Hard times are on the way. All you have to do is turn on the television to see it. Prices are rising and so are interest rates. The key to surviving inflation and recession is to be prepared. This means anticipating cash needs and having the funds available before things get bad. If you need financing, don’t wait. One great option is retirement plan financing.
Retirement Plan Financing and Other Funding Options
There are a number of options. Loans, lines of credit, and credit cards are all possibilities, but there are other options that may be even better. In fact, one specific option is available to some regardless of credit, and it’s interest-free.
Retirement Plan Financing
First, retirement plan financing is not a loan from your retirement funds. So, you will not have to pay an early withdrawal fee or pay a tax penalty. Even better, there will not be any interest.
Credit Suite offers a powerful and flexible way for new or existing businesses to use retirement funds. In as little as three weeks you can access money for your business. Then, not only will you have more control over the performance of your retirement assets, but you will get the working capital you need for business growth.
This Rollover for Working Capital program is known by the IRS as a Rollover for Business Startups (ROBS). According to the IRS, a ROBS qualified plan is a separate entity with its own set of requirements. The plan owns the business, not an individual.
There is no need for financials or good credit to get approval. All the lender needs is a copy of your two most recent retirement fund statements. Also, the plan has to have a value of more than $35,000. If it does, you can receive whatever percent of your plan is “rollable” as financing.
In addition, the plan cannot be from a business where you are currently employed. It has to be from previous employment and you cannot be currently contributing to it.
Lenders are not basing approval decisions on creditworthiness. They just need to see that the plan qualifies. As a result, this program is perfect for business owners with credit issues.
How Does Retirement Plan Financing Work?
You’ll set up a plan for your company and invest it in that company. Then, your business becomes cash rich and debt-free. However, you do need to work with a CPA. They can help handle things properly.
Why is This Better than a Distribution or Loan from Retirement Funds?
Unless you’re 59 ½ years old or older, you will pay an early withdrawal penalty for a distribution. This is basically paying to use your own money! Don’t do that.
If your plan allows for loans, the IRS will only let you borrow up to 50%, up to $50,000. After that you have to start paying taxes. Of course with a loan, you’ll also pay interest.
Inflation and Recession Planning
If you have eligible retirement funds, you need to take advantage of this type of program now. We are already seeing the effects of inflation, including an increase in social security checks to account for rising prices. Recession is most definitely on the way.
If you have these funds on hand and available to use, you will be able to absorb increasing costs more easily. You’ll also avoid the difficulty that comes with trying to access financing during a recession. When prices and interest rates rise, you’ll be ready.
Credit Suite Is Here to Help
Not only can Credit Suite help you set up your retirement plan financing, but our business credit specialists can help you find other ways to fund your business. We can help you assess what types of funding you are eligible for, and guide you to the steps you need to take to qualify for more. Set yourself up for success despite what the economy brings.
When you want to fund your business, what are the first ideas you have?
You would be hard-pressed to find a business owner that doesn’t know that they need money. What many do NOT know is that there are many more ways to fund your business. They go beyond the traditional banks loans everyone knows about.
There are a Lot of Ways to Fund Your Business
There are a number of ways to fund your business. Your business – and you – have assets. You can tap these assets as collateral. You can use: a 401(k) or IRA, accounts receivable, or stocks or bonds. The 401(k), stocks, or bonds don’t have to be yours. You can work with a partner with these kinds of assets.
Securities-Based Financing
Use existing stocks as leverage to get business financing. Borrow as much as 90% of their value. You continue to earn interest on the stocks pledged as collateral. Closing and funding takes less than 3 weeks.
Rates can be as low as 1.6%. This is a working capital line of credit. You will have challenged personal credit.
401(k) Financing
Use your existing 401(k), or IRA as collateral to fund your business. This program uses IRS proven strategies. You will pay no tax penalties.
You still earn interest on your 401(k). pay low rates, often less than 5%. Close and fund in less than 3 weeks. You can usually get up to 100% of what’s “rollable” within your 401(k).
Follow these steps. A new corporation is formed; a retirement plan is created to allow for investment into the corporation; funds are rolled over into the new plan. Then the new plan purchases stock in corporation and holds it. The corporation becomes debt free and cash rich.
Accounts Receivable Financing
Use your outstanding account receivables to fund your business. Get as much as 80% of receivables advanced ongoing in less than 24 hours. The remainder of the accounts receivable are released once the invoice is paid in full. Closing takes 2 weeks or less. Factor rates as low as 1.33%. Accounts receivable credit line with rates of less than 1% with no consumer credit requirement
Receivables should be with the government or another business. 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.
Kickfurther to Finance the Purchase of Inventory
You can finance your next inventory purchase with financing from customers and brand supporters and fundraise directly to them. The way it works is, customers buy through what’s called a Consignment Opportunity. Customers own the products they helped fund until they are sold by the brand. As soon as the products sell, the customer earns payments. Kickfurther also offers an online store for businesses to market and sell their products.
These are guaranteed by the federal government. Participating lenders issue these, usually banks. They offer a lot of the perks of traditional loans, such as lower interest rates and favorable terms. Due to government guarantee, lenders are able to offer them to those with a lower credit score than would typically be required.
Eligibility for SBA Loans
Lenders and loan programs have unique eligibility requirements. In general, eligibility is based on what a business does to receive its income, the character of its ownership, and where the business operates. Hence even those with bad credit may qualify for startup funding.
