3 min read
A Guide to Commercial Truck Insurance Requirements
As truck insurance premiums continue to rise, it’s important to understand how policies work, what coverage is required, and how companies can save on costs.
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5 min read
Financing EV Chargers for Business: A Practical Guide
Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers are becoming more common – and it’s happening fast. They serve as the power source for electric vehicles, which are taking center stage in the global push for cleaner and more sustainable energy use. The boom in the EV...
5 min read
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Forgiveness or Renegotiation – How It Works
The economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on small businesses everywhere. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program has been a lifeline for many of these business owners, but unfortunately, some are now finding...
3 min read
Merchant Cash Advance Debt Relief: How to Save Your Business
As a small business owner, you know you need access to capital…
2 min read
3D Printer Financing
3D printing is a big industry. The market for 3D printing worldwide was $13.84 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at 20% annually through 2030. If you’ve considered a 3D printing solution for your business, you probably want some specifics....
3 min read
2023 Section 179 Limits (+Bonus Depreciation) – How Much Can You Save?
Did you buy equipment for your business in 2023? Did you know you may be able to write the entire purchase off immediately? (There’s still time before the end of the year… but many assets are hard to get your hands on right now. Don’t snooze or you...
4 min read
5 Problems With MCA Reverse Consolidation Loans
We talk to lots of business owners in trouble with merchant cash advances. Did you know… …so many small businesses have cash advances… …these “MCA” companies are running out of people to sell a merchant advance to? Pretty scary, right? So… these...
3 min read
Construction Equipment Financing: How it Actually Works
Do you need to finance construction equipment for your business? There’s a lot of goober-y stuff out there on the web that says nothing… …and some utter nonsense… …but not much knock-down, drag-out, honest-to-god truth. Want the real dirt info on...
4 min read
Equipment Leases with Quarterly Payments: Don’t Get Flim-Flammed
Today we’re going to talk about a scam. Fraud… I mean it. Totally bogus shenanigans Well, on rare occasions… not 100% bogus… …but be really careful… Note: You may read this article or you may listen to it. You can find links to download the audio to...
3 min read
Small Business Debt Relief (5 Ways to Get Your Life Back)
So… You’re running a successful business… …there should be plenty of profit left over (for you to, like live on)… …but somehow… …loan payments are eating away all the profit. (Sound familiar?) Here are a few ways your small business can get out of...
2 min read
Office Equipment Leasing: Should You Finance Business Equipment?
Decking out an office… … it’s amazing how fast it all adds up. (Even if you’re buying “cheap” furniture…) Right? Should you pay cash? Or… should you lease and/or finance equipment? Check this out…
5 min read
First Time Commercial Truck Financing: (5 Best Programs)
So… You’re trying to finance a commercial truck as a first time buyer. It’s a bitch, right? And… Finding the information you need to make a decision online? Good luck with that. I know what you’re thinking too… “Are these guys going to screw me on...
3 min read
The Truth about Boom and Bucket Truck Financing
Quick… What’s the difference between… … a lying scumbag finance company… …and a bucket of spit? That’s right… The bucket. Funny, right? Wanna know what’s not so funny? Lying to you about the rates. Right? Check this out… Special Note: If you're in a...
2 min read
Concrete Mixer Truck Financing: Rates, Payments and How to Qualify
So… Looking online for how to finance a concrete or cement truck? Yeah. I know where you’ve been... Almost like you’ve gotta take a shower now, right? Ready for the truth yet? Let’s show you some info you can actually use….
10 min read
How To Finance a Construction or Contracting Business [New Podcast]
Welcome to episode #6 of the Smarter Business Finance Podcast. To see all episodes, visit the main podcast page. You may find this podcast on your phone by going to iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher and searching for "Smarter Business Finance." If...
2 min read
What is Interim Rent on an Equipment Lease?
So, you’re in the middle of leasing equipment for your business. And, looking at the paperwork, you notice an “extra” amount that you have to pay. What is this “interim rent” charge? Many of our customers wonder if it’s just a way to squeeze extra...
