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Merchant Cash Advance: The 2020 Guide

EXCELCAP_ MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE

What is a merchant cash advance?

As opposed to a traditional loan where a lender provides funds in exchange for an interest-based repayment plan, a merchant cash advance (or MCA), sometimes called split funding, is a purchase of future credit and/or debit card sales in exchange for a fee.

In addition to this, a MCA is generally much faster than a traditional loan, with the ability to be approved and have your account funded in as little as 24 hours in some cases.

And you can use split funding for virtually anything, including:

  • Inventory purchases
  • Equipment upgrades
  • Hiring and training
  • Payroll
  • Taxes

For those who need capital fast, who don’t have great credit, or don’t have any applicable collateral that could be placed down to secure a traditional loan, an MCA may be the perfect funding solution.

As small business financing alternatives go, split funding is one of the most convenient when it comes to repayment.

MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE

How a merchant cash advance works

An MCA is an advance on future credit card sales. Therefore, it’s best for businesses who function mostly off credit and debit card sales.

What is convenient about split funding is the advance is repaid, typically via an ACH or automatic withdrawal, based on a percentage of those daily sales. The amount which is automatically paid towards the loan is typically called the “holdback” amount.

That means if you have a dip in regular sales, the amount taken out for those days will also be reduced, making it easier to pay back the advance when business is down.

The most unique aspect of an MCA is that it doesn’t use a typical APR interest fee but rather what is typically called a factor rate.

Click here to apply for a merchant cash advance and find out what your options are: Apply Now


What is a factor rate?

The factor rate, which takes the place of interest as the primary fee associated with MCA’s, typically ranges from anywhere between 1.14 and 1.48.

By multiplying your loan amount by the factor rate, you’ll have a rough estimate of the total amount you’re expected to pay once you’re done repaying your MCA.

For example, if you get an advance of $25,000, and your factor rate is 1.3, you’ll pay $32,500 before paying off the advance.

The factor rate associated with split funding is generally considered to be steep compared to the interest on something such as an unsecured business loan.

However, it trades increased fees (in some but not all cases, and depending on the lender) for hyper-convenience, speed, and reduced credit requirements.


Example of a Merchant Cash Advance

Let’s take a closer look at how an MCA works with an example:

MERCHANT CASH ADVANCE EXAMPLE

Jerrett, the owner of a local cafe, needs $20,000 for the purchase of new high-grade barista equipment and a few additional hires to meet a recent increase to traffic at his location.

Jerrett doesn’t have much business credit history, only having been in business at his location for about a year. So, he can’t depend on a bank loan to get him out of his pinch.

Instead, he decides to apply for a merchant cash advance. Because he has the necessary credit card sales, so he’s approved for the $20,000 advance and is off to the races. He gets all the equipment he needs and gets some help around the cafe. Business is booming.

Now that the advance has been issued, he can begin paying it back with a percentage of his regular credit card sales.

If his factor rate is 1.25, on $20,000 he’ll be paying back a total of $25,000. The repayment period on an MCA is typically between 3 and 12 months, all depending on how high your regular credit card sales are.

However, because the repayment period is based on the volume of credit card sales, it doesn’t affect how much you pay. Instead, your regular holdback amount is based on a set percentage decided by the lender.

Let’s say your holdback percentage is 10%. If you average $20,000 in monthly credit card sales, you’d pay about $65 a day ($2,000 total over a month) on average based on that day’s sales towards the advance and have it paid back in full within about 10 months.

The exact method which is used to repay an MCA varies, so in the next section, we’ll quickly cover each of them.


Ways to set up a merchant cash advance

There are 3 ways that repayment on a merchant cash advance can be set up. Here’s a rundown on the 3 methods:

1. Direct split

With this method, the lender uses one of several trusted credit card processors to place a “split” on your credit card sales (hence why it’s sometimes referred to as split funding), directing the percentage notated in your agreement from your credit card sales.

