Sericin Limited | Senior Software Engineer | Hong Kong & +/-3hours | Full Time | https://sericin.net/
Apply to: careers@sericin.net
We are looking for full time Junior and Senior Developers to help us architect, engineer, integrate, deploy and improve a state-of-the-art leasing and asset management platform for landlords that own office buildings and shopping malls on ‘High Street’ in the world’s biggest metropoles.
Responsibilities: You are going to help us build a world-class SaaS-platform from the ground up, that allows landlords to navigate from their computer screen legal risks and valuation implications buried inside contract language, in a way the market never thought possible.
Requirements: The most important characteristic we’re after is that you are a technologist – or however you self-identify your passion for developing and building technology that provides real commercial results – and are keen on participating in a pleasant and high functioning team. You don’t have to know everything, but you do have to have the potential to learn anything quickly and you should know a lot about of the following disciplines: ● Cloud native development and deployment ● Full-stack development with excellent knowledge of backend technologies ● Knowledge of databases (noSQL and SQL) ● Modern Programming Languages like Java, Python, Javascript/nodeJS and a frontend framework (Vue.JS or React.JS)
Ultimately, you’ll be excited about being at the inception of a high-performance environment, and you’ll enjoy being pushed technically and organizationally to do things ‘the right way’ as part of the core team that is building a world-class product.
So, if you are someone who… ● enjoys UX / user-centric design and product delivery, ● is pragmatic and commercial, but never settles for mediocrity, ● values flexibility, but wants to have ownership of your tasks, ● gains satisfaction from solving puzzles and logic problems, ● likes communicating what you’ve discovered to your colleagues and customers in plain English, rather than encrypted acronyms, ● would enjoy a paid 2-week bonus Christmas break upon successful product launch and client acquisition, and ● is excited about building a product that marries ease of use with expert features to re-invent an ancient market, … we think you should get in touch, because you would be a great addition to our team!
How Many Kinds of Financing for a Small Business Can YOU Name?
You may be surprised at the many kinds of financing for a small business there are.
Fundability
Any discussion of business financing has to start with fundability. Fundability is the ability of a business to get funding. It covers all the points a lender or credit provider will look at when they’re trying to figure out if you’ll pay back a loan or credit extended to you. These include factors you probably haven’t thought about or might think aren’t so important. Business details like address and entity all matter. But there’s more.
The 3 Cs Capital Acquisition Formula
When you think like a lender, you realize they just want to be sure that you’ll pay them back. Lenders look at one of three things for loan approval: cashflow, collateral and/or credit. The more of these “Cs” you have, the more funding options are available. For the forms of funding we’re showcasing today, we show you exactly what you need to have for approval.
Two More General Ways to Get Funding
If you have absolutely none of the 3 Cs, there are still two other options: selling a part of your business or grants and crowdfunding. Let’s look at types of funding covering all of these options. We’ll start with financing via your business’s cash flow.
#10. Financing for a Small Business with Cash flow: Cash Flow Financing
A loan made to a company is backed by a company’s expected cash flow. A company’s cash flow is the amount of cash that flows in and out of a business, in a specific period. Cash flow financing (or a cash flow loan) uses generated cash flow as a means to pay back the loan.
Cash flow: Cash Flow Financing: Terms and Qualifying
Often you will need to have a few years in business. You may need to meet a certain minimum credit score requirement. You will need to prove historical cash flow and present your accounts receivables and accounts payables. This way, the lender can determine how much to loan to your business.
#9. Financing for a Small Business with Cash flow: Merchant Cash Advances
An MCA technically isn’t a loan. Rather, it is a cash advance based upon the credit card sales of a business. A small business can apply for an MCA and have an advance deposited into its account fairly quickly. So you can offer Net 30 terms but not have to wait a month to get paid.
Merchant Cash Advances
A merchant financing program is ideal for business owners who accept credit cards and are looking for fast and easy business financing. An MCA program is designed to help you get funding based strictly on your cash flow, as verifiable per your business banks statements. Hence lenders in general will not ask for any burdensome document requests.
Terms and Qualifying
A lender will review 3 months of bank and merchant account statements. They are looking for is consistent deposits. And they want to see deposits showing revenue is $50,000 or higher per year. They will also verify time in business of 6 months or more.
Lenders are also looking to see that you don’t have a lot of Non-Sufficient-Funds (NSFs) showing on your bank statements. They want to see you don’t have a lot of chargebacks on your merchant statements. And they want to see that you have more than 10 deposits in a month going into your bank account. They want to see that you manage your bank and merchant accounts responsibly. And they want to see that have a decent number of consistent credit card transaction deposits each month.
Let’s move onto funding based upon collateral – either yours, or a credit partner’s, or from the business itself.
#8. Financing for a Small Business with Collateral: Inventory Financing
Inventory financing is a revolving line of credit or a short-term loan acquired by a company so it can purchase products for sale later. The products serve as the collateral for the loan. There may be restrictions on the type of inventory you can use. This can include not allowing cannabis, alcohol, firearms, etc., or perishable goods. There can be revenue requirements. And there may also be minimum FICO score requirements.
