Category: Running a Business

How to Get a Business Loan for Insurance Agents

How to Get a Business Loan for Insurance Agents

An insurance business is appealing for any number of reasons, and one of them is the relatively low cost of getting started. However, it’s a competitive industry with over 415,466 insurance agents and broker businesses in the US, according to IBISWorld. To stand out, insurance agents and agency owners may need to invest heavily in advertising and marketing, and you may need to hire staff to handle customer inquiries.  Perhaps you need funds to acquire another insurance agency’s book of… Read More
Can You Write Off Crypto as a Business Expense?

Can You Write Off Crypto as a Business Expense?

If you’re one of the increasing numbers of small businesses accepting or using cryptocurrency for payments, it’s crucial you understand the tax implications that affect your small business. Failing to report cryptocurrency transactions properly when filing your taxes could prove to be very expensive.  Generally the IRS calls cryptocurrency and other digital currencies “virtual currency” and warns in this notice about crypto and taxes that the “sale or exchange of convertible virtual currency, or the use of convertible virtual currency… Read More
11 Best Payment Gateways of 2022: A Complete Guide

11 Best Payment Gateways of 2022: A Complete Guide

A payment gateway is technology that allows physical and ecommerce businesses to accept payments from customers who use credit cards, debit cards, and other payment types.It’s the interface that customers interact with during the checkout process in person or online.Payment gateways are separate from payment processors, which move money to complete a transaction. Payment gateways only start the transaction process.In this article, you’ll learn what you need to know to choose the right payment gateway provider for your business needs.… Read More
Amazon vs Etsy: What is Your Best Option as a Handmade Seller

Amazon vs Etsy: What is Your Best Option as a Handmade Seller

If you want to get the items you create to a wider audience, but you don’t want the hassle of creating and maintaining your own online store, you may want to list them on the two biggest ecommerce platforms or artisans and markers: Amazon Handmade and Etsy.  Which one is best for selling homemade items? How much do they cost? And what are the benefits or drawbacks of each? Here we compare Etsy vs Amazon so you can decide which… Read More
How Resilient Are Your Small Business Finances?

How Resilient Are Your Small Business Finances?

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, there’s been a lot of talk about small business resiliency and business continuity. While we hope there’s no repeat soon of a pandemic, other disasters, whether they are economic or natural disasters, will occur at some point.  What does a resilient small business look like? How can small businesses build resilience? Here we explore ways to prepare your business for unknown challenges.  How Do Small Businesses Build Resilience? Writing in the Harvard Business… Read More
How To Prepare for and Beat Inflation in Retail in 2024

How To Prepare for and Beat Inflation in Retail in 2024

High inflation as a small business owner — especially in retail — can be a huge source of stress and concern. Every day, we hear news about inflation and its effects on our daily lives, from the cost of groceries to how gas prices are making it harder to get retail items in stores. But there are ways to prepare for inflation, and it starts with understanding the root causes. Inflation in 2024 stems from several factors: disruptions in the… Read More