Small Business News

Businesses which are members of Angie’s list will now be able to buy short-term insurance from Thimble.

Thimble is the IAC-backed company that uniquely offers business insurance that can be started, paused or cancelled on demand.

Just how short is the short term? Insurance can be purchased by the hour, day or month.

“We wanted to find a way to offer business insurance that was a better experience for everyone,” said Thimble co-founder and CEO Jay Bregman. “This allows you, as a business owner, to be in control, even when things are changing that you can’t do anything about.”

The COVID-19 lockdowns have changed the traditional ways of doing business. The Angie’s List and Thimble integration means that a wide variety of home services businesses can access, buy and carry insurance in a simple and flexible way.

Bregman said that even in normal times, small businesses face many challenges. As those businesses embark on economic recovery, the availability of short-term insurance is key to their succe

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Reeling from these tough economic times, you may be considering a loan for your business for the first time.

How do you get a small business loan? Should you apply to an online lender? Try to get a loan through a bank? Go through the Small Business Administration (SBA) for financing?

Many loan requirements are the same for the application process. Lenders and the SBA have specific conditions you must meet in order to get a loan. But with some loans and lenders, there is a protection program to ensure that you are safe.

An SBA loan may have special requirements that differ from the requirements of traditional loans. Every lender uses certain evaluations to determine your ability to repay.

Lenders look at bank statements, assets in the business, financial statements, debt service coverage ratio, and personal and business credit score (present and history). Lenders also want you to have a sound business plan.

Did you ever change the business name, physical address, or phone number? Are these changes on past bank statements, tax forms, incorporation papers, utility bills, and websites?

In other words, Joanie&rsquo

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About two-thirds of businesses that have adopted remote work policies as a result of COVID-19 plan to keep at least some of those policies in place long-term or permanently, according to a recent study.

The pandemic has forced more businesses than ever to rapidly adopt a work from home model. And though some may have struggled to adjust at first, many are now reaping the benefits of such policies — and that may lead to a permanent shift in working conditions across industries.

Moe Vela, Chief Transparency Officer of TransparentBusiness, a remote workforce management solution, said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, “This is truly an unprecedented situation that has led businesses to have no choice but to adopt a remote workforce model. But then what companies are seeing is that it works. Everybody wins with a remote workforce model.”

For small businesses, the benefits are numerous. You get to save money on office space, equipment, supplies, and utilities by allowing employees to work remotely. You can also enjoy improved morale and productivity by giving your

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New research is finding Americans like social distance services like curbside pickup. And they want them to continue even after the pandemic is over.

The State of Local Business survey from Podium reports that 84% of respondents have used tech-enables services like contactless payments too. The vast majority (86%) expect they will continue.

Over half of the consumers polled said they stayed away from local businesses that don’t have these services. There’s a big shift local SMBs need to pay attention to among women and people over 60 too.

A full 55% of women appreciated pickup, curbside and contactless services. That’s a big difference from the 43% of men who responded in the same way. The numbers for people over 60 might be the biggest surprise. Only 3% considered these services before the pandemic. Once it hit that number grew to 41%.

Eric Rea, co-founder and CEO at Podium, says what was once an option has become the only way to sell goods and services during COVID 19.

“While previously just a nice way to do business, offering options like contactless payments, texting and curbside pickup have become the only way for local business

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