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Added for You - Internet Merchant Accounts For Innocents Abroad
How to Manage Your Most Valuable Assets - People? sell your product for you.People management and leadership has become a major topic of conversation in today’s market place and have assumed mythical qualities. Managing you people is not that difficult if you are willing to invest one thing in their development; YOU.The emotional cost and some simple training and mentoring can see you be a successful leader and manager.As a previous CEO of companies (before starting Biz Momentum) I proved this time and time again and often baffled and confounded those that wanted to make the whole leadership thing complicated!What’s it all about!!1. Managing your people is largely COMMON SENSE2. Leaders don't wait for others to show the way.3. Leaders participate in the workplace and are seen doing the hard yards, leading by example we used to call it.4. Leaders inspire other people through They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co Affiliate + Blogs = Money If you want to sell on the internet, your need to accept credit cards. To accept credit cards, you need a merchant account, or access to one. There're two ways of getting this: Get your own merchant account, or 'pimp' off someone else's.I've been an affiliate for a long time, trying different ways and many different sites to make money. When I first started there were many things I didn't know and it seemed like I was banging my head against the wall just to make a few dollars... and sometimes just a few cents... but over time I learned a few tips and tricks.1. One website isn't enough. When I first became an affiliate, I had one website; a site for women that featured recipes, articles, a shopping section, and more. I put affiliate ads on every page, but the shopping section was exclusively affiliate advertising. I spent more than a year submitting this site EVERYWHERE, constantly. I never made more than 20 dollars a month. To profit from affiliate advertising, you need many websites. Do you think having multiple sites is too much to maintain? Once The latter is the option most new merchants choose. You use a third-party to process your payments, and they take percentage. Here are a few popular ones: PayPal.com (http://www.paypal.com) I don't recommend them as your main processor. See http://www.paypalsucks.com. PayPal is popular because it was 'firstest with the mostest' on auction sites. For this reason, eBay bought them out. PayPalSucks.com alleges that if you have a bad order they freeze your account, and can even dip into your bank account to make up any shortfalls. Mitigating circumstances are not taken into account. I've read enough complaints about PayPal on webmaster forums to heed them. The usual rejoinder is; "But I've never had any problems with PayPal". To which is usually retorted "Just wait 'till you get a chargeback!" A chargeback occurs when someone asks their credit-card company for a refund. They say they didn't get the goods, or they never made the order, or the goods were not as advertised. This is passed on to the processor, who in turn debits the merchant. Or drops him entirely. You don't want too many of these. I've used them for years for small amounts, with no problem, but on the basis of others' complaints in webmaster forums, I wouldn't use them for large ones. Don't leave large amounts 'on deposit' in any internet-based company; they're not banks, and even banks go bust occasionally. The best use for PayPal is to entice customers who already use it. Find another provider to be your main one. One like ... 2Checkout.com (http://www.2checkout.com) This is a factoring service like PayPal. Unlike them, they have a pretty good reputation with webmasters. Like PayPal, they don't provide you with a merchant account; they process your orders through their own. This is why such sites have to be very stringent; they are answerable to their own merchant account provider. Too many bogus orders, and they go out of business. This is why third-party factoring services like 2Checkout are very useful to a newbie merchant: fraud prevention. They can screen out suspicious orders. Most merchants would like to think they can sell worldwide. The fact is most of the world is poor; MOST countries can't afford your goods. So some citizens try to get them fraudulently. A smart merchant would bar most of the world from accessing his cart, and only accept orders from the USA, Canada, western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and his home country. Harsh, but you'll sleep better at night. WorldPay (http://www.worldpay.com) A well-regarded service. I found adding it to the Oscommerce cart (http://www.oscommerce.com) a bit of a chore, but it worked. More expensive to join than 2Checkout. You don't hear many gripes about WorldPay, which is rare in webmaster circles. ClickBank.com (http://www.clickbank.com) Handy if you're selling a few items of inexpensive software to start off your business. They'll let you up the price once they're sure of you. I managed to get them to go up to $150 (whoo!). I was very jealous of their system. It's well designed and extremely 'viral'; they're basically a huge affiliate program. Join ClickBank, and others will try and sell your product for you. They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co. Looking For An Investor In The Capital Venture Directory PayPal on webmaster forums to heed them.When people need to enlist the services of a company, that person will usually check for it in the phone