Find a business checking account and compare offers

Are you aware of everything your home bank has to offer? Sit down with the small business expert at your bank to see if you may be missing out on a new product, then compare your bank's offering to other free online business checking accounts. Loyalty may be a luxury you can't afford if it's bleeding your bottom line.

I recommend: Check out how your bank stacks up to other banks at Bankrate.com. Give your current bank a chance to keep your business and show them the comparisons you've made. You may walk out richer for your effort.

Get the free business checking account your business deserves

Look for a bank that won't penalize you for running your business. You know how it goes: sometimes you're flush with cash, while other times you're scraping together every last dollar just to make payroll. The last thing you want to worry about is paying a service charge for a low balance. Banks are offering free small business checking accounts and free business checking online designed for companies on a shoestring budget.

I recommend: 

• Evaluate how many transactions you make on a monthly basis at your current bank, and then compare that to KeyBank, which offers a free business checking account with 200 free transactions per month and a KeyBank Debit Card. There's no minimum balance requirement or monthly fees.

• Check out Wachovia, which offers business owners 150 free transactions a month and no minimum balance or monthly charges.

Consider online bill pay with your online free business checking account

Start thinking about paying your bills by mouse-click. Online free business checking accounts allow you to pay bills, transfer money between accounts and track your finances right from your computer. And think of the postage savings every month!

I recommend: Bank of America is one of many banks encouraging customers to try online free business checking. The service is free to Bank of America customers. Chase also offers online bill payment, as well as free business checking for 100 or fewer transactions per month.