Small business

The gulf between what small businesses need and what banks are providing could be an opportunity for bankers.

Banks that don't focus on credit cards for this market may find larger banks and fintechs are eating their lunch.

The decision to approve the fintech's application to make 7(a) loans came nearly a month after Funding Circle's U.K.-based CEO hinted it is considering a sale of its U.S. operations, alarming some members of Congress.

To serve an increasingly online audience, POS Nation has acquired agriculture e-commerce platform GrazeCart, an example of vendors joining forces to adapt to shifts in the agriculture industry.

Experts predict the number of small businesses turning to an employee-ownership model will accelerate in the coming years. The would mean opportunities for banks that advise on such transitions.

The card giant is offering small merchants a debit card and account that provides a view of their cash flow across multiple products. Experts say this is a good step but that business owners may want more.

Small-business owners need more help from financial services companies when it comes to making major decisions about their companies' future.

The Connecticut bank joins Zions Bank and Leader Bank in recent upgrades to the technology they use to serve this market – and hopefully snag customers who fled Silicon Valley Bank after its failure.

Some lenders to companies owned by women, minorities and veterans say they'd prefer that the Small Business Administration strengthen its Community Advantage program rather than bring them into the agency's flagship loan-guarantee program.

Entrepreneurs often call fees a drawback of their current financial institution, according to research from Arizent. Banks should focus on developing long-term relationships with these customers, rather than charging for every service, experts say.

The companies, which partnered to create a new digital shopping experience, say it made sense to focus on mom and pop stores that had to pivot to e-commerce during the pandemic. These businesses will be the first to get collaborative cloud-based tools including maps, marketing and payments.

The card network aims to attract more merchant customers with an account that pays a 1.1% interest rate.

The startup Digits has developed a search engine that combs the books of small companies to size up their finances. But to give clients a real-time snapshot, it seeks bank partners that will provide checking and credit card account information.

There's still a month left in the federal government's fiscal year, and the Small Business Administration's 504 program is perilously close to hitting its congressionally mandated funding limit for new loans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated income inequality in America, and that has implications for banks and other lenders. Among those suffering most: renters, front-line workers and minority small-business owners.

The combination of American Express and its fintech subsidiary Kabbage is starting to bear fruit at an opportune time, as credit card companies increasingly expand their range of products to boost revenue.

First National Bank of Omaha and Centime, a Boston software company, have developed a tool that banks rarely offer small businesses: a portal that forecasts cash flow, helps entrepreneurs anticipate shortages and provides a ready source of credit when they fall short.