Category Archives: Business

Advanta Business Credit Card

Advanta Business Credit Card

In the competitive business credit card market, some financial institutions have opted to become niche players. This decision to specialize is primarily driven by the need to gain market share.

One of these niche players is the Advanta Bank Corporation. Advanta is touted to be among the largest issuers of business credit cards for the small business market. That is quite possibly an accurate observation since Advanta is known to have focused exclusively on the small business market, and its business credit cards simply reflects this focus on the requirements of small businesses.

You are clearly reminded of this when you visit the Advanta web site to look at their business credit card offerings: there is only one featured card, the Advanta MasterCard Platinum Business credit card. This is a cash back rewards business credit card which offers you 5% discounts on certain items and a 1% general discount, on others.

There is an ongoing drive from their side to partner with more companies that sell products and services which form a part of the normal operating expenses of small businesses, to increase the appeal of their credit card offering.

The Advanta business credit card packages are competitive from a pricing point of view. The zero-percent introductory annual percentage rate on balance transfers runs for fifteen (15) months, which is longer than most other business credit cards. Just as important to the small business owner, the APR on balance transfers after the introductory period is also one of the lowest, at 7.99% fixed interest. The market average is a full percentage point higher. Most other business credit cards have both higher APRs and variable interest rates.

To add luster to their small business offering, Advanta business credit cards distribute the cash back bonuses earlier than many other business credit cards. There is an automatic cash back payout feature which means you start receiving your cash back checks for every $50 you have accumulated immediately. This could help support cash flow to a small measure.

There is, if you prefer, an opportunity to convert to travel rewards instead. Where many other business credit cards will allow free travel only upon reaching 15,000 or even 25,000 rewards points, Advanta business credit cards allows free travel upon reaching 10,000 rewards points.

In keeping with its niche strategy to cater to the needs of the small business credit card market, Advanta – like many other large banks – make a comprehensive library of small business resources available to their business credit card holders where they can access small business guides and small business tools.

Small business guides typically offer business credit card holders assistance in the preparation of business plans and marketing plans, and provide information on specific financial products. There are normally tips on how to win lucrative government contracts as well as tips on how to protect your personal assets. The latter is something most small business owners consider important.

Small business tools generally provide business credit card holders with easy-to-use templates of various official government forms (for tax purposes or for government contracts), samples of business documents such as business letters, contracts, forms, generalized statements of policies, as well as financial spreadsheets to help them manage their finances.

