Is Taking Credit Cards for a home based business expensive?

If you run a home based business, you know what a headache it can be to know that you have a sale on the line but your customer doesn't have the cash with them for the purchase.  What can you do?  Many small business owners have discovered that offering credit card services to customers doesn't cost, it pays. 

These days, it has become a real necessity to offer a variety of payment options, but that is no reason to have credit card processing services take a huge chunk of the first slice of the pie leaving you with the left overs. In today's market, competition is fierce out there and any number of credit card services are each trying for their share of what has become a $400 million a year industry.

Where should you begin?  Do some comparison shopping. The best services will not charge you an application or setup fee if you negotiate.  They will not set monthly minimums and will not charge you an annual fee.  They will also offer you a number of options for purchasing, leasing or renting a credit card machine.

There is a lot of competition for your account, so shop around for good rates on the percentage the company charges on your sale.  In the end, you are your own best advocate, so ask a lot of questions of as many companies as you can.

How long will it take to get set up?  Often, services are so streamlined that you can begin the very day you contract with your credit card service.  Others may require a bit more set up time, but these days, credit card processors know they are bidding against the competition for your business.  If you negotiate with them, they can often expedite your application and get you started within a day or two of  finalizing your agreement.

You should also ask the company for their customer service hours. If they are not doing business when you do business, they are not a good fit.  Imagine hosting a home party for friends and having a problem with the credit card system. If customer service isn't available, you've not only lost potential sales, you risk offending friends.  The larger companies all offer 24/7 customer service hours that will guarantee you a speedy resolution to problems that arise. 

When choosing a credit card merchant service remember that you are their customer. Your customers want you to compete for their business, so be sure to let the company you want to use know that you have other options. You can sometimes  negotiate a better rate and lower fees simply by realizing that they are business owners too and know the value of keeping the customer happy.

When it comes to signing on with a credit card processing service, doing your homework before you sign on the dotted line will keep your customers happy and spare you some awful headaches! At the end of the day, you'll increase sales and reduce stress by carefully comparing services.

Check out Cardpay.net for free credit card machines and steps to getting starting.

 

 

Tammy Emineth is an expert in custom content and original articles for blogs, website, press releases and more. Contact me anytime and feel free to subscribe to this blog to stay up to date on my latest blogs and informative information. Email me or contact me for Real Estate Website Marketing and SEO Content Writing.

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If you like me have a law enforcement officer in your family then you may know that on October 1, 1962  President John F. Kennedy signed into law Peace Officer Memorial Day which occurs annually on May 15th and that the week it falls on is Police Week.  In 1994 President Bill Clinton amended the law and declared flags be flown at half staff that day all over the United States. 

But tomorrow chances are your town flags will not be at half staff and everyone will be working and banks and schools will be open and no one will even notice.  But for the families of the 166 officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2011, the 163 officers lost in the line of duty in 2010, the 138 lost in 2009 and so on... those families will know.  Those families will likely not only remember the fallen, but honor those who stand guard over our safety ever day.

My husband belongs to an organization called CPO.  One of the things they send to him annually is a calendar.  That calendar hangs on the pantry door in my kitchen.  I look at it every single day. Not a week goes by without multiple names of those fallen.  Every morning when I look at that calendar I pray for the family of any name that appears that day.  Tomorrow I will not only pray for all their families, but I will honor those that still stand watch over us.  I challenge you to do the same. 

• Write a post
• Thank an officer
• Thank a family of a fallen officer for their sacrifice
• Bake something and deliver to your local station
• Make sure your local officials will fly their flags at half mast

I challenge each of you to find some small way to honor Peace Officers.  And to take a moment to visit the following websites to see the names of those fallen.  Do not let them be forgotten.  Choose someone from your state and make a donation in their memory. More than 19,000 law enforcement lives have been lost in the line of duty in our country's history. Honor those who stand in our protection.  Remember those who have fallen doing the same. 

For those who serve and those who have fallen I give my heartfelt thanks.  Thank you for daily putting your life on the line in order to protect others.  I know you work hours that are too long for pay that is too short.  I know you often think of the protection of others before you think of your own.  I know your schedule often makes you miss events and the opportunity to be with your own family in crisis and times of emergencies.  I know the vest you must wear is heavy and hot.  I know you do not take deadly force lightly and when it comes to that it leaves a heavy burden for you to carry.  Thank you for all you do.  Thank you for choosing to serve to protect my family.

