Free guides
Plain-English guides for small business owners
Three things that cost owners the most when they go wrong: not being found on Google, overpaying on card processing, and getting declined for funding. Each guide answers one question, links to its sources, and ends with a free check you can ask for.
Getting found on Google
How Google picks the businesses it shows on the map, what to fix on your Business Profile, and what your website needs to turn searches into calls.
Google Business Profile Checklist: 20 Minutes to a Complete Profile
A field-by-field checklist for setting up or cleaning up a Google Business Profile, with what Google allows and what gets profiles suspended.
Getting found on GoogleWhat a Small Business Website Needs to Turn Searches into Calls
A practical checklist for a local business website: what to put above the fold, what pages to have, and how to check speed and mobile use for free.
Getting found on GoogleWhy You're Not in the Top 3 on Google Maps (and 7 Fixes)
How Google decides which three businesses show on the map, in Google's own words, and seven fixes a local business can make itself.
Card processing fees
How to read your processing statement, which fees are fixed and which are markup, and how to stop paying for things you never agreed to.
How to Read a Card Processing Statement in 15 Minutes
Find your total volume and total fees, work out your effective rate, separate fixed card-network costs from processor markup, and spot the junk fees.
Card processing feesInterchange-Plus vs Tiered vs Flat-Rate Pricing: Which Is Which?
The three common card processing pricing models, how to recognise each on your statement, and how to compare offers fairly.
Card processing feesWhat Is a PCI Non-Compliance Fee and How Do You Stop Paying It?
Why some processing statements show a monthly PCI non-compliance fee, what PCI DSS asks of a small business, and the steps that usually make the fee stop.
Business funding
What lenders look at, what paperwork to have ready, and how to compare offers on total cost before you sign anything.
Business Funding Documents Checklist: What to Have Ready Before You Apply
The documents lenders commonly ask for when a small business applies for a loan, line of credit or equipment financing, and how to prepare them so nothing slows you down.
Business fundingHow to Compare Business Funding Offers on Total Cost
Compare loans, lines of credit and merchant cash advances by what you repay in total, how often you pay, and what happens if you pay early, not by the headline rate.
Business funding5 Reasons Small Businesses Get Declined for Funding (and What to Fix First)
The common, avoidable reasons business funding applications get turned down, and what to fix before you apply for a loan, line of credit or advance.
About this guide library
Who writes these guides?
The teams at Conqueror Capital, CELER Merchants and celerfunding.com, all part of Celer Merchants Corp. Each guide names the brand behind it and links to its sources.
Are the guides free?
Yes. Every guide is free to read. Some end with a free check (a Google listing check, a statement analysis or a funding check) that you can ask for if you want help.
Is this legal or financial advice?
No. The guides are general information. Check your own contracts and talk to an accountant or lawyer about your situation.