Right now the SBA is considering a new rule that would reduce existing fee caps by 50% for some loan facilitators, including referral and packaging services. While lower fees might sound like a good idea, it’s important to remember that those loan facilitators can be crucial to connecting small businesses in need of credit to…
About the Author
Ian Atkins
Ian Atkins is a writer and general manager of the Finance team at Fit Small Business. Before leading the finance team, he was the managing editor focusing on finance and real estate investing. He brings over 9 years of experience in personal finance and small business lending spaces. As a manager, he works with his team of writers to put the most relevant and up-to-date finance information in the hands of small business owners.
When not working with his team, Ian enjoys the great outdoors, brewing his own beer, and catching up on current events.
Free Business Webinars
Fit Small Business offers free business webinars on a wide range of small business topics: from bookkeeping and accounting to HR to small business loans. Our webinars are offered every day and are hosted by Fit Small Business’s expert writers. Reserve your spot in one of our free small business webinars below. Current webinars include:…
Q&A with Barbara Corcoran and OnDeck Seal of Approval Contest Winner Geoffrey Deen
OnDeck Capital is a online provider of small business loans and lines of credit. In mid-October, OnDeck launched its second annual OnDeck Seal of Approval Contest. The winners of this contest received $10,000 and a one-on-one consultation from Barbara Corcoran (Founder of The Corcoran Group and Star of Shark Tank). OnDeck invited Fit Small Business…
Multi Currency Account vs. Foreign Currency Demand Account for Small Businesses
There are two primary options if your business needs the ability to hold, pay, and receive foreign currency: a multi currency account or a foreign currency demand account. A multi currency account allows you to hold multiple currencies within a single account. A foreign currency demand account allows you to hold a single foreign currency…
Trade Finance: Import & Export Financing
U.S. small businesses engaged in international trade are well acquainted with the additional financial risks of exporting or importing goods and services from foreign countries. From fluctuating currencies to the increased pressures of a global supply chain to the difficulty of determining a foreign partner’s creditworthiness. Trade finance offers a way to mitigate some of…
Best Credit Repair Companies – Who Can Fix Your Credit?
Your personal credit score plays a significant role in both your ability to qualify for business loans and the terms that lenders will offer you. Bad credit or thin credit will cost you money and limit your opportunities. A good credit repair service can help you effectively dispute credit reporting errors, resolve old accounts, and…
Where to Buy Shopping Bags and Custom Shopping Bags Wholesale
If you’re a retailer, shopping bags should never be an afterthought. You work hard to get customers in your store and buying your merchandise. You need a shopping bag that can carry you across the finish line. Here’s everything you need to know about buying retail shopping bags wholesale. Buying retail shopping bags wholesale is…
How To Find Drop Shipping Wholesalers and Suppliers
Finding drop shipping wholesalers and suppliers can be a difficult and time consuming process, but is essential to the success of your drop shipping business. There are companies out there that can offer you shortcuts, but telling the useful shortcuts apart from the expensive detours can feel impossible. There are four ways to find drop…
How to Choose the Best Clamshell Packaging for Your Small Business
Clamshell packaging is king in many industries. For example, according to market research firm Freedonia Group, clamshell packaging represents 65 % of the packaging market for produce businesses and is expected to grow another 20 % by 2019. We’re all familiar with clamshell packaging whether we know it or not. Clamshell packaging is the clear,…
Make Shopify Product Images Look Great on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest
Having a beautiful online store with Shopify is an awesome way to sell products to customers by itself. But the icing on the cake is that Shopify allows you to sell your products directly on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. With this is mind, I want to share with you why minding social media image constraints,…
Drop Shipping Vs. Fulfillment Companies: What’s the Difference?
People often confuse Order Fulfillment Services and Drop Shipping or they incorrectly refer to them interchangeably. Much of this confusion comes from the fact that each involves a retailer looking for an outsourced fulfillment solution. Despite the similarity, the differences are significant. Understanding these differences is key to finding the right retail fulfillment solution for…
How to Manage Inventory Using Lightspeed POS
The power of a modern POS system comes from its inventory management capabilities. Harnessing those capabilities to manage inventory will save you tons of time and allow you to update your product count automatically in real time, automate purchase orders, dramatically reduce inventory shrink, increase sales efficiency and more. In this article, I’ll show you…
