Banknotes Blog
How We Became Lake Ridge Bank
We knew right from the start that one of the most important decisions we would need to make was what to name our new bank.
We’re in the midst of a particularly unpredictable and challenging economic period. Yet, regardless of whether times are tight or plentiful, your bank should serve as a strategic business partner. If your banker simply takes orders and responds to requests rather than getting to know your business and anticipating needs, it could be costing you money.
As expenses increase with inflation and interest rates rise to combat it, small businesses are especially feeling this crunch. The labor shortage has a bigger impact when your team is comprised of significantly fewer people to start with. When you are missing even one or two people, the whole team feels the added burden. Here's what can you do as a small business owner.
If your business needs expensive or specialized equipment like machinery, fleet vehicles, heavy duty trucks, or high-end computers, you may be wondering how to finance these purchases. Let’s consider some factors that might influence your decision to either buy or lease.
As any business owner knows, there are many financial considerations to make when deciding how to run the company. A qualified tax adviser can help.
Interest rates have been extraordinarily low for the last 10–20 years, giving a generation of business owners confidence in their ability to repay loans to grow exponentially and operate more efficiently. That may change soon. When making decisions about new equipment, business expansion projects, or modernizing processes, you have several choices.
Starting or expanding a business can feel overwhelming. Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone. Right here in Dane County, there are a number of resources and experts geared solely to helping entrepreneurs achieve success. Let's take a look at a few.
Every year, business credit cards gain functionality and become easier to use, and 2022 is no different. Make sure you're getting the full benefit of your card program this year by taking advantage of these features and tips.
Before you get started on plans to expand your business, there are several steps experts recommend to properly prepare for an effective expansion. Your banker or potential investor will want to know you took these steps seriously and may even ask for data supporting your conclusions. Here are five ways to improve your chances of obtaining financing from a bank or investor.
You’ve heard the saying: “You have to spend money to make money.” While the underlying concept is true, the real trick is knowing when to spend and when to save to create a stable, thriving business. When it comes to spending, the most important thing is to fully understand your return on investment. Let's take a look at some to rules to guide your saving and spending decisions.
How do small businesses make large purchases, start new construction, or finance other development opportunities? Here are several ways.
Ensuring you receive payments reliably and on time is important for efficient cash management. Here are some common payment questions from businesses and how we answer them.
Failure assumes added significance for sales and business professionals, because we tend to interpret ‘no’ in personal terms as rejection when, in reality, ‘no’ is normally driven by a prospect’s circumstances and needs at that time. Here are five ways to reconsider failure.
In an Amazon world, where everyone is accustomed to unlimited selection and two-day delivery, the current supply chain crisis is officially affecting all aspects of life, from groceries to gift giving and from cars to kitchen remodels. What are your options for serving customers through this challenge when so many factors feel like they are outside your control?
"Together, everyone achieves more." More than simply a clever mnemonic device that encapsulates the importance a unified collective working toward a common goal – a TEAM – this phrase underpins the approach that Lake Ridge Banks' commercial & ag, treasury management, wealth management, private banking, and other financial professionals bring with them to the office (or home office) every day. It's a mindset that allows us to maximize results for our partners, and that's helped propel our own business forward for the past 110+ years.
Interest rates may go up, prices may come back down. We simply cannot predict the future with any certainty. The best strategy is to just do what is best for your current business operations.
Lake Ridge Bank has an easy solution to greatly reduce the opportunity for check fraud from your business deposit account: Positive Pay.
If your business requires a physical location, one of the biggest dilemmas can be whether to build, buy, or rent. In truth, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. The most important thing to remember is, the answer that's best for you and your business should be based on facts and not fear of the unknown.
Consider the following tips and “tricks” to help your small business avoid the pains sometimes associated with growing.
LIBOR has long been used as the market-driven index to set interest rates for business loans, in the U.S. and abroad. And it is on the verge of ending.