Andrea Herrera

If you sell to customers outside your home country or plan to, your business needs an international payment gateway. These tools let you accept payments in different currencies, support local payment methods, reduce cross-border failures, and keep checkout secure for global buyers. To help small businesses choose the right provider, I evaluated the top international…

Accepting credit cards means staying compliant with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards, and the newest update, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 4.0.1, which became the active version on December 31, 2024, doesn’t introduce new requirements. Instead, it clarifies several areas that were causing confusion under PCI DSS 4.0, including patching timelines, payment-page…

Accepting credit card donations is one of the fastest ways to increase giving, whether you run a small community nonprofit or a large, multi-chapter organization. It makes it easier to collect online and recurring donations, accept payments at events, and give donors more convenient ways to support your work. Many processors also offer discounted nonprofit…

Small Business Saturday 2025, a nationwide shopping event dedicated to celebrating and supporting local, independent businesses, falls on November 29. Launched by American Express in 2010, it has grown into one of the most important holiday shopping days for Main Street retailers. In 2024, US consumers were estimated to have spent approximately $22 billion at…

Starting a YouTube channel for profit involves setting up your channel correctly, planning valuable content, and meeting YouTube’s monetization requirements. This guide walks you through each step so you can launch, grow, and monetize a channel that operates like a business, not just a hobby. Before diving into the steps for how to start a…

PayPal remains one of the most recognized ways to accept payments online, but it comes with trade-offs. Its fees can cut into margins, account freezes disrupt cash flow, and it may lack the flexibility certain industries or international sellers need. For many businesses, switching to a PayPal competitor means not just avoiding these pain points…

Technology and imagination have created more opportunities for farmers to develop profitable businesses. Small farms (earning less than $50,000 annually or occupying less than 180 acres), in particular, can profit from less traditional farming, such as beekeeping, microgreens, or even hops, as well as alternative income sources like agritourism. According to the USDA’s latest Farm…

International merchant accounts make it easy to sell items and services across borders by taking payments in different currencies and paying you in yours. Most international payment processors handle credit cards, Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers, and cryptocurrency transfers for online sales. They also have APIs or integrations for point-of-sale (POS) systems and ecommerce solutions….

Finding the right small business idea starts with knowing what works for your skills, budget, and lifestyle. Many women look for opportunities that combine flexibility with income potential, such as businesses they can start small and grow over time. This guide covers home-based, online, low-cost, and high-growth small business ideas for women. Each section includes…

Keeping paperwork in order is an important part of starting and running a business. Business documents form the legal and operational backbone of your company. They help you avoid fines or shutdowns, make better financial decisions, and stay organized as you scale. According to U.S. Chamber of Commerce data, 51% of small business owners report…

Legal help is traditionally slow, expensive, and hard to navigate. Artificial intelligence and law are intersecting in ways that make legal help faster and more affordable. Today’s tools can draft first-pass documents, summarize long policies, check contracts for missing clauses, answer common questions, and even nudge you about compliance deadlines. In one benchmark, an AI…

Launching as a sole proprietor or forming an LLC is quick. The real risk shows up after: partner splits, IP ownership, hiring rules, multi-state sales, and “did we miss a filing?” letters. That’s where the LegalZoom-vs-lawyer decision actually matters. This guide gives you fast rules for when DIY is enough, when a lawyer pays for…