Normally, businesses must meet size standards, be able to repay, and have a sound business purpose. The lender will provide you with a full list of eligibility requirements for your loan. See www.sba.gov/document/support–table-size-standards.
More About Eligibility for SBA Loans
General eligibility also includes:
Being a for-profit business – the business must be officially registered and operating legally
Doing business in the US – the business must be physically located and operating in the US or its territories
Having vested equity – the owner must have invested their own time or money in the business
Exhausting other funding options – the business must not be able to get funds from any other financial lender
Ideal credit scores for an SBA loan are 680 or above. There are a number of SBA loan programs, each one designed to work for different needs and situations. Some of the most common SBA loan programs include:
7(a) loans
504 loans
Microloans
Disaster loans
Express loans
These are just a few the of the options available. Find out more at SBA.gov.
Which SBA Loan is Best?
SBA loans each have a specific purpose. For example, if your business has suffered due to a natural disaster, you need a disaster loan. If you need $50,000 or less, a microloan may be the best option. But the 7(a) loan program is the most versatile.
SBA 7 (a) Loan Program Details
A standard 7(a) loan can be for up to $5 million. The maximum SBA guarantee is 85% for loans up to $150,000 and 75% for loans greater than $150,000. The interest rate varies but cannot exceed the SBA maximum. The turnaround is 5 – 10 business days. These funds can be used for a number of things, and the minimum credit score is 640. But of course the higher the better.
Who Do SBA Loans Work Best For?
These loans work well for those that are not in a hurry to get funding
The approval and funding process can take a while, especially with the government red tape required for the government guarantee. If you can wait, meet all the requirements, and want a more traditional type of loan, SBA loans are an option.
Businesses that accept credit cards as a form of payment may qualify for a merchant cash advance. This means your business must have a merchant account in order to be able to accept credit card payments. Your business must bring in $100,000 or more per year in credit card sales. Typical approval is equal to one month’s credit processing volume. The minimum credit score is 500.
Qualifying for a Merchant Cash Advance
MCAs do not ask for a lot of documents. This is not like what most conventional lenders will want. You won’t need financials, business plans, or resumes. You don’t even need collateral.
Your business’s credit card receipts and business bank statements tell lenders all they need to know. These loans work well for businesses that qualify and need funds fast, and those with credit that is less than perfect. It’s a great way to get money for your business fast with few requirements.
Equipment Financing
Businesses looking to buy or lease equipment can use equipment financing. Rates vary widely depending on risk factors. Usually can get approval with a 650 or better credit score. This is for major equipment only, not a combination of a lot of small equipment. These loans work well for those that have good credit and just need to financing equipment. The equipment is the collateral, so that helps out some with rates.
A Traditional Line of Credit
This is similar to a traditional term loan in terms of where you get it, and approval requirements. However, it is revolving financing more like a credit card. Typically have better interest rates that credit cards. They work well for those who qualify for traditional term loans but want revolving credit rather than a term loan.
Get to Know Our Hybrid Credit Line Program to Fund Your Business
Check out this form of unsecured funding. Unsecured funding does not require collateral, but the lender’s risk is mitigated by higher interest rates. Our credit line hybrid has an even better interest rate than a secured loan. Yet you can get the money faster and easier than any type of traditional funding. Get business funding without having to supply bank statements or credit stubs. You can get funding in a few days rather than weeks without supplying any collateral or documents.
You can get some of the highest loan amounts and credit lines for businesses. Get 0% business credit cards with stated income. No financials required. 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.
You can often get a loan of 5 times the amount of current highest revolving credit limit account. This is up to $150,000. Easily five times what you could get on your own when applying for cards. Get cash out on this program as well.
Advantages
There will be NO impact on your personal credit with this type of financing. You need a good credit score or a guarantor with good credit to get an approval. With good personal credit, get unsecured credit cards with a personal guarantee. And with good business credit, get unsecured credit cards without a personal guarantee.
Check out business credit. It should be your goal to build business credit, even if you can get funding elsewhere. Business credit will help your company for years to come. Business credit is credit linked to your EIN and not your SSN.
This credit is available without a personal guarantee. It is available regardless of personal credit. You can get business credit immediately. Business credit is the only way to get money for a business when you don’t have collateral, cash flow, good personal credit, or a guarantor.
If you know what types of business financing is available to your business, you can make a more educated decision about what will work best for you. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle. You also have to understand your own eligibility and funding needs.
Takeaways
All businesses need funding. Traditional term loans are not the only option. Other options exist to help you money faster. Or funding despite bad credit. And you can better rates and terms than you would get with a traditional term loan. Contact us today to learn more.
Ocient | Senior/Principal/Distinguished Software Engineer | Full-time | $130-215k + stock | USA, Chicago / Remote (US) | https://ocient.com We’re building the word’s most scalable and efficient data warehouse. The founding team’s previous startup was acquired by IBM for $1.4B. Recently raised $40M. Our Stack: Modern C++, Linux, etc. Apply at https://ocient.com/careers. Send your questions … Continue reading New comment by stevetarzia in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (April 2021)"
American pet owners are some of the biggest spenders online, pet food and pet supplies being second only to vitamins for e-commerce.