Terms and Qualifying
Get approved for a line of credit for 50% of inventory value, regardless of personal credit quality. Rates are usually 5 – 15% depending on type of inventory. You can get funding within 3 weeks or less. But it can’t be lumped together inventory, like office equipment.
#7. Financing for a Small Business with Collateral: Account Receivables Financing
You can use outstanding account receivables as collateral for financing. If you also have purchase orders, you can get financing to have those filled. You won’t need to use your cash flow to do so. Get an accounts receivable credit line with rates of less than 1% with no consumer credit requirement. Receivables should be with the government or another business.
Terms and Qualifying
Get as much as 80% of receivables advanced ongoing in less than 24 hours. Remainder of the accounts receivable are released once the invoice is paid in full. Factor rates are as low as 1.33%. You can get an accounts receivable credit line with rates of less than 1% with no consumer credit requirement.
Now it’s time to move onto funding with good personal credit (FICO) scores.
#6. Financing for a Small Business with Good Personal Credit: Credit Line Hybrid
A credit line hybrid is a form of unsecured funding. Our credit line hybrid has an even better interest rate than a secured loan. Get some of the highest loan amounts and credit lines for businesses. Get 0% business credit cards with stated income. These report to business CRAs. You can build business credit at the same time. This will get you access to even more cash with no personal guarantee.
Terms and Qualifying
You need a good credit score or a guarantor with good credit to get an approval (a FICO score of at least 680). There are no financials required. You can often get a loan of five times the amount of current highest revolving credit limit account. So this is up to $150,000.
#5. Financing for a Small Business with Good Personal Credit: Bridge Loans
A bridge loan is a short-term loan used until a person or company secures permanent financing or removes an existing obligation. It allows the user to meet current obligations by providing immediate cash flow. Bridge loans are short term, up to one year. They have relatively high interest rates. And they are often backed by some form of collateral, like real estate or inventory.
Bridge Loans via Our Credit Line Hybrid
The Credit Suite Credit Line Hybrid has a term loan program. This bridge loan works as either an add-on to, or in lieu of, the program, when the applicant meets eligibility and is agreeable to either a portion (or all) of their funding, supplied in the form of cash term loans. There is a fixed monthly repayment.
Terms and Qualifying
The Credit Suite program is an aggregate program requiring multiple accounts to meet our prequalification. Get $25,000 to $300,000 per applicant. The APR is 7 – 24% depending on creditworthiness and selected term. Terms are 3, 5, or 7 years. You must have a 680 FICO or better, and over $35,000 in adjusted gross income. Actual pre-qualification will depend on Debt-to-Income ratio.
#4. Financing for a Small Business with Good Business Credit: Start with Vendor Credit and Retail Credit
Starter vendors are open to working with most businesses, even startup ventures. Make sure vendors report to the CRAs – not all do. Vendors report to the business CRAs within 60 days. They help you build your business credit profile and score. Terms will vary depending on the vendor, but they tend to be Net 30. And you will not need collateral, good personal credit, or cash flow.
Move onto Retail Credit
Retail credit comes from major retailers. Buy everything from office supplies to power tools. Retailers will check whether your business information is uniform everywhere. They will also check whether your business is properly licensed
Terms and Qualifying
Qualifications will vary, and there can be a minimum time in business requirement. There may even be a minimum number of employees requirement, or a minimum annual sales requirement. Terms can be revolving. You will need at least 3 (5 is better) accounts reporting to the business CRAs.
#3. Financing for a Small Business with Good Business Credit: Fleet Credit and Bank Credit Cards
Fleet credit is used to buy fuel, maintain vehicles of all sorts, and repair vehicles. Even businesses which don’t have big fleets can still benefit. These are usually gas credit cards. Requirements will vary. There may be a minimal time in business requirement. If your business doesn’t make the time in business requirement, you may be able to instead offer a personal guarantee or give a deposit to secure the credit.
A Look at Bank Credit Cards
More bank credit cards are more universal, like MasterCard. So they can be used pretty much anywhere. These cards may even have rewards programs. Terms can be revolving. Usually, you will need to have at least 14 accounts reporting to the business CRAs. There can be longer time in business requirements. And there may also be minimum number of employee requirements.
Now let’s look at financing you can get if you’re all right with sharing the profits and ownership of your business.
#2. Financing for a Small Business via Selling Part of Your Business: Angel Investing
Angel investors invest in small startups or entrepreneurs. Often, angel investors are among an entrepreneur’s family and friends. The capital they provide may be a one-time investment to help the business get started, or an ongoing injection of money to support and carry the company through its early stages. Angels are not covered by the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) standards for accredited investors.
Angels could be friends or colleagues sitting on home equity, or local professionals who are looking to invest. Consider people you know well and people you don’t know so well. But keep in mind, you’re giving up part of your ownership in your business.
Angel Investing: Terms and Qualifying
Angels are informal investors so there really aren’t any terms. Technically, there is nothing done for qualifying although investors may (probably should) insist on a valuation of your business. But no matter what, it’s always a good practice to get everything in writing.
