Because you need money to make money
Ethan James, author at Lendza.com
Lead Writer

Ethan James

Ethan James is an experienced Financial Writer at Lendza with over a decade of experience. With an extensive background in finance, Ethan possesses a strong foundation that he leverages to consistently produce high-quality articles in finance and investing.

Over the years, Ethan partnered with countless business owners, assisting them in aligning their finances with their business objectives and crafting customized investment strategies. This tailored approach has allowed Ethan to build an impressive track record of success in the industry.

Now, Ethan extends his expertise to a wider audience by authoring educational and informational articles on finance and investing. He is committed to delivering comprehensive, accurate, and practical insights to readers, empowering them to make informed decisions to enhance their financial futures.

As an expert with extensive experience and a genuine passion for sharing knowledge, Ethan James is the go-to resource for anyone looking to maximize their investment potential and secure a prosperous financial future.

Apart from his professional career, Ethan enjoys reading detective stories and watching documentaries. One of his favorite books is “Murder on the Orient Express” by A. Christie.

Also, he spends his holidays traveling and sightseeing with his wife, Zoe. Ethan has already explored more than seven countries.
Recent Blogs

How to Categorize Expenses for Small Business: 8 Strategies

Best Practices Business Tips
Businesses with good financial planning strategies are often more successful, and it all starts with categorizing expenses. Read our blog to learn how and why your business should categorize expenses for financial planning.

5 Business Expansion Loans to Grow Your Business

Loan Advice Business Tips
Are you ready to take your business to new heights but lack the financial backing to do so? Business expansion loans might be your ticket to success. Keep reading to learn more.

How to Start a Lip Gloss Business: Get Into the Cosmetic Industry

Best Practices Financial Preparation Business Tips
Are you a makeup enthusiast? If so, you may be wondering how to start your own lip gloss company. Follow this comprehensive guide to begin your entrepreneurial journey.

Podcasting for Businesses: Start a Podcast for Your Small Business

Best Practices
Starting a podcast for your small business can be a marketing game-changer. Keep reading to learn how you can start your own podcast and grow your small business.

How to Start a Candle-Making Business: Step-by-Step Guide

Best Practices Business Tips
Discover the art of candle making and turn your passion into profit with our detailed guide. If you're ready to transform your passion into a thriving business, our step-by-step roadmap will light the way to successful market research, unique product creation, and a booming online presence.

Revenue Growth Formula, Calculation, and Improvement Ideas

Best Practices Business Tips
How can you measure your company's growth and success? Enter the revenue growth formula. We dive into how you can calculate revenue growth and strategies to boost your company's performance.

How to Start a Courier Business: Consider These Tips to Reach Success

Business Tips
Are you looking to become your own boss and own your own business? Consider starting a courier business. Read on to learn more about how you can get started.

Lendza's "Better Than a Loan" Scholarship 2022 Winner: Navigating the Startup Landscape

Scholarship
Congratulations to our 2022 "Better Than a Loan" Scholarship winner, Finley Joseph!

Consider 5 Sole Proprietorship Loans and Their Pros & Cons

Loan Advice Business Tips
Sole proprietorship loans can help solo business owners cover an array of expenses for their startups. Keep reading to find out how a sole proprietor loan can help your business.

What Is One Way for an Entrepreneur to Decrease Risk?

Best Practices Business Tips
Are you a new business owner or an established entrepreneur? Do you know the risks of running a business? There is more than one risk to plan for. Keep reading to find proactive ways to decrease business risks.

What Must an Entrepreneur Assume When Starting a Business?

Best Practices Business Tips
When starting a new business, there will be challenges and unexpected changes. You can prepare yourself by making assumptions about how your business will operate in practice. Keep reading for the top assumptions you should make before starting your business.

Minority Loans to Start a Business: A Financing Guide for Minority Business Owners

Loan Advice
A minority loan can help you receive more equitable funding for your small business. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of a minority loan.

What is a Microloan and How Does it Work

Loan Advice
Microloans can help you fund your small business, startup, or nontraditional business which might struggle to obtain a small business loan. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of microloans.

Medical Practice Loans: A Roadmap for Healthcare Professionals

Loan Advice
Medical practice loans can help you receive funding to start or grow your medical practice. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of a medical practice loan.

Get Your Franchise Loans Considering Pros & Cons of Financing Options

Loan Advice
Franchise loans can help aspiring entrepreneurs fund their goals and bolster growth. Let's review all the options, terms, and restrictions of applying for various types of franchise funding.

Commercial Real Estate Financing

Loan Advice Best Practices Business Tips
Commercial real estate (CRE) financing can help cover funding for your business while helping keep the conditions of the loan minimal. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of a CRE Loan.

