Commercial Banks

Focus on commercial banks that fit your business needs Not all US commercial banks are a good fit for every small business. You must find a bank that meets your lending needs, offers the services you desire and the quality of customer service you deserve. Doing some legwork on the front end can save you from entering a suboptimal relationship.

I recommend:  Business Finance provides a commercial banking matching service to businesses who enter lending requirements online. The Small Business Times features a guide to US commercial banks, including information on their lending specialties, available loan types and overall strengths. ING DIRECT offers good rates on business savings accounts.

Find a commercial banking partner with technological savvy Although financial institutions are old school compared to most other industry, the banking world is responding to the technological revolution. To save time, hassle and mounds of paper, choose a bank that offers web-based solutions to small business clients.

I recommend:  Wells Fargo offers a number of online banking services to business customers, including bill payment, statement review and tax services. Bank of America also offers several online small business solutions for merchant reporting, payroll and invoicing. Wachovia and Affinity Bank both have similar online services for small businesses.

Examine ratings of commercial banks Banks spend a lot of time and money conducting research about your personal and business financial history before providing some services, they deserve the same scrutiny. Get information about commercial banks' operations, financial strength and customer service quality before making a decision.

I recommend:  AMBest provides numerical bank ratings, with advanced search features to narrow down commercial banks according to business needs. Bankrate.com rates banks on a five-point system, using information about commercial banks' overall performance and health.