When a business approaches a lending institution about debt financing, the lender conducts an evaluation of the borrower using a method known as the 5 C’s of Credit. Here is a quick explanation of each measurement. Character Is the business considered trustworthy and do they have a good record of meeting their financial obligations? The things that a lender looks are to determine character are: […]

As a teenager, I raced motocross. Racing is, of course, hard on engines, and it wasn’t long before I twisted a countershaft and faced the question of rebuilding the engine myself or taking it to a local repair shop. Given the expense involved, it really wasn’t much of a choice, so I completely disassembled the engine to install the new part. Parts were strewn about […]

It seems to be human nature to gravitate toward simplicity instead of complexity. Look at Google for example. When it came to market with its search site, it had a clean, white screen with one text entry box. Other search sites at the time, Infoseek, Lycos, Altavista, Yahoo!, all took a more complicated route: building portals with home screens cluttered with links. We know how […]

The last few months have brought challenging times to all industries. COVID-19 has sped up the shift in payments as many companies move to digital to survive. Payment platforms need to respond to demand. Many companies had two options for facing the crisis: close the business down or adjust rapidly. But the fact is that businesses have various levels of access to new technologies and […]

According to its 2016 Digital Insights Shopping Predictions, Adobe Systems Incorporated sees online sales increasing to $91.6 billion this holiday selling season. This dollar amount represents a massive amount of merchandise that must be constructed, inventoried, sold, and then shipped around the country. Managing this process is supremely important as some retailers make a majority of their money in just a two-month shopping span. A […]

If you have a seasonal product, you have to stay on top of your product broker or distributor to ensure you take advantage of the short window you have to sell your product every year. What should you know about distributing seasonal products? How should you prepare for your busy season? Follow these tips: Speak with retailers early. Before your busy season hits, it’s important […]

The line between personal and business finance is extremely blurry when it comes to small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Small Business Credit Survey, 11 percent of small business owners use personal loans to finance their companies and 45 percent only use their personal credit score when applying for financing. Using your personal credit to finance business expenses is often the […]

Are you preparing to launch a new product or pitch an idea to retail buyers without the help of an experienced product broker or wholesale distributor? No matter how many articles you read on perfecting the perfect pitch or nailing your product launch, you won’t be ready unless you understand how retailers choose which products they’re going to carry in their stores. Here’s what retailers […]

The line between personal and business finance is extremely blurry when it comes to small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Small Business Credit Survey, 11 percent of small business owners use personal loans to finance their companies and 45 percent only use their personal credit score when applying for financing. Using your personal credit to finance business expenses is often the […]

Working with the right distributor can help you build brand awareness, increase sales, and form better relationships with retailers, but first, you have to find a distributor who is willing to work with your product. Distributors may contact you to discuss representing your brand, but most of the time, you will be the one who has to pitch to them. When the time comes, make […]