Top Businesses to Start in 2020
2020 is the year many of us will remember as the time that COVID-19 swept through the world, shutting down economies and dramatically altering life as we knew it. And while there is a lot happening, you shouldn’t let...
Recap of How to Build a Sales & Marketing Strategy Webinar
Together, marketing and sales can lead to the growth of your business. But sometimes entrepreneurs aren’t sure how to get it right or even where to start. That’s because while some of it may be intuitive, other aspects...
Business Financing Now That PPP Has Ended
Now that the Paycheck Protection Program is over, small business owners might be wondering what options exist. The reality is that there have always been other financing options, but you may not have been aware of them...
Understanding Business Expenses from All Angles
Business expenses are part of the entrepreneur’s learning curve. When you’re first getting started, you might wonder—among many other questions—“What are business expenses?” You may have heard that tracking your...
Should I Get an EIN or LLC First for My Business?
This article provides information about securing and sourcing the necessary licenses and documentation for opening an LLC. However, we always recommend contacting a professional to evaluate your unique situation, as the...
New Breed of Entrepreneurs Emerge in COVID Economy
To say the coronavirus outbreak has led to massive upheaval would be an understatement. About 16.3 million people in the United States are unemployed, and an ever-growing list of retailers have declared bankruptcy. Not...
How the Pandemic Unleashed a New Wave of Small Business Entrepreneurs
The coronavirus pandemic has spurred economic upheaval at unprecedented rates. Unemployment rates are at a record high. Here at Azlo, a banking platform for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, we saw...
Financing a Small Business: Your Questions, Answered
One of the early steps in financing a small business is to identify avenues for acquiring capital. These can include–but are not limited to–a business loan, venture capitalist funding, or crowdfunding.
Do I need a business bank account if I am self employed?
At the onset of a new business venture, you may have numerous questions, such as:
How to Open a Bank Account for an LLC Online
Wondering how to open a bank account for an LLC online? First, congratulations on starting your business! Establishing an entity, such as an LLC, takes patience, paperwork, and diligence. Second, kudos to you for making...
Recap of Google Ads Basics and Best Practices Webinar
This article is a recap of the Google Ads Basics and Best Practices webinar that Azlo hosted on July 23, 2020. Watch it here.
What To Do When Your Work Or Small Business Has Been Stopped by COVID-19
Across the U.S., several states have entered another phase of shelter-in-place orders. If you run a small business, COVID-19 may have disrupted several aspects of your company. Many businesses find themselves once again...
Recap of Azlo’s SEO and Content Marketing Basics Webinar
This article is a recap of Grow Your Business: SEO & Content Marketing 101 webinar that Azlo hosted on June 25, 2020. Watch it here.
Why do businesses fail?
Do you think it’s hard to run a business successfully? Have you ever heard something like: 8 out 10 businesses fail after the first year? (That’s not true, by the way.)
Can I Take Money Out of My Business Account for Personal Use?
Entrepreneurs operate in a world of risk. Even the most successful business owners can run into unforeseen financial struggles—the COVID-19 pandemic being a stark example. If your business takes a turn for the worst,...
11 Reasons to Open a Business Checking Account Online
To open a business checking account online is to equip yourself with one of the foundational financial tools for any business. Not only that, the online business checking experience has many benefits over traditional...
How Entrepreneurs Are Pivoting to Fight Coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives—from how we connect with others to how we shop to how we spend our free time.
Should New Freelancers Provide Free Services?
Should freelancers provide free services? Your initial reaction to this question is most likely a resounding ‘N-O!’
Tips for making sure you get paid as a freelancer
As with anything, being a freelancer, independent contractor, or business owner comes with its own set of pros and cons.
How to turn your blog into an ecommerce business
There’s a question that pervades the world of sales: Which comes first, the product or the customer? Like the age-old dilemma of the chicken and the egg, the answer changes depending on the perspective.
How to cut expenses and manage cashflow
Small businesses have shut down all across the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of those remaining have seen massive losses in revenue. If you’re dealing with negative cash flow problems, you’re...
Sell more and limit exposure to germs using contactless payments methods
The coronavirus pandemic has created economic shockwaves around the world, and the long-term effects on the business landscape are still taking shape. The shelter-in-place orders that kept people out of public venues...
Paycheck Protection Program Extended to August 8th, 2020
On the evening of Tuesday, June 30th, the US Senate voted unanimously to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through August 8th, 2020. That is a 5-week extension to the program.
Setting Boundaries When Working from Home
When I transitioned to freelancing full-time back in 2015, one of the first things I did was set up a makeshift home office in my dining room. Emphasis on “makeshift.” My workspace was a tiny corner of my kitchen. It...
