Keeping our customers happy can prevent disputes and save lots of time, energy & money! When a customer feels as if they did not get what they paid for or they do not recognize an item on their statement, they can initiate a chargeback or dispute so they do not have to pay for the charge. Disputes can be very costly for business owners and that is why we wanted to give you a few tips for making sure you are taking the steps necessary to keep your customers happy and prevent disputes! Deliver on your promises: Making sure that your product offering or service is what you said it would be is the number one way to prevent disputes! When a customer gets what they thought they

Change is something that most people……”LOVE”…… Daylight Saving Time is one of the easiest changes that people get to deal with each year but have you ever wondered why we change the clocks twice a year? I did a bit of surfing on the internet and found a great site that covers a TON of information related to the history of Daylight Saving Time. So after you get done changing the time on your Credit Card Terminal (see a list below and call our office if your terminal or device is not listed!! 1-888-249-9919), click here: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME HISTORY for more fun information and EMBRACE change- it is the only constant thing in our lives! Sir Smiley- OUT Time Change Instructions Sir SmileySaturday, November 3, 2012

What’s the plan, Stan? Just like someone doesn’t go into a marriage thinking of divorce; no one starts a business thinking it is going to fail. When the time is right to start a new business do your homework!! While planning for success, make sure to take everything into account that could impact your business both positively and negatively. Do you have a marketing strategy? Does your brick and mortar location take advantage of traffic patterns? Do you have enough capital to sustain the business in its start up phase? Will weather affect your business success? The last question sounds silly until you realize that shipping and delivery can be delayed beyond your control. The extreme weather conditions the last several years have impacted shipping deadlines and caused

It is that time of year: GIFT CARD season If your business currently has a gift card program- remember to place your holiday card orders NOW. If you are considering a gift card program; you should order your cards NOW. As we get closer to the Silly Season, the line gets longer for ordering gift cards. Here is a great artcle from Member Access Pacific (with a few tweaks). Enjoy and happy giving!! Today’s consumers are turning their growing appreciation for gift cards into an all-out public embrace. According to the recent U.S. Prepaid Consumer Insights Study, the average amount spent per card grew by more than 23 percent compared to 2010. The average total amount consumers spent on gift cards increased to $211 from $161 last year.

Years ago, before our business venture began, we had grand visions of what being a business owner would be like. Go into the office, check in with the staff, meet a client for lunch, cut out early and spend the rest of the early afternoon on the river; relaxing. After we woke up from that glorious dream, we realized that business would be a bit harder than we first imagined: that was 16 years ago! Since that starry eyed view of business ownership so many years ago, I can tell you one thing for sure- we’ve logged tons of OVERTIME! Last week’s blog talked about proper email etiquette and as I was pondering the topic for this week- these thoughts about how we thought it would be versus

What am I? Your use me every day… I can be very efficient or easily turned into a time sucker… If screened properly I can provide valuable information… Left unscreened I can make your life a spam filled mess… EMAIL! Sometimes it pays to consider the basics of business communication. Most businesses use & rely on their email very heavily. However many business owners do not stop to think about the way that their email messages reflect on their businesses. Recently, I read an article from Constant Contact regarding the use of the Welcome Email and that link is listed below. Before we get to that specific message for your clients/customers, let’s look at some basic email etiquette tips: 1- Use a Proper Format Cheri PerrySunday, October 7,