Each time you batch out, that percentage is automatically removed behind the scenes and you receive your deposit in exactly the same way as you usually would with zero delays.

2. Lockbox

If you’d prefer to not change your payment processor, or your merchant processor has early termination fees you’d prefer to avoid, this may be a more preferable method.

With lockbox funding, instead of switching merchant accounts a lockbox account, also known as a bridge account, is set up to split your credit and debit batches.

A lockbox account is a typical bank account which you’re given credentials to, however, with your lockbox account, each time a batch is settled the account automatically “splits” the amount by sending the designated repayment percentage via ACH to the corresponding account and deposits the rest of your amount into the account for your use.

The only drawback with this method vs. a direct split through a credit card processor is that there is typically a 24-48-hour delay in the typical amount of time it takes for you to receive your deposit after batching.

To set up a lockbox account, you’ll be asked to sign the lockbox form given by your MCA provider. Once your bank letter arrives in the mail for the lockbox account, the only thing left to do is call your card provider to have your deposits redirected to the lockbox account (which typically takes up to 48 hours).

3. Variable ACH

The final way to set up an MCA is as a variable ACH.

This is ideal when your merchant processor isn’t already one of the provider’s friendly accounts (i.e. a direct split won’t work) and you as the business owner don’t want to deal with the 24-48-hour delay between when your batches are settled and when the MCA holdback percentage is removed (as in a lockbox account).

A variable ACH requires your MCA provider’s collections department to have access to your merchant processor’s login portal. Your provider will log in to your processor’s portal each to check your batch amount and then issue an ACH transfer for the holdback amount.

This method of repayment requires that your provider always has access to your merchant processor portal, otherwise the account is considered to be in default.

It’s generally harder to be approved for a variable ACH as, unlike when using split funding or a lockbox account, variable ACH approval is dependent largely upon your average ledger balance.

In other words, while you can be approved for both split funding and the lockbox method with a high number of non-sufficient funds (NSF’s) or overdrafts, with a variable ACH your average balance must be high to ensure that the full holdback amount can be collected regularly.

Click here to apply for a merchant cash advance and find out what your options are: Apply Now


Pros and cons of business merchant cash advances

Here are the primary benefits, and drawbacks, of a split funding:

As a merchant cash advance is a unique small business financing solution, it has a unique collection of pros and cons which are important to review before deciding if it’s the ideal solution for your needs.

Pros

  • Get funds fast: An MCA is a good idea if you need cash fast as you can have the funds within your account within 1-2 business days. As opposed to a traditional loan, this makes an MCA lightning fast.
  • No collateral: They don’t require traditional collateral, instead using your future credit card sales as a kind of “soft” collateral. That means you don’t have to risk losing something valuable such as your property or important equipment in the case of defaulting on the loan.
  • Good credit not required: Depending on the lender, fair or even bad credit is acceptable for an MCA. This makes it an invaluable funding solution for business owners who don’t have the credit to be approved for any kind of business loan.
  • Repayment terms fluctuate with business: If business is down, your payment goes down with it. This makes split funding one of the most flexible and convenient small business funding solutions available.

Con: The factor rate can be high

An MCA offers several significant benefits. However, every funding solution has both pros and cons, and a merchant cash advance is no exception.

However, while many funding solutions have several different drawbacks, an MCA really only has one, though it can be a big one.

The factor rate on split funding can be very high, as low as an equivalent 15% interest in some cases, but as high as triple digits in others depending on various factors.

For that reason, it’s important to know what the terms are of your advance going in, how much you’re paying and are able to pay, and whether it’s worth it for you.

It may be the perfect vehicle to get you out of a tough spot, help you buy new equipment that can drive sales, or help you hire the seasonal assistance you need to make full use of a busy season. Whatever the case, weigh the cost and benefits to decide if an MCA or another funding vehicle is the ideal fit for you.


Who is a merchant cash advance best for?

Still wondering if a merchant cash advance is the right funding solution for you and your business.

