Small business owners continue to have optimism, passion, and dedication. According to a recent survey conducted by Walmart Business, 88% remain confident their businesses will grow in the next year despite acknowledging barriers. Those include inflation, rising costs, lack of customers, and staffing challenges. Owners also state that accounting, managing sales, customers, and negotiations as their biggest headaches.

Mars Bank’s Jennifer Klein, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Banking, recently completed coursework at the 2023 Pennsylvania Bankers Association (PA Bankers) School of Commercial Lending.

Check usage has been declining for decades while check fraud has recently been on the rise at alarming rates. Check fraud criminals are no longer a small-time business, it is sophisticated and successful.

Cash flow and profit are two of the many financial terms and metrics to be aware of as a business owner, and both are important to measure the health of your business.

During these periods of uncertainty, it is especially important to strengthen the relationship with your community banker who can provide meaningful advice to inform decisions affected by interest rate volatility. For example, the inversion of the yield curve creates a dynamic where short-term rates are higher than long-term rates presenting an opportunity for selecting the optimal loan term. The following link provides additional ideas and considerations to discuss with your community bank adviser who is eager to help with those important decisions affecting your business.