Commercial Construction Financing Guide for Businesses

Loan Advice
Commercial construction loans can help you finance the construction of a new building or renovations to an existing property. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of a commercial construction loan.

Small Business Acquisition Loan

Loan Advice
A small business acquisition loan can help you receive funding to purchase a franchise or other small business. Keep reading to learn more about the terms, conditions, and requirements of a business acquisition loan.

8 Common Types of Business Ownership

Business Tips
If you're looking to start your own company, here are the differences between a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, and corporation.

Most Popular Small Business Ideas for Women

Business Tips
Are you looking to become your own boss? Consider these popular business ideas for women before starting your new career.

What is Scalability in Business, and Why Is It Important?

Best Practices Business Tips
Scaling business operations is the goal of any growing business. If you're looking to expand your small business, here are the key steps to scale properly:

Starting a Dog Boarding Business? Here's What You Should Know

Business Tips
If you have a love for animals and are looking for new business opportunities, starting a dog boarding business may be the right fit. We've outlined all the steps to starting your own dog boarding company.

How to Be an Entrepreneur Without an Idea

Business Tips
Do you want to start your own business but have trouble settling on what products or services to offer? We're here to help you come up with some creative ideas for a small business.

Announcing the ‘Better Than a Loan” 2021 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
Shayna Lopatin earned our "Better Than a Loan" Scholarship by demonstrating why passion can go a long way in securing a job.

How to Become a Small Business Owner

Best Practices Business Tips
Looking to get started as a small business owner? Here are the necessary first steps to get started on your entrepreneurial journey.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Security Company

Best Practices
The cost of starting a security company and what to expect.

How to Start a Home Staging Business

Best Practices Business Tips
Interested in starting a home staging business? Learn more below.

How to Buy an Existing Business with No Money

Loan Advice Business Tips
Don't put your entrepreneurial dreams on hold because you don't have enough money to buy a business. There are several alternative funding methods that can help you find financing to start a business.

How to Turn an Idea Into a Product: 11 Important Steps

Business Tips
Do you have a new product idea that you are eager to materialize? Here are the most important steps to turn your vision into an invention.

What Is a Shell Company?

Best Practices Business Tips
Shell companies act as ghost companies. They manage and hold funds for another entity. However, shell corps engage in more intricate operations, as well. There are several reasons to create a shell corporation, but it is important to be wary of the legal aspects of establishing this type of business structure.

What is a POS System in a Restaurant?

Best Practices Business Tips
A point-of-sale (POS) system is a valuable tool for any successful restaurant. It helps track inventory, sales, and cash flow. A properly implemented POS system can significantly improve how a restaurant functions.

Key Steps for Managing Working Capital: Comprehensive Guide

Best Practices Business Tips
A company's financial success is often measured by its working capital. Therefore, it is important to understand what this metric is and how it can successfully be managed.

What Is Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Retail?

Best Practices Business Tips
Direct-to-Consumer marketing puts the manufacturing and selling power in the company's hands. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of D2C marketing before implementing this end-to-end strategy.

Relative Strength Strategies for Investing

Best Practices
Stock market investors aim to maximize the return on their assets. As a result, they utilize different strategies to track fluctuations in the market and identify investment opportunities. Relative strength is a popular approach to investing. Before adopting this method, consider the advantages and disadvantages this investment strategy offers.

How to Support Small Businesses

Best Practices Business Tips
Many small businesses took a hit during the height of the pandemic. Several even permanently closed their doors. However, with the easing of travel restrictions and lockdowns, many small businesses are starting to recover. There are several ways to support small businesses during this time.

How to Sell Your Small Business without Using a Broker: Pros & Cons

Best Practices Business Tips
Some small business owners choose to sell their companies with the help of a broker. While this has many advantages, it is still possible to sell a small business without one. Consider the benefits and disadvantages of not using a broker before opting out.

Are Radio Ads Effective?

Best Practices Business Tips
We look at how radio advertising works for small businesses, and when and why it doesn't work.

How to Save a Failing Business?

Business Tips
In business, you don’t need a compass to know north from south. It’s easy to tell when your company is failing. Figuring out how to turn it around, though, can be a lot more complicated. Here’s how to get started.

What to Know Before Asking Someone to Cosign on Your Small Business Loan

Financial Preparation
Learn about the risks a cosigner takes when helping you find funding.

How to Start a Winery Business: 5 Business Ideas Included

Best Practices Business Tips
Follow the steps in this article to budget and open your wine business.

