Medikeeper helps millions of employees and health plan members engage in preventative wellness programs and actively close gaps in their health care. You can find out more about our products, here: https://medikeeper.com/products/
We’re looking for proactive, quality-oriented engineers who are excited to work closely with a smart product team. We’re a small company with lots of planned, funded growth, so this is an opportunity to get in early and grow with the company!
Here’s the full-stack engineer posting at Stack Overflow and Women Who Code (the WWC ad outlines our interview process):
We’re also hiring for QA Engineers and a UX Designer.
I’m the hiring manager for our engineering/QA team and I’m assisting with the UX role, so if you’d like to learn more about any of these openings, please do feel free email me directly at the address in my HN profile, or apply for the engineering role via WWC or Stack Overflow. Happy to take questions directly! Please mention that you saw this post on HN.
MediKeeper | Full-Stack Engineer / QA Engineer / UX Designer | San Diego, CA | REMOTE (US only) | Full-Time | https://www.medikeeper.com Medikeeper helps millions of employees and health plan members engage in preventative wellness programs and actively close gaps in their health care. You can find out more about our products, here: https://medikeeper.com/products/ We’re … Continue reading New comment by bflowers in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2020)"
No doubt this is a hard time to grow a local business. Coronavirus has likely forced you to make big changes to the way you operate. It’s almost certainly hit your bottom line too. However, it’s still absolutely possible to grow your local business at a time like this. You just have to be smart … Continue reading How to Grow Your Local Business During Uncertain Times
Develop Your Marketing Machine to Plan for Marketing Success Do you ever before really feel like you’re continuously running about, attempting to obtain your advertising products placed with each other and also out the door? Or are you continuously jumping on the newest advertising concept, and also tossing away your time as well as cash …
MediKeeper | Full-Stack Engineer / QA Engineer / UX Designer | San Diego, CA | REMOTE (US only) | Full-Time | https://www.medikeeper.com Medikeeper helps millions of employees and health plan members engage in preventative wellness programs and actively close gaps in their health care. You can find out more about our products, here: https://medikeeper.com/products/ We’re …
Develop Your Marketing Machine to Plan for Marketing Success Do you ever before really feel like you’re continuously running about, attempting to obtain your advertising products placed with each other and also out the door? Or are you continuously jumping on the newest advertising concept, and also tossing away your time as well as cash …
If you want your business to succeed, you’ll need to pay close attention to your brand strategy. And that strategy starts with a free brand logo.
A strong brand creates instant recognition in the marketplace, especially amongst your customers.
It also builds loyalty and shows you share your customer’s values. Do this right, and both your customers and your competitors will always remember you.
One of the best ways to leave a positive and lasting (visual) imprint of your brand is to create a unique brand logo.
Getting your brand logo professionally designed can be expensive.
Look at 99Designs research. They found that a professionally-designed logo can cost you anywhere from $400 up to $2500+, with the quality varying depending on the actual cost.
That sounds pricey, right?
You could take it upon yourself to design your logo from scratch by investing time in learning graphic design.
Or, I could show you how to design a free brand logo for your company with minimal effort on your part.
You see, gone are the days when your only option was to get a graphic designer to create your logo. They usually came with a hefty price tag.
Now, you can use online resources to design and create your very own brand logo for free.
And you can literally do it within a few minutes.
Some of these companies will even allow you to download your logo without having to invest any money.
In this article, I’ll walk you through five ways to create a free brand logo for your company in just minutes.
1. Free Logo Design
Free Logo Design is a free brand logo creator that allows you to create a brand logo of your own and incorporate it into your business.
You can do this in a few simple steps:
Select an existing logo template.
Use the editor to move and scale your text or image.
Download your logo.
Display your logo everywhere.
First of all, you’ll need to go to the homepage and enter your company name, as shown.
You should notice right off the bat that Free Logo Design gives you several design options as you type.
These images are too generic. You’ll want to be more specific.
So, pick a category from the drop-down menu and click “Start.”
For the “new” Kissmetrics brand logo, I’ll pick “Business & Consulting.”
Once you’ve clicked “Get Started,” it will bring you to the design page where a pop-up platform will display auto-generated logo templates from existing images.
You’ll see some containing your company’s name.
In the “Business & Consulting” category, the software generated 90 designs, with a maximum of 15 per page.
For the next step, go through all of the designs and find a logo that you think will:
Visually look good
Define your brand
Be remembered by your customers
Fit your brand strategy
Once satisfied with your decision, select the desired logo, and click “Add.”
From there, it will take you to the logo editor, where you may notice that the text and graphics are overlapping or jumbled up.
