May 2, 2018
Amid the growth the metro area is experiencing, extended payment terms – a trend in how some bigger companies handle paying their vendors – is threatening to stifle healthy growth in our area.
April 30, 2018
Every business leader wants their company to be “easy to do business with.” If you’re not taking the time to look for ways to improve ease of doing business, it can negatively impact profitability and growth without you even noticing.
March 2, 2018
You can start practicing more profitable saving habits today. Celebrate America Saves Week by identifying where you can improve to make your financial goals reality.
February 26, 2018
Have you stayed on track this year with your business resolutions? Business Insider says that approximately 80% of Americans’ resolutions fall by the wayside by February.
January 31, 2018
The new year has arrived and with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act now in motion, there has never been a more important time to connect with the right people and gain more angles to your strategic advice
January 30, 2018
When the average business owner hears the term cybercrime, one of two things likely happen: 1) they think about attacks happening to larger corporations, or 2) they disregard it and go back to their work. Besides, hackers are only interested in big corporations, right?
December 15, 2017
As we head into the holiday season, there is a Grinch lurking around at ATMs and gas pumps – it’s a small black device the size of a deck of cards, and it’s called a card skimmer.
November 22, 2017
Given that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we thought it would be a good idea to reflect on some of the things about the global economy and capital markets for which we should be thankful.
September 27, 2017
Over the past month we have seen vulnerability. The Equifax breach that affects over 143 million individuals is not to be taken lightly.
September 25, 2017
Here are 7 tips on where to look for your concealed capital problems and how to change them to make your cash flow more efficient.
July 26, 2017
Businesses, just like people, have a choice between debit and credit cards.
July 25, 2017
Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. By taking a strategic approach to managing working capital, treasurers can free cash flow and maintain a healthy financial state.
July 24, 2017
What is the primary reason that profitable companies fail? CASH FLOW. Or, the lack of cash flow to be precise.
May 22, 2017
As we near the midpoint of the year, now is a great time to conduct a review of your 2017 business and financial goals.
May 22, 2017
Today marks an important milestone because we have officially expanded our family to include all of you. I want to thank you for your business and offer you a heartfelt welcome to Enterprise.
March 10, 2017
As a manager or business owner, you know diversity and inclusion has evolved from a legal imperative and “the right thing to do” to a business necessity.
March 7, 2017
The business world doesn’t need another buzzword acronym like ROIQ (Return On Intelligence Quotient), but education is the only guarantee to improving any business. No matter how many blogs or business books you read, you can’t beat the classroom and collaborative environment of Enterprise University or the return on investment. Especially since classes are offered at no cost to you!
March 2, 2017
Finding ourselves eight weeks into 2017 and in the middle of “America Saves Week”, we felt it was important to ask, “What would improving your financial well being look and feel like for you? Would it be purchasing something that feels like a stretch?”
February 13, 2017
Last week was a big week for Enterprise Bank & Trust. And it’s just the start of what’s going to be a big year.
January 18, 2017
New year. New president. New tax rates from Congress. We can’t predict what all this change means, but we can try to prepare for it. Whether you are a corporation, small business, or individual, you need to be ready. One place to start is the Internal Revenue Service.
December 15, 2016
Are you doing a lot of your holiday shopping on Amazon.com? We know we are! Be on the lookout, though. Some shoppers are receiving emails that appear they’re from Amazon about your order not being shipped, but are really these are just clever fake emails.
November 1, 2016
It’s been said “It takes money to make money.” As a business owner, you might find yourself talking to a bank, a surety company or other provider to secure financing. Knowing what guidelines banks and other institutions utilize to determine if your business is creditworthy can help you achieve your goal.
October 31, 2016
In this difficult economic environment, having a good relationship with your bank and banker is critical to the success of your business. A strong relationship with your bank will not only give you access to capital, but also help you obtain better credit structure and pricing. One of the main causes of the breakdown in the relationship between the banker and entrepreneur is communication.
October 25, 2016
Do you have a dashboard of performance ratios to help manage your business? Are these the same ratios your bank and bonding company analyze to make decisions about your company credit?
September 22, 2016
An ideal estate plan for a closely-held business owner should have two major components: (1) an estate plan and (2) a management succession plan. The estate plan addresses issues involving succession to beneficial ownership of property, minimizing transfer taxes and providing for adequate liquidity. The management succession plan centers around the control of the property, establishing a successor(s), management of the business operations and other unique family considerations.