Factors Which Affect the Overall Value of a Business

Factors Which Affect the Overall Value of a Business

Businesses are something which have a tendency to change hands now and again over the entire life of the business. Whether it is a merger or an outright sale, there are certain factors which will affect the overall value of a business that is put up for sale by its current owner. The following paragraphs will highlight some of these factors and explain why the overall value of business can be altered from time to time.
Delaying the Sale
Selling one’s business is an extremely important decision for a business owner to make. The sale thereof is something which can either make or break the financial stability of an individual at times. A factor which tends to affect the overall value of a business is a delay with regard to deciding whether or not to sell the business. As there are times when the market would be most profitable for a business sales transaction, this time period can pass should an individual business owner wait too long to determine whether to sell or not.
Not only outside factors, such as the general market, will affect the sale of a business. Internal factors such as a decrease in sales, creditors and unrest amongst employees within the company may all affect the time period in which a business goes up for sale. With that said, it is important that individuals sell when the time is right for selling. Unreasonable delay in a sale of a business may have adverse effects on the overall value of the business.
Private Business Owners Lack the Resources
Another factor which affects the overall value of a business with regard to the sale thereof has a lot to do with the lack of resources that many business owners experience. Unlike their corporate counterparts, smaller business owners do not have attorneys, accountants and financial advisors at their beck and call who can aid them in the sale of their business. Due to the lack of these professionals, business owners tend to take longer selling their business and finding the best buyers which will affect the overall value of the business.
Lack of Appropriate Business Sale Knowledge
Much of the information which an individual can gain from outside media sources such as television, magazines and websites deals with selling larger companies. For those individuals who are looking to sell a smaller, privately owned business, they may find difficulty gaining valuable insight into how to sell their business so that it brings in the most profitable price. Not having the requisite business knowledge can hinder the overall value of one’s business, as they do not know how to sell the business in a way which brings in the best price.
Future Profitability
A buyer in a business purchase transaction wants to know that the business which they are purchasing is one that will see future profits. It is not only important for the business to be seen as doing well at that particular moment in time, but it is also vital that the business will continue to do well in the future. Therefore, future profitability is something which will drive up the value of a business. After all, who really wants to purchase a business that will go downhill soon thereafter. The answer to that question is probably no one. If a current business owner can show factors which relate to future profitability of the business, then their business may be one that is portrayed as having good value.
Position the Company for Sale
A business that is going to achieve the best price and be seen as having the best overall value is one which is properly positioned for sale. There are many aspects which can adequately position a business for sale such as showing unique qualities that the company maintains, the value of its employees and the profitability of the company as a whole. The company must be prepared in a nice, attractive package in order to have the best positive value. A company which is under great management, sees good profits on the market and is a good purchase opportunity overall will yield the best selling price. Positioning the company for sale is best left up to professionals who are in the market of handling situations such as these.
Summary
To conclude, the previously mentioned items are certain factors which can affect the overall value of a business that is being sold. In order to ensure that a current business owner receives the best value for their company it is important to take certain steps to avoid sale delays, obtain the necessary resources to help the sales process along and retain the help of knowledgeable professionals in areas where they are needed. By taking the aforementioned steps, the current owner of the business will be better able to get the best possible selling price for their business.

Business Process Outsourcing in Action

Business Process Outsourcing in Action

Business process is the skeleton of a certain business activity. It involves the description of different tasks and possible outcomes that are associated with a specific business activity. It is essential in crafting the business goals of a certain corporate organization, which is clearly defined in the organization’s business strategy.

Business process is classified into three categories, which are as follows:

• The management processes, which is followed to run the operation of the business and comply with all existing yet relevant requirements.
• The operational processes, which is followed in delivering the business value to clients, and is considered as an integral part of a corporate organization’s core business.
• The supporting processes, which is followed to support the core-based processes. It includes accounting, information technology (IT) support, and recruitment processes.

Being the skeleton of your organization’s business activity, you must give utmost importance to your business process as a whole. This is extremely important since the success or failure in achieving the goals of your business will largely depend on the process that you have followed, together with your business strategies and plans. Thus, without an effective business process, your business is as good as dead when the time comes.

Realizing the importance of a business process in achieving their business objectives, there are companies that prefer to outsource some or all of their business process (most specifically the non-core processes) to third-party organizations. The main motive in outsourcing a business process is to allow the business to invest most of their time, financial, and human resources into core activities and focus on building effective strategies, which will fuel the growth of the company.

Since the global marketplace is fast-changing and highly-competitive, your business must concentrate on improving the productivity and at the same time trim down unnecessary costs. Non-core business processes are being outsourced since the tasks involved in these processes consumes time, essential resources, and energy. Thus, outsourcing these non-core business processes will help you achieve a cost-efficient system.

Non-core business processes that can be outsourced range from production to customer service to support functions (such as software development). Most companies that are outsourcing their business process are from Western countries and they are delegating the work to outsourcing firms located offshore, especially countries located on the Eastern hemisphere, such as China, Philippines, India, and Malaysia.

While more and more companies are becoming comfortable with outsourcing their business processes, outsourcing most of their learning and development functions is still a new approach to many learning professionals. Moving the training and learning model that is completely in-house to one that will be handled by other individuals outside the business is a big leap. However, as mentioned earlier, it is important that these processes receive equal importance and consideration for the benefit of your business as a whole. Thus, despite of business process outsourcing as a new approach, many training and learning professionals are starting to get the grip of the new system and subsequently will follow the outsourcing trend.

Business process, especially the non-core one, needs to be given equal importance and attention to achieve an efficient business operation. Outsourcing these business processes will not be a waste of time and financial resources, but rather a strategy to be followed. Surviving in this highly-competitive global marketplace is not as easy as you think. You need an option that will work to your advantage — and that is outsourcing.

