How do I Pick the Best Wireless Terminal for me and my Business? (china wholesale)

March 14th, 2010 admin Posted in retail |

By Roberto Garabell

A wireless terminal is fast becoming one of the most popular credit card processing types of terminals. Cost-effective, lightweight and convenient, they offer a new way of transacting for businesses. As technology advances, the choice of terminals is becoming more varied. Choosing the right terminal for your business involves considering a number of important factors. Here are a few guidelines to help you through the process:

The Different Types of Wireless Terminals:

Most people are familiar with the card processing terminal that has a keypad, LCD screen, swipe facility and printer. The most common type of wireless terminal is simply a smaller and more compact version of this. The major difference being that it is wireless and therefore allows for greater mobility.

New technology now also allows you to use a mobile phone as a wireless terminal. By using either touch-tone technology or getting a card swipe attachment, you can process transactions on your phone. The benefit of this is that you do not need to purchase additional equipment and it is a very cost-effective wireless solution.

An attachment can also be purchased for your laptop which allows you to process transactions online. This is an inexpensive way to set up a card processing terminal and a great option for small businesses, trade shows and expos.

What Type of Business do you Operate?

Most businesses that make use of credit card terminals are in some sort of sales or service industry. The type of business will determine how many terminals you need and what features and technology you need included on your terminal. Restaurants, retail stores and service businesses can all benefit from using wireless terminals.

If you own a restaurant, for example, you will probably need at least two terminals so that customers do not need to wait in order to settle their bills. A wireless terminal that has a swipe and printer facility would probably be your first choice. Most wireless terminals are hand-held but for a restaurant, you wouldn’t need a small compact version as a standard-size one would suffice. An example of such a terminal is a NURIT 8020.

Many businesses use wireless terminals when they attend trade shows or expos where the objective is to make sales. A wireless terminal will save you the cost of renting an additional phone line during the expo. These savings generally amount to $100 a day which is quite significant. A wireless terminal also allows you to transact on your stand at the time of purchase. A Touch Tone Capture or Laptop Wireless Processor works well for trade show scenarios.

Store owners at flea markets and sports venues can also make use of a wireless terminal. If you have vendors walking around with your products, they can accept card payments if they have a wireless terminal. Flea market vendors can increase their sales by being able to accept credit card purchases, even if the market is in a remote outdoor location. Systems that use Touch Tone Capture on your existing cell phone are a great choice for this type of wireless terminal.

Corporate businesses that have large sales teams can provide their sales staff with wireless terminals. This will allow them to be able to accept transactions while they are out on the road seeing clients and sourcing new business. A WePay, WaySystems, or Touch Tone Capture system would all be suitable for a sales team.

Benefits of Using a Wireless Terminal

Wireless terminals have provided a vast amount of convenience to businesses. The ability to be mobile and transact at the same time means that businesses have greater opportunities to increase sales. Research has shown that most people purchase goods on credit cards and the ability to process card transactions, even when in a remote location, means that you can increase your volume of sales.

The wireless terminals still make use of advanced and secure technology but the terminals are more compact and therefore, more convenient to carry around. Some wireless systems make use of mobile phones which is a further cost-saving measure. As a business owner, you do not need to purchase or maintain any additional equipment.

A wireless terminal also provides greater convenience and peace of mind for your customers. In a restaurant, for example, you can take the terminal to the customer’s table and process the card in front of them while they wait. They can be assured that the risk of fraud on their card is greatly reduced because it is not leaving their sight.

In instances where you do not have a signal to process transactions, most systems have a store and forward facility. You can load transactions and store them in the terminal until you can pick up a signal. This means that you can always accept credit card payments no matter where you are.

At Card Processing Pros.com we provide credit card services and debit card processing, literally setting up hundreds of clients per month to process card payments for storefront, Internet and phone/mail order-based businesses. We also offer services in electronic check and gift card processing. Visit online today.

Is No News Good News?

By Antwan Richardson

Not long ago, after consultations with others in an association I represent, I made a partnership pitch to another organization with similar interests. If the idea had been accepted, it would have radically changed our organizations.

