Opening a business account is essential if you wish to establish business credit for your enterprise, which helps you to qualify for financing. A bank account creates a boundary between your savings and business finances which makes it easier to maintain your books and do your taxes with limited legal exposure.
It also helps you to maintain professionalism since your customers can make a check with your business. If you are a sole proprietor or an entrepreneur, you need a small business account to help your firm make tremendous start-up purchase and also protect your customers by ensuring that their information is secure. Here are simple steps you can follow to create a business account for your enterprise.
Choose the Right Type of Account
There are several types of business bank accounts, and you need to take time to figure out which one fits you best. While starting a new business or if your firm doesn’t require cash deposits, you can opt for the free business checking account to avoid paying a monthly maintenance fee. However, it might have some restrictions; for instance, they may limit the number of free transactions made while other accounts may provide an online-only banking option. The traditional small business checking account allows you to transfer or receive cash and write checks electronically.
An online business checking account is a bank account for freelancer with no cash deposits. Most of these accounts are fee-free or make it easy for you to avoid the monthly charge by maintaining a minimum balance. The business saving account will enable you to save your money as you earn monthly interest. There are several saving accounts you can choose from, and the high yield account will allow you to build your savings by offering higher interest rates and low fees. The money market accounts are other safe consideration with higher interest rates than the saving accounts. If your business accepts a credit card payment, you might want to consider merchant accounts which avails your sales payment before the customer makes remittance at their credit card company. Do considerable research to ensure that you find an option with the lowest fee and maximum benefits, and you can click here for more information.
Find the Right bank
Once you decide the type of account you want, the next step is identifying a bank that will meet your business needs. Decide whether you want an organization with additional features like mobile banking, cash management, and deposit reconciliation or whether you need one with high credit offers. Also, consider whether you need to earn some interest from the fund in your account. Start the comparison process from your current financial institution as you check out other options that may fit you well depending on your industry.
To pick the right bank, ask about their fee and structure; find out if there are promotional rates and whether the price is bound to change. Note that bigger banks can offer lower charges due to their high clients’ volume. Determine their lending ability, whether they can offer small and flexible loans or the process must go through corporate executives. Check whether they allow online transactions and optimize digital features like banking apps. Determine the level of convenience, whether the institution is in a favourable location, and whether there are several ATM branches close enough to suit your needs. Take time to investigate what each bank offers before making your final decision; go through their reviews to see the rate of customer satisfaction and come up with an informed choice.
Gather the Right Documentation
When opening a business account, it’s expected that the financial institutions will ask for verification papers. You’ll need to prove that your business is registered under IRS and show that you are legally permitted to open an account. If you are a sole proprietor, the essential documents required are your national ID, passport, council tax statement, driver’s license, social security number, and the recent bank statement. In case you are applying from abroad; you will provide notarized translations of your ID and proof of address documents. Additionally, you must present your full contact details, estimated business turn over as well as full financial information, including debit and credit cards.
If you operate a partnership or limited liability firm, you need to provide proof of ID for all other directors, the company house registration number and full business address. The bank will also need to certify your business identity; thus, you will need the federal employer identification number and copies of your articles of organization. Additionally, the business partnership agreement and any other business licenses will be required. In some cases, you will also need to prove your financial situation backed by documents for a clean credit and banking history.
Open the Account Online or In-person
Now that you have already decided on the right bank that favours your operations, and have all the necessary documents, you are now ready to open an account. You can either do it online for convenience or walk into the bank premises to set up the account. Note that if you are not okay with online operations, you should go to the bank and have someone walk you through the whole process. It gives you a sense of confidence and security since you can verify any information at the customer care desk.
You can talk to the banker about your business needs and your account option so that you fill out an application and signature card. The bank will also conduct a background check on your financial history, such as asking for your credit score. A temporary debit card and ATM card will be issued as you wait for the official chequebook and debit card to be mailed to you later.