Business-Building Action From Terry Brock
You can’t do it alone. Business is a team sport, even for the solo practitioner. You need suppliers, mentors, consultants and customers (!) helping you. With the right technologies you can get more done in less time and you don’t need to employ as many people.
Here are a couple of tools I’ve discovered recently which can help you in two profound areas of your business. This is all about getting you a competitive advantage and letting you be more profitable in your business without incurring a lot of expensive overhead.
[Important Technical Note on the Video: YouTube has changed some settings so be sure you have selected “480p” rather than the “360p” setting. Otherwise, you’ll get “An error occurred, please try again later.” Well, “later” never comes I found so just select the 480p setting at the bottom of the video and it looks very nice in High Definition video. ]
Verifone PAYware Mobile For Your iPhone
If you’re mobile in your work with customers, you’ve probably had times when you wish you could accept credit card payment right on the spot. You find out immediately if the card is valid, you process it quickly and you can focus more on the customer. Today, with a new system from Verifone, you can do that on your 3G and 3Gs iPhone.
It consists of a device and some software you’ll download from the iTunes App store (software is free). Once you have the App software, you slide your iPhone into the “sled.” You swipe credit cards through this device (very small) and it gives you the ability to process credit cards anywhere you can take your iPhone.
My first concern was for security. This system uses an encrypted end-to-end system as it processes the card. Because it uses a swipe method it is more stable from the start than entering a CC number. The system uses the SSC (Security Standards Council) procedures for the latest security. It is one of the most secure methods of CC transmission available today.
For convenience, this is ideal. A small business owner can take it on sales calls and process everything needed for the transaction on the spot. You eliminate the delay and time-wasters that come from taking paper and other materials back to the office for processing.
Be aware, though, that you need to have a steady stream of business to justify it. You’ll pay a one-time boarding fee of $49. Then there is the monthly gateway service fee of $15. Plus you’ll have a per transaction fee of 17 cents. In addition to this you’ll be responsible for normal interchange/discount fees levied by processors and card brands. Bottom line: This is a great tool if you 1) Have a 3G or 3Gs iPhone and 2) (most important!) You have sufficient business flowing on a monthly basis to justify the on-going monthly and per transaction costs. For those who qualify, this is a god-send.
Crunch the numbers on your business and see if it is worth it for you. To get more transactions and process them faster, this can be a most profitable venture for your business.
(Verifone PAYware Mobile, http://www.paywaremobile.com, Fees Apply)
Get The Help You Need On Technology 24/7/365
Technology can be frustrating! I know this from personal experience and you do to. Building your team around you means you have to have support for your technology investment. Either you do it or someone else does. If you do, it is taking precious time from selling and developing your business. Getting someone else will cost, however, that cost can be managed better and at a much lower fee than with full-time employees.
I recently used a service called PlumChoice for two problems I had. One was with my iPhone and the other with my MacBook Pro. In both cases, I was amazed at the results — and I’m one tough cookie to try to amaze!
The first time it was with the Time Zone setting on my iPhone. I wanted to set an appointment in Eastern Time Zone (where I reside) for meetings in the Pacific Time Zone (where I was visiting and had several appointments). I couldn’t get my iPhone to display appointments in the local time zone. I explained the problem to PlumChoice and they arranged for Josh, one of their support people, to call me back. After a few minutes of explaining it and working with Josh, the problem was fixed. That saved me a huge amount of time.
Then yesterday I had a problem with my MacBook Pro operating slower than I wanted. I explained the issue and PlumChoice set up an appointment. I got a call promptly at our designated time from Ray who walked me through what was needed to take remote control of my computer. Then he went to work fixing the problem as I watched in amazement (remember, how hard it is for me to be amazed!). Well, in about an hour Ray had my computer not only running much faster but he politely and very astutely helped me understand how to fix it in the future. Yes, I was — and still am — amazed!
PlumChoice support is available for $24.95/month for Windows and $17.95/month for Macs. This is a smart investment for your small business. Look at PlumChoice as a part of your support team so you can focus on customers and generating more income.
(PlumChoice.com, 1-888-758-6435, Monthly or One-Time Fees Available)
Don’t try to run your business alone. With tools like these and the right kind of support, you can succeed by focusing on what you do best. This is the smart way to do business.
Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: @TerryBrock