Consider these factors when deciding whether an MCA is a good fit. It’s ideal for those who:

  • Accept credit card sales: If you accept credit and/or debit card sales, split funding may offer a more convenient repayment plan than a traditional loan.
  • Need a fast funding solution: If your funding needs are an emergency, an MCA is one of the best.
  • Don’t have great credit or enough credit history: Split funding doesn’t require great or even good credit, making it accessible to many who otherwise wouldn’t be able to qualify for a traditional business loan.
  • Don’t have available collateral to offer: Similarly, if you don’t have collateral to offer for a traditional bank loan, you won’t be able to qualify for a typical bank loan. However, an MCA doesn’t require typical hard collateral such as property or liquid cash.

How to apply for a merchant cash advance

Because a merchant cash advance doesn’t require good credit or a hard form of collateral, it’s generally easier to be approved for one vs. a typical loan which requires sufficient proof that you’ll be able to repay the debt.

However, there are still qualification requirements and an application process you should be aware of. The more you know, the more likely you’ll be to get approved and the better terms you’ll be able to get.


How to qualify

The first and most basic eligibility requirement of an MCA is which has been mentioned already: a large portion of your revenue must come from credit card sales.

Additional qualification requirements include:

  • In business at least two months
  • $7,500 or more in monthly credit card sales
  • $10,000 or more in gross monthly sales
  • No open bankruptcies

Merchant cash advance: Good or bad credit vs. credit card sales volume: Which is more important?

We touched on an MCA’s credit card sales volume requirements in this and previous sections as well as its credit requirements.

However, if you’re already convinced an MCA is the ideal financing option for your business and you skipped to this section to see how to qualify, keep this in mind:


Credit is not the most important factor, your credit card sales volume is.

With a merchant cash advance, your credit card sales volume triples as:

  1. The primary qualification factor
  2. The main factor which decides how much you can be approved for, and
  3. Your estimated future credit card sales volume serves as a kind of soft collateral that guarantees to a lender that they’ll be able to collect on the advance

All of this taken together makes your credit card sales volume by far the most important factor for approval.


How to apply

If you’ve been operating in business for more than two months and meet the monthly sales requirements, acquiring a merchant cash advance is a simple matter of being approved.

To be approved for split funding, you’ll simply need to submit an application along with four months of bank and credit card processing statements.

However, in addition to this, you’ll want to gather several documents that may be requested after applying for approval.

A lender will review your credit card processing and bank statements to see that you fulfill the minimum monthly sales numbers. If you qualify, they’ll typically request additional documentation to finalize the approval.

Documents you’ll want to have in order to streamline approval include:

  • Driver’s license
  • Voided business check
  • Credit score
  • Business tax returns

Merchant cash advance alternatives

As we’ve reviewed throughout this guide, a merchant cash advance has several notable benefits.

However, if the tradeoff isn’t to your liking, it’s worth considering an alternative funding method. No matter what it is you need to pay for, the options below are fast and allow approval without perfect credit.


Term loan

Short-term and medium-term loans are closest to a traditional bank loan in that you receive a lump sum in exchange for repayment with interest. The repayment term on short-term loans is typically between 3 months and 2 years and medium-term loans up 5 years.


Business line of credit

With a business line of credit, you get access to a pool of funds which you can tap into whenever the need arises. And, provided you pay back what you borrow, you can then tap into that line of credit again.

Learn more about business lines of credit here.


Get the funds your business needs– fast– with a merchant cash advance

A merchant cash advance is both a fast and convenient funding solution.

In addition to this, it’s an ideal source of extra capital for business owners who either don’t have stellar credit or any form of hard collateral to offer and therefore wouldn’t be approved for a bank loan.

Traditional bank financing takes months for approval. So, whether you need funding fast or need access to capital and don’t qualify for a traditional bank loan, an MCA is an effective source of additional capital worth considering.

Click here to apply for a merchant cash advance and find out what your options are: Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a merchant cash advance a safe option?