All about Business Credit Cards

All about Business Credit Cards

Credit card companies nowadays offer business credit cards with lucrative schemes. A study of these credit card companies reveals that using these cards is advantageous for you in many ways. To begin with, compare business credit cards and you will soon realize how you can use them to save money.

Business credit cards come with a comparatively low APR (Annual Percent Rate), starting at around 8%. A standard business credit card also comes with an introductory period of 0% APR. With most cards providing a quarterly and annual balance summary, they serve as good tools to balance business expenditures efficiently. Some cards reward the users with offers like free frequent flier miles, that directly help a business. You can reduce your business specific expenses by choosing the right card.

Compare Business Credit Cards

Companies offering business credit cards prominently advertise different schemes. These schemes:
* Earn Points- These points can be used at different vendor locations for buying supplies.
* No Spending Limit- Cardholders often enjoy this facility because here, they are not bound by any purchase limits.
* Low Interest Rates- This allows business owners to pay only a nominal interest rate fee.
* Flexible Pay Back – This saves the business owners the worry of paying the balance on their business credit cards.

Advantages of a Business Credit Card

There are several advantages of owning such cards:
* Business users are offered flexible credit limits. Thus, business owners have enough time to consolidate their cash and sustain the business. Extra credit provided to the users is required to be paid by the end of the fixed term giving them ample opportunity to stabilize their business.
* Business credit card holders get relevant rewards like frequent flyer airline miles, cash back incentives or free hotel accommodation. Other benefits include 0% APR in the initial period, nil annual fees; lower APR rates and discounts on purchases.
* Expense reports generated by business credit cards provide the business owners with the facility of keeping a record of personal and business expenditures. Employers can track the expenses of their employees and some corporations are even allowed to group rate discounts on their business credit card which are further passed on as employer benefits.
* Bad credit can be dealt with efficiently by paying the outstanding balances promptly in time, thus avoiding huge debts. Business cards users should maintain a good credit record for gaining larger credit limits in the future
* Such cards have made business travel easier. Businesspersons don’t need to carry cash for paying their travel expenses.
Business owners enjoy the benefits of the incentives offered by the credit card companies. Hence, they need to choose the best business credit card among the whole lot of credit cards available in the e-market. If a credit card offers huge travel incentives, but the user does not need to travel at all then such a credit card fails in fulfilling the needs of the business owner. Choosing a card that efficiently fits all their business needs is an important decision.

Incentives offered by credit card companies are myriad. Users should compare various credit cards and their incentives and carefully select a card that best suits their needs. This plays a crucial role in to developing strong and long-lasting business associations and reputation.

Tips for Selecting Cards

Select and compare business credit cards that offer long-term and low interest rates. Choose those cards that offer such low rates for the whole life of the business card.
* Confirm the duration for which the lower interest rates are applicable.
* Compare various cards and determine which one meets your needs. Cards with an introductory 0.00% APR can, however, be great for a business owner that anticipates being able to pay the balance in full every month after the introductory period is over. Search for cards that have a ‘no limit’ on their cash back program. Some cards allow business owners to pay back their debt over a period time or pay off their balance in full.

In summary, while hunting for a business credit card that satisfies your needs, first study the different companies offers rates and benefits that suit your business. Search for sites that provide competent comparisons of the various credit cards. Best business cards are those which satisfy your business specific needs at a lower APR for a longer duration. Business credit cards have made many business specific activities easier due to the incentives given by the issuers.

Manage Your Business with Business Credit Cards

Manage Your Business with Business Credit Cards

Business credit cards play a great role in the success of many business organizations. At present, credit card companies offer business organizations a great assortment of credit cards that will help business owners in developing a successful business.

Business credit cards can help you afford many of your business expenditures. At the same time these credit cards provide countless benefits to cardholders including detailed statements, expense management, cash back, frequent flyer and reward points. So, business credit cards are a great help for a small business owner.

