All Finance & Accounting Center Articles Finance & Accounting Forms Accounts Receivable Aging Accounts Receivable Monthly Customer Statement Acquisition Letter of Intent Action by Written Consent of the Shareholders for a Venture Capital Financing Affidavit of Lost Stock Certificate Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation Bank Reconciliation Worksheet Checklist of Issues in Negotiating a Loan Credit Application Demand for Payment Income Statement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- View best selling forms View all forms & agreements View Forms Kits Finance & Accounting Expert Venture Capital by Rodi Guidero Q: I’m not in the technology field. Do other types of businesses qualify for venture capital? A: Venture capitalists are looking for significant returns on their investment. A company needs to be able to demonstrate significant growth potential in a large market to be attractive to a venture capitalist ... Read More » Bankruptcy Alternatives to Declaring Business Bankruptcy Bounce Back from Business Bankruptcy Can Creditors Force a Business into Involuntary Bankruptcy? Can the IRS Pursue Unpaid Taxes Even After Bankruptcy? Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Discharged Debts Filing for Bankruptcy Without Your Spouse Four Types of Business Bankruptcy Glossary of Common Bankruptcy Terminology How are Mortgage, Credit Cards, and Other Debts Treated in Bankruptcy? Protect Your Business from Client Bankruptcy with a UCC Filing Ten Tips on Choosing a Bankruptcy Lawyer What Happens When a Corporation Files for Bankruptcy? What Is the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)? Which Type of Bankruptcy Is Best for My Situation? Why File for Bankruptcy? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Bookkeeping Accounting Periods and Methods for Businesses An Easy-to-Use Manual Bookkeeping System An Overview of Web-based Bookkeeping Solutions Basic Bookkeeping Tips Bookkeeping Basics Calculating Your Breakeven Point Cash vs. Accrual Accounting Methods Checklist: Choosing the Right Bookkeeping Option Checklist: Understanding Bookkeeping Basics Creating a Budget and Sales Forecast Creating a Job Estimate with QuickBooks 2005 Creating a Purchase Order in QuickBooks Detecting Creative Revenue Accounting Developing a Travel Policy Finding a Good Accountant How Long Can I Run in the Red? Keeping Track of Customer Payments in QuickBooks 2003 Making a Checking Account Deposit with QuickBooks 2005 Making Sense of Financial Statements Payroll Software Options for Your Business Picking the Right Software Bookkeeping Program Planning for Taxes with Quicken 2004 Properly Reflecting Business Loans on Your Company’s Financial Statements Reading Consolidated Financial Statements Record Keeping for Startup and Growing Businesses Recording Your Bills with QuickBooks 2003 Reviewing the Accountant & Taxes Reports in QuickBooks Selecting the Right Financial Advisor for Your Business Setting Up a Bookkeeping Software System Setting Up an Accounts Receivable Process Setting Up Your First Accounts in Quicken 2003 Taking a Chance on Debt for Financial Leverage The Dos and Donts of Billing Time and Expenses The Three Ways to Improve Profitability Tips: Choosing the Right Bookkeeping Option Tips: Understanding Bookkeeping Basics Top 10 Bookkeeping Mistakes by Small Businesses Understanding Accounting Methods Understanding Financial Statements Understanding the Basic Elements of Accounting Understanding Your P & L Use Corporate Cards for Easy Expense Accounting Using Accountants and Bookkeepers for Small Businesses Using Audit Trails in QuickBooks What Are Assets, Liabilities and Owners' Equity? What Are Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? What Kind of Records Should I Keep for My Business? What Will an Accountant Do for Me? Why You Need an Accountant « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Cash Flow Management 60-Second Guide to Managing Cash Flow Accounting Basics Accounts Receivable Financing for Your Business Alternatives to Declaring Business Bankruptcy Avoiding