It is now widely known that ecommerce is one of the fastest growing channels of new revenue growth for businesses. Selling online presents opportunities for businesses to connect with new customers that were previously unreachable and allows them to do so spending less.One of the most important factors that a business needs to consider when accepting payments online is choosing their payment processing vendor. Businesses will need two things to...more
This part 2 of a two part series about cost of PCI Compliance. This month we will take a look at look at the cost of software and hardware upgrades. Software and hardware upgrades may be necessary if you store secure credit card data in house. Gartner estimates that a company with 100,000 credit cards on file will pay $6 dollars in encryption costs per card. Alternatively, merchants can use technologies such as tokenization where the data storage...more
There is a lot of confusion surrounding credit card processing and merchant accounts. Some of the most common areas of confusion are the different types of organizations that sell the services, what entities actually process the transactions and the fees and pricing structures that continue to form an unsolvable mystery for most merchants. This article is part 2 of a two part series. This month, I'm going to talk in depth about Independent Sales Organizations (ISO's) .An ISO resells the products or services of one or multiple payment processing vendors. They can also develop their own or aggregate other value added products and services. ISO's range from a little sketchy to best in class providers. There are two types of ISOs:a. Banks - Banks of all shapes and sizes are ISOs. Wells Fargo, for example, is an ISO of First Data. Your local community and large regional banks are most likely ISOs. Banks entered into the merchant services business because it was a natural fit with their product and service offerings. It's a way to increase revenue per customer. Most, but not all banks, will private label the services so that it's difficult to distinguish whether they are a processor or...more
As an entrepreneur, youre driven by the belief that you can do things better yourself. Thats why you decided to open your own business. You want to work for yourself, be the only boss you have, be responsible for the outcomes. You want to be more profitable. This focus on making things happen by yourself is a great strength. It gets you to...more
Any real estate investment can prove to be a little complicated or complex, even for the most experienced investor. When you take that investment international, you wind up with a whole new set of rules, laws, and regulations regarding real estate investing, buying, and selling. When you want to invest in something as wonderful and gorgeous as...more
Entrepreneurship in its bland definition is someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. That could describe many business owners, who may or may not do that well in the role. So what makes a truly dynamic, highly successful entrepreneur? What are the traits of an entrepreneur that set him apart from the average business owner? That definition goes beyond the usual and reveals why not everyone can be or wants to be an entrepreneur. The extended definition is someone who has a vision, takes massive action, and relentlessly pursues that vision to a successful outcome.The true entrepreneur does not go down the same old, tired road either, but he is someone who develops a new product or a fresh twist to an existing product, who sees a better way of producing something, or creates an innovative market. Some say that a child is born with the traits of an entrepreneur, that the child possesses those qualities from the moment of birth and is already a thinker and schemer of things. There is probably some truth to these beliefs, as a certain mindset plays a very important role in the success of entrepreneurial people, and without it you will find it more...more
Learn How to Get Rid of Debt the Easy Way Have you fallen into this trap? Repeatedly, reliable survey sources tell us that most of us do not realize how much we spend every month using our credit cards. Investigations reveal that when consumers...more
Salesmanship - I just love that word.It's the ability to sell.It's 50% art and 50% science. Of course that's my opinion.Ask most salespeople and they'll say it's 90% art and 10% science.I know, because that's how I felt years ago. I believe there is...more
How To Stay Up, Even When Youre Down.This past weekend I was going through some old newsletters when I came across a letter that might help you to deal more effectively with the recession and the tough times you're facing.So - enjoy the updated...more
Today, lots of business experts recommend getting into a business that needs very limited investment and yet returns to you twice or even thrice of what you first put in. With very minimal start-up capital, you could start your very own party rentals...more
Before we start there are a number of definitions we need to be clear about. These relate to the type of person needed to manage the work and understanding what a project plan is.Project Manager:A project manager is the person accountable for...more
South Africa-based Recoveri has launched an entirely locally-developed, superior microdot-tag and trace solution for vehicles and other high-value moveable assets, giving South Africans access to affordable, effective asset-identification technology...more