Before signing a contract with an MCA provider, it’s important to first make sure that an MCA is the right funding method for you and your situation.

An MCA is based on your business’s regular flow of income, so if your business income is in a volatile period, a loan would likely be a better option for you. 

However, if your business income is consistent, even growing, then an MCA may be a good option for you and your business. 

What happens if you default on a merchant cash advance? 


If you find yourself in a position where you can’t pay back your MCA, start by looking at your contract to see what options are available to you in default as it all depends on the advance, provider, and your particular situation.

MCAs are considered a purchase agreement, not a loan, so they’re not subject to the same usury laws as typical business loans. Depending on your provider, they’ll have various options and actions they may take if you breach your contract and go into default. 

For example, your provider may sue for breach of contract, though defaulting doesn’t necessarily mean you breached your contract. For example, if you defaulted because your business closed down, that isn’t a breach of contract and there would be no recourse whatsoever.

If you’re having trouble paying your MCA, give your provider a call to ask what your options are for setting up a revised repayment plan and getting back to current.

What are the 4 C’s of Credit For Getting a Business Loan?

The 4 Cs of Getting a Business Loan | Excel Capital Management

You’re probably already aware that your credit score plays an important role in determining your eligibility to obtain a business loan or line of credit and that’s why it’s more important than ever to know what the 4 C’s of credit are.

However, what most don’t know about the 4 c’s of credit is what specific factors lenders look for within that overarching category.

When determining your eligibility for a loan, lenders look for what are called the ‘4 C’s of credit’ and, in fact, they stretch beyond just your credit score.

The number and type of factors vary somewhat depending on the lender, however, the four C’s of credit were created to help simplify and clarify the loan process for small business owners looking to obtain a loan.

It can be looked at like a guiding light to help understand what lenders and other funding companies look for when evaluating a business for credit

What are the 4 C’s of Credit?

The 4 C’s of credit are as follows – 

4 c's of credit

Collateral

Typically appearing in the form of property or other physical assets, collateral is any asset a borrower can offer to secure a loan.

If the borrower defaults on the loan, the assets they used as collateral can be seized. Many small business owners are wary of secured business loans because of this reason as they require hard collateral that is tied to your personal assets.  Many business owners are and have the right to worry about crossing the line between business and personal. Making a business mistake shouldn’t  have to affect your personal assets.

Fortunately, unsecured business loans often don’t require collateral, and if they do, it’s a form of ‘limited’ collateral such as a portion of business sales which isn’t required to be paid back if you go out of business, meaning the risks are much lower.

Capital

Capital refers to any business asset that can be sold to make loan payments. This includes available money and cash savings, investments, properties with equity, and other assets that you could sell or use to quickly obtain cash.

If business drops off and you’re unable to pay your loan payments for a time, lenders want to see that you have liquidity to cash out on so you can continue to make payments on time.

Capacity

Capacity refers to your business’ ability to make the revenue needed to pay back a loan.

Lenders don’t just want to see that you have assets you can use to pay off a loan (or which they can secure to do so), they want to see a history of being able to make regular payments regardless of those assets.

 

Character

The final ‘C’ in the 4 C’s of credit, lenders determine character by reviewing the borrower’s personal credit history and calculating several factors together.

Factors taken into account include:

  • Your total amount of debt
  • Delinquent accounts
  • Available credit
  • And whether you make payments on time

If you’re in need of a small business loan but don’t believe you can satisfy all four C’s of credit, don’t worry, there are several other options available. Now that you know what the four C’s of credit are you can easily understand how to prepare yourself and your business when you try to pursue a lender for any sorts of funds.

At Excel Capital, we provide a variety of financial solutions which we can offer even if you have bad credit.

Click here to complete our short application to get in touch with one of our financial specialists to see how we can help.