Tips on Starting Your Own Online Store
In a very short period of time, the coronavirus pandemic is creating massive shifts in our economy and the way we work and live at large. In turn, we entrepreneurs are tasked with discovering ways to swiftly adapt and...
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Loan Forgiveness for Sole Proprietors
The PPP is a government loan program intended to help small businesses weather the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Azlo Business Foundry Project
With historic levels of unemployment in the U.S. due to the pandemic, Azlo is stepping up to help.
PPP Loan Forgiveness FAQs
If you secured a loan through the Payment Protection Program (PPP), getting your head around exactly how you might be able to get your loan forgiven is probably top of mind.
11 Ways to Bootstrap Your New Small Business When the Economy Is Down
boot·strap /ˈbo͞otˌstrap/ verb gerund or present participle: bootstrapping Definition: get (oneself or something) into or out of a situation using existing resources.
How to Level Up Your Freelance Career Into A Small Business
When you transition from being an employee and into working as a freelancer, you develop a different perspective of time and money than you had before. When you’re an employee, potential is fixed. You make a certain...
What I Learned Helping Launch an Immersive Art Business During a Pandemic
My partner’s long-time dream of starting his own immersive art gallery came into fruition last fall. He had secured enough funding from investors and landed on a great space in LA’s Chinatown.
How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business
If you've recently been laid off or gotten furloughed, or maybe you’re working part-time and stuck at home, now could be a perfect opportunity to start an affiliate marketing business. All you really need to get started...
COVID-19 (CARES Act) Paycheck Protection Program FAQs
On April 21st, the Senate approved $310 billion more for COVID-19 (CARES Act) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and the House passed the second PPP tranche on April 24th.
Common Financial Pitfalls Freelancers Make When Starting Out
Have you ever thought you would master something only to find yourself falling flat? In my early days, this was me and my money skills as a freelancer.
How to Build Your Brand Working from Home
Your personal brand is much more than just your name or social media handle. It is something intangible, something that identifies and represents your business. It’s a tool that can attract followers that identify with...
Ideas for quickly getting alternative sources of income
Pandemic aside, this is a common question amongst us all, “How can I make money and how fast can I do it?”
Small Business Banking Expertise
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our economy, and small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelancers are some of the most affected. Government relief programs have already given hundreds of billions of dollars in aid, but...
Get Paid to Teach What You Know
As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power.” Well, your knowledge can be the power that fuels a new income.
What to do when your business must pivot.
Agility is one of the most important traits that an entrepreneur can have. The market is always changing and evolving, and this is more true now than ever before. Success, if not actual survival, depends not only on...
E-Commerce Opportunities During a Pandemic
As if running a business wasn’t hard enough, along comes the COVID-19 pandemic to disrupt life in ways that seem Hollywoodesque.
How to Quickly Start Your Business with Rapid Prototyping
Launching a business can become a complicated task. You have to meticulously plan out every detail from idea to production, marketing, billing, and even customer service.
How to Market Yourself When Starting a Freelance Career.
Freelancing definitely comes with a lot of perks.
Freelance Resources During an Economic Downturn
As freelancers, we’re all-too-familiar with “feast or famine” cycles. Sometimes you get an influx of work … And other times? Seeking client opportunities can feel like a barren wasteland.
How entrepreneurs can respond to the coronavirus pandemic
Within the past couple of weeks, communities across the U.S. have taken swift and drastic action to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Schools have been closed, events canceled, and businesses have changed their...
Surviving as a consultant in a COVID-19 world
You’ve been consulting, and business has been good and growing. Personal networking, partnerships, marketing, or targeted sales have helped your growth. Then you started to hear about COVID-19 virus, first overseas and...
Taking an accidental business to the next level
Our journey into entrepreneurship began in 2012 when we launched a Kickstarter campaign.
How to Test a Business Idea
There’s a reason why so many successful entrepreneurs have a pivot story—the moment when they decided to change their products and business model because their original vision wasn’t working.
Freelancer Bank Account: What You Need to Know
Whether you’re freelancing full time or dabbling with side gigs alongside your day job, it’s time to take your freelancing seriously and set up a freelancer bank account. More than one-third of the U.S. workforce is now...
What is Business Banking?
Building your business entails managing your finances, including cash flow, invoicing, payroll, expenses, and more. It all ties back to business banking, which can be confusing when you’re trying to learn the lingo and...
How-to’s of Market Research
You may have a good sense of your identity, but what about your company’s? How does it talk? What does it stand for? Who does it resonate with and provide value to? Matt Thieleman, founder of Golden Bristle, explored...
The most popular payment processing companies for small businesses
We live in a complicated world, and even the simple process of exchanging money for goods or services isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. We are becoming a cashless society, and most transactions are made with...
