Nov 17, 2017

Summary: Saving money by comparison shopping can prove to be a financially smart move. If you’re in the market for a rental car for that upcoming family trip, you’ll want to ensure that you obtain a reasonable rate. Now, haggling might be a term that can come off as a bit frugal, especially when you’re renting a car, but it’s understandable as you’ll want the biggest bang for your buck. The Numbers Game Wherever you’re planning to rent a car, you have to remember that the people behind the desk are dedicated to providing quality service so they can rack up the cash. It doesn’t matter what country you’re in, even in Amman a rent a car can be ridiculously expensive due to the fact that you’re a tourist. Car rental agencies are typically judged according to the amount of money that their individual branches tend to bring in – which ends up being a numbers game. Being open to various agencies can be a benefit for you. If you can, make multiple reservations (as long as they don’t charge you for cancelling) and see how they all compare when stacked against one another. Pitting One Company Against Another For instance, say you’re looking at Monte Carlo Rent a Car, LLC and Enterprise to see which car will provide you with the best value. You’ll want to take a look at the total amount that you’ll be paying and what types of fees are associated with them as well. If you want, you can show the sales representative the deal that you made with another company and ask him whether or not he’d match the price or throw in an upgrade. As stated before, these companies want your money, and they might go as far as price matching if they feel pressured by their...

Nov 3, 2017

Small to medium businesses will often be impacted by the environment around them, more than larger firms. Here are some tips on how to survive during in hard times. Create a business survival plan – Create a scenario where your sales are falling by x % and how you would cut expenses, increase sales, maintain or re-establish a certain profit margin. Your plan should be as detailed as possible. Prepare a current profit-and-loss statement and cash flow analysis – Understanding your business’s numbers is a useful way to know where you are heading and to change your direction. Match your past performance for similar months to properly understand how to proceed. Establish an advisory board – Look at bringing together a small group of people who can advise you on your survival plan. Let them come up with scenarios that will challenge your plan, which will you’re your plan realistic and applicable. Short term – Look at a short-term plan that ranges from one to six months and look at simply breaking-even. Medium-term – Your medium-term plan should look at the next six to eighteen months of your business and consider a plan that creates profit. Base your profit on cost cutting and using new marketing initiatives to increase revenue. Long-term – A long-term plan should go beyond 18 months and return your business to making a profit. To make long-term profits, look at business enhancing initiatives that provide a solid...

Aug 5, 2017

New projects in the form of new services and products is a good way for businesses to reach untapped markets and increase revenue. However, it is important that a new business project is sound and well thought of for it to make money. Here are some questions that you should ask before starting a new business expansion project. What am I going to achieve by expanding? – Consider what you will need to expand your current operation. For example, will you need more equipment, extra room and how much will these changes Do I have enough financing to expand my business? – Your plans will require funding, therefore look at how you intend to finance your operation. Start off by accounting for all the costs that you know off and look at how much money you currently have for your new project. Will I be able to afford to hire new staff members? – Expanding operations means that you will need extra employees to manage your new project. Finding the right staff a time-consuming task but one that should be done correctly. How will costs increase permanently? – Additional equipment, space, and staff will mean that your costs will increase. Remember that most of these costs will be consistent costs until you make a profit from the project. Do I need additional financing? – Look at how much funding you will need and how best you can access it. Researching different methods of getting a business loan is a good way to get a loan with the lowest interest....

Jul 26, 2017

Today, there are many ways or a merchant to accept money to process a transaction. If you manage a brick and mortar retailer, then you’ve seen cash, checks and credit cards all used as tender on a daily basis. More and more, shops are also seeing a new form of payment that comes from digital wallets. These new innovations may soon be the standard for all payments around the Web, and in store. How Digital Wallets Work Essentially, digital wallets utilize a device (usually a smartphone) to send data to another device. Sometimes, both devices are phones (or a phone and a tablet), but registers are increasingly able to handle this type of transaction as well. Chips on the devices help to encrypt the data that is sent from one device to another. All the user needs to do is keep his device safe from theft. Even if the device is stolen, the user can wipe account data remotely and change the password on the digital wallet. Sophisticated features on the phone often prompt the user for credentials when utilizing the payment. In addition, the user also has the option to limit the funds placed in a digital wallet. Wallets are linked to the user’s bank accounts, so customers will funnel money between the two accounts. The wallet will hold money from international transactions as well, such as payment for contract work. The future economy will rely on digital payments, which offer faster transfer rates and a more secure exchange of money to people around the world. Expanding into Retail According to Charge.com, the demand for retailers to accept diverse methods of payment is growing. More consumers want to use a digital wallet, a debit card, cash or smartphone payment methods interchangeably. That’s put a great deal of pressure on retailers to adopt new technologies that can meet this growing demand. In addition, smaller shops struggle implementing systems without proper support. A strong merchant service provider usually provides a robust support system, including installation assistance, in order to set the system up and ensure some success using it. That said, this is new territory for many retailers. Training employees to meet customers out on...