Each part of the graphic is an individual element, but the text is grouped as one.
This is your default logo.
You could leave it as it is, but, quite frankly, it won’t look great.
In this case, I’d like to move the text under the graphic and center it.
Select the text and drag it into position.
Once the text is aligned and looks pleasing to the eye, I’ll select all elements and move back to the center of the screen.
To do so, click and drag the cursor over the elements you want to move.
This creates a selection box of all elements that you can move (or rotate if required). A properties box that shows each element individually will also appear.
If you need to edit these elements, you can do so under the “Actions” toolbar.
An element’s colors can be edited, moved, flipped, and rotated.
You can also edit the color, alignment/curve, and font style of the text if you’re not quite happy with it.
Or you can add an extra logo, icon, shape, or more text from the options on the right.
Add an extra element or edit logo color if required.
Sometimes you can get stuck tweaking your design, potentially for hours.
For the “new” Kissmetrics brand logo, the goal is to create a completed logo design in only a few minutes.
And that’s all that’s needed. I’m happy with the design.
Now, with the design complete, it’s time to download your new brand logo. You can easily do this by clicking “Save” at the top-right corner of the screen.
Free Logo Design will then prepare your logo for download. Once ready, it will give you the following options:
Click “Download” and enter your name and email address.
The finished logo will now be sent to you, free of charge.
Although the free PNG file is of a low-resolution, it’s ideal for website use and email signatures.
Even the high-resolution download is reasonably priced. Currently, at $39, this includes a PDF, EPS, and vector SVG file.
This is a steal compared to the prices I mentioned earlier for a professional design, and it’s very cost-effective for a bootstrapping business startup.
Whether you’re a bootstrapping startup or not, realizing your brand’s importance can play a major role in your business’s success.
By equipping your company with a new brand logo, you’ll be one step closer to achieving this success.
2. Logomakr
Another free resource with a hands-on approach is Logomakr.
With Logomakr, you can instantly make a brand logo for your company.
Most of these free online logo makers use similar concepts when designing and editing. They use existing templates on a user-friendly design platform.
To create your design with Logomakr:
Go to their homepage, and it will greet you with an instructional video. This will quickly run through the simple process of using their platform to design a logo.
It also presents you with the following design advice to consider:
Make your logo clean and simple.
Make sure your logo is 100% original.
Make sure you’re able to copyright your own logo.
Make sure the logo fits the style of your industry.
Make sure your final logo images are in vector format.
With your concept in mind, you’ll need to pick a graphic for your logo.
Next, search the million or more graphics in Logomakr’s database by using the search bar at the top left of your screen.
For my design, I’ll search “kiss.”
The database should then give hundreds of free-use images to choose from (for that particular search word).
Scroll through the results and select the image you’d like to use.
You’ll then return to the editing page, where you’ve multiple options to edit your design.
You can add text, shapes, paint, scale, move, or change your graphic color.
For this example, I’ll scale up the graphic to be larger. That way, it’ll stand out more.
Next, you’ll need to add your company name. Using the “add text” function, I’ll add “kissmetrics.”
Once you’ve added the text, you’ll notice two drop-down menus at the top of the screen.
One is for the font category, and the other is for the font style.
Select the font style or category that you think will have the best visual impact on your design.
You can play around with the text and the scales of the elements (text, image, or shapes) so they sit proportionate to each other.
Once you’re satisfied, consider the colors you’ll use in the final design and how that ties in with your branding strategy’s overall color scheme.
At Kissmetrics, I’m partial to the color blue.
You can change the color in three steps:
Select the elements you wish to change.
Click on “Change Color” in the tools section.
Pick the color you want in the top-right corner.
Once done, you’re ready to save and download a copy. Do this by clicking on “Save Logo” at the top right corner of your screen.
This will then bring you to your final set of options, depending on the logo’s use.
To opt for the free version, you’ll need to download and give credit to Logomakr.
For this design, I’ll click on “Download And Agree To Give Credit.”
Again, to download a higher-res image than the one provided for free, you’ll need to pay a premium. In this case, it’s $19.
With the high-res image, you’ll be able to use it on banners, company clothing, and for printing purposes.
If you’ve followed the simple steps above, you should now have a free brand logo that you can use as many times as you like.
You can do all of that in under 5 minutes, too.
3. Canva
Next on the list of software that offers free downloads is Canva.
If you’re not familiar with Canva, it’s simple design software that is quite popular with graphic designers and bloggers to create high-quality images like infographics and featured images.
Its popularity is due to its simplistic drag-and-drop design tools and a huge collection of photos, graphics, and fonts.