Get a Loan to Buy a Business: Consider These 6 Financing Options

Loan Advice Business Tips
Starting your own business may be risky, challenging, and time-consuming. That’s why many opt to buy a company that is already established. There are many options, such as an SBA loan or a business line of credit, that may help finance the purchase of an existing business.

How to Legally Protect a Business Idea: 5 Essential Considerations

Best Practices Business Tips
There are many ways to protect a business idea from infringement. For example, it is possible to copyright, patent, or trademark a business idea to legally secure it from theft. This article looks at five essential steps that outline how to protect a business idea.

Debt-Service Coverage Ratio Calculator for Small Businesses

Financial Preparation
Estimate the likelihood that you'll be approved for a loan by using our business capital eligibility estimator.

Should My Business Offer Free Shipping?

Business Tips
We look at the pros and cons of shipping products to your customers at no charge, including ways to offer it, how to make it profitable, and how to calculate a price threshold to activate the perk.

27 Business Ideas for Teens

Best Practices Financial Preparation Business Tips
How do you start a business as a young adult? Here are a few ideas to give you some inspiration.

How to Start a Pressure Washing Business

Business Tips
The pressure washing industry has a relatively high profit margin and low startup costs, and the skills are not too difficult to master. It’s also fun to work outside the office, but like any other business, there are many things you need to consider to implement your startup business ideas before you start a power washing business.

Top Small Town Business Ideas for a Better Community

Business Tips
Which small-town businesses are most likely to thrive?

Four Character Traits of Successful Small Business Owners

Best Practices
Here are some of the best character traits to develop in business and how they can help you succeed.

How to Start Your Own Fitness or Athletic Clothing Line

Best Practices Business Tips
How do you start your own unique and successful clothing line?

How to Start a Landscaping Business

Best Practices Business Tips
Consider our detailed guide on starting a landscaping even with no money. Learn how much it will cost and start running your own landscaping business.

Average US Credit Card Debt Statistics

Industry Watch
Average American debt continues to increase in most categories, but that doesn’t include credit card debt. We look at the stats to see who is most affected by this type of borrowing, including states with the most credit cards per person, number of credit cards by age, and average interest rates.

Things to Consider Before Moving Your Business to Another State

Business Tips
Some states have lower taxes, more funding resources, a higher density of talent, and other perks for small business owners.

BlueVine Review 2023: Small Business Loans

Loan Advice Best Practices
We dig into BlueVine's invoice factoring and freight factoring service to see if it's a good solution for business funding.

Living in a Cashless Economy

Industry Watch
We may be heading toward a cashless economy. Our blog looks at the economic implications of a cashless society.

Guide to Getting Loans for Nonprofit Organizations

Loan Advice
Learn more about loans for nonprofit organizations and the alternatives. Find financing options, steps to get a loan, and tips on how to use the funding.

Commercial Vehicle Loans for Small Businesses

Loan Advice
Whether you’re buying or leasing automobiles for your company, there are important steps you should take. Here’s what you should know about outfitting your business with a new fleet.

Stress Management Tips for Business Owners

It’s not unusual to feel stress at work, but how you manage it could impact your potential for success. Here are tips for how to feel happy and safe at work.

Announcing the 'Better Than a Loan' 2020 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
Mason Phillips wrestled over the competition with his thoughts on accepting investment money when it means losing creative control.

Attract More Customers to Your Business with These 7 Strategies

Best Practices Success Stories Business Tips
Want to up your customer acquisition efforts? Keep reading to learn the strategies to attract more customers to your business.

How to Build and Maintain Brand Loyalty

Best Practices Business Tips
Return customers are essential for high ROI. Learn how to keep your shoppers coming back again and again with our tips on how to grow customer loyalty.

How Can People Who Recovered from Addiction Find a New Job?

Best Practices
Find help and get back to full employment after addiction recovery.

How to Prevent and Prepare Your Office for Natural Disasters

Best Practices Financial Preparation
Natural disasters are unpredictable and can be anywhere from minor to life-threatening. Preparing your workspace for a disaster is of the utmost importance.

5 Benefits of Being an Independent Contractor

Many in today's workforce rely on short-term gigs to pay the bills. While they may prefer a job with healthcare, there are benefits involved with working for oneself. Is it the right choice for you?

Crisis Management Plan

Business Tips
Being able to rebound after a catastrophe is a skill that's earned through hard work and preparation. A big part of that is implementing a crisis management plan. Learn how below.

How to Start an eCommerce Business: 5 Tips to Run Successfully

Business Tips
The digital landscape is booming, especially when it comes to how consumers prefer to shop. If you're looking to start an e-commerce business, we'll help you get it off the ground so you can hit the ground running.

Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

Navigating the vast world of social media can be an intimidating venture for the uninitiated small business. Read our guide for tips on how to get started with your first Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter campaigns.

The Complete Guide to Restaurant Financing and Loans

Loan Advice
How do you keep your business afloat? Specifically, a restaurant? Here, we give you a breakdown of what it takes to build a restaurant and how to sustain it over time. 25% of restaurants fail within their first year of opening, so learning the foundation of the industry is what will keep help you stay in the game long-term.

Choosing the Right Money Transfer App for Your Small Business

Best Practices
We review five of the most popular credit card processing services for receiving money through your mobile device.

Commercial Business Loans Tailored to Your Needs

Loan Advice Financial Preparation Business Tips
Starting a new business can be challenging in many ways, especially financially. Find the best business loans that fit your financial needs.

Emergency Small Business Loans: How to Speed Up the Approval Process

Financial Preparation
Whether you’re applying for an SBA loan, merchant cash advance, or another business financing product, find out what you can do to try to get the loan faster.

How to Keep a High Business Credit Score

Best Practices
Before you take another step to grow your company, make sure you are putting your best foot forward. Learn how to get started with business credit and maintain a high credit score.

How to Find the Best Savings Account

Best Practices Financial Preparation
Finding a savings account that fits with your company takes careful consideration. See the steps you should take to find a solution for your company.

Best Small Business Credit Cards

Best Practices
We help you figure out which type of company credit card will offer the top perks to your small business.

How to Implement Your Startup Business Ideas

Business Tips
Some of the biggest ideas come from small businesses. Here is how to make your vision a reality.

Announcing the “Better Than a Loan” 2019 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
Claudia Applewhite impressed us with her well-constructed ideas about the importance of creating effective training programs in the workplace.

Banks Hate Young Entrepreneurs

Lendzette Features
Lenders make it very hard to jump into owning your own business. Yet, anyone can get a student loan. Here’s why.

Announcing the “Better Than a Loan” 2018 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
Kyler Tipton won with a well-crafted essay on the importance of efficiency in the workplace.

Are Fake Reviews Illegal?

Business Tips
What to know before you risk creating or buying reviews for Yelp, Google My Business, Amazon, TrustPilot, and your website’s testimonial section.

Announcing Our Partnership with Seek Capital for Startup Business Funding

To better serve startup businesses that use our funding request form, we are now working with Seek Capital.

Announcing the “Better Than A Loan” 2017 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
John Ramey hit it out of the park with his essay on how a small business can compete against a major chain.

High-Risk Business Loans – What to Expect and Watch Out For

Loan Advice
When you need working capital, but can't qualify for bank funding, here are some things you should know about alternative cash for your company.

Announcing the “Better Than A Loan” 2016 Scholarship Winner

Scholarship
Paulina Hervas impressed us with her idea for an app that lets you book a place for a nap.

Where to Find Business Cards for Less

Smart Savings
We help you save on on cards from VistaPrint, OverNightPrints, and more.

Best Tips for Small Businesses Launching Black Friday Deals

Standard Paid Holidays
Want some inspiration? Here's what the competition is listing in their Black Friday print ads. Learn from the experts at Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, Dell, and Newegg.com.

Avoid These Types of Business Loan Scams

Scam Watch
When searching for funding for your business, you can face small business loan scams. We introduce you to effective tips to avoid this unpleasant situation.

Unconventional Business Loans

Financial Preparation
Here are some unconventional business loan types for funding your business. Find useful tips, as well as out-of-the-box ideas that may be worth your consideration.

Our Interview with Matthew Lesko on How to Get “Free Money” for Your Small Business

Lendzette Features
The Question Mark Guy offers insights for entrepreneurs looking for government grants, local funding, and other cash sources that you don’t need to pay back.

Can You Prequalify for a Small Business Loan?

Loan Advice
Find out ways to increase your chances of being pre-approved for online business financing.

Small Business Loans for Women

Loan Advice Best Practices Financial Preparation
We look at some of the loan options geared toward women who are looking for small business funding.

Small Business Loans in North Carolina

Loan Advice
What you need to know when looking for small business loans in North Carolina. We look at our favorite lenders in cities like Charlotte, Raliegh, and Asheville.

How Secure Are Your Office Computers?

Best Practices
We offer eight tips to help you stay better prepared against the world’s worst cyber-criminals.

10 Ways to Spend Less on Office Supplies

Best Practices
We’ll show you smart ways to cut costs on business essentials, like electronics, printer ink, furniture, office supplies, and more.

The Ultimate Guide for Filling Small Business Taxes as an Owner

Best Practices Financial Preparation Scam Watch
Everything you need to know about hiring someone to do your small business taxes or doing them yourself.