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Top 3 Small Business Risks to Avoid

Top 3 Small Business Risks to Avoid

Top 3 Small Business Risks to Avoid
24
Jul 2019
27
Jul 2026

Starting a new business can be an exciting and exhilarating experience, but sometimes small business owners get caught up wearing too many hats that they stumble into common business pitfalls. Avoid risks in your organization by learning the top small business threats.

Lack of Legal Expertise

Smaller businesses may not have the in-house legal expertise to read over contracts and consistently ensure legal compliance. Whether you decide to hire someone with legal experience or find an outsourced partner, small business owners should always feel confident they are protected against legal action.

Liability Concerns (Personal and Business)

Small business owners have to consider all the types of insurance they might need. From personal liability insurance to cyber insurance and home-based business insurance, there are unique insurance risks small businesses face that shouldn’t be overlooked. Without proper insurance, one unforeseen accident could sink your business before you have the time to grow it.

Unforeseen Interruptions

No matter how well you plan, something is going to go wrong. Whether it’s a cash flow gap, unexpected work delay, or a flood, there will eventually come a time when you will need additional funding or capital to get through the interruption. While a business loan might first come to mind, consider a merchant cash advance to get funding faster.If you are looking for an alternative funding solution made for small businesses, consider how a merchant cash advance can help you get back on track. Talk to one of our experts today.

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January 18, 2021
July 27, 2026

How Do I Get a Cash Advance

You’ve done your research, and you’re convinced a merchant cash advance is a great opportunity for your business. You can get a flexible funding solution to help you cover essential business costs or even expansion. Better yet, you can quickly access the funds you need with flexible repayment terms. So, how do you get an MCA? Follow these steps and you’ll have the funding you need in no time.

Research Providers

Doing research should be your first step. There are plenty of lenders offering MCAs, but not all of them are created equal. Many of them do business online. This makes it easy to find information about where they operate and the kinds of businesses they support. Some specialize in working with small businesses, while others prefer working with large businesses. Some may have expertise in your industry. Always look for a provider who is upfront about their MCA program. Check customer reviews and testimonials. What do other business owners say about this lender?

Submit an Application

Once you’ve decided on a provider, it’s time to prepare your MCA application. Always review the lender’s specific requirements. The more complete and accurate your application, the faster the lender can approve you. You’ll need to provide:

  • Government-issued ID, to prove your identity
  • Your merchant ID number
  • Recent bank statements
  • A void cheque

Your merchant ID number allows the lender to check on your merchant account, giving them accurate information on your monthly sales. Your recent bank statements can also provide this information, as well as crucial information about cash flows. You’ll also need to provide a bank account number for your business. The business bank account is where your merchant cash advance will be deposited.

The Approval Process

The lender will approve your application within two business days. If your application is complete and accurate, the funds may arrive on within the same day. Always check what the lender will provide. Some lenders will offer up to 125 percent of your monthly sales. Next, they’ll send you an agreement. Read this over carefully, since it contains information about your repayment schedule, fees, and more. Some lenders post their general terms, including rates and fees, online. You can review them before you apply. If you’re unsure about the lender’s offer, don’t be afraid to contact them. For example, if you were hoping for more funds than they offered, you can discuss their rationale with them. Once you’re satisfied with the lender’s terms, your funds will be transferred to your bank account.

How Repayment Works

Your merchant cash advance provider should get in touch with your payments processor. They’ll set up direct deductions, which means repayment of your advance happens automatically. You can keep track of payments through your account with the provider. This makes the process perfectly transparent, and you’ll always know where you stand.

Get the Funds You Need Now

Ready to get a merchant cash advance for your business? You can get in touch with the experts for a free quote or apply now. The funds you need could be just a few clicks away.

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January 5, 2021
July 27, 2026

Benefits of a Merchant Cash Advance for Small Business

As you seek out new financial solutions for your business, you’re wondering about merchant cash advances. What is an MCA, and what can it do for your small business?As it turns out, a merchant cash advance has serious benefits for small businesses. Check out these advantages, and you might be convinced that an MCA is the right move for you.