The most important role of business credit cards is to help business proprietors to manage their business more easily and efficiently by simplifying the accounting and financial record keeping tasks. This is a problem area in the management of the affairs of business. More than that, keeping updated and precise records is a challenge for any business.

As it has been already mentioned, one of the benefits of business credit cards is detailed statements. These statements eliminate burdensome need to get and carry receipts with you.

Many credit cards from different credit card companies include secured credit cards, cash back credit cards and rewards cards. It’s up to you what type of credit cards to choose. But don’t forget that it will depend on your company’s mission. For instance, if you or your colleagues travel a lot, then a card that offers travel miles may be the best choice for you. These cards are very popular with business owners. Each time you use your card you will be supplied with frequent flyer miles. Moreover, with your accumulated miles, you can save money on expensive flights.

If nobody in your company travels or does very little travel then a credit card that offers reward points may be suitable in this case. You will accumulate reward points with every dollar spent during business related transactions. Then, you can use these points to acquire a lot of services offered by a credit card company.

There is no doubt that business credit cards are helpful. The only problem is to choose the right credit card for your business.

If you have poor rating, it may be difficult for you to get a credit card. But many credit card companies offer business credit cards for bad credit. These cards are considered to be secured credit cards that require a deposit before being approved. This deposit serves as a proof that your business will be responsible in your credit card spending habits. However, each credit card company has different policies concerning their secured business credit cards.

We can’t but mention that secured business credit cards can help business owners to restore bad credit history and at the same time they help the business to grow.

When you get business credit cards, you assume a new responsibility for your business. You have got a new way to get the supplies your business needs, but you are to be sure that you make payments on time. And don’t let your credit card debt get out of control.

Credit card companies offer a number of business credit cards. Each of them claims to be the best. The most important thing when choosing a business credit card is to figure out which one is suitable for you.

What is the importance of Business loan?

What is the importance of Business loan?

To run a success business depends upon a lot of things. A planned business strategy plays an important role. Second and foremost important thing is the finance. Without a good financial backup, you will not be able to get success in your business. Business finance loan may help you in running the business successfully.

Business finance loan is especially designed to fit all the business requirements. People from small, medium and big businesses can obtain business finance loan. On the other hand, people with bad credit suffering from CCJ’s, bankruptcy, defaults, arrears, etc. can also look for such loans.

Whether you are starting a business, expanding your present business or for any other business purposes, business finance loan could help you in all possible way.

Main benefits of business finance loan are its flexibility. Business profits are not fixed, it changes almost all the time so, it is a great help for the borrowers to manage their repayment period. Flexible business finance loan makes it more convenient for the borrowers in repaying the loan.

To get an easy loan approval, you need to show your business plans, projects and profit statements. You also need to shop around for getting the loans at competitive rates of interest. Browse different financial websites and search for different loan offers. Consider you financial requirements and choose one of the best loan deals.

Apply for Business finance loan now through online process and raise funds for your business. Implement your plans and strive for excellence.

Business Credit Card To Help Your Business Grow

Business Credit Card To Help Your Business Grow

How business credit card can help you?

Credits cards have been very useful in the present-day society. If you have a business, you can consider applying for a business credit card. You see business credit cards offer a great help for business owners especially the small ones.

Business credit cards serve as the most effective tool that business owners can use to improve their day-to-day operations. And just like any other credit card, you should be choosy in picking the right business credit card for you.

Ideally, a business credit card is intended for helping with all the needs of a certain business owner. More often than not, this kind of credit card is the one that has a higher amount of credit limit and low interest rate. There are lots of benefits that you can reap depending on the type of business credit card you choose.

One of the major reasons why business credit card is designed is to lend a hand to all those small business owners who are in need. It’s the best way to be of assistance to a growing business by keeping you updated on your business purchases. Additionally, it allows you to keep track of your finances and build your credit history.

So many options to choose from
There are many kinds of business credit cards that’s why when you apply for one, you should compare the business credit cards first. Take your time to look into what the credit card is offering to your business. Don’t just grab the application form and sign up for the credit card. Consider the best possible options that are available. This is to make sure that you opted for the most appropriate business credit card.