Online spending for this $70 billion industry is growing year over year.
In fact, direct-to-consumer (DTC) pet brands have exploded in popularity: Over five years, the online pet product sellers saw a compound annual growth rate of 24 percent.
From special-diet foods to raincoats for dogs, desirable pet products can be very specific. Paid ads on search and social let you bid on relevant keywords to hyper-target an audience that perfectly fits your brand.
In this article, I’ll give you nine ways to use paid ads you could effectively market to pet owners.
9 Ways to Target Pet Owners Using Paid Ads
Downtown Pet Supply, an Illinois-based company that makes its own products and sells them both online and in their store, wanted to improve its e-commerce sales and expand customer reach.
They turned to marketing firm Tinuiti (then called CPC Strategy) to help them do that through Amazon. Tinuiti decided to utilize Amazon Coupons targeting pet owners based on their Amazon search histories.
After one year, Downtown Pet Supply’s revenue increased by 40 percent, and its advertising cost of sale (ACoS) decreased by 18 percent.
That’s the power of using paid ads to target pet owners.
Common Thread Collective reports 13 percent of pet supply sales happen via e-commerce channels—and that’s expected to grow drastically over the next several years.
The anticipated increase in e-commerce purchases for pet supplies is largely because of convenience and value. However, shoppers also appreciate being able to find a larger selection and compare prices more easily than in brick-and-mortar stores.
Even for brick-and-mortar establishments, paid ad campaigns can extend customer reach and raise awareness of their brands.
Here are the best ways to harness the power of paid ads to help your company boost revenue.
1. Answer Pet Owners’ Questions
When pet owners go online, they’re looking for a solution to an immediate problem. It may be their pet is sick, and they want to know why. They may need chew toys or a scratching post. Or, they may just be looking for a convenient place to buy everyday pet supplies.
The most common question pet owners ask is, “Why?”
Each of these questions presents a micro-moment brands can address through ads or content marketing. They also create starting points for keyword research.
2. Use Content Marketing
Typically, your content marketing addresses those micro-moments for your users. Blog posts and articles can answer those health, feeding, grooming, and other questions.
But, you don’t have to rely solely on SEO to get those posts found. You can also promote your posts through social on platforms you know your audience is using.
PetPlate, a meal plan subscription service for dogs, created this promoted pin on Pinterest to boost a blog post called “Tips for Welcoming a New Puppy Into Your Home.”
By directing users to their blog posts through Pinterest ads, PetPlate not only raises awareness of their brand but sets themselves up as a thought leader in their space.
3. Research Keywords Pet Owners Use
One major benefit of paid ads is the reliability of keywords. With organic search, you’re essentially making a well-researched guess about which keywords will perform.
With paid ads on Google, Facebook, and other platforms, you bid on keywords that already perform. High-performing keywords cost more, but they may not even be the keywords you want.
Instead of getting lost in a sea of ads vying for the most popular keywords, try going after less expensive keywords with lower, but steady performance.
For example, “pet beds” is a generic, popular keyword a lot of companies are bid on. However, if you sell, say, “machine washable cat beds,” consider going after those keywords instead.
Whatever you do, make sure your keywords match your target audience as well as your product or service.
Pro Tip: If you want to direct traffic to your products, insert the word “buy” in front of a keyword. For example, for “pet beds,” try “buy pet beds.”
APPA President and CEO Bob Vetere says, “We know this generation is willing to pay more for quality products and services to improve the health and well-being of their pets. Today more than ever, pet owners view their pets as irreplaceable members of their families and lives, and it’s thanks to this that we continue to see such incredible growth within the pet care community.”
According to a study by online retailer Zulily, 77 percent of millennials prefer to buy certain pet products—toys, accessories, and food—online. However, there are no pet products strictly bought in-store these days, so it’s important to know where you can reach this audience.
Luckily—or unluckily, depending on how you look at it—”Millennials utilize a diverse range of platforms since many platforms were released while they were growing up. Facebook is the platform that they utilize most frequently, often multiple times a day, followed by YouTube and Instagram,” according to GenGuru.
However, since they grew up as social media started taking steam, they’re also on pretty much every other social media site. Trying out all sorts of new media is normal for them.
This all means you should not just look at the age group but also try to discover where products like yours fit the best. Then, put your money where it’s more likely to reach your target audience.
5. Use Images or Videos in Pet Ads
Purina wanted to learn if in-stream ads on Facebook could lift brand awareness with mobile users for a new product in their Fancy Feast line of cat food, Fancy Feast Savory Centers.
In the first phase, they tested a variety of videos for other pet brands they owned, playing with length and messaging. They learned short, clear ads lifted brand recall, video views, purchase intent, and offline sales.
With that knowledge, they repurposed an existing TV ad for Fancy Feast Savory Centers to a web video. In the process, they shortened it to fewer than 15 seconds and ensured it had a clear message with or without sound. They tested it against the TV ad to see which better raised brand awareness.
They ran the test for six weeks through Facebook In-Stream Reserve, a line of premium ad spots, and found an 11 point lift in brand recall, 12 point lift in brand awareness, 91 percent video completion, and 1.5 percent incremental lift in sales.
You don’t necessarily have to target the most expensive video packages online as Purina did, but video and images can have a big impact on your paid advertising online.
Consider another example.
