August 30th, 2009 by hanun

If your business still does not have a merchant account that allows you to offer full credit card services, you are turning your back on profits. Just take a look at all of your competitors. All of those that pose serious competition accept credit card payments. Those that do not have credit card services do not have great sales figures to show, either. Even statistics point to the fact that companies that have credit card services earn much more than companies that do not have credit card services. The average credit card sale is $40 while the average cash sale is only $9. That means you are losing potentially $31 per sale.

You may also be spending more by accepting only cash and check payments in your business. The processing of cash and checks has been found to be more costly, requiring more manpower in handling. Studies have shown that the average processing cost of credit card payments is only 2.7% of a transaction while the average processing cost of checks is 4% of a transaction and the average processing cost of cash is 4.8% of a transaction. Once again, you are leaking profits by refusing to accept credit card payments.

So how do you accept credit card payments in your business? This is where credit card services come in. The old route is to apply for a merchant account in a bank. You will then have to lease the software and equipment necessary to actually process payments and send the data to your account. If you want to accept credit card payments online, you need to apply to a payment gateway that allows real time credit card authorization for online transactions. You should ensure that your payment gateway is compatible with the bank or financial institution where you have your merchant account, and with the software and equipment you have leased.

In choosing the bank or financial institution for your merchant account, consider their expertise in combating fraud and reducing chargebacks. Also make sure that they are experienced in handling merchant accounts with online transactions.

If you are a small business owner, stick to a bank or financial institution that caters to small businesses rather than large companies. You may be able to get better rates and packages designed for your specific niche.

There are options for credit card services that offer everything you need in one easy package. You will not have to deal with various entities or go through various procedures. Often, these options also have added benefits, among them, quick reporting on your credit card sales figures. They may also offer interest on your credit card sales income, even up to money market rates.

One very important feature of your credit card services that you may not know of is that it can automatically qualify you to avail of small business loans. Once you have established a record of sales through credit, most credit card services will allow you to make cash advances that are practically like getting previously approved small business loans without having to put up any required collateral. The credit card services consider your future income through credit card sales as your collateral. This can go a long way in further growing your business.

Payment will not be a problem, either. For as long as you have sales through credit payments, you automatically get to pay your small business loans. It does not matter how much your sales are. Your payments are automatically deducted as a percentage of your sales. You are always covered.

Now do you still need further convincing on the benefits of credit card services for your business?

August 29th, 2009 by hanun

If you are planning to start a business, you cannot afford to neglect knowing how to write a business letter.

Even if your business may be just a small entrepreneurial startup, knowing how to write a business letter is a key skill that you, or at least one of your assistants, should know.

Before we go on with the technicalities of an effective business letter, let’s lay down the reasons why a business owner should have excellent writing skills.

Business letters are the primary means by which your company would communicate to investors. They should give a great impression of you and your company. They could actually prove crucial to your business taking off or to its survival.

Business letters should be understandable, be able to communicate exactly what needs to be done, or state communication in a very clear manner. Without clarity, miscommunication may lead to misunderstandings, or worse, botched jobs.

Want to write a business letter that rocks? Then it has to possess these characteristics:

1.    The standard format of letter writing applies. Ideally, a business letter should contain the following information, in order:

?    Letterhead (the sender’s address)

?    Current date

?    Recipient name and address

?    Subject (optional)

?    Salutation/Greeting

?    Message (body of the letter)

?    Closing salutation

?    Signature (including the corporate designation/position of the sender)

2.    The business letter should be written in block style.

3.    Use double space; and as much as possible, keep the letter in the center of the paper you use.

4.    Do not shorten your words and verb forms. “Do not” should not be written as “don’t,” and so on. Otherwise, the letter gives an impression of informality.

5.    Keep the letter brief and concise, but be sure to include all the information you need to communicate.

In knowing how to write a business letter, make sure that it elicits the desired results. Keep the following in mind:

?    Include a reference to an event, matter, or information that is pertinent to your letter, or is the reason for your writing the letter even.

?    Obviously, you would need to include the reasons for your writing. Whether the letter is a request, agreeing to a request, delivering bad news, etc., don’t be so busy as to actually forget what you need to communicate.

?    Remember to enclose the important documents that the letter should come with.

?    Provide a reference to where the recipient could contact you after reading the letter.

?    Always keep a copy of the letter with you.

As you can see, knowing how to write a business letter is rather simple. Just bear in mind that this letter aims to communicate and that the main objective is to communicate what you need to in the clearest and most concise manner possible.

August 21st, 2009 by hanun

Free business letter writing ebook.

When you use the free ebook offering sample business letters, you will be provided what you need in order to effectively communication key messages necessary in business.

Without rambling, a short and clearly stated letter will get the point across most effectively. While you do not want to seem short, the point needs to be made in as few words as possible.

Being cordial yet understanding takes certain finesse. The lessons you will learn when using this free tool for writing business letters will provide you with the right approach to say what you need to say.

A professional and focused letter will be more appreciated than an erratic letter that makes no clear point.

Some really great sample business letters are included to get you through most business situations without seeming unprofessional. In business, letter writing is a very important skill.

When you come across as an uneducated person who does not know how to write a business letter, how many people do you think are going to take you seriously? If they are laughing at your letters, what are they saying about you or your business?

When you see how the sample business letters are concise, properly set up, and have all the information that is relevant to the subject in the right format, it will seem senseless to you to use anything else.

The Business Letter Writing ebook will show you the right way to keep your personal feelings from interfering with your professional life. Mixing the two is typically not a good idea.

When you use this tool to help you get on the right track, you will wonder why you did not take advantage of this sooner.

The idea behind sending a well written business letter is to get results. In addition, you want to ensure that you receive a response that is clear and concise.

The many samples available include an apology letter, thank you letters, donations requests, collection letters, reference letters, letters of resignation and more.

When you utilize any of these sample business letters, you will see how important it is to use the right approach in your written communications.

For example, if you need to write an apology letter for any reason, do not dwell on the apology. Make it, say you have learned from it, and you hope to maintain a business relationship with their company.

You do not want to keep apologizing. One time is sufficient. To keep stating it repeatedly makes the person you sent it to begin to wonder if you are unsure of yourself. Do they want a business that is run by someone who is not sure of themselves?

If you are asking for a donation, state what is for, how it will benefit the receiver, and how much you will appreciate their consideration. Do not beg for money, or lay a guilt trip on someone.

Using the correct approach for this donation request can mean the difference between receiving the donation versus your letter being filed in the trashcan.

These are a couple examples of how much you can learn from the Business Letter Writing ebook. Take advantage of this free tool today by visiting Leadership-Tools.