As the saying goes: a penny saved is a penny earned. And, if you're running a business, you want to earn as much as you can. But you also want to save some funds for that day when an emergency or opportunity comes knocking on your business door.

First, you need to build a cash surplus. But once built, the challenge is to find just the right place to store your funds.

There are a staggering variety of investment choices from real estate to the stock market. Many carry the promise of big returns — along with the risk that your principal might be lost.

You can put your cash into a long-term investment like a CD, and you'll be giving your money the chance to grow safely and steadily over time. But the trade-off is liquidity.

What's a business person to do? If you can't afford to risk your cash reserve, ask yourself, “where's the safest place to put my money and ensure it will grow?” If you want to keep it liquid, the question is: “where can I get easy access to my money for a financial emergency or an unexpected opportunity?”

There is a place that delivers both liquidity and is a risk-free place to stash your cash. It's a bank.

For example, First Reliance Bank has a variety of accounts for businesses large and small.

When you want to put aside funds in a safe FDIC-insured location like First Reliance Bank, you can earn a good return and enjoy maximum liquidity.

You work hard for your customers and your business, so why not keep your money safe and put it to work for you?