FAQs

Joining and Signing In

How do I join the community?

To become a member, simply visit the Join Now page, create a user name, and provide your email address. We'll then email you at that address to confirm it's valid.

How do I confirm my email address?

Right after signing up, you'll receive a confirmation email from us. Just follow the link contained in the email and sign in to the community when prompted.

Is there any cost to join?

There's no cost at all. The Small Business Online Community is completely free.

Can I change my user name?

Sorry, once you choose a user name you won't be able to change it. Please choose your user name carefully, and make sure you choose something you can easily remember.

What do I do if I forget my password?

Go to the Sign In page and select the "Forgot your password" link. We'll email you instructions for resetting your password. You will still need to provide your user name to receive this email.

What do I do if I can't read the verification code?

If you're having trouble reading the verification code during registration, refresh your browser for a new code.

What should I do if I don't receive a confirmation email?

First, check your spam filter to make sure the confirmation email did not end up there. Add the email address updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com to your "safe senders" list so your spam filter does not intercept future messages from the community.

How do I change my avatar?

Sign in to the community and go to your member profile. Select Edit profile to change your avatar. At the moment, you cannot upload your own avatar.

How do I edit my profile?

Sign in to the community, go to your member profile and select "Edit profile." You can add or delete content at any time.

How the Site Works

What is an Event?

Based on topics of community feedback and forum posts, Bank of America reaches out to subject matter experts to host a live online event. Community members can ask their business questions and receive professional answers in real time.

How do I share a forum post?

You have the ability to email forum posts. From within the post, select the "Share" link.

How do I share an article?

You have the ability to email an article. From within the article, select the "Share with a friend" link.

How do I share a story?

You have the ability to email a story. From within the story, select the "Share with a friend" link.

How do stories get featured?

Community moderators review the stories that members submit and choose those that are especially interesting or topical, or might be of particular interest community as a whole. Adding a picture to your story can also help it get chosen.

How do I become a top contributor?

Top contributors are based on a point system. There are several ways to earn points. You can receive them from other users awarding them to you, commenting on articles, submitting a success story, or simply participating in the forums.

What is the maximum picture size I can upload for my success story? What file types can I use?

You can upload images up to 4 megabytes, and they may be .jpg or .png files. You cannot upload .gif files or anything animated. Any image you upload -- just like any other content you post -- must adhere to the Community Guidelines.

How do I change or edit content that I submitted?

Form posts cannot be edited after they are submitted. You can, however, edit a Story you create. Make sure you are signed in, then go to the Contributions tab in your profile. Select Stories, choose the story you want to revise, and click Edit story.

How do I search for other businesses?

Visit the Members section to conduct a search. You will need to have an account and be logged in to access the Members directory.

How do I increase my status in the Community? How do I earn more points?

Members earn points by posting in the Forums and answering other members' questions too. Members are also able to earn more points by having their response selected as a "correct" or "helpful" response by the user that asked the question. Points are shown on a member's profile.

How do I mark a question as answered or give points?

Login and you can mark your question as "answered" by marking the best responses as "Helpful" and "Solved."

How do I get Compliments?

When you post a business story, members can compliment you by clicking the button that appears on story pages. Compliments are shown on a member's profile.

How do I get Review Helpful Votes?

When you write a review of an Article, other members can rate your review as helpful. Review Helpful Votes are shown on a member's profile.

Powered by Bank of America

Why is Bank of America powering the community?

Bank of America's goal is to partner with small business owners across the country to help them achieve their dreams of owning and operating a successful business.

Where can I find the information about Bank of America's products and services?

Bank of America does not sell products or services within the Small Business Online Community. However, we invite you to learn about and apply for Bank of America's products and services at: www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness.

Do I need a small business account with Bank of America in order to participate?

No, the Small Business Online Community powered by Bank of America is available to any current or prospective small business and is free.

User Accounts

Why was my account suspended?

When an account is suspended, it's usually because another community member has reported someone for posting inappropriate content and the community moderator has reviewed the situation and agrees that a violation has occurred. If your account is suspended, you will be notified of the decision and given instructions on how to proceed.

How do I reactivate a suspended account?

Once the suspension period is over, your account will be reactivated automatically.

Community Communication

How do I stop receiving email updates about a forum or topic?

To stop receiving email updates about a particular item, simply select Stop Watching on the post itself, or go to your profile and remove the item from your Watch List.

Why can't I find a particular type of business in the Members area?

Check your search terms for spelling errors. If there aren't any, there might not currently be any businesses of that type in the community.

How can I communicate one on one with another community member?

Sorry, this feature is not currently available but we may consider adding it in the future.

How can I stop receiving email from the community?

To change your email settings, go to your profile and select Set preferences.

How do I subscribe to a forum or topic?

On the forum or topic page, select Watch via email to receive email updates of changes to the forum or topic.

Gaining Status

What is a top rated member?

A top rated member is someone who gets the most helpful votes from the rest of the community.

How do I increase my community status?

There are several ways to build your community status: provide helpful answers to other members' questions, submit reviews of Articles that others find helpful, and share Stories that receive compliments from other members.

How do I give and receive points?

You can award points to other users by marking their comments to your question as either the "correct answer" or "helpful answer". You can receive points by other users awarding them to you or participating in the forums, commenting on articles, or submitting business stories.

Why do some members have special status icons?

Members whose helpful contributions especially stand out may be awarded with additional icons. Please note, these members do not have any special moderation privileges.

Community Policies and Guidelines

What is the User Agreement?

The User Agreement represents the terms of use for the community, including a code of conduct, and waiver of liability. You must accept the User Agreement to join the community.

What is the Privacy Policy?

The Privacy & Security Policy outlines our disclosures regarding the public nature of content you post on the site and the privacy of your personal information.

What are the Community Guidelines?

The Community Guidelines are the rules all members are expected to abide by while visiting and participating in the community.

How does the Small Business Online Community handle inappropriate content?

Members should report inappropriate content they find on the site. We take your feedback seriously. When we receive a report, our moderators review the situation and take the appropriate action.

How do I report inappropriate content?

Anywhere content has been posted by a community member, you will see a button that says Report as inappropriate. Select this link and follow the easy instructions to alert us to the offending content.

Why was my posting taken down?

If we receive a report of inappropriate content from another member, and we agree with that member's claim, then we may remove the post from the site without notice or explanation.

Who are the community moderators?

The community moderators are a team of professionals dedicated to helping everyone enjoy the community and keeping it running smoothly.

Advanced

What is an RSS feed?

RSS is a snippet of code browsers and web pages use to read content from other web pages. An RSS feed sends this content to an RSS reader that you have chosen, which can collect many different RSS feeds. You can get an RSS feed reader from providers like Yahoo!, AOL, Google, MSN, and others.

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed?

Pages that include an RSS feed will have an RSS button on them, which is usually orange. Simply click the RSS button on the page you want to subscribe to and the feed will be sent to your RSS reader.

What is a tag?

A tag is a word or short phrase that can be attached to a story or post to help inform other people what the content is about. For example, the sentence "The quick fox jumped over the fence in the forest," might be tagged with the words "fox","outdoor activity", or "forest". Tagging is easy and extremely useful. When choosing tags, think broadly and imagine words you could use to describe the content. Chances are, the way you describe something will be similar to how other users might describe it. Lastly, it's a good idea to keep your tags short and sweet. A section of content should rarely require more than 4 tags.