How Automating Repetitive Business Tasks Can Save You Time

How Automating Repetitive Business Tasks Can Save You Time | Excel Capital Management

As a business owner, you know that there are many tasks you and your staff find yourselves doing that just take up more time than they should. While important, spending unnecessary time on repetitive tasks that could be used to better the business in other areas can negatively affect productivity and company morale. The negative impact is made much worse for small businesses that just don’t have the manpower to handle hundreds of tasks per day, in turn, stunting the overall growth of the business. Here are a few common tasks to consider automating!

Checking and Answering Emails:

For many businesses, email is the lifeline. It is used to correspond with partners, answer customer inquiries, make requests, and much more. While checking your email is essential, if possible, try setting a few solid times throughout the day to check your inbox rather than every few seconds or minutes. If this is not possible, setting up your email filtering to allow urgent emails to go to one inbox and less important emails to go to another could save you time and stress. Additionally, try setting up automated email replies for when you are out of the office or even an autoresponse to let customers and partners know that you will reply to them shortly.

Payroll and Accounting:

Since you are most likely doing payroll weekly or biweekly, it may be a good idea to try to automate this process as much as possible – especially if you have a large staff. Consider hiring a payroll company to take on the job for you so you can focus on running your business, or if you want to handle most of the job yourself, consider purchasing a payroll, bookkeeping, or accounting software such as Quickbooks or Sage50. These types of softwares will not only help you with payroll management, but they can also help you with keeping track of business expenses, paying bills, and more.

Social Media Marketing:

By now, we’re sure you’re on top of the social media business marketing trends. Constantly creating and promoting content is essential in running a successful business, but it is a hefty job. If you are managing all of your social media accounts yourself, it is easy to quickly become overwhelmed. Consider downloading an app such as Hootsuite. This neat app packs quite a punch, allowing you to manage all of your social media accounts at once. You can even schedule posts for each account (maybe you use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) and track analytics.

Inventory Management:

Keeping track of inventory is time consumer, but one of the most important tasks for your business. Proper inventory management will require work from actual employees, however, human error does occur, not to mention, this task can be a tedious one. To make ensure that you are on top of what inventory your business has in stock, what needs to be purchases, and what is selling and what is not, consider using an inventory tracking system. Keeping a handwritten record or even a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is helpful, but Fisbowl or FlowTrac are two great softwares that can make the task even more seamless. 

Guest Blog presented by Kabbage: How Fintech Has Helped the Small Business Lending Industry Grow

How Fintech Has Helped the Small Business Lending Industry Grow | Excel Capital Management | Kabbage

It is amusing the way popular art often foreshadows or even predicts the future. Science fiction movies focused on space travel long before the first probes were sent to explore the galaxy, and self-driving automobiles were part of novels on the future long before they even became a possibility. Perhaps the best example of popular culture accurately predicting the future happened in 1984. The movie “Revenge of the Nerds” depicted a ragtag crew of science geeks getting revenge on the jocks and popular kids at their school. 

Today, as foreshadowed in the movie, nerds indeed have taken over the world. From one of the wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates to the domination of the geek and nerd driven internet, the nerd now is in global positions of power. These same nerds, while long in the institutional financial space, have decided to shift their focus to the retail financial sector.

The Emergence of Fintech

Fintech has capitalized on the relationships that can be formed between finance and technology to drive innovation for everyone from businesses to everyday consumers. Whether it is having the capability to access a bank account on a tablet or paying for an in-store product with a mobile phone, these ties formed between finance and technology are the epitome of fintech.

The so-called fintech industry is targeting a treasure chest of over $4.7 trillion once dominated by old school players. Following in the footsteps of the other disruptive nerd driven technology, the fintech sector is on fire in regards to growth. The sector drew $12 billion investor dollars in 2014, an over 40% increase from the previous year.

Within the retail financial sector, small business lending, personal loans and loans for professionals have already been radically improved by the growth of fintech. This is not just speculation about the future – every day, small business owners are taking advantage of the new world of lending powered by the fintech revolution. 