#1. Financing for a Small Business via Selling Part of Your Business: Equity Crowdfunding
This is not the same as reward-based crowdfunding (like from Kickstarter). Equity crowdfunding is a stock offering from a company that is not listed on stock exchanges. Equity crowdfunding has been around for less than 10 years. Potential investors visit a funding portal website. There, they can explore different equity crowdfunding investment opportunities. Note: there are limits on how much capital an individual can invest based on their income and net worth. Equity crowdfunding gives investors a stake in your business.
Terms and Qualifying
Equity crowdfunding tends to be covered by complex federal law. It is best practices to consult with an attorney well-versed in federal law, specifically, securities and corporations when it comes to interpreting terms and qualifications. A lawyer will also be able to comprehend any changes that may be made to these aspects of the law in the future.
Let’s move onto kinds of funding you don’t need to pay back.
Bonus #1. Financing for a Small Business via Federal Grants
Federal grants generally do not have to be paid back. Try HUD (Housing and Urban Development) for urban projects. Try the USDA (Department of Agriculture) for rural projects. Federal funding means paperwork. You often must show experience in what you are proposing.
Terms and Qualifying
Grants have varying qualifications. They are very competitive. Be sure to check information thoroughly. This includes due dates and any necessary paperwork. Some grants may offer preferences to businesses with minority, female, veteran, or disabled ownership.
Bonus #2. Financing for a Small Business via Reward-Based Crowdfunding
You can get money from the crowd for your business. Start with a service like Kickstarter. But make sure you read the fine print (always a good idea!). Many crowdfunding platforms make you give all the funding back if you do not make your goal by the end of the campaign. But Indiegogo has a flexible funding option.
Reward-Based Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding platforms will take a percentage of the donations. That’s how they make their money. Crowdfunding platforms may push to have you deliver on your promises. So you’ll have to actually manufacture a product or do whatever else your business is supposed to be doing. Given how much social media we’re all bombarded with these days, it should come as no surprise that donors can become weary of crowdfunding pitches.
Details
Crowdfunding tends to work best when donors can personally connect with a product or service. Straightforward businesses may not do so well. The kinds of businesses which do the best often associate with products not quite on the shelves yet, or artistic endeavors. But standard widgets will most likely not attract brand ambassadors. They probably won’t get donors too fired up. Because crowdfunding campaigns are time-consuming, it doesn’t make sense to try this form of funding unless you realistically feel your chance of success is better than 50%.
Terms and Qualifying
Terms will differ depending on which platform you use. Check and make sure your platform of choice will allow your industry to work with them. For example, even though recreational cannabis use is legal in Massachusetts, Kickstarter (for example) doesn’t allow fundraising for drugs, nicotine, tobacco, vaporizers, and related paraphernalia. Any major crowdfunding platform has a section for rules, a FAQ, or ‘how it works’. Be sure to read such a section thoroughly so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
And now let’s look at funding via creative and different means you may not have considered or heard of before.
Bonus #3: Financing for a Small Business via 401(k) Financing
This is not a loan. You will not have to pay an early withdrawal fee or a tax penalty. You put the money back by contributing, just like with any 401(k) program. This means you won’t lose your retirement funds. This is a 401(k) Rollover for Working Capital program. The IRS calls it a Rollover for Business Startups (ROBS).
401(k) Financing
Per the IRS, a ROBS qualified plan is a separate entity with its own set of requirements. The plan, through its company stock investments, rather than the individual owns the trade or business. Therefore, some filing exceptions for individuals may not apply to such a plan. This type of financing isn’t a loan against, your 401(k), so there’s no interest to pay. It does not use the 401(k) or stocks as collateral. Instead, this is simply a movement or change of custodian.
Terms and Qualifying
Pay low rates, often less than 5%. Your 401(k) will need to have more than $35,000 in it. You can usually get up to 100% of what’s “rollable” within your 401(k). The lender will want to see a copy of your two most recent 401(k) statements. You can get 401(k) financing even with severely challenged personal credit. The 401(k) you use cannot be from a business where you are currently employed. You cannot be currently contributing to it.
Bonus #4: Financing for a Small Business with Microloans
Microloans are business loans with relatively low interest rates. Generally, these loans are offered to small or developing businesses with modest capital requirements and little to no revenue history. Microloans — as the name suggests — are smaller loans than a traditional bank loan. They generally offer anywhere from $500 to $50,000 in business financing.
Terms and Qualifying
Terms and requirements vary among providers. Kiva, for example, charges 0% interest. The Opportunity Fund provides loans to low- and moderate-income immigrants, women, and other underserved small business owners. Accion requires a cosigner. Check the specific requirements of any microloan program that interests you
Bonus #5: Financing for a Small Business via SBA 7(a) Loans
This the SBA’s most popular loan. The SBA guarantees 85% for loans up to $150,000. They guarantee 75% for loans greater than $150,000. The SBA makes the lending decision, but qualified lenders may be granted delegated authority to make credit decisions without SBA review.