Rethink Business Banking for the Digital Age
It’s official: the business banking model of yesterday needs a refresh, for banks and business owners alike. Even before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the onus was on financial institutions to embrace digital...
How to Open a Business Bank Account
Why open a business bank account? How does a business bank account help me manage cash flow? How does a small business bank account help with record-keeping? How can a business bank account protect me from personal...
Announcing new COVID-19 lending resources
We recently asked our customers what they needed, the most, to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business. Over 73% of them said that a government stimulus package was going to be essential.
Loans, debt relief, and other economic programs to support entrepreneurs through the COVID-19 pandemic
Small businesses are perhaps the hardest hit by COVID-19, with many businesses experiencing an overwhelming decrease in revenue or the inability to remain open altogether.
How to Manage Cash Flow Gaps
During my first full year of freelancing, I lost three of my main clients within a week. In turn, my monthly earnings sank from $6,000 to about $2,000. As I was earning a mere fraction of what I needed to get by, I...
How entrepreneurs can respond to the coronavirus pandemic
Within the past couple of weeks, communities across the U.S. have taken swift and drastic action to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Schools have been closed, events canceled, and businesses have changed their...
What’s Hustle Con about, anyway?
Before I went to Hustle Con 2019, any conversations I had (with co-workers, friends, my husband, or anyone else) went something like this. “Why are you traveling to San Francisco?” “I’m going to a conference.” “What’s...
Basic records for your small business
We all know that it’s important to keep business records, but it’s not always clear what that entails. In fact, the SBA dedicated an entire education module to record-keeping as part of their Financial Education...
4 reasons to open a business bank account
It’s easy to overlook the value of a business bank account, especially if you’re an entrepreneur who’s just starting out. While it might not be mandatory for your business, and the prospect of opening one can seem...
Next Steps After Making a Business Website
Congratulations, you’ve just finished building your new website. It’s beautiful, and I bet you’re excited. Now, how do you get people to visit it? There are lots of resources about driving traffic to your website with...
Social media support for entrepreneurs
As a business owner, social media and customer service are probably both top of mind. Study after study has shown that good customer service will allow you to get and retain customers, while sub-par customer service...
Guide to Being a Solopreneur
Let’s start by breaking some popular myths about being a solo entrepreneur. No, you're not going to fail just because you’re a solo founder; yes, you can get investors and raise capital; yes, millions of very successful...
What Kind of Company Should I Form?
There are several business types and structures to choose from. Each has its own list of pros and cons, including complexity of formation, liability protection, and tax implications. Here’s a quick overview of the...
How to report and pay taxes as a freelancer
The number of Americans freelancing is growing rapidly. According to the 2018 Freelancing in America report, the number of freelancers in the U.S. is now 57.3 million. That means 36% of the workforce has freelanced at...
Should I get a small business loan?
In a recent study, 33% of small business owners said that one of their top challenges is getting enough working capital. If you’re one of the thousands of entrepreneurs in this group, you’ve probably thought about...
What to Know About Quarterly Business Taxes
If you work for an employer, you likely think about paying your taxes once a year. When you start earning money for yourself, however, everything changes. Although tax returns are only due once a year, the IRS wants you...
How hiring other freelancers made me a better freelancer
During my second year as a freelancer, I was slammed with work. To lessen my load, I decided I’d hire someone who could help me proofread and research a batch of articles. I thought that finding a freelancer to fit the...
How to raise money for your new business
You’ve heard of legends who went from basement to boardroom. You may even have family or friends who started a business with nothing and are now running their own empire. One thing these inspiring stories often gloss...
How to hire your first employee
Hiring the first employee for your small business can be an overwhelming endeavor. There are lots of stressful moments: from dealing with the administrative requirements, to budgeting for the considerable expense, to...
Moving money with ACH
Have you ever heard of ACH transfers? If not, you’re in good company — the term is a pretty unintuitive bit of banking jargon. At Azlo, we believe ACH transfers are a great tool for entrepreneurs, so we’re here to help...
Planning for retirement when you’re self-employed
Retirement planning can feel overwhelming for just about anyone — but it’s especially intimidating for freelancers and small business owners. Between the many possible options and the complex rules, finding the right...
How to accept payments for your small business
At Azlo, we’re always thinking about an entrepreneur’s unique banking and financial needs. In addition to business banking (we have you covered there), every entrepreneur needs a way to get paid quickly, reliably, and...
How do I form a business?
You’ve come up with a brilliant business idea. You’ve researched the market, estimated your profits, made a website, and even secured your social media handles. Now, you just need to figure out how to manage your...
How much does it cost to start a business?
So, you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a killer business idea and plenty of hustle. You know you’ve got the skills and the ambition to succeed. You might even have found the right business partner. All you need is...
