What they did: : Small businesses have never had much luck with banks, largely because loan officers can't figure out if the businesses are creditworthy. Often such decisions are based on entrepreneurs' personal FICO credit scores. On Deck founder Mitch Jacobs, 39, is offering an alternative: a website that will give entrepreneurs an "On Deck score," which shows a business's ability -- not the owner's -- to repay its debts. The company will then be matched up with a lender through ondeckcapital.com, one of several such matchmakers. Entrepreneurs can get scored free through the site. Jacobs's company, based in New York, expects to turn a profit by year's end. The company offers its own loans. But these deals don't come cheap: 18% to 36% interest rates for loans that range from three to 18 months.
You can't control the economy, but you can control what you spend on your company.