Terms and Qualifying
The maximum amount on offer is $5 million. You will have to provide Articles of Organization, business licenses, documentation of lawsuits, judgments and bankruptcy or other pertinent documentation. Lenders are not required to take collateral for loans up to $25,000. For loans in excess of $350,000, the SBA requires that the lender collateralize the loan to the maximum extent possible up to the loan amount.
10 Kinds of Financing for a Small Business: Takeaways
There are all sorts of amazing ways to get business funding. You can find the one which fits your circumstances. This includes your strengths in areas like personal credit, collateral, cash flow, selling a part of your business, and getting grants or crowdfunding. Let us help!
Pipedrive | Junior Engineers | Prague, Lisbon, Tallinn | ONSITE Pipedrive is a SaaS visual sales tool for small to medium businesses. We’ve been backed with $90 million in funding since 2010 and are experiencing rapid growth. Our team is now located in five countries, building the sales tool used by over 85,000 companies. I …
We are looking for a dynamic, experienced customer success professional to ensure we are building strong and enduring relationships with our customers, and that they are receiving the attention and support needed to achieve their goals.
About Us
Etleap’s mission is to transform the way businesses drive analytics projects.
We started Etleap out of frustration with the exorbitant amounts of engineering work required to set up, maintain, and scale data pipelines for analytics. Our vision is to make it simple for analytics teams to quickly and securely connect the data sources that power their businesses. We’re doing this by removing all of the traditional complexities of data integration and creating a new kind of ETL that enables the end user of data to integrate and transform data from any source.
Our team is customer-obsessed and values openness and being experimental. We’re growing fast, and we’re backed by First Round Capital, SV Angel, YCombinator, and a number of other top-tier investors.
About You
– 5+ years of customer success/account management experience
– Have led onboarding and customer education for a technical enterprise software product
– Experience building relationships with technically sophisticated customers
– Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
– Self-starter: Able to propose solutions and accomplish tasks with limited direction and a figure-it-out attitude
– Startup experience is a big plus
About the Role
– Build relationships and drive engagement with Etleap’s customers via onboarding, periodic business reviews, and other check-ins
– Champion customers’ growth goals in order to maximize product value and identify upsell opportunities
– Manage a customer health dashboard to be shared with the executive team
– Plan and optimize strategy for managing retention and flagging risks regarding renewals
– Own communication with customers for marketing initiatives, including trade shows, webinars, and case studies
You will be working as part of a dynamic team in a fast-paced startup office environment. Our office is near AT&T Park at 2nd & Townsend in San Francisco. We offer catered lunch, a kitchen stocked with great snacks, as well as unlimited PTO, health care, and commuter benefits.
In this post, we’ll show you how to make a Chrome extension to help you innovate your tasks and get back to productive work.
What is a Chrome Extension?
Google Chrome extensions are programs you can install in your Chrome browser to change its functionality.
Chrome extensions can help you automate certain functions in your browser, modify existing behaviors, and improve your software’s convenience. There are even Chrome extensions that can improve your SEO.
Chrome extensions are built with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS scripts and are essentially small websites uploaded to the Chrome store.
The only difference between a Chrome extension and a regular website is that Chrome extensions contain a manifest file, which gives them a specific function to execute.
Another way to think about Chrome extensions is that they are a piece of code that changes your browser experience.
For example, the Grammarly Chrome extension allows you to edit and modify your copy as you write. The LastPass extension will enable you to keep your password manager within your browser.
A custom-built extension can perform a single task. This task needs to be narrowly defined and easy to understand for it to work properly.
You can include more than one component or functionality, as long as everything directs the extension towards a singular goal.
Chrome extensions work by using either page actions or browser actions.
A page action is an action that is specific to certain pages.
A browser action is relevant no matter where you are in the browser.
As well, your user interfaces need to be user-friendly and straightforward. These can range from a single icon, think of the Gmail icon, or you can override an entire page for your interface.
Your final deliverable will be a zipped .crx package that users will download and install.
You should also create a Chrome extension if you are looking to add a simple action to your browser experience.
The benefit of Chrome extensions versus regular applications is they are often easier to build and maintain. Because Chrome extensions are built around a singular function, they take less time and skills to create.
Building a Chrome extension often takes far less time than building an entirely new webpage.
If you want a simple and effective way to modify your browser, then building a Chrome extension is the way to go.
Chrome extensions can also improve your web traffic, see more in the video below.
What Makes a Chrome Extension Successful?
A successful Google Chrome extension will simplify a task or functionality and improve your productivity.
Let’s imagine you are an e-commerce web builder and you’re researching competitor shops. If you install the Koala Inspector extension, you’ll be able to see if Shopify built any website you land on. You can also see what theme was used, if any new updates have been made, and view product statistics.
Another Chrome extension, the News Feed Eradicator for Facebook, can help improve your productivity by blocking your news feed so you can focus on your tasks. It is a simple but effective function that can help you improve your daily workflow.
Both of these extensions execute a simple functionality that improves user experience. When building a Chrome extension, keep simplicity in mind. That’s the secret to a successful extension.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Chrome Extension
Now it’s time to build your Chrome extension.