With the easy-to-use platform, you can create your brand logo in five easy steps:
Once you’re done, click on the “Start Designing A Custom Logo.”
The first thing you’ll want to do is select “Elements” from the toolbar and decide on a category. For this design, I’ll use an image from “Icons.”
A library of multiple icons will then appear. Scroll through them until you find an image you can use. Then, select it.
Some elements have the word “free” beside them. These are free-use graphics that you can use in your logo design.
Now that you have the main graphic for your logo, select the element, and change the color.
Remember: always keep your branding theme in mind. So, once again, I’ll use blue.
Next, you’ll want to add your company name by selecting the “Text” tool from the toolbar. Similar to “Elements,” you have a library of templates to choose from.
Scroll through to find a text that will fit your brand, keeping in mind the “free-use” templates.
Find your favorite and click on it. I’ll use “Blue Wood.”
You’ll notice that the text will center on top of the logo element. Click on it and drag it to where you want it.
Move both text and element so that they align with the center of the design template.
Once satisfied, it’s time to edit the text.
Click on and select the small text above “Blue Wood.” Delete this text.
Click on and select the text “Blue Wood” and replace it with your company name, “kissmetrics.”
Next, edit the text’s color and size by selecting the text and using the text toolbar at the top of your screen.
You also have the option to change the font style using the drop-down menu.
Your logo should now be ready to download. Click the “Download” button at the top right of the screen.
You’ll be given different file types to select for download.
The file types available are JPG, PNG, PDF standard, and PDF print. For the Kissmetrics logo, I’ll choose PDF standard.
Once downloaded, you’ll be able to view your new brand logo in a PDF reader.
Canva doesn’t yet support exporting logos in a vector format.
For higher-res graphics, you should make your logo as large as possible and download the PDF print version.
Don’t worry; with a PNG file, you’ll be able to add your logo to your website.
Another quick, simple, and free way to create a brand logo for your company.
4. GraphicSprings
GraphicSprings is software that allows you to use their platform to design and create a logo for free.
To begin your design, go to their logo design page and enter your company name.
Next, add an image from the database by selecting “Choose Your Graphic” from the side toolbar, left of the screen.
A sub-search bar will pop-up under your last selection, with a list of categories underneath.
If you know the graphic you’d like to add, enter it into the search bar.
GraphicSprings have included an “Internet” category, which is quite fitting, so I’ll use that.
Click the category you want, and a database containing stock images or graphics will appear.
(Just like the previous software).
Can you spot a common theme yet?
This simple concept works across each platform, eliminating the need to “reinvent the wheel.”
Search through the results, and once you see an image that you’d like to use, select it.
After choosing a graphic, the software will create your design and take you to the editing page. Once you’re there, it will prompt you to select the elements for editing.
Click on the text to edit it. It will allow you to change the font style, size, and format. You can also add some cool effects like stroke, shadow, or glow.
For simplicity, I’ll leave it as it is.
The options for editing are also basic. You have the ability to change the color and add some effects.
Canva will break the graphic into different elements (similar to Free Logo Design), so you can edit each piece individually.
I’ll stick with the color theme of blue, but I’ll keep the two-tone effect.
Next, select each element and change the colors accordingly.
Once the editing is complete and you’re satisfied with the design, click “Download Your Logo” at the bottom right of the editing page.
It will take you to the payment page, where you can buy the high-resolution image for as low as $19.99.
To access the vector files with the ability to edit after you purchase it, you’ll need to pay for the standard package, which costs $39.99.
With this option, you’ll have the ability to make aftermarket changes to your logo whenever you please.
5. Designimo
Designimo also requires payment once the design is complete, but you can use the design tools for free to create the graphic for your logo.
They previously offered a low-res free download, but they now produce high-res images only.
Designimo is similar to Free Logo Design and GraphicSprings in that you enter the name of your company into the search bar and select a category that fits your needs.
It’ll then auto-generate multiple graphics using a huge database of existing designs.
Again, the level of editing is basic, but the results are solid.
It also follows the simple process that Free Logo Design uses:
To ensure your design goes as smoothly as possible, I’ll walk you through the process below.
First, go to the homepage, add your company name, and click “Create Logo Now.”
Then, select a category from the drop-down menu, ranging from “Alphabetic Text” to “Travel & Hotel.”
For this example, I will use the category “Alphabetic Text.”
Designimo will provide you with numerous individual designs under each category.
While the other categories use existing graphics made up of symbols, the “Alphabetic Text” generates logos in the shape of the letter selected (hence the name).
It also files them alphabetically.
For the Kissmetrics logo, I’ll select the letter “K,” and go through the results. Each letter has multiple pages of designs, so navigate through them.
