How should I pay my vendors, and what the heck is an EFT?
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How should I pay my vendors, and what the heck is an EFT?

It’s the middle of the month and you know it’s almost time to start paying the bills you’ve received from your vendors. You haven’t been surprised by any of the expenses—you’ve planned for each one and knew they were coming. Great work! Your preparation only leaves you with one question: how should you process each…

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Empowering Entrepreneurs – fueling success

BMO Harris has joined up with Arena to be fueling growth and expanding possibilities for entrepreneurs. On November 18, 2021, founders Heather Tuason of Arena Pay and Amber Payden of ThinkSMARK held a discussion that explored their motivations behind reasons for starting their businesses, how they are supporting other entrepreneurs, and provides helpful advice to…

Financial reports, what are they and why do they matter?
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Financial reports, what are they and why do they matter?

It’s not easy for small businesses to stay on top of their finances. Each year, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) surveys thousands of small businesses on literally everything—including their biggest challenges. Of the top ten challenges in the report, three of them related to financial matters: federal income taxes, tax compliance, and cash…

Why Budgets and Forecasts Matter
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Why Budgets and Forecasts Matter

If you’ve always thought your business forecast and your business budget are one in the same, we have good news: You’re not alone. Whether your business is big or small, it’s important to have an accurate forecast and budget. That’s because both of them work together, helping you reach your ultimate goal—financial prosperity. But while…

Reconciling 101
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Reconciling 101

You’re a savvy business owner. You know Intuit’s QuickBooks “QBO” is your accounting software and it produces your company’s accounting file. You know you—or your bookkeeper—are supposed to reconcile your transactions at the end of the month. What you might not know is that once your transactions are reconciled—and only then—you can populate reports that…