Fintech vs. Traditional Lending

The fintech revolution has the traditional institutions very concerned. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, warned in his investor letter that “Silicon Valley is coming.” Jim Marous wrote in The Financial Brand, The impact of digital technology and the digital consumer is transforming the way consumers access financial products and services. Beyond simple transactions, such as checking balances, the intersection of finance and technology (fintech) is impacting virtually all categories of financial services at an increasing rate, reshaping the industry’s status quo.

Backing up his contention, Marous cited, Results from a PwC survey, ‘Blurred Lines: How FinTech is Shaping Financial Services’, found that the majority of survey participants see consumer banking and fund transfer and payments as the sectors most likely to be affected over the next five years. The report included responses from 544 CEOs, Heads of Innovation, CIOs and top management involved in digital and technological transformation across the financial services industry in 46 countries.

While these projections and warnings remains premature, it is a tell as to what the future holds for the overall financial sector from the fintech revolution. Truth be told, the fintech lending space remains a tiny part of the overall lending industry. One example of the size differential could be considered with $9 billion in loans funded by a fintech firm. While $9 billion is a tremendous amount of money, it is peanuts compared to the total loan volume. Even just compared to the $885 billion in total credit card debt outstanding in America, it is like a flea on an elephant’s back. 

An Analysis of the New Lending Industry

Traditional institutions stand to gain from the growth of fintech. Fintech has accelerated the growth of the small business lending sector in multiple ways. First, and perhaps most critically, fintech has lowered the cost of making loans for the lender. These savings can then be passed down to the borrower, creating a less-expensive product. Lending costs have been slashed by cutting out physical branches, legacy IT systems and burdensome regulations, allowing a more direct connection with the borrower.

Also, by moving the application process to the internet, additional costs can be cut from no more physical paper application processing. For example, the standard loan cost for a traditional lending institution is 5-7%.  Fintech lenders can cut this number down into the 2% zone. 

Next, fintech has opened up an entirely new clientele for business lenders.  Due to a lack of pertinent data and ways of processing it, traditional small business lenders are forced to rely on the old fashion ways of approving borrowers. The old style approval process takes into account credit score of the business and owner as well as the collateral to secure the loan.

The new fintech small business lending firms consider hundreds of data points, often in real time, to make credit decisions. This practical use of big data enables the new wave of fintech small business lenders to make loans that were previously impossible by traditional means. Credit-worthy customers may not have the collateral or perfect credit score to qualify at a bank for small business financing. However, the new wave of fintech small business lenders can be secure in making these once impossible loans.   

Finally, fintech is in the process of creating a more stable credit environment. The reason for this is the simple fact that banks rely on borrowed money to fund loans whereas fintech small business lenders use investor’s money directly to fund loans. This helps eliminate the inherent risks of borrowing to lend.

Wrapping things up, as you can see, fintech has revolutionized the financial industry and online business lending in particular. Although fintech remains a tiny part of the overall financial sector, it is rapidly growing. Using big data and high-speed processing computers, fintech firms can make loans that were once considered impossible by traditional lending institutions. In the process, fintech is super-charging the small business lending world with growth and new possibilities.

Kabbage is the industry leader in providing working capital online. Kabbage is dedicated to supporting the small business community and has funded more than $1.6 billion to help business grow.

Small business loans for non profit organizations

Alternative Funding Options for Nonprofit Organizations | Excel Capital Management

Unlike businesses that strive to make a profit for their owners, nonprofit organizations pride themselves in serving their respective communities and putting all money back into their cause. Although, the end goal may be a little different from regular businesses, nonprofit organizations still face the same financial issues. Like traditional businesses, nonprofit organizations must deal with tracking revenue, expenses, hiring and training personnel, equipment and supply purchases, and ultimately, need some working capital here and there.