directory. It is only after browsing through the names on the list that the individual will be able to get in touch with the firm that can do it.The same thing also happens when getting help in starting a business. Though the numbers are not in the phone book, the entrepreneur will have to check magazines and online for those who are interested in funding a project so a business proposal can be sent.The business proposal should have a brief introduction of the company, the objective of the venture, the sales projection and most importantly, the timeline for the return of investment.The entrepreneur will notice that some of those in the directory are leaders of some of the biggest corporations in the United States. This means The usual rejoinder is; "But I've never had any problems with PayPal". To which is usually retorted "Just wait 'till you get a chargeback!" A chargeback occurs when someone asks their credit-card company for a refund. They say they didn't get the goods, or they never made the order, or the goods were not as advertised. This is passed on to the processor, who in turn debits the merchant. Or drops him entirely. You don't want too many of these. I've used them for years for small amounts, with no problem, but on the basis of others' complaints in webmaster forums, I wouldn't use them for large ones. Don't leave large amounts 'on deposit' in any internet-based company; they're not banks, and even banks go bust occasionally. The best use for PayPal is to entice customers who already use it. Find another provider to be your main one. One like ... 2Checkout.com (http://www.2checkout.com) This is a factoring service like PayPal. Unlike them, they have a pretty good reputation with webmasters. Like PayPal, they don't provide you with a merchant account; they process your orders through their own. This is why such sites have to be very stringent; they are answerable to their own merchant account provider. Too many bogus orders, and they go out of business. This is why third-party factoring services like 2Checkout are very useful to a newbie merchant: fraud prevention. They can screen out suspicious orders. Most merchants would like to think they can sell worldwide. The fact is most of the world is poor; MOST countries can't afford your goods. So some citizens try to get them fraudulently. A smart merchant would bar most of the world from accessing his cart, and only accept orders from the USA, Canada, western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and his home country. Harsh, but you'll sleep better at night. WorldPay (http://www.worldpay.com) A well-regarded service. I found adding it to the Oscommerce cart (http://www.oscommerce.com) a bit of a chore, but it worked. More expensive to join than 2Checkout. You don't hear many gripes about WorldPay, which is rare in webmaster circles. ClickBank.com (http://www.clickbank.com) Handy if you're selling a few items of inexpensive software to start off your business. They'll let you up the price once they're sure of you. I managed to get them to go up to $150 (whoo!). I was very jealous of their system. It's well designed and extremely 'viral'; they're basically a huge affiliate program. Join ClickBank, and others will try and sell your product for you. They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co Business Plans - When and Why to Use an Executive Summary Instead provider to be your main one. One like ...An Executive Summary can be used to weed out some of the investors who may have no intention of funding your company and may actually have an ulterior motive. Maybe they are thinking of funding a company similar to yours or that may compete with yours. Even worse, maybe last year they funded a competitor of yours and just want to get as much information from you as they can to protect their other investment.Be careful when dealing with Venture Capital Firms and don’t forget that it is okay to be protective of your Business Plan. Try to ask lots of questions of potential funding sources before you send them anything. Most importantly, find out what companies they currently have investments in so you can find out if they are just fishing for information with no intention of funding your company.Another reason for do 2Checkout.com (http://www.2checkout.com) This is a factoring service like PayPal. Unlike them, they have a pretty good reputation with webmasters. Like PayPal, they don't provide you with a merchant account; they process your orders through their own. This is why such sites have to be very stringent; they are answerable to their own merchant account provider. Too many bogus orders, and they go out of business. This is why third-party factoring services like 2Checkout are very useful to a newbie merchant: fraud prevention. They can screen out suspicious orders. Most merchants would like to think they can sell worldwide. The fact is most of the world is poor; MOST countries can't afford your goods. So some citizens try to get them fraudulently. A smart merchant would bar most of the world from accessing his cart, and only accept orders from the USA, Canada, western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and his home country. Harsh, but you'll sleep better at night. WorldPay (http://www.worldpay.com) A well-regarded service. I found adding it to the Oscommerce cart (http://www.oscommerce.com) a bit of a chore, but it worked. More expensive to join than 2Checkout. You don't hear many gripes about WorldPay, which is rare in webmaster circles. ClickBank.com (http://www.clickbank.com) Handy if you're selling a few items of inexpensive