Small contractors in the United States are plentiful. Whether you’re looking for a landscaper, drywall hanger, framer, builder or general contractor, you’re covered. There’s definitely no shortage of skilled laborers and business owners that can complete the job. These types of businesses crux on the ability to get paid. Unlike other business owners, the accepted industry standard is that payment isn’t expected until the job is complete. There are exceptions like, large jobs that last over a month, where payroll needs to be met or supplies need to be purchased. Other than that, the public stigmatizes contractors to collect their money and disappear. Hence, the acceptable practice of not getting paid until the job is complete or paying only when certain portions of the job is completed.   While It’s not fair to say that these problems between contractors and their customers are unfounded, because there are and have always been a rift between expectations, implied expectations and the final product. These are things that small contractors deal with on a daily basis and it has not been getting any easier for them with the growing number of do-it-your-selfers and more importantly, the growing number of botched jobs by homeowner handymen and women.

If you’re a small contractor, it may not be a bad idea to look into getting a merchant account. Some businesses already have them, but don’t like to use them. Some have them and transfer the rate hike to their customers, because of the fact that their bank usually charges them a high rate, due to the type of business that they’re in and how the money is processed. Let’s start with how the money is processed. Typically, transactions are processed at the merchant’s home or business and over the telephone or on a jobsite. In any case, these types of transactions are classified as card not present transactions, where, the customer doesn’t swipe a merchant terminal. Due to the types of transactions being processed and the type of business that contractors engage in, banks tend to assess higher rates to them and other merchants like them. If you are a contractor and are interested in either obtaining a merchant account, or currently have a merchant account, but would like to better your rates, payment methods or processing intervals, then shopping around for a better deal may be worth your while. Merchant service providers connect processors and banks with merchants of all types every day. The phrase, “Sticking a square peg in a round hole” is very much their concern. A bad banking relationship will never benefit the bank as well as the merchant. Pairing up two parties that have the same expectations going in, is as much the same as you, the contractor explaining the scope of a job, then bringing it to life on site. Merchant service providers have relationships with many different banks; your chances of finding the right fit for you and your business are higher, dealing with a merchant service provider. If you are a small contractor and would like more information about obtaining a merchant account, contact a merchant service provider today.

For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit http://www.stradafee.com.

Business owners have to make many decisions before they open the front door to even their first customer. The interior design of their store must be advantageous to purchasing, clutter free, well lit, and inviting. If it is a restaurant, ample comfortable seating must be provided, and the kitchen has to of course be clean as a whistle. In all the consideration of décor and hospitality, retailers must never forget they must possess the ability to accept tender from their clients, and the more forms of payment is always better, giving customers many varied options when they look in their wallets or pocketbooks. Merchants must consider a whole range of options when considering their POS (point of sale) systems, and it is a good idea to patronize their own favorite retailers and hospitality providers in order to witness POS systems in operation.

Whether you are at the grocery store, your favorite watering hole, or the movie theater, all types of businesses must have reliable POS systems in place to expedite payment from their valued customers. Everyone has experienced a long wait due to either an employee’s unfamiliarity to less than intuitive credit card machines or cash register equipment; with the right equipment and of course, training in place, customers can freely shuffle in and out, happily enjoying their experience from product or service fulfillment all the way through to their purchasing. When considering POS, every merchant must be prepared to take credit cards, ATM cards, and checks, as most purchasers, especially tourists or visitors have taken less and less to carrying cash because of its inconvenience and lack of protection if lost or stolen. Though the initial investment might seem large, an all in one system that allows for check verification, ATM card processing, cash, and credit card processing, might be the best opportunity to serve all your customers’ payment needs. Another option is starting off with a cash register for cash transactions and adding other equipment as your business and growing clientele demands change. It is necessary to find equipment that can grow with you however, so that integral parts must not be continually replaced as communication with new technology is necessary. So, that outdated cash register found at a “going out of business” sale might not prove to be an adequate option in the long run.