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How much does flooring cost? Which types cost more? Which cost less?

Now, of course, these are loaded questions, but I get this question often. I always hesitate to give per square foot prices because they vary so much and for so many different reasons...as you'll see.

Originally posted at Which types of flooring cost less and which types cost more

 

For example, let's take hardwood floors ... the cost depends on what species and grade of hardwood. It depends on whether it’s solid or engineered. It depends on how wide the planks are. Prices can vary based on installation method (nailed vs. glued vs. floated as well as whether it’s prefinished or unfinished hardwood). The cost depends on whether or not you have plywood subfloor. It depends if we need to do rip up and what surface we are ripping up (carpet or hardwood or tile). It depends if your floor is level and whether we need to do floor prep. Further, prices can vary on whether it’s a small, mid or large size area.

 

In addition, I don’t like giving per sq ft prices because customers will measure their room and do the multiplication and think that’s the price. But, they don’t realize that they need to account for many other factors including waste, acclimation delivery, transition pieces, whether we replace the base molding on the walls or just add shoe molding. As you can see there are MANY factors.  

 

Also, many customers can be misled when they go to a store as they just see the cost for the materials. These prices usually do not include the labor nor the other factors I just mentioned above. So, I have many customers that mistakenly think some surfaces cost less. Please bear in mind that these are generalities, so it does depend on which item you select and the conditions of your floors. Also, this can vary a based on your geography. But, for the most part, these generalities should hold for Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Mid West. It is likely that the prices for tile are a lower in some of the warmer climates - especially in the South, West and Southwest.  

So, here's a look at flooring prices from least expensive to most expensive – factoring in labor + material:

Carpet: In general, carpet is the least expensive surface. So, if you really need to save money, this is the way to go. The labor on carpet is lower and you can certainly find some less expensive carpets, especially when it comes to basement carpet.

 

That being said, carpet more than any other surface varies the most in price. As you get into much softer nylons, or multi-colored carpets or wool carpets, the prices increase and are sometimes even more expensive than hardwoods. But, as a general rule, carpet will usually cost you less than any other hard surface.  

 

 

 

Laminate – Laminate flooring is usually more expensive than carpet but less expensive than hardwood. The materials for laminate are less expensive and labor is lower. In addition, pending on the conditions of the current floor, sometimes, you can install laminate directly on top of what’s there.so this reduces cost of rip up and haul away.  

 

 

Hardwood flooring – I really do prefer hardwood flooring over laminate, but it does cost more. (It’s usually worth it since in the long run, it will usually last longer). Oak and bamboo tend to be the lower cost hardwoods. Adding hardwood to your home not only looks great (and most people prefer), but it also improves the value of your home, so it is a great investment. Oh, and it’s easier (and less expensive) to clean and maintain.

 

 

 

 

 

Tile flooring – In general, tile is the most expensive surface to install. That’s because it’s the most labor intensive. This is often a surprise to customers because they’ll see tile in Home Depot and think, wow, this is less expensive than I thought…and, that’s true…the material is not that expensive…it’s the labor that drives the price on this one.  

 

 

 

 

So don’t be fooled by looking at the material cost. It takes much longer to lay tile and it's rip it out and haul it away. When it comes to bathrooms, there are a whole slew of other costs that come along with this. Usually when you tear up the walls, you need to resheet rock (and/or add durarock for the showers). Often a mudjob is needed for the floor and the shower. Oh, and don’t forget about the cost of a licensed plumber for toilet & sink removal as well as replacement of the shower pan.  

 

So, the costs for tile flooring really do add up. Tile is clearly the best choice for the bathroom, but just be aware that there are a lot of costs there. For regular floors (such as kitchens and entryways), tile will usually cost more. In warmer climates, tile is more popular, so the labor costs are a bit lower – same amount of labor – just more competitive rates.  

 

I hope this is helpful in providing some guidelines. As I mentioned, the prices will vary based on your circumstances and which material you are evaluating. This is another reason I like to go to customer’s homes. When I do, I can give them the prices for many different items and different surfaces so they can see the full price difference among their choices.  

If you live in Westchester NY and would like some guidance on your flooring, give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950.

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Which types of flooring are less expensive? Which types cost more?

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