Once you’ve found the one you’d like to proceed with, select the graphic.
You’ll then land on the editing page, equipped with basic design and editing tools. Using the tools available, you can:
Increase/decrease element size
Rotate graphics left/right
Flip vertical/horizontal
Change text size and font style to suit
Apply opacity to an element (i.e., make see-through)
Easily move elements by clicking and dragging
For this alphabetical logo, I’ll be a little creative and use the symbol shaped as “K” and use it to start the company name, “Kissmetrics.”
By deleting the “k” from the text, I now have a completely different and unique looking logo.
Edit the text size or font style, if required.
The default font is OK, so I’ll leave it as it is.
Next, change the colors to match your theme.
If you’re happy with the design, your new brand logo should now be ready to download. Click on “Download Now” or “Save For Future” (if you’d like to come back and work on it).
First, you’ll need to register your details and sign up for an account to download your image.
You’ll then be brought to an order confirmation page, to confirm and proceed to checkout.
Pay and download.
The cost for a high-res image, including PNG, JPG, and EPS Vector files, is $29.95.
Although not free, the brand logo you can create and download using this software is a high-quality graphic at a relatively low price.
Conclusion
When it comes to starting a new business, the tasks on your to-do list, along with the costs of setting everything up, can be overwhelming.
But creating a brand logo for your company doesn’t have to be.
Branding should be the core of your company’s marketing strategy.
Your brand should tell a story, and part of that story is your logo.
Being an expert in graphic design or outsourcing to a professional was once the norm (and it still is for many brands).
But now, the Internet is full of innovative people with new ideas and free software that can help new businesses reduce their startup costs.
With user-friendly tools, it’s possible to create a free brand logo for your company in minutes.
These platforms also help prevent you from being paralyzed by options.
Previously, you may have been up all night studying “how-to-design” videos on YouTube.
Now you don’t have to.
These platforms do most of the designing for you and, and they’ll even give you some quick tutorials. All you have to bring to the table is a good idea and an eye for a visually-pleasing design.
With your brand’s color and theme in mind, pick the software that is easiest for you and get started designing a free brand logo today.
In terms of user-friendliness, design results, or cost, which free brand logo software would you recommend?
Suddenly you notice that none of your social media activity seems to be showing up at all. It’s like you don’t even exist on the site… Weird!
Is it a bug? Every website suffers from them sometimes, and the interactive features can often be the first to go haywire. Server maintenance could also be the culprit.
But another possibility is that you might have been “shadowbanned” (previously called ghostbanned).
Accounts that are shadowbanned are put into a kind of invisible mode. In other words, they become a “shadow” that no one can see.
In this post, we’ll talk more about what exactly shadowbanning is, and how you can tell if it happened to you.
What Is Shadowbanning?
Shadowbanning is when your posts or activity don’t show up on a site, but you haven’t received an official ban or notification.
It’s a way to let spammers continue to spam without anyone else in the community (or outside of it) seeing what they do.
That way, other social media users don’t suffer from spam because they can’t see it. The spammer won’t immediately start to look for ways to get around the ban, because they don’t even realize they’ve been banned.
Now, all of this might sound a little odd or shady. Since many websites and apps deny that they shadowban, there’s no way to know for sure that it’s happened.
If you suspect a shadowban, a change in the website’s search or newsfeed algorithm might actually be to blame. And since the algorithms are the property of social media companies, it’s not in their best interest to reveal everything about them publicly.
Regardless of whether you’ve been penalized deliberately or accidentally, the effect is still the same… no one can see your posts.
Sites That Shadowban
There’s no way of getting a full list of sites that shadowban people, since the practice isn’t entirely out in the open.
Respondents to a survey called Posting Into the Void reported four general types of shadowbans:
a username or hashtag not showing up in search suggestions
a decrease in follower engagement
certain features (e.g. likes or replies) being blocked
a temporary ban that then reverts back to normal later on
Here’s how to tell if you’ve been shadowbanned on some popular social media sites:
Twitter Shadowbanning
Does Twitter actually shadowban people? Well, yes and no.
In a blog post, Twitter claimed that they don’t “deliberately make people’s content undiscoverable to everyone except the person who posted it”, and they “certainly don’t shadowban based on political viewpoints or ideology.”
However, they did say they “rank tweets and search results” to “address bad-faith actors”. Basically, if Twitter thinks you’re a spammer or a troll, its algorithm will penalize your content.
