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Time To Open A Home Business Merchant Account?If you are operating a start-up business, have you given some thought to opening a home business merchant account? Although you may be satisfied with sales to date and perhaps are not planning to build a huge commercial empire, a merchant account can provide a number of benefits that may help to grow your business by attracting new clients and increasing sales volume. You need not own a large business to apply for a merchant account. You simply need a good credit history, an ability to pay your bills on time, and a livelihood that the merchant account underwriters will not find unsavory. The most important advantage of opening a home business merchant account is the ability to process your customers' credit card payments. Currently you may be letting them pay by cash or a check. But with a merchant account, you can get a credit card processor that will plug in to an outlet in your home office, or you can get the wireless model to take with you when delivering goods and services to your customers at their homes or places of business. You won't have to spend time or pay someone to set up a billing account or wait for checks to arrive in the mail. Nor will you have to write off unpaid balances accruing from checks that bounce. An exciting opportunity tied to operating a home business is to set up a company Website with your home business merchant account. You can arrange the Website so that customers can shop for goods and services and pay by credit card in one-stop shopping. You won't even need to hire an associate to be on standby for the site. Just plan to peek in from time to time to make sure things are going well. Better yet, add an email option so customers can get in touch to ask questions or get help if needed. Your time can be spent in many other ways to help your business grow. It helps, though, to keep your site up to date with interesting facts about the industry that you're involved in or with product updates and pricing information. Customers can shop at their leisure with all the pertinent facts at their fingertips. To find out more about a home business merchant account, visit the many online sites offering information about these accounts. You can learn about the ways in which a merchant account can boost business, how much they cost, and how they work. You can get real time transactions for less than a quarter apiece, or you might want to pay a low monthly percentage rate. Often you can apply online, although you might have to pay an application fee for this option. Typically, you can expect a response in a few days, and then you will be ready to start accepting your clients' credit card payments. When you are ready for your business to grow or if you would like to consider the possibility of accepting credit payments from your clients, check into a home business merchant account. Other articles by this author »
About Shane Penrod
Shane Penrod is the founder of http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com. Related
And here is another random article you might be interested in... Project Office: Help or Hindrance?The Project Office is often seen as a nuisance or a threat, but can be a useful resource and networking opportunity. Here's a tale of two offices... The Reformed Project Office Perhaps one of the most difficult things for John, the project support guy on the ordering system project, was trying to second guess Mac, the project manager. He knew the change control process needed improving to pass their project audit by the quality assurance group, but wasn't sure what format to use. As Mac wasn't in the office, he had a word with Debbie, the senior designer, who always seemed to know what to do. "Why don't you try the central project office? Mac doesn't think much of them, but they've got a new manager, so things might be different now," offered Debbie. "Why doesn't Mac like the project office?" wondered John. "Well, he thinks they waste time by expecting endless reports and don't offer much help. In a way, he has a point. The project office is not very popular. You haven't been here long, so you wouldn't know, but most people avoid it." "Okay, but as you say, the new manager may have brought a new approach. I'll go and see them and find out. Thanks." John had a meeting with Jeanine, the new project office manager, the next day. Debbie was right, Jeanine did have a new approach. "I'm determined to change the image of the project office from that of policeman to partner," Jeanine enthused. Over a coffee, she showed John her objectives:
"Wow, there's stuff in there that will certainly help me!" John was impressed. John explained his position and the need for a revamped change control process. "Well, we can provide you with an example change request form and log. You can use them as is, or alter them to suit your own purposes. Also, I can put you in touch with Alan, an experienced project manager, who can walk you through the process, which again, you can amend as necessary. And if you have any problems, just call us." Jeanine was extremely friendly and helpful. "Thanks Jeanine, but what about Mac? He is apparently very resistant when it comes to the project office." John was concerned he would get a negative reaction from Mac. "Don't worry, I'm meeting with all the project managers who are not yet on board with the changes in the project office. Once he sees the benefits, he'll be a convert! I'm very used to dealing with tough customers!" John felt like he had discovered a goldmine. He would definitely be making good use of the project office in the future. However, he thought he would wait until Mac had met with Jeanine before showing him the new change control process. For more project management stories, see: Other articles by this author »
About David Stoneman
I am a PRINCE2 practitioner, ISEB certificated and a member of APM. My experience as a Project Manager has been gained working for a consultancy on large client company sites over many years. Prior to this my career spanned system development, team leading, project leading and project support office management. Copyright 2005 www.project-management-insights.com, all rights reserved. Related
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