It’s important to note that you need to do this on Google Chrome. This might seem obvious, but not everyone uses Chrome as their default browser.
If you aren’t a regular Chrome user, be sure to install it before you begin these steps.
Also, be sure to check your work frequently as you move through this process. It’s much easier to fix coding errors in the moment than after you finish.
Build a Chrome Extension Step 1: Determine What Your Extension Needs
The first step in building your Chrome extension is to decide on a functionality.
This file will tell Chrome how to load the extension properly.
Create a file called manifest.json and add it to your directory.
Then, add any code you might need to your manifest file.
For our purposes, the code will look like this:
{
“name”: “Getting Started Example”,
“description”: “Build an Extension!”,
“version”: “1.0”,
“manifest_version”: 3
}
Build a Chrome Extension Step 4: Load Your Extension into Chrome and Check for Errors
Now it’s time to test your extension to make sure Chrome will run it.
Follow these steps:
Go to chrome://extensions in your Google Chrome browser
Check the Developer mode checkbox in the top right-hand corner
Click “Load Unpacked” to see a file-selection dialog
Select your extension directory
If your extension is valid, it should load immediately.
If it is invalid, you will see an error message at the top of your page. If this is the case, look for errors, correct them, and try loading your extension again.
The most common errors people make here are syntax errors. Double-check all of your commas and brackets and make sure they are formatted correctly.
Also, make sure the Enabled box next to your extension is checked so you can see it performing live.
Build a Chrome Extension Step 5: Develop Your Background Script
Next, you’ll need to add some background script to tell your extension what to do.
First, create a file named background.js inside your extensions directory.
Then, add your script.
For our color-changing extension, we’ll be using this script:
{
“name”: “Getting Started Example”,
“description”: “Build an Extension!”,
“version”: “1.0”,
“manifest_version”: 3,
“background”: {
“service_worker”: “background.js”
}
}
This file will alert Chrome that it needs to scan for additional instructions.
The extension we are building will also require a listening event for runtime.onInstalled within the background script.
Within the onInstall listener, the extension will set a value with the storage API. This allows multiple extension components to run and edit that value.
let color = ‘#3aa757’;
chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(() => {
chrome.storage.sync.set({ color });
console.log(‘Default background color set to %cgreen’, `color: ${color}`);
});
Most API’s will need to be registered in the “permissions” field of your manifest. Like this:
{
“name”: “Getting Started Example”,
“description”: “Build an Extension!”,
“version”: “1.0”,
“manifest_version”: 3,
“background”: {
“service_worker”: “background.js”
},
“permissions”: [“storage”]
}
Next, go back to your extension management page and click Reload.
You should see a new field for Inspect views come up. There will also be an accompanying blue link that reads the background page.
Click the link and you will see the background script’s console log, which reads “Default background color set to green”.
Content scripts can also be added to run page-by-page scripts.
Content scripts should be added directly into your manifest file.
Build a Chrome Extension Step 6: Create Your User Interface
Your extension can have a range of user-interfaces, from pop-ups to tooltips, and more.
To begin designing your interface, you need to register a browser action in your manifest.
For our example, we’ll use a pop-up. The code looks like this:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”button.css”>
</head>
<body>
<button id=”changeColor”></button>
</body>
</html>
You’ll need to declare this code within your manifest in order for it to work.
To do this, add an action to your manifest and set popup.html as the action’s default_popup.
Your script should look like this:
{
“name”: “Getting Started Example”,
“description”: “Build an Extension!”,
“version”: “1.0”,
“manifest_version”: 3,
“background”: {
“service_worker”: “background.js”
},
“permissions”: [“storage”],
“action”: {
“default_popup”: “popup.html”
}
}
This specific pop-up references a CSS script, so you’ll need to add another file to your directory. Name it appropriately, and add this:
button {
height: 30px;
width: 30px;
outline: none;
margin: 10px;
border: none;
border-radius: 2px;
}
button.current {
box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px white,
0 0 0 4px black;
}
For our example, you’ll also want to add color to your popup buttons. Later on, this color will be used for the background of your page as well.
Create and add a file named popup.js with the following code to the directory.
// Initialize button with user’s preferred color
let changeColor = document.getElementById(“changeColor”);
chrome.storage.sync.get(“color”, ({ color }) => {
changeColor.style.backgroundColor = color;
});
This will grab the button from popup.html and request the color value. Include a script tag to popup.js in popup.html like this:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”button.css”>
</head>
<body>
<button id=”changeColor”></button>
<script src=”popup.js”></script>
</body>
</html>
From there, you can add badges to show the state of your extension. For example, a badge can tell a user if the extension is activated or not, on or off.
Toolbar icons fall under action in the default_icons field.
Place any desired images within your directory and then tell the extension how to use the images.
{
“name”: “Getting Started Example”,
“description”: “Build an Extension!”,
“version”: “1.0”,
“manifest_version”: 3,
“background”: {
“service_worker”: “background.js”
},
“permissions”: [“storage”],
“action”: {
“default_popup”: “popup.html”,
“default_icon”: {
“16”: “/images/get_started16.png”,
“32”: “/images/get_started32.png”,
“48”: “/images/get_started48.png”,
“128”: “/images/get_started128.png”
}
}
}
For images, 16×16 and 32×32 sizes are recommended. All icons should be square, or else they may end up distorted.