While applying for a traditional bank loan may be the obvious solution, it may not be the most feasible one. Traditional bank loans require a hefty amount of paperwork, a tedious application process, and a lengthy wait period when it comes to receiving an approval or unfortunate decline. Alternative lenders offer a faster and easier solution. Typically, all that is needed to receive an offer in as little as three business days is a simple, one-page application, four months of recent business bank statements, and four months of recent credit card processing statements (if applicable). That’s it! Let’s take a look at a few alternative funding solutions for nonprofit organizations and how they can be used to grow and expand your organization.

The beautiful part about acquiring working capital as a source of funding for your nonprofit organization is that the money can virtually be used for anything – as long as it pertains to the business. Here are a few examples:

Hiring & Training Personnel:   As with any business, hiring and training the right personnel is essential to running a successful nonprofit organization. Maybe you need to hire a receptionist or accountant to help out with the books. Maybe you need to train existing personnel on new procedures.
Purchases & Expansion: Whether you need to purchase new inventory and supplies, repair equipment, open an additional office or location, or simply take care of a few bills and expenses, working capital acquired through one of the many alternative funding solutions available to nonprofit organizations can make all of these things happen easily.
Cash Flow Issues: Juggling bills, payroll, and unforeseen expenses for a nonprofit organization can cause some cash flow issues. Grants may flow in via uneven lump sums, contracts might not be renewed, and reimbursements for services rendered may take weeks to hit your nonprofit’s business bank account. Additional capital may be the solution needed to get everything back in sync.

Working Capital can cover the costs of all of the above and much more! For more information on funding options for your nonprofit organization, you can also call (877)880-8086 to speak directly to one of our funding specialists or APPLY NOW!

7 Money Saving Tips for Small Businesses

Money Saving Tips for Small Businesses | Excel Capital Management

Everyone loves saving money and small business owners are no different.  Although having a tight budget can make saving money tough, here are some money saving tips that can help your business budget.

7 Small changes that can help you save big in the long run.

1. Save Some Paper by Going Paperless

Reduce the amount your business uses paper and postage by working electronically. Going paperless is a great way to increase efficiency and reduce waste and clutter. These changes help lower costs while helping the environment.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Shop

In addition to loyalty programs and selling in bulk, many retailers and vendors you work with may offer discounts for small businesses. Even if they don’t advertise it, take the initiative to ask. You’d be surprised how much money you save simply by inquiring.

Comparing vendor rates also ensures that you get the most for your dollar.

3. Create a Budget and Track of Expenses

Seemingly small charges add up quickly. Keeping track of your finances by creating a budget allows you to identify the best areas to allocate money. Another helpful tip is to create a log with all of your bills and due dates. Setting a “pay date” several days before the bill is due is an easy way to ensure your payment is received on time and avoid late fees.

4. Upgrade Your Tech

Nothing is worse than coming into work with the drive to get things done only to have your momentum halted because equipment doesn’t work. When troubleshooting becomes a large part of your day, it can severely cut into productivity and progress. Avoid this by replacing outdated or broken equipment.

5. Balance Transfer on a High-Interest Credit Card 

Many business owners have a business credit card that has a high APR attached to it. For some its comfortable to use the same card since its already opened and is linked to many recurring business expenses. However, there are many cards that offer a 0% interest introductory rate for up-to 18 months. CreditCards.com has put together a comprehensive guide with the best offers for balance transfers. To check it out you can view it here.

6. Adopt a Four-Day Work Week

It may seem counter-intuitive, but 4-day work week can help motivate employees to work with focus and more efficiently. Reducing the number of workdays forces you to cut back on time-wasting tasks. Instead of employees having to take days off for doctor’s appointments and other responsibilities,  a 4-day workweek provides the flexibility needed by everyone.

7. Allow Employees to Work from Home

If you aren’t fully convinced by the idea of a 4-day workweek, a good alternative is to let your employees work remotely. Today’s technology allows us to stay connected and work on-the-go. As long as your employees are motivated, engaged, and enjoying their job, they will want to do great work.”

If you find yourself in need of extra funds, Excel Capital Management can help fill in the gaps. Our consultants are available to guide you towards the best options for your business’ needs.