{see} Digital Magazine - Issue #7Published: April 6,2009
It's tough for most people to imagine what 100 Million people really means (though the back cover of this issue of {see} might help) but imagine if 100 Million people were reported missing? Surely chaos would ensue. The police stations would be overrun with panicked callers, communications would be jammed with people trying to find their friends and relatives. It would be a national crisis of epic proportions.
In truth nearly 100 Million Americans are missing from the traditional credit data system. There are, after all, nearly 100 Million people in the U.S. with little or no credit history. Until recently it was extremely difficult for businesses that rely on credit data to do business with these 100 Million people. So there were 100 Million potential customers out there who were, as far as many businesses were concerned, missing.
Thankfully, as you'll {see} in this issue, with alternative data and the smart tools, you can open up your business to the millions of potential customers you couldn't have reached before. We'll show you how you can use alternative data to sell to more customers, find more people who owe you money and run background screens on the formerly un-screen-able.
Plus, in this installment of our look back at MicroBilt's past 30 years, we'll revisit the days when everyone's credit history was thin and how credit decisioning has changed as we've added data. Finally, since we're focusing on some big numbers in this issue, we'll show you how to use the strength in numbers that small and medium sized businesses have to advocate for your business everywhere from City Hall to Capitol Hill. With all the big numbers getting thrown around, you're sure to find plenty of ideas you can put into you use to improve your business today.
FEATURED ARTICLES FROM ISSUE #7
THE NEW FACE OF TRACE
CAN WEBSITES LIKE FACEBOOK MAKE IT EASIER
TO TRACK DOWN PEOPLE WHO OWE YOU MONEY?
Andy Warhol's prediction that "in the future, everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame" seems truer every day. With the advent of social media, almost everyone can create a following. When it comes to collecting debts, professionals have been using this trend to their ... More
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OVERCOMING THE NO CREDIT JITTERS
How to Attract the 100 Million + Customers Other Businesses Ignore
By Michael Nathans
Many of us take credit for granted. For up to 100 Million people in the United States, though, credit isn't a part of their everyday lives. These are people who often don't use banks and have little or no credit history. For these people, credit is not something that can be taken for ... More
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NO CREDIT? NO PROBLEM?
See How Some Retailers Have Used Creative (and Often Hilarious) Videos to Attract Customers with No Credit History
Local commercials may be funny, but MicroBilt is serious about helping small businesses use good information to make smart decisions and see profit today. MicroBilt does this by offering the up-to-date data to all kinds of businesses that need to make informed decisions about offering credit, collecting debts and background screening, from Auto dealers to Zebra leasing businesses they've got it covered. For more, go to www.ilovelocalcommercials.com. Watch the Featured Videos Inside {see} Issue #7
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GET YOUR VOICE HEARD
HAVE YOU EVER VISITED WASHINGTON, DC, OR YOUR STATE CAPITOL AND WITNESSED THE LEGISTLATIVE PROCESS? DO YOU READ OR HEAR NEWS REPORTS ABOUT LAWS THAT HAVE PASSED AND WONDERED 'HOW DID THEY COME UP WITH THIS'?
By Kirby Thompson
Our elected representatives are well intended, but do not always understand the effect a new law may have or how it could actually be harmful to a community or business. You can help them shape better laws by becoming engaged in the process and making your ... More
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THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY QUIZ
Test your knowledge of small business advocacy statistics. Through {see} Magazine MicroBilt presents this interactive quiz. The answers to the questions are some great stats to use in any communications with your elected officials to remind them how important small and medium-sized businesses are. Test your knowledge of the facts, you might be surprised ... Take the Quiz and More Inside {see} Digital Magazine
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NOT-SO-RISKY BUSINESS
With the Latest in Background Screening, Small Businesses Can Choose from a Large Pool of Applicants Without Fear of Making a Bad Decision
Things are looking up. You just interviewed a great prospective employee. He met all your requirements, plus he was smart, well spoken and had a strong work ethic. Once you go through your standard pre-employment screen, you'll be ready to make an offer. Since the ... More
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EMPLOY OR DESTROY
Think you can hire without pre-screening? Try your hand at hiring without all of the facts. {see} Digital Magazine presents a hiring simulation game in which you've interviewed several people. You liked them all, now it's time to make a decision. Click on an applicant card to learn more about them and either employ or destroy them. Play the Game and More Inside {see} Digital Magazine
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DECISIONS, DECISIONS ...
MicroBilt’s 30 Years of Decisioning Tools
To celebrate our 30 years in business, we're taking a look back at a different topic in each issue of {see} this year. Since Issue 7 focused on people with little or no credit history, we thought we'd look at how much credit data has become available since we got started. More
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View Our Other Issues of {see} Magazine
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FEATURED PRODUCTS
Business Solutions Newsfeed
The state of California moved a step closer to approving new rules on debt collection practices this week. Consumer advocates have trumpeted the regulations as a win for state
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Average household debt in the U.S. is more than $15,000. While consumer debt dwindled in the years following the global economic collapse, credit volumes are expected to soar
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A Lakewood, Ohio, landlord's failure to conduct a background check and credit report screening on his tenants resulted in fines of more than $300 - with more possibly on t
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