A credit card surcharge (or cc surcharge) is an extra fee applied when a customer chooses to pay via credit card instead of cash or check. Merchants have to pay payment processing fees to accept credit cards, and surcharging is when a business passes that fee on to the customer. Surcharging fees average around 2%–3%…
Ultimate Guide
Hiring People With Disabilities: Benefits & How to Approach It
Hiring people with disabilities is an often overlooked strategy to compete in today’s business marketplace. By fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, businesses cannot only enrich their corporate culture but unlock numerous benefits—financial and reputational—that may not be immediately apparent. The actual process of hiring someone with a disability is quite similar to hiring any…
Church Insurance: Top Companies, Cost & Coverage
Church insurance is several policies that, when combined, help protect churches from financial loss as the result of a first- or third-party claim. Common insurance for churches is general liability, commercial property, and workers’ compensation. General liability for a church can range from $700 to more than $3,000 annually. When it comes to religious institutions,…
AI in Retail: Small Business Guide
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the term for technology that employs machine learning and automation to make decisions and solve problems like a human would. Though it might sound futuristic, it is more common than you might think—in fact, the use of AI in retail already exists (online chatbots, for example), even if retailers don’t realize…
Guide to Gross Rent Multiplier for Investors + GRM Calculator
A gross rent multiplier (GRM) is a financial metric that evaluates and compares various investment properties to determine a property’s potential profitability. It is used by investors, both beginner and experienced, to decide whether a property is worth investing in. The GRM formula is one of the simplest and quickest methods for initial screens of…
Employee Theft: Small Business Guide (+ Policy Template)
Employee theft is stealing an employer’s property or assets for personal use. It includes the more traditional ideas of theft, such as stealing merchandise or money, as well as stealing confidential data and “time” (i.e., not working as many hours as recorded or performing personal tasks on company time). Even small businesses are at risk…
SBA 504 Loan: What It Is & How It Works
504 loans offered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) are designed to provide funding for fixed assets that help in the creation of jobs or business growth. Some examples of allowable uses include the purchase or construction of land, buildings, machinery, and other equipment. An SBA 504 loan has two separate funding sources: Certified Development…
SEO for Ecommerce Websites: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Ecommerce SEO, or search engine optimization, is a set of practices for increasing your website’s performance in search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO for ecommerce is to improve your site’s visibility and gain more clicks while boosting conversions—ultimately leading to greater revenue. It’s important for online sellers, considering nearly 9 in 10…