businesses across Canada. But, let’s not forget about Small Business (November 26), which is conveniently nestled between both and was created with SMBs in mind. Every year, Canadians gear up for these peak days of shopping on and offline. We’re here…
Term loan vs. line of credit – How are they different?
A fixed term loan provides a lump sum of money that a borrower pays back with interest over an agreed-upon period. A line of credit, meanwhile, provides access to a sum of money that you can use as needed. Both options can provide you with funds in advance so that you can use them immediately. As…
11 questions you should ask before you get a small business loan
Small businesses have more financing options today than ever before. Yet, navigating this maze of options can make it challenging to choose the right loan and the right lender for your business. The days when the bank was the one-stop-shop for small business loans are over, and business owners need to be savvier about evaluating…
Small business funding: What are your options?
Every entrepreneur’s journey is unique, but there is one universal experience: finding business funding. Whether it’s to aid cash flow or support operational costs, weather the storm through low sales or expanding for growth, owners need to acquire cash to support their business goals. The good news? The options for business funding vary greatly. The…
Understanding the cost of financing: Factor vs. interest rate
When considering your small business financing options, you’ll want to determine the associated costs of every alternative. Although this may seem straight forward, pricing is often presented differently depending on the company or the type of financing product you are applying for. This can make it tricky to understand how much you are actually paying…
Your Credit Profile: Are You Smart Enough?
Today is Get Smart About Your Credit Day. As a small business owner, you don’t need to be a credit or finance expert, but in today’s world, it’s critically important that you have a strong foundation of credit knowledge and are vigilant in your efforts to build and maintain a strong profile. Every small business…
Improving a Good Credit Score to Make it Great
There’s no question, in many situations a business owner’s personal credit score has an impact on his or her ability to get a small business loan. While your personal credit score is not the best proxy of the health of your business and is only one of many factors we consider to evaluate your business’…
What Is a Good Personal Credit Score and Why Does it Matter to My Business?
Any time you apply for a loan—regardless of whether it’s a personal loan or a small business loan—the loan officer will likely ask you about your personal credit score. The need to maintain a good personal credit score will likely never go away for most business owners, so knowing your score and what it means…
Small Business Loans and Bad Credit?
While it’s true, a good personal credit score is an important metric small business lenders use to evaluate a business owners credit worthiness, a less-than-perfect credit score doesn’t rule out a loan provided other metrics look good. Before you start looking for loan, make sure you have a handle on these four things: 1. What…
Personal Credit Reporting Changes: What They Mean to You
It’s no secret that monitoring and protecting your personal credit score is important for small business owners. Your personal credit score is a metric every lender considers when evaluating your credit worthiness; and recent changes made by the big three personal credit reporting bureaus will make it a little easier. “The three big credit reporting…
How to Get Extra Time to Pay Your Suppliers
If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know that getting the funds to ignite your killer idea is just the beginning. Once the dust settles, the day-to-day challenges of running a business take center stage. Dealing with cash flow issues usually tops the list. At some point, you’ll probably find yourself in a situation…