software to start off your business. They'll let you up the price once they're sure of you. I managed to get them to go up to $150 (whoo!). I was very jealous of their system. It's well designed and extremely 'viral'; they're basically a huge affiliate program. Join ClickBank, and others will try and sell your product for you. They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co Calendars, Popcorn, and Fruit… Oh My! d from accessing his cart, and only accept orders from the USA, Canada, western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and his home country. Harsh, but you'll sleep better at night.Last Christmas season, as I was walking into the executive office of one of my clients, I nearly tripped on a tub of popcorn. My near accident startled me, but when I saw over thirty tubs of popcorn scattered about his office, I couldn’t help but laugh. How else would you respond to such a gross display of corporate gift sending ignorance?His office looked like a FEMA warehouse, littered with absurd amounts of popcorn and fruit baskets. No human being could possibly consume the crazy supply of food that he had.Curiously, I grabbed a tub of popcorn and threw a little pop(corn) quiz at my customer. I turned the tub of popcorn around so the logo wasn’t showing. “Who is this one from?” I asked.“I don’t know,” my client replied. This prompted my question, “What about the one over there in the corner with the funky ribbons on it WorldPay (http://www.worldpay.com) A well-regarded service. I found adding it to the Oscommerce cart (http://www.oscommerce.com) a bit of a chore, but it worked. More expensive to join than 2Checkout. You don't hear many gripes about WorldPay, which is rare in webmaster circles. ClickBank.com (http://www.clickbank.com) Handy if you're selling a few items of inexpensive software to start off your business. They'll let you up the price once they're sure of you. I managed to get them to go up to $150 (whoo!). I was very jealous of their system. It's well designed and extremely 'viral'; they're basically a huge affiliate program. Join ClickBank, and others will try and sell your product for you. They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co Promotional Products: Thinking Inside The Box sell your product for you.Online sales are becoming an ever more significant segment of the country's retail sector, says Jeffrey Grau in his June 2006 report, US Retail E-Commerce. eMarketerCom magazine concurs, estimating an annual average increase in retail e-commerce sales of 18.6% between 2005 and 2009.E-shoppers are not only spending more, but Grau says they're also buying different types of goods: big-ticket items like refrigerators; and luxury products including designer apparel and jewelry. As the e-commerce marketplace matures (its yearly growth admittedly slowing somewhat from the 26% seen a decade ago), experienced e-retailers are exploring methods of promoting repeat sales and ensuring customer loyalty.One such method is creative gifting—putting a promotional product in with the purchase prior to shipping. The unexpected item is a pleasant surpris They allow you to block whole continents from trying to buy your product, and that is good. The odds are that a $25 order for an ebook, from a third-world country, is fraudulent. If an order looks dodgy, it probably is. Contact the customer by 'phone or email. If you don't get a satisfactory reply, refund the card. When you're making $1000+ a month, get your own merchant account. MerchantSeek (http://www.merchantseek.com) A useful collection of affiliate links to merchant account and processing providers. Scroll down their front page to their search tool. You can find an account that suits your needs. This is most helpful to non-U.S. merchants, or those seeking 'international merchant accounts'. In the UK, look for 'merchant services' at: Barclays bank (http://www.barclaycardmerchantservices.co.uk) UK processing services are: Having one's own merchant account means paying less in processing fees. IMPORTANT: You should specify up-front that you are looking for an internet merchant account. Internet transactions are viewed as higher risk than those by bricks-and-mortar businesses. The technical term is 'card not present'. Some things you may need, if applying for an internet merchant account of your own: Business bank account; In short, you need to prove that both you and your company are what you say they are. Your account provider is taking a chance on you. You might send them a ton of bogus orders. A bank is a business too, not a community service. Help them to make the right decision! The more you can establish that you are bona-fide, the lower the cost of your account. Things to avoid, if you can: a) Expensive credit-card processing software rental or hire-purchase. Things to look out for at sites offering merchant accounts: If you need to maintain a U.S. presence - full U.S. incorporation, U.S. server, U.S. offices, U.S. bank account - or NOT. Also if they want a deposit, and the size of their application fee. And the usual monthly minimums, discounts etc. Avoid getting into any software purchase or equipment rental. You can sort all that out later, for less money. There are plenty of good payment gateways, like Authorize.net (http://www.authorize.net) just itching for your business. PS: Don't accept a merchant account from an Eastern European bank. I did, some years ago. The bank went bust. One guy wailed on Usenet that he'd lost $10,000 dollars. Luckily for me, business was bad that year!
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