Many electronic providers not only allow merchants the ability to process all forms of payment, but also can supply merchants with the necessary equipment personally, or through their years of experience with retailers, are able to put merchants in touch with distributors and outfitters who provide the latest in POS technology. Providing your customers with quick and secure payment options is not only necessary for their satisfaction, but is of course essential for continued smooth operation and growth.

For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit http://www.stradafee.com.

When it comes to sporting goods, we are all convinced that cutting edge gear will increase performance. Whether it’s true or not, that’s what we all believe but are not so willing to admit. We like others to think that it’s “All us” out there. The United States is the hub for the sporting goods industry; we manufacture more specialty products, create the hype through marketing them, are the testing grounds for them, we sell more within our market and export more abroad than we take in. I guess you can say that if the GDP was determined by athletic equipment then we’d be the US. Hmmm, ok… how about, the US a few years ago.

While local sporting goods stores, outlets and specialized boutique shops that cater to one or two sports can meet most everyday needs of today’s athlete; when it comes to big ticket purchases, everyone has to shop, and the easiest way to do all your pricing and product review research is on the internet. Walk-in stores will neverdie, some may go out of business, but there necessary. Personally, I like them for my peripheral purchases, footwear, workout clothing, bats and balls and small stuff. What’s happening today is that there are so many products coming out that stores cannot stock all of them. To add to the excitement, product designers and manufacturers are their own retailers, and they’re the only place you can buy that item.
More and more people are looking to the internet to buy these higher priced and hard to find items. While they’re paying for shipping, they also are buying all of those peripheral items which pulls dollars away from the local retailers. If you’re an online sporting goods retailer or even wholesaler, you know what I’m talking about.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Well, the good thing is that these E-commerce sites are killing it right now. They’re exporting to other countries, vendor distribution centers are accommodating to this industry and the profit margins can be good due to no floor planning and low overhead costs.
The downside of this is that there’s a lot of competition and pricing is slowly going down. While international exporting and high volume is good, profit margins have to be watched more closely and online vendors have to be ahead of their competition by optimizing websites, negotiating better deals with vendors and actually advertising.
Now the ugly; increasing cost of these businesses are their merchant account fees. It wasn’t so much of an issue when volume was lower and profit was high, but when you need to watch every penny, every one really counts, and you know it!

Due to these high volumes and increasing sales outside their domestic areas, banks are hiking up rates, adding to the woes of the merchant. This is just a product of getting big, fast. Merchant accounts come with rules and applications require business plans, and you all know that. Unfortunately, we had to leave out our real goal which was to make a lot of money in the shortest time possible. Your bank and/or processor may be charging you a higher discount rate and associating other fees to your account because you may be in a high risk category now. So many other merchants are in the same category and it’s not even similar to having a bad credit rating or being involved with gray market products or services, but banks assess risk and “Too big too fast” and doing volume sales outside your domestic area is high risk.

The solution may be to shop around for a new processor or bank. Give your current bank a shot, but if they’re not playing ball, don’t be afraid to stop processing through them. Personally, I wouldn’t close that merchant account, but just stop processing and leave it dormant once I got a new one. This whole process doesn’t take too long; search the internet for merchant service providers and find one that meets your needs. they’re not all the same. Some offer different services and some even specialize in specific types of industries. Ask about their portfolio and if they have experience in your type of business or industry; this means that they’ll be more in tune with your sales cycles and peak processing times. They’ll also be able to deal more effectively with your chargebacks. This can be worth its weight in gold down the line. What a lot of online merchants don’t know is that merchant service providers can provide services that you didn’t think you could get, at least without paying a lot for them; services like third-party fraud scrubbing, virtual terminals, 3 D secure processing and fraud protection. Just like your customers found value in a commitment to you, if you’re not totally satisfied with your current credit card processing solution, find value in your business and shop on the internet.

Merchant accounts make it possible for businesses to provide online credit card processing. For more information on credit card processing visit www.stradafee.com.