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Can I Get a Small Business Loan from the Government? This is the question on many an entrepreneurs' minds, and the answer is not so cut and dry. The short answer is no, there is no such thing as a government small business loan. However, there is gray area.

Whenever you set up any form of debt settlement agreement with your debtor or your credit card company, your chances for obtaining reliable credit in the future from the same company is considerably reduced. In addition to this, such a step will also impact your overall credit score in a negative direction. The process of debt settlement basically calls for offering the credit card company with a negotiated settlement that aims to convince the company to accept a payment much less than the final debt payment or the total owed amount. Well though many of these processes are successful in relieving the consumer of all his or her debt obligations and also in preventing the lenders from selling any future debt to the collector, however most of them tend to leave your future financial story with a black mark for the next seven years at least.

There are times office equipment breaks down and you can simply write a check or draw from the business line of credit for repairs or replacement. Other times this is not the case. In those instances, it is necessary to call in the big guns. Equipment financing is likely the answer when other options just will not work.

According to the recent second annual women-owned business study by Biz2Credit, the average time period is just two years when a female entrepreneur applies for a loan. Meanwhile, in Illinois, a male-owned firm averages 31 months before it applies for a loan. That figure for the women-owned companies is lower than the average total of 27 months when women apply for loans, according to the Biz2Credit.

The small business world can at times be very unpredictable. The government shutdown last year, for example, certainly did not do America's small businesses any favors. While there is no way to predict the future with 100% accuracy, here is a guide of what 2014 might hold for small business entrepreneurs.

As 2014 begins, aspiring entrepreneurs are challenging themselves to create and abide by their New Year's Resolutions. This is the chance to start off with a clean slate; go out and do what you've always told yourself you were going to do. Perhaps this is the chance to get out there and start that business you've always dreamed about.

There is often a debate in the heads of small business owners over whether they should buy that new piece of equipment or just lease it. It may seem to be a small question with only month to month ramifications, but that fact is that the choice made can affect your tax return as well. It may do so even if you do not intend for it to.

However, the budget deal forged at the end of the year provided confidence that there would not be another hurtful showdown in the near future. As the year progressed, we saw record gains by the stock market and a rebound in the real estate market across the nation. The unemployment rate has been dropping steadily and is hovering around 7 percent, far from the nearly10 percent unemployment rates during 2009 and 2010. Further, interest rates for small business borrowers are still low, and banks are beginning to lend again, although not yet at pre-recession levels. 

Making more money is the obvious way to increase your bottom line, but just as you try to save when spending your personal budget, you want to save when spending , as well.Similar to using coupons for grocery and household items at home, looking for discounts and ways to save money during the daily course of business is essential to success.

In the process of starting your own small business, the first stretch is always the busiest and most difficult. Working every day for 12 hours straight is not uncommon. Even though you may be enjoying it, you're probably wondering when the craziness will let up a little. Here are four tips to ensure that your hard work will come to fruition, and that your small business will keep growing - slowly but steadily!

Every company has its own unique business atmosphere and its own cultural identity. Is your business filled with green peacemakers striving to make the world a more environmentally friendly place? Or is it comprised of engineering geniuses who love technology? Whatever the case may be, every business has something that defines its culture.

Podcasting is an inexpensive way to effectively reach and build your small business's customer base. But maybe you've never recorded yourself before, and what would you even say? Should you go ahead and try anyway? Podcasting is cost-effective and simple. Read on for more tips to start podcasting for your small business today.

As a small business owner, it is necessary to make financial projections to give an accurate sense of what the future looks like. Year-end financial projections for the year ahead are crucial towards making better decisions and keeping your small business in check. These financial projections should be based on your small business's accounting data, such as expenses and cash flow. Using this information can help you better guide your company in a goal-oriented manner during 2014. Read on for some types of financial projections that could aid your small business.

Many people are under the impression that marketing is difficult and expensive. However, some of the most effective marketing strategies can actually be quite affordable. There are many ways to spread the word about your small business.

Do you need to make changes to your products' prices, in order to adjust your small business's bottom line? Many entrepreneurs are hesitant to do this because they are afraid of alienating their current customers. The success of your pricing policy depends on how the policy is implemented. Part of this means timing the pricing change carefully, and predicting your competitors' reactions to the pricing change.

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.

After going to school for the time and money it takes to become a veterinarian, most graduates are ready to get to work as soon as graduation is done. Whether you decide to jump straight into business for yourself or do some time in an established veterinarian's office first, when the time comes to branch out on your own you are going to need a lot of support. From finding loans for a veterinary practice to finding a location, there are going to be challenges. Where should you start?

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. -

So what exactly is a microloan? The Microloan Program was developed in 1992 by the SBA for the purposes of making available very small loans to business owners who need small business loans. Nonprofit intermediaries are used to make the loans. Currently, 170 nonprofit organizations are administering the Microloan Program, in almost every state. Since 1992, the Microloan Program has handed out over 12,000 loans, totaling a whopping $112 million. The funds of a microloan can be used for many business needs, including capital, inventory, supplies, and equipment.

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.