September 7, 2016
In today’s fast-paced business world, having instant access to key decision-making information is critical. It not only provides a competitive advantage, but it is also directly tied to an organization’s ability to compete.
August 25, 2016
You are an expert at your business, but what do you know about fraud prevention? Criminals target small businesses because they know you don’t have the resources to monitor for fraudulent activity. The first line of defense is knowing the most common types of fraud.
August 25, 2016
Financial fraud has become an increasingly common threat for many small businesses. How pervasive is the crime? According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the typical small business loses 5% of annual revenues to fraud.
August 25, 2016
Being aware and prepared are the best ways to help prevent ACH fraud. Small businesses are often too busy to dedicate time and resources to fraud prevention. There are, however, simple steps any business can do to help manage the problem.
August 25, 2016
It’s not a matter of if, but when fraud will happen. Although there are many forms of payment fraud, checks continue to be the payment method most often targeted. After all, checks are still a commonly used payment method.
August 22, 2016
You probably have a pretty good sense about what a search engine is. Google and Bing are the most common in the U.S. and you’ve probably used them a time or two. Search engines go far beyond what Google and Bing can offer, however. Search engines are all around you online.
August 18, 2016
This week two Federal Reserve Bank Presidents spoke on the issue of monetary policy and the short-term Fed Funds target rate and both were somewhat bearish. On Tuesday, New York Fed President William Dudley, stated that, “We’re edging closer towards the point in time where it will be appropriate, I think, to raise interest rates further.”
August 16, 2016
Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the second quarter estimate of labor force productivity in the US. The report indicated that for the last three quarters, productivity has actually fallen in this country.
August 12, 2016
The U.S. economy keeps chugging along, but economic growth overseas is hit or miss. Outside of the US, developed country growth is anemic, but emerging market growth in the Asian region may be climbing.
August 9, 2016
Hackers can duplicate legitimate email addresses, and then pretend to be someone within your organization. They will ask you to send a wire transfer or payment urgently for what may seem to be a legitimate purpose.
August 5, 2016
Yesterday, the Bank of England, led by Governor Mark Carney, announced that it would lower its Official Bank Rate to 0.25% from 0.5% and increase its monthly long-term bond purchases from £375 billion to £435 billion.
July 29, 2016
We do not spend too much time in this forum discussing microeconomic issues. However, since we are in the middle of the second quarter earnings release season and the macro-economy is quiet at the moment, we thought it would be a good idea to turn our attention to earnings news.
July 29, 2016
Shine the spotlight over here, please! We like to recognize our hard working clients and celebrate their successes. Let’s hear it for Martin Hess, General Manager of the ACA Business Club.
July 13, 2016
The St. Louis Fed has taken a new stance on monetary and macroeconomic policy. Dr. James Bullard, President of the St. Louis Fed, laid out the stance in a presentation to the National Association of Business Economists yesterday.
July 6, 2016
The situation in the UK and Europe is very fluid and likely to take many twists and turns over the next few months and/or years. The capital markets have never experienced a situation like this before and that makes investors anxious.
June 30, 2016
While world leaders, capital markets and the general populace are still focused on last week’s vote in the UK and its economic and political impact, life goes on, as they say.
June 27, 2016
As you know well by now, the UK electorate voted to leave the EU last week. The capital markets reaction on Friday was predictable. Japan and developed European equity markets sold off between 4-7%, depending on the market.
June 21, 2016
St. Louis, Kansas City and Phoenix business owners finished the 2016 Spring Enterprise University semester last month and will now be using the upcoming summer months to implement their new learnings.
June 10, 2016
As everyone knows by now, last week’s employment report from the Labor Department was much weaker than expected.
June 2, 2016
While the next FOMC meeting is not scheduled until June 15th, this week’s economic data releases from several government and private sources may be critical. The Fed has signaled its intent to raise short-term interest rates.
May 27, 2016
Natural disasters, such as tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, pose a serious threat to the operation of businesses, and the safety of its associates and customers.
April 6, 2016
Banks that provide business loans look for specific characteristics. Are you eligible for a business loan? Use this helpful infographic to find out.
March 2, 2016
It’s here: tax season. As all the paperwork (and stress) amplifies, here are four bookkeeping tasks you should check off your to-do list.
March 16, 2016
Looking to save money? According to Entrepreneur, one easy way is by finding legitimate tax write-offs that intersect both personal and business expenses.
March 30, 2016
Step 1, the most important (and only step): Limit the tax talk.
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