7 min read
Get Out Of MCA: Escape The Grip of Merchant Cash Advances
Have you taken a merchant cash advance? (or 4?) We occasionally help customers access this type of business financing, but we’re much more likely to talk you out of a merchant cash advance than to sell you on the idea. The thing is… … when you learn...
4 min read
What are Fair Market Value (FMV) Equipment Lease Buyout Options?
Do you need to finance some equipment? I bet you're annoyed with all the jargon that you see. If you're on someone's website, or talking to a leasing professional... ... they assume you're a lawyer or accountant with all the geeky words they use....
4 min read
How to Offer Equipment Financing to Your Customers
Do you sell business equipment? You'll probably agree: Finding the right company to offer financing to your customers can be a real challenge... ...but it's a necessary evil, right? Let's face it - you'll lose customers to your competitors if you...
4 min read
Auto Repair Shop Loans - 6 Ways to Finance a Garage
I'm sure you'd agree... ... it's no fun to look for business loans... We help a lot of garage owners get auto repair shop loans. ...but we hear the same things from our customers over and over. Maybe you've been there already... ...some slick Willy...
3 min read
Crane Financing: What are the Rates to Finance or Lease a Crane?
Are you looking into crane financing? Financing for a crane is a little bit different than a lot of other types of equipment. Do you want to know why? Cranes aren't exactly "cheap." When we help customers look at financing for a crane, we find most...
3 min read
Brewery Equipment Financing: Rates & How To Qualify
Are you looking online for brewery equipment financing? Do you want to get real information before picking up the phone? I mean, maybe it's just some joker who is fixing to lie to you, right? Man, oh, man... When you enter that search into Google,...
4 min read
Box Truck Leasing & Financing : 5 Ways to Qualify [and Rates]
When you look online for box truck financing, the most common question is: "Will I qualify?" The interwebs, in all their glory, tell you approximately nothing about this key question that you'll need answered to start making some plans. Want to know...
3 min read
Laundromat Financing: How Much Does Laundry Equipment Leasing Cost?
If you are using the internet to investigate laundromat financing, most of the websites you're visiting give you approximately zero information. Some have a "laundry list" (haha) of the types of laundry equipment you can finance - washers, dryers,...
3 min read
Vendor Financing Programs: 5 Critical Things to Look for in a Partner
Are you an equipment vendor? It can be hard to find the best financing partner for your customers. Here's the deal: If you sell equipment, you know that your customers rely on you to offer financing - but selecting which company to work with can be...
3 min read
The Truth about Dental Equipment Financing
If you're looking on the internet from information about dental equipment financing, you may have noticed something: Talking to financing companies...yeah ...about as much fun as a root canal, right? They make it sound so easy and affordable......
5 min read
Gym Equipment Leasing: True Cost of Fitness Equipment Financing
If you're in the fitness industry, you probably can probably spot a scam a mile away when it comes to something about the fitness industry, right? I'm sure that probably every single day, someone asks you a question like: "I read on the internet...
3 min read
Used Equipment Financing: How High are the Rates?
I got a call today from a gentleman with a simple question: "Do you finance used equipment?" I replied with a simple answer: "Yes." It's always funny when I hear that question, because the truth is, most of the equipment we finance is used. We get...
3 min read
Can You Qualify for Logging Equipment Financing?
If you've driven anywhere over the past year or so, you may have noticed something... Everywhere you look, there's a lot of construction going on. Houses are being built like crazy, which means builders need a lot of wood. When the houses are built...
4 min read
How Much Does Commercial LED Lighting Financing Cost?
If you're thinking about upgrading to LED lighting to save money, you're probably wondering how much you'll actually save, right? It should be pretty simple to figure out - just take your current power bill, figure out the new power bill with new...
3 min read
Used Truck Financing: How to Finance Older Trucks
If you're in the trucking business, you probably want to be successful, right? Whether you're running a dump truck, a semi, or a water truck, you've got to make sure the numbers work, or else you won't be driving your own truck for very long. A lot...
6 min read
Food Concession Trailer Financing: How to Qualify for a Loan
Have you always dreamed of starting your own restaurant, but know you'll never be able to come up with half a million dollars to do it? Concession trucks and trailers can get you in business for about a tenth of the cost of starting a restaurant....