Jul 2, 2017

Choosing an office space is an important decision as it can impact your sales, your employees and the success of your business. Here are some important questions that need to be answered before choosing office space. Is there room for my company to grow? – You should not only consider your immediate needs but also look at your space needs for the next few years. Is it the right location for my key employees? – Although you may not be able to find a location that is convenient for all your employees, you should consider a location that is suitable for your key employees. Before selecting a location, speak to your key employees and take their opinions into consideration. Is the location convenient for clients? – Your clients should be able to access your office with ease. Sometimes a smaller location in the city maybe a better option for your clients than a larger office space in the suburbs. Does this office send the right signal? – Your office space should match how successful your business is. In other words, the décor and the location must be affordable and within the company’s budget. Are there hidden costs I’m not considering? – Look at other expenses like rent, utilities, construction costs and moving expenses, before choosing your location. What is the parking situation? – You need to provide your employees as well as your clients with parking spaces that are...

Finance is a core function and the heart of a successful business. A well-functioning finance department will streamline business operations and help the business reach its objectives. Here are some tips on how to increase your finance and accounting department’s efficiency. Communicate to the team – Speak to your finance team and ask them what day-to-day activities can be improved to eliminate unnecessary work, to get things done faster and how collaborating teams can help efficiency. Training and development – Cross training your finance team will mean that everyone knows what their team members have to do and this means that if someone is not at the office, another person can fill in. Leverage technology – Cloud technology makes data safe and allows multiple people with access to data when they are not at work. Establish deadlines – Deadlines help to create a culture that work has to be presented on time. When financial information is on time, key decision makers will have the data they need to make informed decisions. Batch processing – Batch processing will help your finance department gather, consolidate and process invoices and receipts in one go. Utilize accounting systems – Accounting systems are easy and will help accountants manage their information and time. Utilize process metrics – Process metrics will help to create benchmarks and compare activity in previous periods. They can also be used to create accounting ratios, cycle time and the number of documents in process....

May 2, 2017

Small businesses often struggle to receive funds to start or maintain their business and therefore statistics show that most small businesses fail within the first five years. Here are some simple tips that will help a small business make great business decisions and survive in the process. Start small – Although small businesses start off with a lot of passion and momentum they can sometimes invest all their money too quickly. Instead of following this approach, look at growing steadily but slowly. Therefore, hold off on new office space and brand new equipment and look at how your business grows before investing. Happy employees – Happy employees are an asset as they will get people talking to understand and rectify grievances and create an environment that is customer oriented. Bank loans – Look at creative ways to keep your business running and try avoiding bank loans. Bank loans can eventually cost a lot more, and most small businesses will struggle with the extra interest. Instead, look at peer lending, crowd funding and other modes of funding. Credit card payments – Before you accept credit card payments, analyze your customers and their payment habits. Some businesses will benefit from accepting credit cards, and others may not need it as most of their customers pay by cash or check. Not accepting credit cards will save the business money as charges for this service can be...

Apr 26, 2017

When your customers shop online they expect to be able to pay with any form of payment they chose, and without much hassle. If you configure payment processing to accept split payments, you can accept more than one credit card without much of an additional cost to you. You close the transaction, the customer gets to pay with the payment methods he or she prefers, and you’ll save cash on each transaction with the right payment processor. Speedy Checkouts The customer will appreciate that split payments are speedy, especially if you allow him or her the option to save payment methods to an account. If you allow customers to create an account, and save their cards for transactions, then credit card processors will be quick and efficient. Plus, the account is password protected, so the information is secure as long as the customer chooses a strong password. Closing the Deal Customers who can’t afford to put the costs of a big ticket item all on one card will close transactions if they are allowed to split a remaining balance on another account. Retail outlets don’t run into this problem because their credit card readers typically allow for split payments. This is also beneficial for customers who want to place orders for a friend, or under a business account. Allowing multiple forms of payment works with the customer’s wishes. Saving If you choose the right payment processor, you’ll save money on the transactions you split payment methods for. Avoid flat fee processors and you’ll usually save. That’s because flat fee payments will charge you the same rate, even if the bank charges a lower rate to use a particular payment method. Money transfers are a good example, where the cost of a transfer on an interchange plan will usually be reduced. Bio: Charge.com offers free credit card processors and software, so you can accept credit cards online quickly and...