How to Avoid Getting Shadowbanned by Twitter
Twitter lists these as some of the factors they use to tell if you’re a “bad-faith actor” or not:
Whether or not you’ve confirmed your email address
Whether you’ve uploaded a profile picture
How recently your account was created
Who you follow and retweet
Who mutes, follows, retweets, and blocks you
To avoid getting shadowbanned on Twitter, you should confirm your email address and upload a profile picture.
Don’t spam people and don’t be overly promotional. If you’re trying to sell a product or service and are posting too much, other users might block your content, causing a shadowban on your account.
You should also try to avoid trolling, getting into online arguments, or being too confrontational in your posts and comments. This can lead people to mute or block you.
How to Tell If You’re Shadowbanned on Twitter
There’s no way to tell for sure if you’ve been shadowbanned on Twitter. However, you could try using the site Shadowban.eu, which claims to be able to detect a shadowban.
Specifically, they mention sexually-suggestive content. According to their Community Guidelines, spammy content and content associated with illegal activity or violence is also a no-go.
Instagram prefers “photos or videos that are appropriate for a diverse audience”… so less family-friendly content may be at risk of a shadowban.
How to Tell If You’re Shadowbanned on Instagram
There’s no surefire way to tell if you’ve been shadowbanned on Instagram, but there are sites that say they can test it. Triberr is one option.
Reddit Shadowbanning
Shadowbanning on Reddit is a bit different from shadowbanning on other social media sites. Up until 2015, Reddit openly shadowbanned users who broke the site’s rules by hiding their posts.
Reddit then announced that the shadowbanning system had been replaced with an account suspension system. Basically, some Reddit staff thought that the shadowban tool had been useful for dealing with bots, but that banning real human users without telling them what they did wrong was unfair.
However, the site appears to still occasionally be using shadowbans, with the r/ShadowBan subreddit still active.
According to their official content policy, Reddit may enforce their rules by “removal of privileges from, or adding restrictions to, accounts”, and also by “removal of content”, among other methods.
How to Avoid Getting Shadowbanned on Reddit
Of course, to avoid getting shadowbanned on Reddit, you’ll need to follow their rules. But one tricky thing about that is that the rules on Reddit actually depend on the subreddit you are submitting to.
You’ll want to read and comment a lot first before submitting your own links. Watch how people react to various types of submissions within a specific subreddit, and then act accordingly.
Don’t spam or post too many links to your own content (if you post a lot of other things too, posting one or two links to your own work is OK)
Don’t harass or constantly downvote another user
Don’t dox others or encourage doxxing (posting someone’s personal information without their consent)
Don’t post illegal or inappropriate content
Don’t abuse moderators or admins
How to Tell if You’re Shadowbanned on Reddit
To find out if you’re shadowbanned on Reddit, make a post in the r/ShadowBan subreddit. A bot will respond to you, letting you know if you’re shadowbanned.
Even if you’re not, the bot will tell you which posts of yours have been removed recently (if any).
TikTok is a popular social network for sharing short videos. Unfortunately, you can get shadowbanned there too (kind of).
While there’s no official mention of the term “shadowban” in TikTok’s Community Guidelines, like other social media networks, TikTok uses algorithms to privilege certain content. If you get on the wrong side of the algorithm, fewer people might see the content you post.
To have more people see your content and avoid penalties, try to follow best practices for TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, and always follow the Community Guidelines.
Stay away from illegal material, violence, hate speech, spam, and other similar topics.
To check if you’ve been shadowbanned on TikTok, look at your pageviews and “For You” page statistics. You can also use a hashtag and see if your post shows up under that hashtag.
Basically, content that violates Facebook’s Community Standards will be removed from the site, while other undesirable content (like misleading information) may be less visible on Facebook or have a warning label placed on it.
If Facebook is consistently “reducing” your content, that could be considered a type of shadowban.
The main thing you can do to trigger a shadowban on Facebook is to share links to fake or misleading information. Content on the site is checked by independent fact-checking organizations.
Facebook groups where a lot of misleading links and clickbait are frequently shared may be shadowbanned.
If you’re worried your personal page, business page, or group might have been shadowbanned on Facebook, check for a change in engagement levels on your recent posts.
LinkedIn Shadowbanning
While people don’t often think about getting shadowbanned on LinkedIn, it’s possible for your content’s reach to be throttled there.
Like other social media sites, LinkedIn has Community Policies that all members need to follow to avoid problems.
Since LinkedIn is a professional site, its content policies are even stricter than other platforms. Not only should your content be safe, legal, and appropriate, it has to be professional as well.
Although LinkedIn is obviously a place for career growth and self-promotion, spamming people is still a no-go.
You’ll need to respect others’ privacy and intellectual property. You should also avoid harassment or unwanted romantic advances towards other members.
