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Buying Guides

Latest: Advice, Tips and Resources

Article
Is Social Media Marketing Still Worth It?
By Jennifer Dublino | June 17, 2025

More followers don’t always translate into sales, so is social media marketing still important for businesses? Here is why you should make the effort.

Article
Back to Black: How to Combat a Decline in Sales
By Jennifer Post | June 17, 2025

How do you combat declines in sales when the economy is to blame? See how one business turned its sales around in two years.

Article
6 Gusto Payroll Alternatives
By Julie Thompson | June 17, 2025

Gusto's automated payroll management system is popular, but it lacks integration and other features. Read about six Gusto alternatives for your business.

Best Pick
The Best Call Center Software In 2025
By Mark Fairlie | June 16, 2025

Five9, Twilio and GoTo provide cloud-based call center solutions with AI-powered routing, analytics and omnichannel support.

Article
Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Call Center
By Mark Fairlie | June 13, 2025

If your business struggles with its volume of inbound calls, a call center service can help. Here's what you should consider before partnering with one.

Article
5 Reasons You Should Consider Using a Virtual Receptionist
By Jennifer Dublino | June 13, 2025

A virtual receptionist serves the same role as an in-house receptionist by answering phone calls, taking messages and setting appointments. Learn how they can benefit your business.

Man giving presentation in boardroom
Article
How to Increase Employee Engagement & Why Improving Employee Engagement is Important
By Skye Schooley | June 13, 2025

High employee engagement can benefit your business. Learn what tools and strategies to use to improve employee engagement within your organization.

Article
10 Ways to Get Good Customer Reviews
By Skye Schooley | June 13, 2025

Online review platforms are the new Yellow Pages. Here's how to bring in more positive online reviews for your business.

Article
The SBSS Score Explained: What It Is and Why It Matters When Applying for a Loan
By Jamie Johnson | June 13, 2025

Your SBSS score matters when you're applying for a small business loan. Here's what you need to know.

Article
Environmental Scanning: How CEOs Can Stay Ahead of the Curve and Beat the Competition
By Ken Gosnell | June 12, 2025

Environmental scanning is when leaders survey the landscape of competitors, customers and innovations. See how environmental scanning gives CEOs an edge.

chef checking a restaurant freezer
Best Pick
Best Business Phone Systems for Restaurants
By Jessica Elliott | June 12, 2025

Ooma, RingCentral, and Dialpad offer restaurant business phone systems with call routing, mobile apps and reservation integration.

Article
9 Useful Technologies for Hosting Online Meetings
By Sean Peek | June 11, 2025

Test out one of these video conferencing platforms the next time you need to host a meeting.

Article
What Are Project Management Methodologies and Why Are They Important?
By Amanda Hoffman | June 11, 2025

Project management methodology offers a clear structure for organizing tasks, managing resources and keeping projects moving forward.

Article
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website?
By Amanda Hoffman | June 11, 2025

Website costs in 2025 range from $100 for a personal blog to over $20,000 for custom e-commerce. Learn pricing by site type, hidden fees, and DIY vs. agency pros and cons.

accountant using a calculator
Article
Accounts Payable vs Accounts Receivable: What You Need to Know
By Jamie Johnson | June 11, 2025

Accounts payable is money your business owes, and accounts receivable is money owed to you. Learn how accounts payable and accounts receivable differ.

Best Pick
The Best Business Loan and Financing Options of 2025
By Mike Berner | June 10, 2025

Biz2Credit, Fundbox, SBG Funding connect small businesses with lenders offering term loans, lines of credit and invoice financing.

intern training
Best Pick
The Best HR Outsourcing Services of 2025
By Skye Schooley | June 10, 2025

TriNet, Insperity and Paychex offer comprehensive HR outsourcing with payroll, benefits administration and compliance support.

Article
Onboarding vs. Orientation: What’s the Difference?
By Sean Peek | June 10, 2025

Onboarding and orientation are processes HR departments undertake after hiring an employee. Learn what these processes entail and how to conduct both.

Delivery driver wearing a mask
Article
How to Reduce Idle Time for Your Fleet
By Mark Fairlie | June 10, 2025

Learn how GPS tracking tools can measure vehicles' idle time effectively to increase your company's productivity and profitability.

Article
How to Improve Your Social Media Presence
By Jennifer Dublino | June 10, 2025

Social media marketing is an effective and affordable way to connect with your target market. Follow these tips to strengthen your social media presence.

Article
11 Signs a Customer Is Not Worth Your Time
By Jennifer Dublino | June 10, 2025

The customer isn't always right. Some customers are toxic or consume too many of your resources. Here's how to identify when to part ways.

Woman paying at a restaurant
Best Pick
The Best Credit Card Processors for Restaurants in 2025
By Mike Berner | June 10, 2025

The best restaurant credit card processors include Square, Clover, Toast and Helcim, offering strong POS features, transparent pricing and fast deposits.

Best Pick
The Best Mobile Credit Card Processing Solutions of 2025
By Lori Fairbanks | June 10, 2025

PayPal, Shopify, Square and SumUp offer the best mobile credit card processing for small businesses, with limited fees and competitive flat rates.

Square logo
Review
Square Review and Pricing
By Mike Berner | June 10, 2025

Square is a top credit card processor with no fees, low rates and pay-as-you-go terms. Learn why Square is the best credit card processor for startups.

Payment processor
Article
Payment Gateway vs. Payment Processor Guide
By Jennifer Dublino | June 10, 2025

A payment gateway encrypts and transmits customer data; a processor moves funds between accounts. Both are essential for online credit card transactions.

Article
Credit Card Processing in High-Risk Industries
By Dachondra Cason | June 10, 2025

Businesses in high-risk industries, like gambling, can have a hard time finding a credit card processor or merchant account provider to handle their payments.

Article
Time to Ditch Cash? Why Credit Cards Only Might Make Sense at Your Restaurant
By Jennifer Dublino | June 10, 2025

Accepting only credit cards can boost restaurant efficiency, reduce theft and speed up service — but it may alienate cash-preferring customers.

Article
What Are Chargebacks, and How Can You Avoid Them?
By Skye Schooley | June 10, 2025

Reduce chargebacks through clear return policies, detailed receipts, prompt customer service and thorough documentation for all transactions.

Article
The Best PayPal Alternatives
By Anna Baluch | June 10, 2025

Top PayPal alternatives include Stripe, Authorize.Net, Shopify Payments, Braintree and Payoneer. Each payment facilitator is ideal for different business needs.

credit card processor
Article
Stax vs. Square: Credit Card Processor Comparison
By Jennifer Dublino | June 10, 2025

Stax and Square give merchants an easy and convenient way to accept credit cards. Learn how their features, plans, pricing and integrations compare.