Below, there are paid ads for pet beds on the left and right sides of the Google search results. On the left are text-only ads, and on the right are Google Shopping Ads that feature images.
Google found 50 percent of online shoppers are more likely to purchase if there’s an image of the product.
6. Provide a Service
To convert and keep new customers, you have to build relationships with them. Offer something that makes their lives, and the lives of their pets, easier.
If you’re already a service-based brand, that’s pretty easy to do. If you’re product-focused, you can still provide a service.
Let’s take another look at PetPlate.
Their paid ads for their product actually spin it as a service. They provide fresh-cooked food for dogs so owners don’t have to.
This ad showed how PetPlate could solve a problem for its audience.
7. Target Pet Owners in a Specific a Geographic Area
Brick-and-mortar stores and services might consider targeting a particular geographic area, something that’s very possible with Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms that allow for hyper-targeted advertising.
Of course, veterinarians, groomers, and other service-based businesses can benefit from geo-targeting on social. However, boutiques and small businesses that sell pet food and other supplies shouldn’t overlook the power of location-based social media ads.
According to Zulily’s study, millennial pet owners prefer to shop for some products in person at smaller, locally owned pet shops. Those products include treats, bedding, and clothing items.
If you want to get super local, check out a social platform made for your area. A commonly-used app, Nextdoor, lets advertisers both pay for ad space and engage with users in their immediate areas.
Nextdoor may be a good choice because they report 45 percent of users have at least one dog and 25 percent have at least one cat. They also note that pets are a regular topic of conversations on their platforms. Why not become part of the conversation with paid ads?
9. Use an Influencer or Celebrity to Target Pet Owners
There are plenty of human celebrities and influencers across social media who include their pets in their content.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas, for example, regularly feature their dogs Diana, Gino, and Panda on their Instagram accounts.
The second type of pet influencer is the furry, scaly, and feathery type. Pet influencers, particularly cats and dogs, have a huge presence on virtually all social media platforms.
In fact, pet influencer content has a higher engagement rate than overall global engagement. While cats rule the internet overall, dogs are actually more popular on Instagram.
There are all kinds of pet celebrities out there, from cats and dogs to pigs and hedgehogs.
For instance, Waffles the cat is a celebrity on Facebook with 2.4 million followers.
Meanwhile, on Instagram, Tuna the dog commands a following of 2.1 million.
Take a look at your audience and their social media habits. Who are they following? Do they have two legs or four? Then, choose the influencer that best fits your brand and your goals.
Conclusion
Paid ads on search and social media are an effective way to market to pet owners. It gives brands the opportunity to reach very specific audiences for their products and services, and then measure the success of each campaign.
Pet owners spend a lot of money online, and knowing where and how to reach them could help you increase conversion rates to your own pet supply site.
Consider Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee and What They Can Do for Your Business
Looking for business credit cards no annual fee? Look no further. We’ve got you covered.
We looked into lots of company credit cards for you. So, here are our selections.
Most of these have an ongoing annual fee of $0 (versus just an introductory fee). You can get a lot of cash with business credit cards.
And you will not need collateral, cash flow, or financials to get small business credit.
Company Credit Card Benefits
Benefits can differ. So, make sure to choose the benefit you prefer from this choice of options.
And always check rates on the appropriate site.
Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee for Fair Credit
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
Take a look at the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business. It has no annual fee. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 26.99%. You can earn unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase for your company, without any minimum to redeem.
While this card is available if you have average credit, beware of the APR. Nonetheless if you can pay on time, and in full, then it’s a deal.
Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee for Jackpot Rewards That Never Expire
Capital One ® Spark® Cash Select for Business
Take a look at the Capital One ® Spark® Cash Select for Business card. It has no annual fee. You can get 1.5% cash back on every purchase. There is no restriction on the cash back you can earn. Also earn a one-time $200 cash bonus as soon as you spend $3,000 on purchases in the very first 3 months. Rewards never expire.
Pay a 0% introductory APR for 9 months. Then pay 13.99%– 23.99% variable APR afterwards.
You will need great to outstanding credit scores to qualify.
Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee (Introductory) for Cash Back
Flat-Rate Rewards
Capital One ® Spark® Cash for Business
Take a look at the Capital One ® Spark® Cash for Business card. It has an introductory $0 annual fee for the first year. Afterwards, this card costs $95 each year. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 20.99%.
You can get a $500 one-time cash reward after spending $4,500 in the initial three months from account opening. Get unlimited 1.5% cash back with Cash Select.
You will need great to superior credit to qualify.
Look into the Discover it ® Business Card. It has no yearly fee. There is an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for one year. After that the regular APR is a variable 14.49– 22.49%.
Get unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no category restrictions or bonuses. They double the 1.5% Cashback Match ™ at the end of the initial year. There is no minimal spend requirement.
You can download transactions rapidly to Quicken, QuickBooks, and Excel. Keep in mind: you will need great to exceptional credit scores to get this card.
Check out the Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card. It has no annual fee. There is a 0% initial APR for the first year. After that, the APR is a variable 13.24– 19.24%. You can get a $750 one-time cash bonus after spending $7,500 in the first 3 months from account opening.
You can get 5% cash back on the initial $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year.
Get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gasoline stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is no limit to the amount you can earn.
You will need exceptional credit scores to get approved for this card.