6 min read
Commercial Truck Financing Fast: No Fluff, Just Facts
Are you looking for commercial truck financing? It's become harder to come by in 2024. Why? Banks are tightening up credit requirements. Oh... and rates have gone up too. So... financing a commercial truck for your business is now harder and costs...
7 min read
Food Truck Financing: How to Qualify to Lease a Food Truck
Food trucks are awesome. Maybe you are considering entering the food truck business for one simple reason: startup costs and operating expenses for a food truck are a fraction of the costs to open and run a restaurant... The problem: you probably...
5 min read
Tow Truck Financing: Rates, Requirements & Down Payments
So... Tow truck financing (or leasing)... ...it's pretty hard to find good information on the internet, right? If you want to learn how to get qualified to lease or finance a tow truck... (whether it's a wrecker, a rolloff, a rollback, or anything...
5 min read
Used Semi Truck Leasing for Owner Operators: What are the Costs?
Getting a new truck? (Well... new ... to you... right?) Your big question: How much does this cost? The truth is... You need to know how much your truck payments will be. That way you can figure out if the truck is worth it. Bonus: If you hate...
8 min read
The Best Small Business Funding Option You've Never Heard of
Today I'm going to show you a real funding option for a real small business. A real small business - not like the banks or the government define it (500 employees or fewer) but how actual people define it. You can have your money in a week, with no...
10 min read
15 Ways to Access Small Business Startup Loans
Are you thinking about starting a business, or have you recently started a new venture? You certainly aren't alone. In fact, 543,000 small businesses are started in the United States every month. That's the good news. Less good: half won't make it...
4 min read
Backhoe Leasing Rates: How Much Will Your Payments Be?
With construction demand growing steadily, the amount of people we talk to who need to finance construction equipment such as backhoes is growing as well. The vast majority of companies purchasing construction equipment will end up financing, and...
2 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Finance or Lease a Bulldozer?
Bulldozers are one of the more expensive pieces of equipment folks ask about. That makes the process sometimes different than some other heavy equipment we talk about. Before we get started, if: You have credit over 700... and... You aren't a...
4 min read
Leasing Caterpillar Equipment: Costs, Prices and Other Variables
We field a lot of calls from people that are looking into buying Caterpillar equipment. Hardly anyone has the cash to buy equipment from Cat without financing it. Cat Finance offers 4.99% and sometimes lower rates on used equipment, but they will...
4 min read
What are Heavy Equipment Finance Rates?
We talk to quite a few folks about heavy equipment finance. The question we get most often, and usually first, is, "What are the rates?" The answer is always the same. Heavy equipment finance rates depend on your situation. A lot goes into the costs...
4 min read
Dump Truck Financing: What are Your Options?
So, you need to finance a dump truck… … but your credit isn’t so great… Note: If your credit is not so bad, you may want to check out our Ultimate Guide to Dump Truck Financing You already know buying your own dump truck is WAY better than driving...
4 min read
Who are the Best Equipment Leasing Companies?
There are hundreds of equipment leasing companies in the US. We detail a lot about problems with many of the companies out there, but many leasing companies are fair, honest and straightforward. We deal with many of the best equipment leasing...
4 min read
Ultrasound Machine Leasing - Costs and How To Qualify
We get calls from a lot of businesses in different medical specialties about leasing new or used ultrasound machines. The two biggest questions we get are how to qualify and what the costs will be, so let's go ahead and answer these two basic...
4 min read
A Reality Check on Equipment Finance Rates For Startups
Want to know a secret? Startup financing rates are high. They're even higher if you have bad credit. How high? Let's go over the two scenarios (names, industries and circumstances have been changed slightly), and look at finance offers and how they...
2 min read
Are Merchant Cash Advances a Scam?
Have you been pitched a merchant cash advance? I bet the dude (or dudette...) you spoke with didn't quote a real interest rate, right? They'll tell you that cash advances don't have an interest rate... ...because merchant cash advance lenders simply...
3 min read
Answers to the Top 6 Questions About Financing a Used Skid Steer
We answer a ton of questions at Smarter Finance USA about financing skid steers. Most of the time we end up talking to someone about financing used equipment. Generally, most shoppers have the same questions. The questions we are asked most are: Do...