To facilitate you to a more fruitful business, you can check out these helpful tips on how you can get the ideal business credit card for your business.

1. Go for the best. There are large numbers of business credit card products that are available in the market. As the day goes by, more and more business credit cards are coming out. For that reason, being selective is a must. Analyze the terms and conditions of the credit card. Understand the things that you need to know regarding the proper usage of the card.

2. Consider the offers. Asses all the offers that you get from the credit card companies. Check your statement of account to give you the beast deals.

3. Look for a card and make the most of it. Choose the suitable business credit card that matches your business requirements. Remember that different business credit cards offer different benefits and terms. When you’ve found the one, stick with it because card hopping has a bad effect on your credit profile.

4. Check what business credit cards are available. Visit the web and look for the business credit card that complements to your business. You can also visit a bank or call up the credit card department of that bank for your inquiries.

5. Study the interest rate. Ideally, the interest rate should be low. It’s not appropriate to spend your entire company fund in paying the interest of the credit card.

6. Review the requirements that are needed. It is important to be familiar with all the requirements needed to be qualified for the business card credit application.

Overall, business credit cards are indeed the key to success of a budding business. Make best use of these credit cards. Pick the one that you think will bring you great benefits. And most importantly, know your limitations. The usage of credit cards is also accompanied with some rules to follow to avoid trouble.

The Role of Harvard Business School Publishing in Today’s Business

The Role of Harvard Business School Publishing in Today’s Business

The Harvard Business School Publishing has been created as a non-profit organization that will publish products associated with the Harvard Business School. Some publications that this organization publishes include the notable Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business School Case Studies, and the Harvard Business Press. Each of these publications has their own target audience although these are mostly students and professional in the business field.

For example, the Harvard Business Review is the management journal wherein new business practices and trends are usually published. On the other hand, the Harvard Business Press prints out general interest book for students taking up business courses and professionals who want to learn more by reading books. Meanwhile, the Harvard Business School Case Studies was incorporated in 1994. Basically, this organization takes a deep look at different real-life situations in corporations around the world so that students will learn why these events have happened and analyze what they can do to prevent or imitate a similar scenario in the future.

Being a prestigious organization, the Harvard Business School Publishing, the organization has various leading authors and a number of business practitioners to tap into. They also have world-class curriculum and editorial team who always come up with relevant and up to date materials for the organization. Because of these characteristics, there are many corporations that seek the help of the Harvard Business School Publishing to help them improve their business. The Harvard Business School Publishing can offer various solutions to their needs including change management, leadership development, executive development, global business management, performance management, innovation, and talent management among many others.

As you can see, the Harvard Business School Publishing really plays a big role in bridging the gap amongst the academia, the real business environment, and its managers. They provide quality help to businesses and individuals that need it in order to improve. Aside from the business corporations though, the Harvard Business School Publishing also helps government organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Defense Acquisition University, the Federal Aviation Authority, the United States Army, and the United States Navy.

Right now, the business environment is experiencing drastic changes; you can expect that this organization will help them ride through these changes effectively through their programs and services. Taking advantage of the services provided by the Harvard Business School Publishing will definitely aid organization in becoming successful and maintaining this success in the long term. With all the advantages any business can get from their services, it is no wonder that the Harvard Business School Publishing is expanding its reach through its eLearning programs as well as several other programs available over the internet.

You should also take note that simply visiting the Harvard Business School Publishing will already give you a glimpse of the market trends prevailing today. There are various articles and tools you can expect from their websites and from reading these content, you will get a better understanding of the strategies being used by large businesses today.

There are other business units under this organization such as the Harvard Business School Publishing Conferences, the Harvard Business School Publishing Higher Education, the Harvard Business School Publishing Newsletters, and the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporate Learning. Currently, this organization employs around 250 employees who are mostly based in the Boston area and New York City.