Bank of America ® Business Advantage Cash Rewards MasterCard ® credit card
Look at the Bank of America ® Business Cash Rewards MasterCard ® credit card. Get an 0% introductory APR for the initial 9 billing cycles of the account. Afterwards, the APR is 12.24%– 22.24% variable. There is no annual fee. You can get a $300 statement credit offer.
Get 3% cash back in the category of your choice. So these are gas stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services. Earn 2% cash back on dining. So this is for the initial $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year. Afterwards earn 1% after, with no restrictions.
Bank of America ® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World MasterCard® credit card
For no annual fee while still getting travel rewards, check out this card from Bank of America. It has no yearly fee and a 0% initial APR for purchases during the first 9 billing cycles. After that, its regular APR is 12.24– 22.24% variable.
You can get 30,000 bonus points when you make a minimum of $3,000 in internet purchases. So this is within 90 days of your account opening. You can redeem these points for a $300 statement credit towards travel purchases.
Get endless 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases, everywhere, each time. And this is no matter how much you spend.
Also earn 3 points per every dollar spent when you book your travel (automobile, hotel, airline) with the Bank of America ® Travel Center. There is no restriction to the number of points you can get and points do not expire.
You can earn up to 75% more points on every purchase if you have a company checking account with Bank of America and qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business.
You will need superb credit scores to get this one (as in, 700s or better).
Flat-rate Travel Rewards: No Annual Fee for First Year
Capital One ® Spark® Miles for Business
Check out the Capital One ® Spark® Miles for Business card. It has no annual fee for the initial year, which after that rises to $95. The regular APR is 20.99%, variable due to the prime rate. There is no introductory annual percentage rate. Pay no transfer charges. Late fees go up to $39.
This card is terrific for travel if your costs do not come under basic bonus categories. You can get unlimited double miles on all purchases, without limitations. Earn 5x miles on rental cars and hotels if you book through Capital One Travel.
Get an initial bonus of 50,000 miles. That’s the same as $500 in travel. But you only get it if you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months from account opening. There is no foreign transaction cost. You will need a good to exceptional FICO rating to qualify.
Earn 50,000 bonus miles if you spend at least $4,500 within 3 months of your rewards membership enrollment date.
Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee for Fair to Poor Credit Scores, Not Calling for a Personal Guarantee
Brex Card for Startups
Look into the Brex Card for Startups. It has no annual fee.
You will not need to give your Social Security number to apply. And you will not need to provide a personal guarantee. They will take your EIN.
Nevertheless, they do not accept every industry.
Also, there are some industries they will not work with, as well as others where they want more paperwork. For a list, go to https://brex.com/legal/prohibited_activities/.
To establish creditworthiness, Brex checks a company’s cash balance, spending patterns, and investors.
You can get 7x points on rideshare. Get 4x on travel. Also, get triple points on restaurants. And get double points on recurring software costs. Get 1x points on everything else.
You can have poor credit, (even a 300 FICO) to qualify.
Company Credit Cards with a 0% Initial APR– Pay Zero!
Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Take a look at the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. It has no annual fee. There is a 0% initial APR for the first year. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 13.24– 19.24%.
Get double Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases like office supplies or client dinners for the first $50,000 spent annually. Get 1 point per dollar after that.
You will need good to exceptional credit scores to qualify.
Also have a look at the American Express ® Blue Business Cash Card. Note: the American Express ® Blue Business Cash Card the same as the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. Yet its rewards are in cash as opposed to points.
Get 2% cash back on all qualified purchases on as much as $50,000 per calendar year. Afterwards obtain 1%.
It has no annual fee. There is a 0% initial APR for the first 12 months. After that, the APR is a variable 13.24– 19.24%.
You will need great to outstanding credit to qualify.
Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/business-bluecash-credit-card/
The Very Best Small Business Credit Cards No Annual Fee for You
Your straight-out perfect business credit cards no annual fee will depend upon your credit history and scores.
Only you can pick which features you want and need. So, do your research. What is exceptional for you could be terrible for another individual.
And, as always, make certain to establish credit in the recommended order for the best, quickest benefits.
Qualia | Fullstack ENGINEERING MANAGER | San Francisco, CA | Full-time, Salary + Options
Qualia (qualia.com) is a startup making web applications for real estate professionals. We have raised over 95M in total funding, have not stopped hiring throughout COVID and are actively looking to add 50 folks to the team before the end of the year.
We are making it easier to buy and sell homes by taking the process online.
Solving the real estate coordination problem makes for some really fun engineering and design challenges, and opportunities to make the process better for everyone involved.
About US:
– Well funded with years of runway
– Own 20% of a 40 Billion dollar industry
– Actively hiring during a world recession
– Personal and Career Growth opportunities
– 5X revenue Growth last 18 months
– All 3 Founders are Forbes 30 Under 30 Award recipients
– Recently named as one of the best startup employers in 2020.
-Named one of the “50 Future Unicorns” by CB Insights and Fast Company.
Are you looking for recession business credit cards for average credit? It may seem harder with the novel coronavirus changing our society. But it can still be done! Average personal credit does not have to be an obstacle to getting credit. Yes, you can get funding even now, and it does not have to come from the Small Business Administration.
Check out how – we can show you how.
Get the Recession Best Business Credit Cards for Average Credit
Are you searching for the best recession business credit cards for average credit? Then look no further, for we have done the research on cards and a number of different perks, too!
