迫在眉睫的关税的幽灵为美国经济的支柱造成了很多不确定性

好像通货膨胀和高利率不够压力，零售和制造业中许多较小的企业面临供应链中断的前景

The specter of looming tariffs has created a great deal of uncertainty for the backbone of the American economy: small businesses. As if inflation and high interest rates were not stressful enough, many smaller enterprises in retail and manufacturing face the prospect of supply chain disruptions, impeded cash flow, and questions about operating costs.

迫在眉睫的关税的幽灵为美国经济的支柱造成了很多不确定性：小型企业。好像通货膨胀和高利率不够压力，零售和制造业中许多较小的企业面临供应链中断，障碍现金流以及有关运营成本的问题的前景。

This uncertain landscape is also creating opportunities for card issuers. In Riffing on Tariffs: Now Is the Time to Build Up Your Small Business Portfolio, Brian Riley, Director of Credit Advisory Services at Javelin Strategy & Research, examines the ways small businesses use their credit cards and how forward-looking lenders can help them stay on their feet.

这种不确定的景观也为发卡者创造了机会。在关税时：现在是时候建立您的小型企业组合了，Javelin Strategy＆Research的信用咨询服务总监Brian Riley研究了小型企业使用信用卡以及前瞻性贷方如何帮助他们站起来的方式。

Keeping the Lights On

保持灯打开

The primary reason small businesses fail is cash-flow problems. They need a vehicle to manage their cash flow, which in most cases means a credit card. Consumers need a steady cash flow to keep the household running and pay the rent, but businesses require a different strategy. In addition to the same pressures to pay expenses, it also must make sure it has change in a till drawer. A household risk going delinquent without destroying its financial situation, but that could be more of a challenge for a small business.

小型企业失败的主要原因是现金流问题。他们需要一辆车辆来管理现金流，这在大多数情况下意味着信用卡。消费者需要稳定的现金流以保持家庭运转并支付租金，但企业需要不同的策略。除了支付费用相同的压力外，它还必须确保其在截止抽屉中具有更改。家庭风险在不破坏其财务状况的情况下拖延的风险，但这对小型企业来说可能是一个挑战。

Javelin’s research has found that the main use case for small-business credit cards is paying monthly utility bills. Utilities represent a significant expense for many small businesses as an ongoing charge that they need to pay every month. If an enterprise runs late on a utility bill, it risks shutting down operations. Tying utility bills to a small-business card allows the owners to set up a recurring payment and free up some cash while at the same time harvesting points.

标枪的研究发现，小型企业信用卡的主要用例是支付每月的公用事业账单。公用事业代表了许多小型企业的巨额费用，这是他们每月需要支付的持续费用。如果企业在公用事业账单上运行迟到，则有可能关闭运营。将公用事业账单与小型企业卡联系起来，使所有者可以重复付款并释放一些现金，同时收获点。

The spending on small-business credit cards is very high, and it’s not unusual for them to have $50,000 credit limits. But owners need to be careful where they spend that money.

小型企业信用卡上的支出很高，他们拥有50,​​000美元的信用额度并不罕见。但是所有者需要小心他们花钱的钱。

“It’s not really where you want to go for working capital,” Riley said. “The interest rates tend to be higher. But by the same token, if you’re not well-established, it might be the only place you have to access some readily available funds.”

赖利说：“这并不是您真正想去的营运资金的地方。” “利率往往会更高。但是，如果您不建立完善的话，它可能是您唯一需要获得一些容易获得资金的地方。”

The use cases vary for different enterprises, but the cards are particularly valuable for entities in seasonal businesses, like agriculture. Income comes in quickly when such businesses are selling seed or produce. But there might not be revenue coming in for months when the crops are maturing. Business owners have to be able to finesse that timing, and a credit card can help.

用例对于不同的企业而有所不同，但是这些卡对于季节性企业（例如农业）的实体特别有价值。当此类业务销售种子或农产品时，收入很快就会出现。但是，当农作物成熟时，几个月来可能没有收入。企业主必须能够说明时间安排，信用卡可以提供帮助。

The Case for a Single Card

一张卡的情况

The typical household has three or four cards. The typical small business, by contrast, has only a single credit card, primarily because of the relationship it builds with its bank. Businesses are very loyal to the banks that serve them.

典型的家庭有三到四张卡。相比之下，典型的小型企业只有一张信用卡，这主要是因为它与银行建立了关系。企业非常忠于为他们服务的银行。

But that doesn’t mean the market is closed off when a business already has a single card. Issuers should look for reasons to become an entity’s second card, especially amid the economic uncertainty many are expecting. Being the next card in the owner’s wallet or purse is still an opportunity to gain a new account. Spending will follow once the new account booked, and there’s a chance for a bank to provide the business with even more services.

但这并不意味着当企业已经拥有一张卡时，市场就会关闭。发行人应该寻找成为实体第二张卡的理由，尤其是在许多人期望的经济不确定性中。成为所有者钱包或钱包中的下一张卡仍然是获得新帐户的机会。一旦预订了新帐户，将会随后支出，银行有机会为企业提供更多的服务。

“Small businesses tend to be less organized,” Riley said. “Some of them use very simple software packages to manage their finances, and there might be some easy opportunities there.”

赖利说：“小型企业的组织范围较小。” “他们中的一些人使用非常简单的软件包来管理财务，那里可能会有一些简单的机会。”

Getting In on the Ground Floor

进入一楼

Small-business cards represent an area that some top banks have addressed aggressively. But not all of them have, leaving an opportunity for smaller institutions that rely more on personal relationships to come in with an alternative.

小型企业卡代表了一些顶级银行积极解决的区域。但是，并非所有人都有，为较小的机构留下了机会，这些机构更多地依靠个人关系来替代。

“It’s a good spot for credit unions and community banks to grow,” Riley said. “They have very different proposition than big banks. It’s more of a personal relationship with their customers, creating the down-home feeling of a small bank versus a money center bank.”

赖利说：“这是信用合作社和社区银行增长的好地方。” “他们的主张与大银行的主张截然不同。这更多是与客户的个人关系，从而创造出小型银行与货币中心银行的家庭感情。”

Small-business cards are dominated by American Express, which has more small-business volume than MasterCard and Visa combined. Amex approaches the market with more than a dozen card plans aligned to either the firm’s iconic brand or a top co-brand partner.

小型企业卡由美国运通（American Express）主导，美国运通（American Express）比万事达卡（Mastercard）和签证的总和更小。 Amex通过十几个与公司的标志性品牌或顶级共同合作伙伴保持一致的十几个卡计划接近市场。

Selling a small-business card is in many respects like selling a consumer card. Issuers love to market to people in college, when they are just getting established.

在许多方面，出售小型企业卡等是出售消费卡。发行人喜欢在刚刚建立时向大学的人们推销。

“Once you’re there, this person’s going to have a spouse or a partner along the way,” Riley said. “They’re going to move into their own place. And then sooner or later, they’re going to need a car. There will be lots of financing opportunities along the way.

赖利说：“一旦您在那里，这个人将沿途有一个配偶或伴侣。” “他们将搬到自己的地方。然后迟早需要汽车。一路上将有很多融资机会。

“The same thing goes on the small-business side. You want to get your foot in the door, so that you are then be able to upsell and cross-sell to the business. The ultimate goal is to get the business owner into deposit products. You’ve moved from the small-business credit card to a full-service relationship. If the

“同样的事情在小企业方面。