So, you can imagine my impatience when I didn’t hear back from the person to whom I’d made the proposal. She had welcomed the idea, but a decision would be made by a council within her organization.

Given the importance of the decision to their organization, I didn’t expect a quick response. But, I would have liked at least a phone call saying the council had accepted, rejected, or was still considering the idea.

Then, I had a “Eureka” or maybe I should call it a “Whoops” moment. I realized I hadn’t reported back to the people in my organization either. That made me guilty of the same lapse of communication as the lady in the other organization. With that recognition, I made amends by sending out an email and followed up with a report at a meeting.

In taking an analytical view of this incident, I realized that nothing can be something when it comes to communication.

The idea that nothing can be something seems counter- intuitive. But, you may remember the famous Sherlock Holmes’ observation about the dog that didn’t bark (the fictitious detective solved a baffling case by noting what did not happen, rather than what did happen).

You can probably come up with several ideas about the importance of communicating, too, even though nothing has changed. That’s especially true if you’re the one who didn’t hear from someone else.

First, you may have made plans that assume either a change or a continuation of the status quo. Perhaps you’re holding off on holiday plans until the issue is resolved one way or the other.

Second, at least you know an anticipated decision or event hasn’t yet occurred, and that you didn’t miss something (for example, as I write this I’m waiting for a client to confirm some information and it would be nice to know that I haven’t missed a callback or an emailed reply).

Third, if you’ve received an update telling you nothing has happened, you don’t need to contact that person and ask if there have been any developments. Similarly, you can advise the people who look to you for information.

One other note: This might be a variation on what I call the Everybody Knows syndrome. That’s a decision not to communicate, based on the assumption that others know what I know. For example, I might not tell anyone the office will be closed between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day because I think everyone should know that, which is likely a bad assumption on my part.

In summary, if the issue is important, communicate frequently, even if nothing has happened. Something is nothing when you or others wait impatiently for news.

To read about thornless roses, transplanting rhubarb and other information, visit the Gardening Central site.

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How Much Should Your Virtual Assistant Make?

By Antwan Richardson

I’ve seen Virtual Assistants’ prices range from $15 to $70/hr depending on the VA’s experience, specialty, and the project. One of the most common concerns with a new Virtual Business is what to charge for their services.

A common mistake made by new Virtual Assistant businesses is underestimating the value of their services. The more specialized your service is the more you may be able to charge for those services. Here are some guidelines:

Peek in on your competitors

Visit other Virtual Assistants’ websites to see what they are charging for similar or the same services. Look for areas you can improve and perhaps provide a service that they don’t. Find your USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Point). In other words, what sets your business apart from others like it.

Calculate your expenses

Your price should at least cover your expenses. Expenses can include but not limited to:

1. Your Time (Yes, I said your time)

2. Office supplies, Equipment, and Software

3. Marketing (Online and Offline)

4. Rent/Mortgage

5. Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water, etc)

6. Taxes

7. Insurance (Business, Health, etc.)

8. Web Hosting and Web Maintenance

9. Travel and Transportation

10. Continuing Education

These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Once you have calculated your expenses you will have a general idea of what you need to at least cover your expenses. Of course you don’t want to just cover your expenses, but make a profit as well.

Price your services according to your target market

Your target market is another factor to consider before setting your virtual assistance price list. If your target market is business executives or college students then naturally you could charge the business executives more than you could college students. Why? Well…college students may be on tight budgets, work part-time, and/or may still be depending on their parents for financial assistance. Business executives are pretty much established and tend to have bigger budgets. Do you catch my drift?

Price your services according to supply and demand

If you provide specialized services and the demand is high but the supply is low, not many VAs offering the same services, you can charge more for those services. However; if the supply is high you may want to consider being more competitive with your prices. If you want to lower your prices and still make a profit you will want to cut your expenses also.

After considering all of the above it should give you a general idea of how to set your virtual assistance price list. This is just a basic and general guideline so nothing is set in stone