Per the SBA, business credit card limits are a whopping 10 – 100 times that of consumer cards!
This demonstrates you can get a lot more money with small business credit. And it also means you can have personal credit cards at retailers. So you would now have an extra card at the same stores for your company.
And you will not need collateral, cash flow, or financial data in order to get business credit.
Business Credit Card Benefits
Benefits can differ. So, make certain to pick the perk you like from this selection of options.
Secure Recession Business Credit Cards for Fair to Poor Credit, Not Requiring a Personal Guarantee
Brex Card for Startups
Have a look at the Brex Card for Startups. It has no annual fee.
You will not need to provide your Social Security number to apply. And you will not need to supply a personal guarantee. They will take your EIN.
Nevertheless, they do not accept every industry.
Likewise, there are some industries they will not work with, as well as others where they want more paperwork. For a list, go here: https://brex.com/legal/prohibited_activities/.
To determine creditworthiness, Brex checks a business’s cash balance, spending patterns, and investors.
You can get 7x points on rideshare. Get 4x on Brex Travel. Likewise, get triple points on restaurants. And get double points on recurring software payments. Get 1x points on everything else.
You can have bad credit (even a 300 FICO) to qualify.
Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Improve your average credit!
Recession Business Credit Cards with a 0% Introductory APR – Pay Zero!
Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Check out the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.
Get double Membership Rewards® points on day to day business purchases like office supplies or client dinners for the initial $50,000 spent per year. Get 1 point per dollar afterwards.
You will need great to superb credit scores to qualify.
Also take a look at the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card. Note: the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card is identical to the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. Yet its rewards are in cash rather than points.
Get 2% cash back on all qualified purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year. After that get 1%.
It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the initial one year. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.
You will need great to exceptional credit to qualify.
Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Improve your average credit!
Recession Business Credit Cards for Average Credit for Low APR/Balance Transfers
+Discover it® Cash Back
Take a look at the Discover it® Cash Back card. There is a 10.99% introductory APR for six months from date of first transfer. So, this is for transfers under this offer which post to your account by January 10, 2019.
After the introductory APR expires, your APR will be 14.99% to 23.99%. So, this is based on your creditworthiness. Your APR will vary with the market, which is based upon the Prime Rate.
Details
You can earn 5% cash back at different places every quarter. So, these are establishments like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs. But this is up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate. Plus, automatically earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
You will get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you have gotten at the end of your first year, automatically.
Terrific Recession Business Credit Cards for Cash Back
Flat-Rate Rewards
Capital One ® Spark® Cash for Business
Take a look at the Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business. It has an introductory $0 annual fee for the first year. After that, this card costs $95 annually. There is no introductory APR deal. The regular APR is a variable 18.49%.
You can get a $500 one-time cash bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. Get unlimited 2% cash back. Redeem any time without any minimums.
You will need good to exceptional credit scores to qualify.
Check out the Discover it® Business Card. It has no annual fee. There is an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for year. After that the regular APR is a variable 14.49 – 22.49%.
Get unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no category restrictions or bonuses. They double the 1.5% Cashback Match™ at the end of the first year. There is no minimum spend requirement.
You can download transactions| quickly to Quicken, QuickBooks, and Excel. Note: you will need good to superb credit scores to get approval for this card.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards MasterCard® credit card
Check out the Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards MasterCard® credit card. Get an 0% introductory APR for the first 9 billing cycles of the account. Afterwards, the APR is 13.74% – 23.74% variable. There is no annual fee. You can get a $300 statement credit offer.
Get 3% cash back in the category of your choice. So these are filling stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services. Get 2% cash back on dining. So this is for the initial $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year. Then earn 1% after, with no limits.
Recession Business Credit Cards for Fair Credit Scores
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
Have a look at the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business. It has no annual fee. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 24.49%. You can get unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase for your company, without any minimum to redeem.
While this card is within reach if you have fair credit scores, beware of the APR. But if you can pay on schedule, and in full, then it’s a bargain.
Recession Business Credit Cards for Average Credit for Jackpot Rewards That Never Expire
Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business
Have a look at the Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business. It has no yearly fee. You can get 1.5% cash back on every purchase. There is no limit on the cash back you can get. And earn a one-time $200 cash bonus as soon as you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards never expire.
Pay a 0% introductory APR for 9 months. Then pay 14.49% – 22.49% variable APR after that.
You will need good to excellent credit scores to qualify.
Recession Business Credit Cards for Average Credit with No Annual Fee
No Annual Fee/Flat Rate Cash Back
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card
Have a look at the Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card. Beyond no yearly fee, get an introductory 0% APR for the first 12 months. After that, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.
You can earn unlimited 1.5% Cash Back rewards on every purchase made for your business. And get $500 bonus cash back after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening. You can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more using Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You will need superb credit scores to qualify for this card.
Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Improve your average credit!
Flexible Recession Business Credit Cards – Check Out Your Options!
The Plum Card® from American Express
Have a look at the Plum Card® from American Express. It has an initial annual fee of $0 for the first year. Afterwards, pay $250 per year.
Get a 1.5% early pay discount cash back bonus when you pay within 10 days. You can take up to 60 days to pay without interest when you pay the minimum due by the payment due date.
