Should I accept credit cards at my business?

It’s always a good idea to provide prospective and existing customers with as many ways to pay you as possible. Accepting credit cards is a good way to accomplish this. There are many instances where it would be more convenient for a customer to pay you by credit card rather than sending a check, meaning you get paid faster. Before you run off and start accepting credit cards you’ll need to make sure you have a couple percent of your revenue to pay for this convenience.

Credit card companies usually charge between 2 – 4 percent of the total amount charged on the card as a service fee to process the transaction and deposit the money into your account. It is not unusual to also have a per-transaction fee as well. In addition many processing companies have minimum fees if your calculated fees do not exceed a certain amount each month. There may also be equipment rental costs if you need a machine to swipe credit cards at your business location. Be sure all of fees and charges are laid out in writing before you sign on the dotted line with a credit card processing company.

Lastly, since people can dispute and potentially decline credit card charges, it is a good idea to make sure your credit card terms and conditions are clear and are available to your customers. Giving customers several ways to pay is a good idea for most businesses but that’s the great thing about having your own business…You get to decide!


© 2010 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

Pick up the phone every now and then!

Email is just too easy sometimes. It’s good to pick up the phone every now and then and have a real conversation with people. Not just friends but customers too. We get too good at email and text communication. If they’re in town, set up a lunch and get face to face. If they’re out of town then spend a few extra minutes and have a phone call with them.

Take a minute or two before you get on the call and jot down a few things to talk to them about. Ask how they are doing, the family and then after a little small talk you can transition to some business. You may find some other business you can do with them or a project for someone you know. Each time you give out a referral you should expect at least one back.

I know you’ll be on the phone longer with a real call than you will with a text or email but sometimes you just need to “put a voice” with the text....

© 2010 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

Do people really call from vehicle signage?

If they can find you! I was driving the other day and I saw a truck that said "Reliable Painting" and it had a phone number on it. By the time I realized what they did, they were too far away from me in traffic and I couldn’t see their phone number. I saw the area code and it was local so when I got home I Googled them but nothing came up by that name. I called them because their truck was clean and the ladders, lettering and everything I saw led me to believe they “looked credible.”

The sad thing was I couldn’t find them when I looked them up online. Nothing about their business came up and they did not have a website, at least not one I could find.

The moral of the story? Make sure your business is findable online. Make it happen!

For more information on why your business may or may not be findable online, read this article too.

© 2010 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

What percentage of influence do my words have on people?

There are many factors that influence our interaction with other people. Here are the three primary drivers:

1) Words
2) Voice tone, quality and pacing
3) Facial expressions and body language

We interact with people all day long every day in business. So which one of these is more important than the other? It’s a great question with some answers that might surprise you.

Let’s say you tell someone they’re doing a good job….now that’s a pretty good one to make someone feel good. How much influence do you think you have on them with those words? 90%, 60, 50?

How about if you tell them they’re doing a good job and your voice emphasizes the “good job” part, what percent do you think that will affect them? 50%, 75, 100?

Now how about if you smile, shake their hand and tell them they’re doing a good job, what percent do you think that will affect them? 100%, 90, 10%?

There have been all kinds of studies about this kind of thing and here is how our ability to influence people breaks down in the three primary areas:

1) Words 7%
2) Voice tone & Quality 38%
3) Facial expressions and Body Language 55%

Words don’t mean as much as we think without a good tone in our voice and some good facial expressions to go along with it! Keep in mind your facial expressions and body language should still be in “full force” and working even when you’re on the phone.

Make it happen!


© 2010 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

Is changing your website Killing you?

We get lots of calls from people who are absolutely frustrated with the company they bought their website from. They purchase a website from a website building company and then they pull out their hair trying to make changes to the site. That’s because most website builders are not business people or content creators...they are website builders. They don’t know what a small business person goes through and how frustrating it can be trying to make changes to a website or get customer service on a website you bought.

That’s why we make all of our websites at eMarketing 4 Business with the small business owner in mind. We know they will want to make changes to their website every now and then and we have an easy to use interface and tool so they can make changes. But if the small business owner needs our help we will make the changes for them.

We are here for the small business owner, we answer our phones and best of all, we get you results!

Call us to find out how we can get you your own website or how we can help you with your current website. Please call Vince at: 262.513.5220 for a free consultation.


© 2010 eMarketing 4 Business LLC