Articles
6 Cost Effective Small Business Marketing Ideas
As a small business owner, you can’t afford not to invest in some form of marketing. But considering there are nearly as many ways to promote yourself as there are people, how do you know which small business marketing methods will pay off in real ROI and which ones will waste your resources? Not every…
How to Market Your Brand Without Spending a Dime
Whether we realize it or not, one of the first things we notice about the brands we love is their marketing. Brands can set themselves apart from competitors by investing in marketing strategies that reflect who they are and what they stand for as a business. While your brand represents what you value, your marketing…
13 Articles That Will Improve Your Financial Literacy
April is Financial Literacy Month, (woot!) and I’m excited for the opportunity to help boost your business financial acumen, so keep a lookout on our blog all month long for specific articles on financial literacy. To kick off Financial Literacy Month, I want to take a look back at our blog’s most worthwhile financial articles you may have missed.…
Small Business Success – EF5 Tornado Shelters
Recently we had the pleasure of speaking with and learning about OnDeck customers, Emilie and Rory Golden, owners of EF5 Tornado Shelters. Emilie and Rory Golden were your average corporate employees until five years ago when they recognized a business opportunity, took a leap of faith, quit their jobs, and founded EF5 Tornado Shelters. Since…
Advice from Small Business Owners: Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day
We LOVE mom and pop shops. In honor of Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day, we wanted to share what it takes to be a small business owner. So, we asked over 100 small business owners some questions about how they run their business, get customers in the door, and deal with the tough issues.…
Stay Motivated at Your 9-5 While You Build Your Business – Deep Dive on Q&A w/Barbara Corcoran
Building a small business is no easy task, especially while you’re still working your 9-5 (and raising a family or focusing on other priorities). Your new venture is exciting and staying motivated at your full-time job can be a struggle when you’re constantly thinking about how to move your business to the next level. Don’t…
How to Build a Strong Customer Service Experience
You probably know and appreciate how important taking care of your customers, or great customer service, is to the success of your business. To kick off our new Q&A series, I interviewed OnDeck’s Director of Customer Service, Eric Lichtenwalter. He leads a team whose sole purpose is to ensure OnDeck customers have the best experience possible with…
Your Ultimate Guide to Small Business Financing
Your decision to borrow funds for your business and which lender to work with is important. There are many factors to consider to make the right financing choice for your business. There are a lot of different types of financing to explore. You’ll need to weigh the application process, rates, fees, and requirements for each lender you consider.…
Your Quick Guide for Planning a Marketing Strategy
Planning a marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. The most important thing to remember when creating a business plan or marketing strategy is clarity. Having a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish and laying those ideas out in a direct manner is a necessary part of creating a successful marketing plan. You…
3 Content Marketing Skills You Probably Already Have
Definitions of content marketing oftentimes make the strategy sound more daunting than it is. Put simply, content marketing is about a give-and-take relationship between you and your customers: by freely sharing information that your customers will find valuable and relevant, you are offering them real value rather than a sales pitch. Clouded by all…
Preparing Your Small Business for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day might be the single busiest day of the year for your business. Whether you’re a florist, chocolatier, or jewelry maker, Valentine’s Day is an excellent opportunity to boost sales and bring new customers to your store. In fact, Valentine’s Day sales reached an all-time high of $19.7 billion in 2016 – according to…
5 Must Ask Questions Before You Apply for a Business Loan
There are a lot of decisions to make when you’re considering applying for a business loan. It can get confusing, overwhelming, and if you’re not careful, harmful to your personal credit. So, before you submit any applications with potential small business lenders, I want to share with you these 5 essential questions to ask yourself and/or any lender before you even…
Is a Franchise Right For You?
The answer could be yes—but there are some things you’ll need to do before you sign on the dotted line. It probably goes without saying, but picking the right franchise for you and your interests along with evaluating whether or not you have the skills to run the franchise, are critically important factors that will…
7 Ways Your Small Business Can Get More Customer Calls
Nowadays, it’s tempting to think that everything can be done online. After all, if you can tweet the pizza emoji at Domino’s and expect a piping hot pie to arrive within 30 minutes, how much more digital can things get?! To this I say hold on! Don’t assume that all customers adopt these channels –…
Worthwhile Small Business Advice
OnDeck has been a national sponsor of SCORE for the last few years and one of my favorite responsibilities here at OnDeck is to work with SCORES’s national leadership group and the many local volunteers throughout the country to help them educate and inform their clients about the new landscape of small business lending. I’ve…