Cash Crunches Can You Get Paid on Delivery or in Advance? Can You Save Money by Buying in Bulk? Creating a Budget and Sales Forecast Factoring: Instant Cash for Your Business Finding a Business Bank Five Reasons to Open a Business Credit Line Five Tips for Avoiding Undercapitalization of Your Business How Can I Get My Customers to Pay on a More Timely Basis? How Do You Plan for a Bad Economy? How Do You Prevent Chargebacks? How Long a Grace Period Should You Give Your Customers? Improving Your Cash Flow Managing Your Cash Flow Selling Receivables to Free Up Cash Flow Setting Up an Accounts Receivable Process Should I Use a Local or National Bank for My Business? Successful Cash Flow Management Tips on Obtaining Vendor/Supplier Financing Using a Debt-Management Firm Using Online Payment Services What Are Credit Card Receipt Advances? What Are Import and Export Loans? What Are the Advantages of Business Credit Cards? What Information Should My Invoices Include? What Is the Advantage of a Secured Line of Credit? What Is the Advantage of Leasing Office Equipment? What Is Vendor Leasing? What Payment Terms Should You Use Internationally? Why You Need to Know about Sweep Accounts « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Credit & Collections 60-Second Guide to Collecting Payment 60-Second Guide to Establishing a Revolving Line of Credit Avoid Nonpayment by Foreign Customers Can I Charge a Customer a Late Fee if the Customer Does Not Pay on Time? Can I Negotiate Collection Rates? Can I Settle for Less Than I'm Owed? Can You Collect Debt Through Small Claims Court? Checking a Customer's Credit Cleaning Up Your Company's Bad Credit Profile Collecting Debts While Obeying the Law Collecting on Overdue Accounts Creating an Effective Collection Policy Dealing with Bounced Checks Factoring: Instant Cash for Your Business Going to Small Claims Court Handling International Payments How Can I Collect What I'm Owed? How Can I Do a Credit Check on Myself? How Can I Find a Reputable Collection Agency? How Can I Find Out What Disputes a Company Has Had with Vendors? How Can I Get My Customers to Pay on a More Timely Basis? How Can I Learn about a Company’s Payment History or Bankruptcy Record? How Can I Run a Credit Check on a Person? How Current Are Credit Reports? How Do Lines of Credit Work? How Do You Minimize the Financial Risk of Doing Business Overseas? How Do You Prevent Chargebacks? How Is a Business Rated? How Long a Grace Period Should You Give Your Customers? How Much Should I Charge as a Late Fee? How to Avoid Check Fraud How to Collect Outstanding Accounts Receivable When Closing a Business How to Reduce the Cost of Bounced Checks Protect Your Business from Client Bankruptcy with a UCC Filing Recognizing Red Flags for Delinquent Accounts Reporting a Delinquent Account to a Credit Bureau Should You Do Business With a High-Risk Company? The Best Ways to Prevent Overdue Accounts The Dos and Donts of Billing Time and Expenses The Nuts and Bolts of Credit Card Processing The Role of Credit Bureaus Top 10 Account Collection Mistakes Using a Collection Agency Using a Lawyer vs. a Collection Agency to Collect Debt Using Bankruptcy to Rescue an Ailing Business What Are Credit Scores or Risk Scores? What Areas Should Your Credit Policy Cover? What Criteria Do Credit Companies Use to Rate Credit Worthiness? What Do Collection Agencies Do? What Do You Need to Know about Purchase Orders? What Information Does a Collection Agency Need? What Information Should My Invoices Include? What Is Business Credit? What Kind of Credit Card Interest Should You Pay? What Percentage of Companies Are Considered High Credit Risks? What Percentage of Money Owed Is Typically Recovered by a Collection Agency? What to Check About a Company Before Extending Credit to Them What to Look For in a Credit Card Processor What You Can Learn from a Credit Report What's a Business Credit Profile? When Should You Call In a Collection Agency? Where Can I Get Information on the Current Legal Requirements Involved in Running a Credit Check? Where Can You Locate Companies That Have Filed for Bankruptcy? Where Should I Hire a Collection Agency? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Financial Reporting 60-Second Guide to Retaining the Records Your Business Needs Accounting Basics Budgets and Projections for Small Businesses Business Travel and Expense Reporting Common Financial Reports Income Statements for Small Businesses Producing Effective Written Reports Reading an Annual Report Record Keeping for Small Businesses The Balance Sheet for Small Businesses What Are Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? What Is a Corporate Records Book? What Is the Stock Ledger of a Corporation? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Loans 60-Second Guide to Getting A Loan Accounts Receivable Financing for Your Business Applying for an SBA Loan Are Check Guarantee Services Worth the Money? Bank Loans for Small Businesses Business Development Revolving Loan Fund Programs Business Loans for Your Small Business Can I Be Personally Liable for a Business Loan? Can I Get a Mortgage Loan If I Have Bad Credit? Choosing a Mortgage Loan Choosing Rates vs. Points in a Mortgage Loan Choosing the Best Mortgage Loan Credit Lines vs. Credit Cards? Debt to Income Ratio for Mortgage Loans Do I Need Private Mortgage Insurance? Documents to Gather Before Applying for a Business Loan Elements of Successful Small Business Loan Application Equipment Lease Financing Experience Helps When Looking for Investors Financing Commercial Property with Mortgage Loans Financing Equipment with Business Loans Financing Your Business with Credit Cards Finding Startup Capital for Your Small Business Finding the Best Mortgage Loan for Your Needs Finding the Best Mortgage Loan Rate Five Common Credit Factors for Qualifying for a Small Business Loan Five Reasons Not to Take Out a Business Loan Five Small Business Grant Resources Five Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Loan Faster Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Loans Funding your Business with Loans vs. Equity Capital Getting a Term Loan for Your Small Business Getting Approved for a Small Business Loan Guaranty of Loans How Can I Avoid Mistakes and Omissions in My Credit Report? How Can I Improve My Business Credit Profile? How Can You Increase Your Chances of Getting a Business Loan? How Commercial Loan Processing Works How Does Your Personal Credit Affect Business Loan Prospects? How Much Home Can You Afford? How Much Interest Can a Lender Charge? How Much Money Will You Need to Start Your Business? Is a Business Loan Taxable Income? Key Business Loan Issues Loan Agreements Loans for Business Owners with Poor Credit Mini Bonds for Small Businesses Minority Business Loan Programs Mortgage Loan Costs and Fees Mortgage Loan Interest Rates Mortgage Loan Preapproval Online Mortgage Loan Resources Promissory Notes Properly Reflecting Business Loans on Your Company’s Financial Statements Raise As Much Seed Money As You Can Reducing Your Monthly Mortgage Loan Payments Second Mortgage Loans vs. Home Equity Loans Security Agreements for Business Loans Short-Term Business Loans Should I Refinance My Mortgage Loan? Should You Pay Points on Mortgage Loans? Should You Personally Guarantee a Loan to Your Small Business? Small Business Disaster Recovery Loans Small Business Financing Basics Small Business Loan Scams State, County, and Local Small Business Loan Financing Ten Key Factors When Applying for a Mortgage Loan Ten Tips for Avoiding Hidden Loan Costs Term Loans for Small Businesses Understanding Asset-Based Financing Understanding Business Lines of Credit Using Debt to Finance Your Small Business Using Personal and Home Loans to Finance Your Small Business VA Mortgage Loans: Do You Qualify? Vacation Home Mortgage Loans What are Certified and Preferred SBA Lenders? What Are Credit Card Receipt Advances? What Are Import and Export Loans? What Are Mortgage Loan Closing Costs? What Are the Advantages of Business Credit Cards? What are the Alternatives for Financing a Business? What do Promissory Notes Contain? What Is a FICO Score and How