You will need great to exceptional credit scores to qualify.
Your Best Recession Business Credit Cards for Average Credit
Your outright best recession business credit cards for average credit will hinge on your credit history and scores.
Only you can select which features you want and need. So make sure to do your homework. What is outstanding for you could be disastrous for another person.
And, as always, be sure to develop credit in the recommended order for the best, quickest benefits. The COVID-19 situation will not last forever.
Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.
Anywhere you find a cube of sugar in the open, you’ll find ants.
Today, the SEO service providers’ industry, valued over $65 billion, is like a cube of sugar. It’s why you’ll find countless SEO companies scrambling for a piece of that sugary cake.
And where does that leave you, a business owner eager to reach Google’s top pages, generate qualified traffic, and drive sales?
Insanity!
With all this confusion, I sense you came here pondering:
How do I filter vetted SEO companies?
How can I find a top SEO company that doesn’t need ads to rank its website organically?
You’ll find the answer to those questions here.
And that’s not all.
You’ll also see the SEO companies that go beyond vanity metrics and deliver real business results.
In the past, you could hire any Tom and Harry to stuff keywords into a page or website you wanted to rank, and it’ll make its way to Google’s 1st page.
Not anymore.
In short, the constant evolution of SEO has reached a tipping point where ranking alone doesn’t guarantee business results—qualified traffic, leads, and sales.
To get the most out of any SEO investment today, you need a holistic strategy.
And a holistic SEO strategy must blend your website code, information architecture (IA), and content marketing with context to not only make your business discoverable online but valuable to customers.
Take this guide you’re reading, for example. If it wasn’t valuable to you, would you still be reading?
You’re experiencing excellent SEO execution at play here.
Done well, it drives relevant website visits. But most importantly, it uses high-quality content to engage and convert visitors into leads and customers.
I’m confident the best SEO companies we reviewed below will do no different. Hire any of them, and you’ll attract and convert visitors into leads and customers.
#1 Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO Content Marketing
Yeah, we’re tooting our own horn, and it’s not because charity begins at home.
We’ve earned our place on this list.
First things first, Neil Patel Digital was founded by hardcore marketers who walk the talk, and not some random wannabe. If you type “SEO strategies” into Google from anywhere in the world, you’ll find well-crafted content by our Co-founder, Neil Patel, on the 3rd and 4th organic positions:
As you can see from the snapshot above, through these efforts, our Co-Founder has accumulated more than 1.7 million organic keywords with over 3 million websites across the globe linking back to his content pieces.
To build a rock-solid SEO content marketing company you can rely on, I also partnered with other marketing veterans to form Neil Patel Digital:
Together, the executive team here in Neil Patel Digital has garnered over five decades of hands-on experience. And this excludes other top-level, in-house marketing managers.
In short, SEO-optimized content marketing is one of the prime reasons customers, from startups to enterprise brands, trust Neil Patel Digital to deliver top-notch search engine optimization strategies:
If you’re just starting with search engine optimization or seek better results, it’s best to start with content marketing.
Content is the bedrock that drives all other online marketing campaigns.
It’s how you got here; it’s how your customers will find you, too.
And not only is SEO-optimized content marketing Neil Patel Digital’s core offering, but we’ve also developed battle-tested programs we can bet our life on:
No, this company didn’t name themselves Voice SEO for the fun of it. They’re the #1 ranked voice SEO company by TopSEOs.
And that’s for a reason.
Voice SEO took it upon themselves to study the trends surrounding how people use spoken commands—instead of typing words to query the search engines. From there, they discovered the ever-increasing use of voice search and positioned themselves as the go-to company for voice SEO.
If you own any of Siri, Google Echo, or Alexa devices, or you know someone who does, that should give an idea of the growing importance to optimize your website for voice.
And that’s where Voice SEO, as the name suggests, comes in.
This company started as a small team of SEO experts focused on putting their SEO skills to good use, helping businesses like them to grow.
Through this intense passion for excellence, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in the industry, particularly in voice search engine optimization.
Although there are no client testimonials to their name, they have garnered accreditations, which shows they know their onions to deserve a place on this list:
#3 ReachLocal – Best For Local SEO
ReachLocal is the go-to company for strategic local SEO executions. And their experience, results, and high-value partnerships speak for itself.
With offices in five continents, they’re a Google Premier Partner, and Bing Ads Certified specialists, and others. ReachLocal proudly partners with Google, Yelp, Yahoo!, Bing, and Facebook to help businesses optimize their local search engine optimization strategies and drive in-store customers.
And not only that, across several review sites, this company’s experience and attention to detail have seen them receive 4.5/5-star ratings from happy customers:
#4 FatJoe – Best For Backlink Acquisition
Search engines interpret the relative importance of your web pages and websites as a whole, using the number of backlinks pointing to them.
In order words, the more backlinks you acquire, the more the search engines see your site as authoritative.
And the more it’ll rank your site over those of your competitors for competitive keywords.
When it comes to acquiring backlinks for SEO, FATJOE comes highly recommended by us. They’ll help you generate high-value backlinks, and you can rest assured because even other SEO agencies turn to them for the same.
FATJOE has grown to become one of the world’s largest outsourced link building agencies, serving over 5,000 clients worldwide.