If you don’t supply an icon, Chrome will add a default one for you.
When designing your Chrome extension user interface, keep it simple and user-friendly.
let [tab] = await chrome.tabs.query({ active: true, currentWindow: true });
chrome.scripting.executeScript({
target: { tabId: tab.id },
function: setPageBackgroundColor,
});
});
// The body of this function will be executed as a content script inside the
// current page
function setPageBackgroundColor() {
chrome.storage.sync.get(“color”, ({ color }) => {
document.body.style.backgroundColor = color;
});
}
function setPageBackgroundColor() {
chrome.storage.sync.get(“color”, ({ color }) => {
document.body.style.backgroundColor = color;
});
}
This code triggers a programmatically injected content script. This turns the background color of the page to the same color as your previously added button.
From here, your extension should be fully functional. Any new additions will be bells and whistles.
Build a Chrome Extension Step 8: Test Out Your Extension
Just like A/B testing in marketing, it’s important to continuously test your extension to ensure everything works.
Test it out yourself, or have someone else test it.
If you have another person test it, do it without giving them instructions to make sure it’s intuitive to use.
Make changes as needed, then test your extension again.
Even after you launch your extension, you can continuously optimize and improve it. That’s how we got the Ubersuggest Chrome extension 2.0.
Once you’re happy, it’s ready to use.
Can I Practice Making a Chrome Extension?
Once you upload your extension to the Chrome store it’s live and usable.
If you don’t want your Chrome extension to be publicly accessible, you can always make a GitHub repo that people can clone from.
This requires giving people access to your source code, so be sure to consider this before uploading anything onto GitHub.
You can also experiment with open source samples before diving into your extension.
Samples for Chrome Extensions are available on Google’s GitHub.
Conclusion
Creating a custom Google Chrome extension is a great way to improve your browser functionality and create optimal user experiences.
What’s more, your tool can drive traffic to your website, so modifying that experience can result in new leads for your business.
It may be a learning curve to get your extension where you want it to be, but it’s worth it when you have an exciting new feature to show off to your friends—and prospective clients.
Brij | NYC, Austin, or Remote | Full Stack Software Engineer | Full-Time | https://www.brij.it/
*Founding Full-Stack Software Engineer*
Full time opportunity with benefits
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What do you need to know about how to fund a startup business? First, there is more than one way to do it! It’s true. Regardless of what is happening around you, in most cases you can fund a startup business in some way. It may very well take longer depending on your exact situation, but it is almost always possible.
You Can Fund a Startup Business No Matter What is Going On
The thing is, virtually everyone assumes if they cannot get a business loan, they can’t fund a startup business. That really isn’t true. There are all kinds of options for funding. Loans are only one of them. Furthermore, there are probably many more types of loans than you think. We put together a list of some of the most common, and less common, ways to fund a startup business in any situation.
Fund a Startup Business: Traditional Loans
These are the loans that you go to the bank to get. With a traditional loan, you are almost always going to have to give a personal guarantee. This means they will check your personal credit. If it’s not great, you are probably out of luck. That is where a lot of people stop, thinking they have hit a brick wall.
There are ways over that wall however.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.
Fund a Startup Business: SBA Loans
SBA loans are traditional bank loans. However, they have a guarantee from the federal government. The Small Business Administration works with lenders to offer small businesses funding solutions that they may not be able to get based on their own credit history. Because of the government guarantee, lenders are able to be a little less strict on personal credit score requirements.
The trade-off is that the application progress is lengthy. There is a ton of paperwork connected with SBA loans.
Fund a Startup Business: Private Loans
Private business loans come from companies other than banks. These companies are sometimes called alternative lenders. Many have popped up in the past decade as entrepreneurship has become more common. The need for a financing option from somewhere other than traditional banks has spurred this growth.
There are a few benefits to using private business loans over traditional loans. The first is that they often have more flexible credit score minimums. They still rely on your personal credit. Yet, they will often accept a score much lower than what traditional lenders require. Another benefit is that they will sometimes report to the business credit reporting agencies. That helps build or improve business credit.
The tradeoff is that private business loans typically have higher interest rates and less favorable terms. Still, the ability to get funding and the potential increase in business credit score can make it well worth the cost.
Examples of Private Lenders
The thing about private lenders is, you almost always have a time in business requirement. However, it can be as low as one year, even 6 months in some cases.
BlueVine
The minimum loan amount available from BlueVine is $5,000 and the maximum is $100,000. Annual revenue must be $120,000 or more and the borrower must be in business for at least 6 months. Personal credit score has to be at least 600. It is also important to know that BlueVine does not offer a line of credit in all states.
OnDeck
With OnDeck, applying for financing is quick and easy. Apply online, and you will receive your decision once application processing is complete. Loan funds will go directly to your bank account. The minimum loan amount is $5,000 and the maximum is $500,000.