4 min read
5 Lies Heavy Equipment Finance Companies Tell You
So... you need to finance heavy equipment. Are you wondering which companies you can trust? We hear from many folks who speak to a heavy equipment finance company... ...and get told one thing... ...but after they have paid a deposit the terms...
3 min read
Dental Practice Financing: What are the Best Loans for Dentists?
Are you considering a dental practice loan? You'd rather perform a root canal on yourself than talk to 13 different companies to find the information you need. Right? Here's the problem: (Almost) every website you go to will tell you why their...
3 min read
How much are Medical Equipment Financing Rates?
Do you need to purchase equipment for your medical practice? I bet you're not planning to pay cash, right? MRI machines, lasers, physical therapy equipment, -totally not cheap. Most of the time, you'll end up financing or leasing your equipment....
6 min read
5 Restaurant Equipment Leasing Swindles to Avoid
If you need to finance or lease restaurant equipment, and you're looking around on the internet, you may have already noticed something: Most of the "information" about restaurant equipment leasing that you can find online is total garbage. I don't...
3 min read
How to Lease Farm Equipment with Bad Credit or for a New Business
If you need to get your hands on a tractor, a reaper, a cultivator, or any other type of agricultural equipment, but you don't have the cash available for it (or don't want to deplete your capital) it helps to have good credit and 2 or more years in...
3 min read
John Deere Tractor Leasing: Costs, Price and other Considerations
Are you going to buy a tractor? It's a pretty good bet you're considering a John Deere. 40%-67% of tractors purchased in the United States are made by Deere (depending on which study you look at). If you know you're looking at a Deere, the next...
5 min read
How much does it Cost to Lease a Used Tractor?
Are you looking to buy a tractor? You probably know you can save significant money when you finance or lease a used tractor. In working with many farmers, we find that even though your payments going used might be slightly higher on a...
5 min read
What Are The Financing Rates For Used Farm Equipment?
If you are looking to purchase used farm equipment, you can save considerable money compared to the cost of buying new. Depending on the brand and type of farm equipment, many pieces of machinery are built to last for 30 years or more, but buying...
5 min read
How much does it Cost to Lease a Used Skid Steer?
A decent used skid steer will cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. In the $15,000 range you're usually looking at a model that's ten or so years old, while at the top of the range, you're usually looking at some equipment that's newer. When...
3 min read
Excavator Financing: What are Payments on Used Excavators?
Looking at buying or leasing an excavator? What will your monthly payments will be for excavator financing? If you only need the excavator occasionally, it may be cheaper to rent, but only if you're going to use it almost never. Rental prices on...
3 min read
The Big Problem With Equipment Leasing Rates
There's a huge problem with equipment leasing rates. One of the first questions we get from a prospect is always, "what are the rates?" Want to know a secret? this question is usually not a problem if you've got great credit and have been in...
3 min read
Spray Foam Equipment Leasing: What are the Rates?
If you're a spray foam contractor who needs new equipment, or are looking to get into the spray foam installation business, the biggest question you may have is how much is all this stuff going to cost? The good news: you don't have to write a big...
2 min read
How Much Does It Cost To Lease A Used Dump Truck?
If you're looking for a used dump truck for your business, you may be able to find dump truck prices online, but it's hard to find real information about what your actual payments will be. Sure, there are equipment leasing calculators on a lot of...
4 min read
Horizontal Machining Center Vs. Vertical Machining Center
Every year, Modern Machine Shop does studies on the machine shop industry. One of the most helpful things they do is their Top Shops report, which does a detailed breakdown of the differences between what the fastest growing and most profitable...
1 min read
Equipment Sale Leaseback Financing: Pros and Cons
There are numerous methods for small business owners to get their hands on cash, but one of the least known and least used methods is called an equipment sale leaseback transaction. Sale-leaseback works kind of like an equity loan on your house. If...
5 min read
5 Equipment Leasing Scams and Problems To Look Out For
There are some sketchy practices in equipment financing. Way sketchy... Any type of financing is complex... ...with lots of funky terms... ...but... ... bigger industries (like mortgage and insurance) are regulated. ...when someone breaks the rules,...