When you sign up for FATJOE’s SEO link building services, you get premium access to every tool you need: A dashboard to manage and track your orders, and their Blogger Outreach product to find and reach relevant websites to build links from.
About 97% of customers who use FATJOE rates them a 4.5/5, and even though they’re more positioned for agencies—because they do link building a lot.
#5 OuterBox – Best for eCommerce SEO
OuterBox, an SEO and performance marketing company focused on eCommerce brands, is our pick for eCommerce SEO.
If you own an eCommerce website and seek a talented group of dedicated people to power your business through the search engines, you should look OuterBox’s way.
Founded in 2004, this company earned the list of Inc. 500 fastest growing companies in the US, having served hundreds of customers across several eCommerce sectors.
Their clientele speaks for itself: NewAir, AtlasOil, JetDock, UCFS, and others.
And it doesn’t matter which eCommerce platform you’ve built your business with. Be it WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify, Drupal, or others; you can rely on OuterBox for effective eCommerce search engine optimization:
5 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Company
You’ll find hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO companies out there.
So, let’s say you wanted to go out of our vetted list to find one for yourself. What are the characteristics that make a great SEO company you should be looking out for?
They are as follows.
1. Experience and Process for Implementing SEO
When it comes to SEO these days, anyone with a laptop, access to the internet, and a WordPress-installed blog can boast of being an SEO company.
What you won’t see behind those claims, however, is the experience and process they take to deliver results.
You should always lookout for this.
Scroll their website, do a simple Google search and see if they show up on the search engine’s organic positions. If they don’t, it means they have little to no experience nor implemented what they claim to deliver.
Can you give what you don’t have?
Likewise, a fundamental characteristic of a great SEO company is that they have experience implementing SEO for themselves first.
And they have a process, showing you how they go about getting results:
2. An Impressive Portfolio
The idea of showing off portfolios has become a characteristic of great SEO companies today. And the reason for this is simple.
They’re proud of the businesses they’ve helped increase rankings on Google and driven traffic to get leads and sales.
But, this idea to show off their portfolio does you more good.
Scroll through it, and you’ll see the kind of clients they’ve worked with or frequently work with. From here, decide if you want to be in that mix and get similar results.
For example, at Neil Patel Digital, here are some clients in our work portfolio:
3. Thought Leadership
SEO is always evolving.
Today it’s Google’s RankBrain. Before you know it, it’s Panda. And just when you thought that one would stay, Hummingbird hits you right in the face.
And those are major updates. In one year alone, Google makes upwards of 3,200 updates to its search engine algorithms.
How can you—one focused on managing your business, keep tabs with all these changes?
You need thought-leadership, and that’s a characteristic of great SEO companies.
Look out if they’re keeping up with SEO best practices as they evolve, and sharing tips to help businesses adjust for maximum impact:
4. Real Life Testimonials
Who wouldn’t toot his own horn?
Definitely not search engine optimization companies. Developing winning SEO strategies, managing its implementation, and guiding teams on its execution to generate results is hard.
When an SEO company does all this hard work and gets those fantastic results, their customers reward them with testimonials, having got value for their money.
Thus, sharing real-life testimonials is a characteristic you’ll find with most great SEO organizations:
5. A Complete Team of Leaders, Managers, and Executors
Just as no man is an island, turning SEO ideas into higher rankings, website visitors, leads, and sales needs a diverse team of specialists.
When an SEO company makes too many promises without showing you the team to make it happen, hold tight. Why?
Because that’s a red flag they’ll charge you a premium and outsource your job for pennies on the dollar overseas or Fiverr for $5.
From strategic leaders to managers and different teams of specialists to execute your strategy, great SEO companies are proud to show off their amazing team members:
What to Expect from a Great SEO Company
So far, I’ve listed our recommended SEO companies and highlighted the characteristics that make a great search engine optimization company, suppose you decide to find one yourself.
Either way, after making a choice, what should you expect from a great SEO company?
1. Discovery session
Your decision to work with an SEO company may come from the need to rank your site higher, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three.
But, no business case and needs are exactly the same. The SEO strategies that worked for another company won’t work automatically for yours.
Great SEO companies, from experience working with different organizations, know this. Thus, they’re not quick to send proposals. Instead, to help you, they allow you to share your unique needs and business case in a discovery session:
2. Research and Recommendations
After sharing your needs and business case with an SEO company, they take what you tell them and use their expertise to conduct in-depth research.
They do this to get the right context needed to bring themselves on the same page with you, your target audience, and industry.
After they’ve performed this research, expect a great SEO company to share their recommendations of what you need to do to get maximum results. This, they can do over another discovery call or via email.
3. Contract with Deliverables
If your discovery session and follow-up conversations with an SEO company looks like a good fit for the exchange of mutual value, you’ll receive a contract for your business.
However, a great SEO company won’t only send you any contract. In it, expect to see a detailed list of what they’ll deliver, how they plan to deliver it, and when you should start expecting results.
4. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management
To help you, an SEO company would need access to some of your assets.
Depending on your work scope, this could include your in-house staff, website or blog access, your analytics login codes, etc.
So, to forge a smooth partnership with your company, expect your team to go through a detailed onboarding process from a great SEO company.
From this onboarding process, they’ll also scope your project, timelines, and establish an understanding of how they’ll manage your project.
Conclusion: Give SEO Time
SEO takes time before its results start to manifest.
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