If you violate LinkedIn’s policies, they may “limit the visibility of certain content, or remove it entirely.”
That said, the LinkedIn algorithm is pretty complicated. Even if your content is perfectly professional and high-quality, it might still not be getting the reach you want.
Engagement and relevance are the top two factors to keep in mind when creating content for LinkedIn.
YouTube Shadowbanning
While it’s not exactly a social network, it’s definitely still a site where people go to learn and share content. Can you be shadowbanned from YouTube?
Well, YouTube shadowbanning has been in the news because of popular creator PewDiePie. According to his fans, the Swedish videogame YouTuber’s channel was penalized in YouTube search.
YouTube’s official response was that it doesn’t shadowban channels, but that some videos might be flagged and need to be reviewed before they show up in search.
7 Ways to Avoid Getting Shadowbanned on Social Media
Different social networks have their own opinions on what type of violations merit a shadowban. However, we can definitely see some general trends that are worth noting.
Adhere to these guidelines if you want to be safe from a shadowban:
Always stick to the Terms of Service
Follow and watch power users in your category (see what and how they share)
Don’t post links or copy-pasted content over and over
If you’re unsure if the content is appropriate, avoid sharing it
Treat others politely and respectfully
Don’t use banned hashtags
Avoid posting about illegal topics
Conclusion
You may not have any idea you are being shadowbanned. At least not at first… though over time, you may begin to suspect it.
What you should do to protect yourself is to be careful that what you post isn’t against the terms and conditions of the site or app. Also, try to avoid spamming content, starting fights with and trolling other users, or posting things that might be considered inappropriate.
A shadowban can be frustrating, especially if you don’t feel like you deserve one. Maybe you don’t agree with the social media algorithm about what is or isn’t inappropriate, or maybe you think you were having a constructive debate while the algorithm thinks you were being a troll.
However, hopefully the tips in this guide can help you avoid being shadowbanned in the future, so your content can get better engagement.
What other ways can help people know if they’ve been shadowbanned? Let us know in the comments.
Get business credit cards during a recession downturn – coronavirus or no coronavirus, this could be the perfect time for you to build your business credit history. So here are excellent cards where you can do just that.
You Can Get Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report on Your Consumer Credit Reports Even During a Recession Downturn
Learn how to make sure your business credit cards don’t report on your consumer credit reports. It makes a difference with business credit funding! You need business credit cards that do not report to personal credit. Even in a recession downturn!
Many small business credit cards require that the business owner to personally guarantee the debt. Usually this person is also the cardholder, although not all the time. But you want to apply for business credit card without personal guarantee. Don’t blame you! It would be a lot better to get an unsecured business credit card no personal guarantee.
That means that if the balance is not paid off for the business, then the owner will end up being responsible for the entire amount. It also means that business account activity could potentially spill over to the owner’s personal credit reports. It stinks to guaranty business credit!
But this depends upon each card issuer’s policy.
Policy Considerations
Some card issuers only report activity to the cardholder’s personal credit reports in the case of the owner defaulting. And there are others which will report all activity. And they will not distinguish between positive and negative activity.
The easiest way to keep business credit activity off your personal credit report is to use a business credit card which does not report business activity to personal credit bureaus. However, the decision to use a card such as this should not be made lightly. But no matter what, you don’t want these cards to report on your consumer credit reports.
So, is how to get a credit card without credit.
Report Activity During a Recession Downturn
Which is better? It all depends upon your situation. If you pay your business card on time and avoid high balances, then a ‘business’ card that appears on your personal credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion should not be a problem.
It could even help your credit scores.
Utilization Issues
But if you charge everything you can on your card in order to rack up rewards, then your personal credit could conceivably suffer. Credit scoring models will take into consideration your debt usage or utilization ratio.
This compares the reported balances versus available credit limits. It is often for each card as well as all credit cards combined.
A high balance on a business card which appears on your personal credit can mean a higher debt usage ratio. And that can lower credit scores.
And paying the balance off in full every month alone is unlikely to solve this problem. The reported balance is often the balance as of the statement closing date and not after a payment has been made.
Therefore, if you want lower balances to get onto the reports, you need to make your payments before either the statement closing date, or whichever date the issuer reports.
Some Small Advantages
However, if your personal credit history is lacking, a business card which reports your full account activity could help. Hence if you avoid credit cards and use a debit card, you may have a “thin” credit profile. It could benefit from the boost another card could provide.
Opting for a business credit card which does not report to personal credit may help if you know there will be times you need to run up charges putting you close to the limit or carry a balance.
This could be for anything from investing in new equipment to spending to prepare for a trade show. Of course you do not want that activity to bring down your scores.