Does It Affect My Mortgage Loan? What Is a Reverse Mortgage Loan? What Is an FHA Mortgage Loan? What Is APR for Mortgage Loans? What Is Business Debt Refinancing? What Is the Advantage of a Secured Line of Credit? What Lenders Look for Before Granting a Small Business Loan What Length Mortgage Loan Should I Get? What Questions Will Prospective Lenders Have Before Loaning My Business Money? What Type of Small Business Loan Do You Need? When Can You Apply for an SBA Loan? Where Can I Find Information on SBA Loans? Where Can You Get Help Before Applying for an SBA Loan? Who Can Apply for an SBA Loan? Will Biweekly Mortgage Loan Payments Really Save You Money? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Payroll A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Payroll System Dealing with Payroll Taxes in Quicken 2005 Getting Quicken 2005 Ready for Payroll Work Handling Payroll with QuickBooks 2003 Payroll Taxes for Corporations Payroll Taxes for Your Small Business Top 10 Payroll Mistakes Vesting Schedules for Stock Options W-2s (and W-4s) for Employees Wages, Hours and Overtime What Is the Difference Between Exempt and Nonexempt Employees? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Taxes "Ordinary and Necessary" Business Expenses 12 Tips for Preventing Tax Audits Accounting Basics Are LLC Members Required to Pay Self-Employment Taxes? Barter Tax and Accounting Issues Business Income Taxes Business Pass Through Taxes Business Sales Taxes Can the IRS Pursue Unpaid Taxes Even After Bankruptcy? Employer-Paid Taxes Federal Tax Returns for Corporations Federal Unemployment Taxes How to Prepare for a Tax Audit Is a Business Loan Taxable Income? New Deferred Compensation Rules for 2006 Payroll Taxes for Your Small Business Preparing for a Tax Audit Quarterly Estimated Taxes for Sole Proprietors S Corporations Sales & Use Taxes Sales Taxes for Corporations Self-Employment Tax Concerns Should You Form an S Corporation for Tax Reasons? Small Business Tax Basics Special Report: Top 10 Tax Tips for Small and Growing Businesses Tax Breaks for Home Businesses Tax Consequences of Selling a Business Tax Considerations for New Businesses Tax Deductions and Your Small Business Tax Issues in Hiring New Employees Tax Software for Small Businesses Tax Strategies for Handing Down the Family Business Tax Tips for Charitable Contributions Tax Years for Small Businesses The Tax Implications of C Corporations To Hell and Back: Different Types of Tax Audits What Are Employment Taxes? What Do You Need to Know about Deductions? What Kinds Of Taxes Should I Expect in Connection With a Corporation? « Back to the Finance & Accounting Center Venture Capital & Angel Investing Angel Financing Angel Investor Financing for Small Businesses Business Due Diligence by Venture Capitalists Can Your Lawyer Handle Venture Capital Financing? Financing Your Startup Business with Venture Capital Finding an Angel to Finance Your New Business Finding Startup Capital for Your Small Business Funding your Business with Loans vs. Equity Capital How Can I Get Angels to Invest in My Company? How Do I Contact Angel Investors? How Do I Find a Good Venture Capital Firm? How Do I Find Strategic Investors or Advisory Board Members? How Do Venture Capitalists Value Your Business? How Involved Do VCs Get? How Much Do Angels Invest? How Much Initial Capital Do I Need? Legal Due Diligence by Venture Capitalists Should I Seek Out Angel Investors? Small Business Financing Options Strategic Partners vs. Financial Backers The 5 Key Steps to Getting the Interest of a Venture Capitalist The Structure of a Venture Capital Investment Venture Capital Financing Venture Capital Financings Overview Venture Capital Investors' Rights Agreements Venture Capital Matchmaking Venture Capital Stock Purchase Agreements What are the Alternatives for Financing a Business? What Do Venture Capitalists Look For? What Industries Do Venture Capitalists Favor? What Is an Angel Investor? What Is Venture Capital Due Diligence? What Is Venture Capital? What Makes an Angel Invest? What Venture Capitalists Want