Small Business Tax Guide for New Owners
Taxes. Few would call them fun or easy, but they’re an especially daunting subject for new entrepreneurs. Most folks get the hang of doing their own individual taxes quickly and easily since they’re relatively simple...
Bookkeeping basics and FAQ with Jessica Fox
Jessica Fox, the founder of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, recently joined us to present a webinar on bookkeeping basics for entrepreneurs. If you’d like to watch the webinar, you can find the full recording here. If you...
How to choose the best business loan
Okay, let’s set the stage: you have a growing business and you’re looking for working capital. After careful consideration and deliberation, you’ve decided that a business loan is the right choice for you and your...
Crowdfunding your business
What’s crowdfunding? Benefits of crowdfunding for businesses Is crowdfunding the right fit for your business? Additional considerations and steps for equity-based crowdfunding How to run a successful crowdfunding...
Finding your target market
Today, small businesses can realistically market to anyone, anywhere in the world. At the same time, customers can choose to patronize any one of the literal millions of businesses that sell online. As consumers, we’re...
Choosing the right accounting software for your business
All too often, I talk with clients who say “I do my books once a year, in a panic, when I have to do my taxes.” And every time I hear this, my heart breaks a little. Not only is this a stressful way to live and do...
How to come up with a business idea
If you’re reading this, you probably want to start a business but you’re not yet exactly sure what that business should do. Maybe you have ideas, but you’re not quite confident in them. Maybe you have a problem you want...
An entrepreneur’s guide to negotiating your rates
Whether you are a freelancer or small business, entrepreneurs must master the art of negotiation in order to scale. Negotiating rates, prices, and deliverables is at the heart of profitability, especially for new...
How to start bookkeeping for your small business
When you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur, there’s a long and admittedly overwhelming number of things to do and learn. Bookkeeping is one of the items on that list, and it’s a task that many new entrepreneurs...
4 ways to fund your business without getting a loan
Obtaining funding for your small business is often stressful, time-consuming, and occasionally risky. Unless you’re the owner of a Silicon Valley unicorn startup, you’re most likely bootstrapping your venture with...
What every entrepreneur needs to know about self-employment tax
When you’re starting a business, you’re likely to encounter a whole host of new tax concepts. One of them is self-employment tax. Read on to learn exactly what this tax is, who needs to pay it, and how it’s calculated....
A lifetime of good work
Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave his life to work that had a powerful and lasting impact on the world, leaving a legacy so unique that this day is celebrated not as a day off, but rather a Day of...
Tax and accounting tips from Jay Holmes, CPA
Earlier this month, we sat down with Jay Holmes, CPA and principle at Blueback Accounting, for an informal Q&A about how freelancers, small business owners, and other entrepreneurs can set themselves up for financial...
Building a rejuvenation practice that works
If your to-do list is always too long, your workday is always too short, and you’re always looking for that one productivity hack that will let you do it all … you might find that the answer is doing less. Meet Tracey...
When your business should use crowfunding to grow
One of the most difficult issues that any small business owner faces is how, when, and where to find funding to help their business grow. Even if you have a successful startup, you may not have the capital needed to...
What today’s labor market means for business owners
The U.S. unemployment rate recently dropped to 3.7%, the lowest in nearly 50 years. This is good news for workers and the economy as a whole, but it’s making it hard for employers — including small business owners — to...
Selling at craft fairs, maker shops, and pop-up stores
The shop small movement is going strong. According to data released in late November 2018, U.S. consumers spent an estimated $17.8 billion (a record high) at independent retailers and restaurants. This upward trend has...
How entrepreneurship is evolving in the U S
Over the years, entrepreneurship inevitably changes. It’s helpful for entrepreneurs — and especially the services and resources that hope to support them — to know and understand these changes and trends. The business...
5 steps to plan for a successful year
1. Assess the past year At the end of the year, business owners are closing out their books, preparing their year-end financials, and getting ready for tax season. This is also a great time to review your goals for the...
Marketing tools for your eccommerce business
This November, we’ve got eccommerce on our minds. In earlier posts this month, we wrote about preparing for the holiday season and using digital payments to increase sales. Today, we’re covering marketing tools that...
Increase ecommerce sales with digital payments
Ecommerce businesses are quickly approaching the first big day of the holiday season: Black Friday. Making the most of the holiday season (a critical time for small ecommerce business) requires the right strategy and...
How to crush the 2018 ecommerce holiday season
If you have an ecommerce small business, then you’re probably already preparing for the 2018 holiday season. According to a forecast from Deloitte, U.S. shoppers could spend as much as $134 billion online this holiday...
How online lenders are changing business loans
The small business lending market in the United States is estimated to be worth around $180 billion. That’s a lot of money — it’s enough to give a loan of $287,000 to each of the 627,000 small businesses that are...