There is a personal credit score requirement of 600 or more. Also, you must be in business for at least one year. There is an annual revenue requirement of at least $100,000 as well. In addition, there can be no bankruptcy on file in the past 2 years and no unresolved liens or judgements.
Fund a Startup Business: Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding sites allow you to pitch your business to thousands of micro investors. Anyone who wants a piece of the action can buy in.
Investors pledge amounts ranging from as low as $5 to as high as they want. They may give $5, $80, $150, or even over $500. As a general rule, they can give as much or as little as they want.
Though not always necessary, most business owners offer rewards for investment. Typically, this comes in the form of the product the business will be selling. Different levels of giving result in different rewards. For example, a $50 gift may get you product A, while a $100 gift will get you an upgraded version of product A.
The two most common crowdfunding platforms are Indiegogo and Kickstarter.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.
Fund a Startup Business: Angel Investors
These investors are usually only in for a one-time deal. Many choose to spread their risk out over many people and many businesses to be certain they get a safe return on their investment.
Angels tend to be a lot more informal than most types of funding. They can be people you know. Or they can be people you connect with through networking or other means.
Angels are not covered by the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) standards for accredited investors. But a lot of them are accredited investors anyway.
To become an accredited investor, an person has to have a minimal net worth of $1 million, and an annual income of $200,000.
There are a number of angels who aren’t millionaires. They could be friends or colleagues with home equity, or local professionals who are looking to invest.
How Do You Find Angel Investors?
The best way to find these kinds of investors is to ask. You can also try an angel investors website or network. Try Gust, which used to be called Angel Soft. They keep a database of investors, companies, and programs. Startups can also search for business plan competitions and more.
Another option is to look at the biggest angel investor groups. Be aware, however, that these meetings are really only going to happen if you can get an introduction.
According to Entrepreneur, in order from smallest to largest the top 10 Angel Investor groups are:
New York Angels Inc.
Alliance of Angels (Seattle)
Pasadena Angels
Hyde Park Angel Network (Chicago)
Band of Angels (Menlo Park, CA)
North Coast Angel Fund (Cleveland)
Golden Seeds LLC (NYC)
Investors’ Circle (San Francisco)
Tech Coast Angels (Los Angeles) and
Ohio Tech Angel Funds (Columbus, OH)
Focus and requirements may vary from group to group. For example, some concentrate on local startups only. Do your research so you don’t waste yours and the angels’ time if it isn’t a good fit.
Fund a Startup Business While Keeping Your Day Job
Here’s an option that most don’t want to hear, but it is totally legitimate and sometimes, it’s just the best way. If you do not have access to a ton of funds to launch a huge new business right away, consider keeping your day job and start your business small, as a side hustle.
Not every business can start this way, but a lot can. For example, a bakery or a cleaning business can easily start this way. If you set up from the beginning to be fundable and build business credit, you can go even further. More on that later.
Fund a Startup Business: The Retirement Years
This is similar to keeping your day job in that you start small. If you have retirement savings you could use that as loan security, or take a loan directly from retirement if your plan allows for that. You can build your business slowly, a little at the time. While you’re doing so, you can work to build business credit and overall fundability
Whatever You Do, Build Fundability from the Beginning
So, how do you do that? How do you build fundability and business credit? The first thing you do is set up your business to be fundable. When you do this, you will also be setting it up to be a separate entity from you as the owner, which is the first step in building separate business credit. How do you build a fundable foundation? You need the following.
Contact Information Separate from the Owner
The first step in setting up a foundation of fundability is to ensure your business has its own phone number, fax number, and address. That doesn’t mean you have to get a separate phone line, or even a separate location. You can still run your business from your home or on your computer if that is what you want. You don’t even have to have a fax machine.
An EIN
The next thing you need to do is get an EIN for your business. This is an identifying number for your business that works in a way similar to how your SSN works for you personally.
Incorporate
You have to incorporate as an LLC, S-corp, or corporation. It gives credit to your business as one that is legitimate, and it separates your business from you as the owner.
Which option you choose does not matter as much for fundability as it does for your specific budget and liability protection need. The best thing to do is discuss it with your attorney or a tax professional. You are going to lose the time in business that you have. When you incorporate, you become a new entity. Basically, you have to start over. You’ll also lose any positive payment history you may have.
This is why you have to incorporate as soon as possible. Not only is it vital to fundability and for building business credit, but time in business is also important. The longer you have been in business the more fundable you appear to be. That starts on the date of incorporation, regardless of when you actually started doing business.
Separate Business Bank Account
You have to open a separate, dedicated business bank account. There are a few reasons for this. First, it will help you keep track of business finances. It will also help you keep them separate from personal finances for tax purposes.
In addition, you cannot get a merchant account without a business account at a bank. That means, you cannot take credit card payments. Studies show consumers tend to spend more when they can pay by credit card.
Licenses
For a business to be legitimate it has to have all of the necessary licenses it needs to run. If it doesn’t, red flags are going to fly up all over the place. Do the research you need to do to ensure you have all of the licenses necessary to legitimately run your business at the federal, state, and local levels.