Business Credit Card Offers: An Option For Business Owners Like You

Business Credit Card Offers: An Option For Business Owners Like You

There are basically several reasons as to why most business owners prefer getting business credit cards for their official use. The business credit card offers are simply amazing that one will usually grab any chance available for him. Business credit card offers are nonetheless typically enjoyed by entrepreneurs, owners of big and small businesses, as well as the executives in the corporate industry.

Many business credit cards are available today. There is the platinum advanta, Citibank business credit card, American Express business credit card gold, Amex Gold business credit card, Discover business credit card, and a lot others. There is certainly a perfect business credit card that will suit your needs and you just have to see through all of them.

If you happen to own a small business of some sort then you must be thinking of getting a business credit card. The consideration can eventually pay off. Business credit card offers can be advantageous to businessmen like you. Read on and get to know them.

The Advantages of the Business Credit Card Offers

Part of the business credit card offer is the provision of the low interest rates but higher cost of credit limit. Such scheme is relevantly perfect for small businesses. Credit card firms are mostly overwhelmed to offer their clients with these strategies since they know that small business owners are into the use of their credit cards in every transaction they incur in comparison to the rest of the regular credit card holders.

Another benefit to be reaped from the business credit card offers is the easy tracking of the expenditures in the business when it comes to the point of computing for the tax. Every credit card company secures an annual report of your overall expenses and most of the times such service is free of charge.

Finally, business credit card offers give special privileges to the business owners. These firms like to maintain good rapport with their clients as much as possible. By creating a good impression, these business owners are likely to recommend the services offered by their mother credit card company to their other acquaintances.

Where to Get those Business Credit Card Offers

You may be asking for the greatest source of those business credit card offers. For you to get a good glimpse of what’s in store for you, you have to start your search online. There are innumerable websites that host details on the business credit card offers which can do your business good. It may just become a bit confusing since the plentiful sources may ultimately shred your thoughts of which to avail of.

A beneficial advice is for you to look for websites that provide reviews of the available business credit card offers. This will make your choosing a lot easy and convenient. Another point to bear in mind is that business credit cards are much easy to apply for in the online method. In just a few minutes you can witness your business credit card offers laid out before you. It means that little time will thus be consumed for waiting.

Being an owner of a small business, business credit card offers will prove beneficial for your success. Not only would you incur no problems at all with the computation of your business taxes but you will also enjoy lower interest charges and have your expenses easily tracked.

What You Need To Know About Business Loans

What You Need To Know About Business Loans

A business loan is a way to help get your business started or to help it along to grow and develop. Many business owners seek out a business loan at one point or another. Luckily there are many different business loan options to help them.

When it comes to a business loan the main thing to consider is if the business has established credit. If the business is new or fairly new, it is unlucky that the business has any credit of its own and therefore the business owners credit will be used to determine the worthiness for a loan.

Established businesses may have their own line of credit separate from the business owner. If at all possible, the business owner should try to establish the business credit separate form their own credit as this will be helpful down the road.

The type of business loan really depends upon the credit rating and the need. One popular loan is the SBA business loan. This loan comes from a regular lender but is backed by the Small Business Administration.

Commercial real estate loans are like a residential real estate loan. There are also special start up loans to help a business get started, which provide more opportunity for businesses that typical lenders see as high risk.

Businesses have some additional options over an individual trying to get a loan. A business loan can be secured with accounts receivable. The accounts receivable can be used to secure the loan.

They may also be able to get a merchant account cash advance. This is a loan on what the business typical receives through credit card sales. The credit company extends a loan for the amount of the average credit sales the business usually has.

Additionally, if the business needs a loan to buy supplies or other merchandise for the business they may be able to get a line of credit through a vendor.

As a last resort, if a business credit is not established separate form personal credit of the owner, the business owner could get a home equity line of credit through their home mortgage to cover the loan amount they need.

This, however, should be a last resort. Businesses that are starting up with no credit of their own are considered very high risk. A business owner should understand completely what they are risking before putting their home in jeopardy.

Business loans are usually given a lot of consideration. That is because in the United States there is a lot of assistance for people trying to start or maintain a business. The goal is to allow people to follow their dreams and make it as easy as possible for these businesses to succeed.