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When it comes to dealing with issues such as debt management, loan qualification, and credit scores, everything is surprisingly interconnected. Most people's bad debt comes from misuse of their credit lines and loans. When credit scores drop, they discover that getting personal and business loans can be much more difficult. -

If you're looking to start a small business and you don't have a trust fund, wealthy friends, a mega-rich godfather or haven't won the lottery, chances are you'll more than likely need a small business or bank loan. This means tons of paperwork and personal time. It's a process that can take months to get a green or red light and even longer to pick up the cash.

You may not realize it, but your website can damage your ability to get a loan. It would be crazy to imagine that if you have an existing business website when you apply for a loan your lender would not look at it. What do you want them to see? You want them to see a site that will draw and keep customers. After all, how can you pay back a small business loan if you do not have customers?

Everyone knows that opening a restaurant is a difficult undertaking, but it doesn't have to be all blood, sweat, and tears! Here, we break down some tips that will streamline the process of opening your own restaurant and help entrepreneurs obtain restaurant loans to start and grow their businesses successfully.

Depending on what kind of business you have, you might not be able to turn to a bank for money. For those for whom a traditional bank is not a viable source of capital, a merchant cash advance can be the answer.

The reasons for the big bank pullback, Arora says, are three-fold. First, big banks have more challenging underwriting standards and they may be waiting for 2013 tax returns from businesses. The harsh winter has also wrought havoc on business sales as customers stayed home and businesses themselves pulled in and perhaps sought fewer loans. Lastly, Arora says, banks haven't done a good job automating their loan processes, so it slows down their loan approvals

New York-based small business loan marketplace Biz2Credit said it analyzed average revenue, age of business, average credit scores and other financial data to determine the rankings. It defined "small businesses" as companies having fewer than 250 employees or less than $10 million in annual revenues.

At a time when peer-to-peer mortgage lending in the U.S. is actually feeding loans to small banks, the situation appears to have flipped for small-business loans: alternative lenders are approving fewer loans, while big banks are approving more, according to monthly numbers from Biz2Credit. In September, large U.S.

How it grew: With a website that makes it easy for small companies to apply quickly for commercial loans online, seven-year-old Biz2Credit has positioned itself for profit. Biz2Credit's ever-expanding group of lenders, including a number of small banks, is eager to make deals with small firms at a time when bank loans under $1 million have stagnated, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey. Last year, Biz2Credit facilitated $380 million in loans, up from $200 million in 2012.

A Biz2Credit study earlier this year listed the Portland, Oregon, area as having the second-highest average revenue in the U.S. for businesses with fewer than 250 employees or under $10 million average revenue. 

All businesses have strengths--and we hate to admit--weaknesses. So when it comes to running your operation, focus on the factor that best generates business. As an example, Helen Ling, owner of a gift shop called Enchantments that specializes in jewelry and other items hand-made by skilled artisans, uses the calendar to promote different gift items. In May, she features Mother's Day gift ideas, in June, the focus is on brides. Naturally, the holiday gift season looms large.