Website
These days, you do not exist if you do not have a website. However, a poorly put together website can be even worse. It’s the first impression you make on most, and if it appears to be unprofessional it will not bode well for you with lenders or customers.
Fund a Startup: Build Business Credit
Okay so, you need to know how to fund a startup, not how to set it up, right? Here’s the thing. Once you have your business set up like this, you can start building business credit so that you have more options for funding your business.
The main key to this is to use starter vendors that will issue net terms on your invoices and report those payments to the business credit reporting agencies. Even if you are keeping your day job or starting small during retirement, you can use these vendors for the things you need in the everyday course of business.
Things like office supplies, packaging, and even cleaning supplies can be purchased from such vendors on account using your business information. As you get enough of these accounts reporting, you can apply for store credit, then fleet credit, and eventually, regular business credit cards that are not limited to specific types of purchases or specific stores. Then, your business credit should be strong enough that you can qualify for a loan and launch your business on a bigger scale.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.
Fund a Startup Business: There are More Ways than One
The truth is, there is more than one way to fund a startup business. Depending on your specific situation, you will have to decide which option or combination of options will work best for you and your business.
” I do not understand the secret to success, yet the trick to failing is attempting to please everyone.”– Bill Cosby
Perhaps they were constantly late to pay, or really did not do what they stated they would certainly do. Whatever the scenario, opportunities are you had a hint when you initially fulfilled that customer … a little voice that you really did not pay attention to, that was most likely outweighed by the larger voice that stated, “Hey, it’s service; I’ll take it!”
If you have problem stating no, you’ll require to discover this essential company ability … as well as what to do to obtain rid of issue customers you currently have; see the sources at the base of this write-up. If you have a trainer, ask them to assist you finish the Ideal Client workout, or to role-play those “claiming no” discussions.
Exactly how to find YOUR Ideal Client.
There are lots of means to come close to the Ideal Client/Customer Profile You can take a seat and also envision the most effective, most terrific customer you can have … whether that is an abstract entity, a star (what author would not desire Oprah as a consumer, as an example), or a details market account. If your consumers are most likely to be business, you can take a look at your present customer listing, and also choose the firm that provides you one of the most service, one of the most pleasure, the least heartburn.
The Ideal Client Profile.
Whoever you select, begin an account matrix with 2 columns: “My Ideal Client Is:” on the left; “My Ideal Client is Not:”, on the. In the column left wing, checklist all the attributes of that sort of individual or business. Make use of the concerns listed below as triggers to obtain you considering all the various facets that customer may have.
Either think of the reverse of all those facets, or select the “customer from heck” and also load in equivalent qualities in the right-hand column. Your customers that do not fit your Ideal qualities, whether you create them down or not, will at some point “recognize it.
Triggers: Consider these facets of your Ideal Customer or Client:
What occupation or organisation are they in?
What demographics do they fit? (age, sex, race, religious beliefs, earnings, marriage standing, and so on).
What do they believe is essential in organisation? In life?
What do they like many regarding you as well as your company, solutions as well as items?
What is the nature of their partnership with you? (transactional, veteran consumer, colleague, close friend, refers others to you, and so on).
Just how do they collaborate with you? (phone/in person/on the Web; fast transactions/takes time to discuss; pays early/on-time/at 30 days; and so on).
What character attributes do they have?
What do you obtain from them (besides repayment)?
Currently What?
Contrast your existing customer listing to the 2 columns in The Ideal Client Profile. Just how lots of have the attributes of your Ideal Client?
Next off, upload your Ideal Client Profile someplace you will certainly see it frequently. Every time a brand-new prospective customer comes along, begin looking for those Ideal features … and also be cautious the non-ideal!
Perfect Clients– For Life.
There are lots of means to take advantage of the job you have actually simply finished with the Ideal Client Profile. Right here are some suggestions:.
Do your organisation cards, pamphlets, advertisements as well as internet site allure to your Ideal Client? Sharpen your products, as well as begin seeing better-qualified possible customers stroll in the door.
Based on your Ideal Client account, where would certainly you anticipate to locate these customers? If not, number out a method to obtain in front of them!
Are they establish up to be pleasant to your Ideal Clients? If not, upgrade them, and also you may see non-ideal customers take treatment of themselves.
Begin attracting your Ideal Clients today!
Whoever you choose, begin an account matrix with 2 columns: “My Ideal Client Is:” on the left; “My Ideal Client is Not:”, on the. Contrast your existing customer listing to the 2 columns in The Ideal Client Profile. Every time a brand-new possible customer comes along, begin looking for those Ideal features … and also be careful the non-ideal! Do your company cards, sales brochures, advertisements as well as web site charm to your Ideal Client? Based on your Ideal Client account, where would certainly you anticipate to discover these customers?
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The thing is, virtually everyone assumes if they cannot get a business loan, they can’t fund a startup business. That really isn’t true. There are all kinds of options for funding. Loans are only one of them. Furthermore, there are probably many more types of loans than you think. We put together a list of some of the most common, and less common, ways to fund a startup business in any situation. 