Using a Business Credit Card that Doesn’t Affect Personal Credit in a Recession Downturn
Generally, it’s better to apply for the business credit card which offers rewards and benefits of the most interest to you, rather than focusing solely on the card’s reporting policy.
Furthermore, if you default, then having a business credit card which does not report regularly to consumer credit bureaus will make no difference. You will still end up personally liable for the debt on the card if you signed a personal guarantee. This is not the way to get credit cards for businesses with no personal guarantee.
And you want a business credit card no personal guarantee required.
If the card issuer brings a lawsuit against you for the balance or sends the account to a collections agency, then this activity will likely show up on your personal credit report. That can happen regardless of how any other payment information is reported.
Another option in a Recession Downturn
Another way out is to use business credit cards that do not require a personal guarantee. However, those are few and far between. These sorts of cards ask you, the business owner, to meet a set of conditions which can differ from one product to another.
These could be annual sales guarantees. Or they might be requirements to have an open Dun & Bradstreet file or other conditions. If you cannot meet these conditions, then this option will not exist for your business at all.
Finally, as always, it literally pays to separate your business life from your personal life, by opening separate accounts and even incorporating your business, in order to demonstrate to creditors that you and your company are not the same when it comes to credit.
Build Business Credit During a Recession Downturn
So the truth is the best way to get around these problems is simply to build business credit! Don’t settle for credit cards that don’t do what you want. And don’t settle for a corporate business card that say ‘business’ on it, but is really a personal credit card in disguise.
You want it when business credit cards don’t report on your consumer credit reports. And such cards would not be them.
Every Small Business Needs Company Credit Building
Business credit is credit in a small business’s name. It doesn’t tie to an entrepreneur’s personal credit, not even when the owner is a sole proprietor and the only employee of the small business.
Because of this, an entrepreneur’s business and individual credit scores can be very different. And establishing business credit without personal guarantee is key.
The Advantages – Especially in a Recession Downturn
Given that small business credit is distinct from personal, it helps to safeguard a business owner’s personal assets, in case of litigation or business bankruptcy.
Also, with two distinct credit scores, a business owner can get two separate cards from the same merchant. This effectively doubles purchasing power.
Another advantage is that even startups can do this. Visiting a bank for a business loan can be a formula for disappointment. But building company credit, when done properly, is a plan for success. You could even get a business loan no personal guarantee.
Individual credit scores depend upon payments but also other elements like credit usage percentages.
But for small business credit, the scores actually merely hinge on if a company pays its invoices promptly.
Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!
The Process
Growing business credit is a process, and it does not occur automatically. A small business will need to actively work to build business credit.
That being said, it can be done readily and quickly, and it is much speedier than establishing personal credit scores.
Vendors are a big component of this process.
Carrying out the steps out of order will result in repetitive rejections. Nobody can start at the top with company credit. For example, you can’t start with store or cash credit from your bank. If you do you’ll get a rejection 100% of the time.
But done right, this is how to get business credit card without personal guarantee.
Business Fundability in a Recession Downturn
A business needs to be bona fide to lending institutions and merchants.
As a result a company will need a professional-looking web site and e-mail address. And it needs to have website hosting bought from a merchant like GoDaddy.
In addition company telephone and fax numbers should have a listing on ListYourself.net.
Likewise the company phone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or similar).
A company will also need a bank account dedicated solely to it, and it must have every one of the licenses necessary for running.
Licenses
These licenses all must be in the perfect, accurate name of the business. And they need to have the same company address and telephone numbers.
So keep in mind that this means not just state licenses, but possibly also city licenses.
Working with the IRS
Visit the Internal Revenue Service website and acquire an EIN for the business. They’re free of charge. Choose a business entity such as corporation, LLC, etc.
A small business can get started as a sole proprietor. But they will probably want to change to a variety of corporation or partnership.
This is in order to decrease risk. And it will make best use of tax benefits.
A business entity will matter when it pertains to tax obligations and liability in case of litigation. A sole proprietorship means the owner is it when it comes to liability and tax obligations. Nobody else is responsible.
Beginning the Business Credit Reporting Process
Start at the D&B web site and get a free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a company into their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.
Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s web sites for the business. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.
In this manner, Experian and Equifax will have something to report on.
Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!
Vendor Credit
First you should establish trade lines that report. This is also known as vendor credit. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.
And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin getting retail store and cash credit.
These kinds of accounts tend to be for the things bought all the time, like shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.
But first off, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who will give you starter credit when you have none now. Terms are usually Net 30, instead of revolving.