Funding Based on Your Future, Not Your Past

One of the biggest benefits of a merchant cash advance is that your future is more important than your past. With a traditional bank loan, you must provide your business’s past income and revenue. They’ll also want to see the business’s credit score and maybe your personal credit score.A merchant cash advance, however, is extended on the basis of anticipated future sales. The lender examines your past credit card and debit card sales to make an estimate about what you’ll earn in the future. They offer the advance based on what you’re likely to bring in.That’s great news for small businesses without a lot of history under their belt. Plus, since it’s forward-looking, it takes into consideration that your business is growing. That’s much better than a traditional loan that looks at your past and doesn’t consider your future needs.

You Can Use It for What You Need

A merchant cash advance offers more flexibility to a small business. Some traditional loans will earmark your funds for particular business uses. An equipment loan, for example, needs to be used to buy equipment. A payroll loan must fund payroll.An MCA can be applied to either of these expenses. Since the funds aren’t earmarked, you could use the MCA to help with payroll. Then you could take any leftover funds and put them towards that equipment.You can even use the MCA to help with day-to-day operations. Need petty cash? The MCA’s funds could stock it up. What about keeping the lights on? The MCA could help you with the electricity bill too.This gives small business owners greater freedom and flexibility than other traditional loan products.

A Merchant Cash Advance Offers More Payment Flexibility

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that the MCA gives small businesses more flexibility when repaying the advance.With a traditional loan, you’ll have a set monthly payment. If you experience a poor sales month, then you might only be able to make a partial payment. You might default on the loan or require another loan to pay it back.The MCA is different. The lender takes a percentage of your actual credit card sales as payment. When you have a good month, you can pay your MCA back faster. If you hit rough waters, then the payment decreases accordingly. You don’t need to worry about defaulting on the payments.

Discover the Benefits of an MCA for Your Business

These benefits can make a merchant cash advance the right choice for many businesses, but they’re especially helpful for small business owners.Ready to see what an MCA could do for your business? Get in touch with the experts to get the funds you need today.

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June 29, 2018
July 27, 2026

The Future of the MCA Industry

Today’s small businesses don’t need to rely on big banks for financing options. Over the past decade, there has been a rise in alternative MCA Industry that make it easier and faster for startups and small businesses to find the cash they need when they need it.When business owners consider applying for a merchant cash advance (MCA), it is usually because they are in need of cash flow immediately, have poor credit, or haven’t had success with traditional loan applications. MCAs give business owners flexibility as funds can come through to their bank accounts within days and the transaction requires no personal guarantee. This is because MCAs are not considered loans, so there is no need to put up collateral to receive an advance.Merchant cash providers are strictly offering an immediate cash infusion for a portion of a business’s future earnings through repayment plans or a percentage of upcoming credit card transactions. As credit card use has expanded, this type of lending has become increasingly popular with businesses whose sales often come via card, not cash.As the MCA industry continues to grow, what will the future of MCA lending look like?

Collaboration with Commercial Banks

The success and growth of the merchant cash advance industry have led commercial banks to reevaluate their lending requirements to become more competitive with MCA providers. While banks must maintain strict lending standards, they may begin to partner or collaborate with MCA industry leaders like investors, advisors, or partners.Commercial banks are noticing the simplicity and necessity of offering small businesses quick and easy financing but may not be able to provide it themselves. By working with an MCA provider, they can give their clients additional options that have been vetted by the bank.

Changes in Oversight

One of the main differences between merchant cash advances and other more traditional forms of funding is that MCAs are exempt from state and federal oversight. This means MCA providers with poor reputations can go unchecked and there are no set standards in place for interest rates or procedural best practices.With the recent boom of the MCA industry, it may be necessary for an increase in oversight to help clamp down on lenders who are mistreating clients or to set standards for this growing sector. This would help protect small businesses, as well as lend credibility to those MCA providers that are doing the best work for their clients.

Additional Offerings

Some MCA providers are beginning to diversify their offerings to compete with new financing options offered by prominent names like PayPal and Square. This means some MCA providers may consider offering more traditional loans, lines of credit, and cheaper rates than their larger competitors.In addition, since small businesses are beginning to have more and more confidence in the MCA process, the interest of venture capitalists and other investors has grown. This might mean the creation of new technology and credit score models that may disrupt how financing has previously been regulated.

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