Therefore, if you get approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you must pay that money back in a set term, such as within 30 days on a Net 30 account.
Details
Net 30 accounts need to be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts have to be paid completely within 60 days. Unlike with revolving accounts, you have a set time when you must pay back what you borrowed or the credit you used.
To launch your business credit profile properly, you need to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting bureaus. When that’s done, you can then use the credit.
Then pay back what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.
Vendor Credit – It Makes Sense
Not every vendor can help in the same way true starter credit can. These are merchants that will grant an approval with marginal effort. You also need them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.
You want 3 of these to move onto the next step, which is retail credit.
Uline Shipping Supplies
Uline Shipping Supplies is a true starter vendor. You can find them online at www.uline.com. They offer shipping, packing, and industrial supplies, and they report to D&B.
You have to have a D-U-N-S number. They will request 2 references and a bank reference. The first few orders might need to be paid in advance to initially get approval for Net 30 terms. Also, you may have to buy some items you don’t need.
Crown Office Supplies
Crown Office Supplies is another true starter vendor. You can find them online at https://crownofficesupplies.com. They sell a variety of office supplies and take helping clients seriously. They state, “just starting your business, or maybe have an existing business, but you have a question regarding office supplies… we are here to help!” And they report to Dun and Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax.
There is a $99.00 yearly fee, though they do report that fee to the business credit reporting bureaus. For other purchases to report, the purchase must be at least $30.00. Terms are Net 30.
Grainger Industrial Supply
Grainger Industrial Supply is also a true starter vendor. You can find them online at www.grainger.com. They sell safety equipment, plumbing supplies, and more, and they report to D&B. You will need to have a business license, EIN, and a D-U-N-S number.
For less than a $1000 credit limit they will approve almost any person with a business license.
Accounts That Do Not Report
Non-Reporting Trade Accounts can also be helpful. While you do want trade accounts to report to at the very least one of the CRAs, a trade account which does not report can also be of some worth.
You can always ask non-reporting accounts for trade references. Additionally credit accounts of any sort ought to help you to better even out business expenditures, thereby making budgeting less complicated. These are companies like PayPal Credit, T-Mobile, and Best Buy.
Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!
Retail Credit
Once there are 3 or more vendor trade accounts reporting to at least one of the CRAs, then move to retail credit. These are companies which include Office Depot and Staples. These companies are likelier to have supplies you need.
Use the company’s EIN on these credit applications. These are no personal guarantee business credit cards!
Fleet Credit
Are there more accounts reporting? Then progress to fleet credit. These are service providers such as BP and Conoco. Use this credit to purchase, fix, and take care of vehicles. Make certain to apply using the business’s EIN. These are business credit cards without personal credit. You will have start up business credit cards without personal guarantee.
Cash Credit
Have you been responsibly handling the credit you’ve gotten up to this point? Then move to more universal cash credit. These are service providers like Visa and MasterCard. Keep your SSN off these applications; use your EIN instead. These are business credit cards for new businesses without personal guarantee.
These are frequently MasterCard credit cards. If you have more trade accounts reporting, then these are feasible. Once you’re here, these become easy business credit cards no personal guarantee.
Monitor Your Business Credit in a Recession Downturn and Beyond
Know what is happening with your credit. Make certain it is being reported and fix any errors as soon as possible. Get in the practice of taking a look at credit reports. Dig into the details, not just the scores.
So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to dispute any inaccuracies in your records. Errors in your credit report(s) can be fixed. But the CRAs generally want you to dispute in a particular way.
Disputing credit report errors generally means you send a paper letter with duplicates of any evidence of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the originals. Always mail copies and keep the originals.
Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely spell out any charges you challenge. Make your dispute letter as crystal clear as possible. Be specific about the concerns with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you sent in your dispute.
A Word about Building Business Credit During a Recession Downturn
Always use credit smartly! Don’t borrow more than what you can pay off. Keep track of balances and deadlines for repayments. Paying in a timely manner and fully will do more to raise business credit scores than just about anything else.
Establishing business credit pays off. Great business credit scores help a company get loans. Your lending institution knows the business can pay its debts. They understand the small business is for real.
The business’s EIN connects to high scores and you can start to get new business credit cards without personal guarantee.
Business credit is an asset which can help your company for years to come. It’s the best way to get corporate credit cards without personal guarantee.
Keep Your Business Credit Cards Off Your Consumer Credit Reports in a Recession Downturn: Takeaways
As you keep going, you can qualify for business credit lines with no personal guarantee. And it can all start with small business credit cards without personal guarantee. The COVID-19 situation will not last forever – and in the meantime, you can be getting amazing credit cards for your business.
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