Category: International Business

Start Your 2023 On Fire With Motivational BannersStart Your 2023 On Fire With Motivational Banners

2022 has left us and the year 2023 is a fresh new start for everyone. Have you listed down all your new year’s resolutions? Do you have your goals set for this year? Are you raring to get the year started, motivated to reach all your goals and dreams?

2022 has not been a great year for some and there is a lot of hope that 2023 would be a better year. Reflecting on the year that has gone and lessons learned from it is a good way to get started. Aside from that, setting up a list of goals and things that you would like to happen or change for this year is a good way to point yourself to the right direction. Setting up step by step plans on how you can make it all happen is the next step and then of course, just going ahead and doing all of them. 

While in the process of writing down goals and plans, the motivation to take action and make everything a reality is on high drive. Which is why it is best to take action as soon as possible once you have all of these set, while the drive and motivation is high. But what if the drive starts to dwindle down, what if the passion for it starts to settle down a bit, and (gasp!) doubts start to set in? Could you really do it all? Will you be able to reach your goals? 

This is the importance of writing things down and placing them in areas where you can often see them. Some have dream boards where their goals, plans, and dreams can be seen. Some have them attached to their refrigerator door. Some in their bedroom, near their bed so they can be seen as soon as they wake up.

Those are great ideas, know how to step it up to the next level? Get a custom motivational teardrop banners or motivational flag printed that has all your goals, dreams, plans, maybe even some motivational quote to get you raring and moving again in times when in a rut. Customize it to a design that suits you, that would serve to motivate you and energize you to go do it! Place it in areas in your home where they can be often seen and go ahead and not just get one, but multiple flags or banners in your bedroom, kitchen, living room, places that you often stay in so you can see them clearly and never forget.

Love watching movies and series and sometimes tend to go on a binge watch? Get a custom banner with your goals or maybe to remind you to not take too much time on the couch, your dreams are waiting for you! Have a goal to get healthier? Remind yourself with a custom flag to eat healthier meals in the kitchen! Aiming for a promotion at work and need that extra push to always perform? Get yourself a flag that would remind you of your goal, place it in your desk, every time you see it, get that push to excel. 

There is no limit on what you could do with custom banners. The sky is the limit and anything you want is possible. Maybe get some custom printed table covers or custom printed table throws, too for that extra motivation and fun vibe! Ready to get started? Get your motivational banners, flags, table covers and throws, and a whole lot more at Australian Flag Makers

Push Payments — Is There A Better Alternative To Credit Card Processing For Online Checkouts?Push Payments — Is There A Better Alternative To Credit Card Processing For Online Checkouts?

What are Push Payments and why are they potentially a better option than credit cards?

Think about checking out out online at Staples. In every scenario Staples (ApplePay etc) charges your credit or debit card and “pulls” (called a debit) money from your debit or credit card. (“debit card” and “account debit” are completely different).

You might assume that money you charged from your purchase goes directy from your credit card to Staples’s bank account. What actually happens is that the payment processor Staples has partnered with receives those sale $ and then in turn pays out Staples’s bank account via an ACH payment credit (by credit we mean Staples receives the $ from another entity via their checking account). There is always a bank or payment processor middle man acting as both the checkout proceeds receiver and paying out the end merchant (Staples).

Every sale that Staples processes could potentially result in a chargeback. An example would be the item arrived damaged and you could not get a refund. You might call your card company or use their online portal to challenge the debit, explain the situation and see if they will credit your money back.

Someone could have used your credit card fraudulently. If this happens your credit card company or the issuing bank  (they “issued” your credit card) pulls the money you paid back from Staples’s payment processor (the acquiring bank). The acquiring bank, again acting as the middle man in turn, pulls that money from the Staples bank account.

Staples and all mainstream retailers are very good at managing chargebacks and fraud. But think about a business selling higher risk products or services, eg Adult or telemarketing, psychic readings etc. You can see the chargeback risk (and fraud risk) become elevated. Businesses and processors (mostly 3rd party processors) can and have lost BIG money from chargebacks from poor product fulfillment and fraud (both friendly and malicious).

Fundamentally the chargeback risk occurs because someone reached (eelctronically) into your account and pulled money out. You as  the consumer have recourse for unauthorized debits as well as disputing fulfillment or the merchant’s right to debit. 60 days is a common dispute window time frame although fraud extends this time frame much longer.

So how do you completely remove this risk of payment chargebacks?

The solution is to reverse the payment originator and eliminate the need for a merchant account. Essentially the consumer initiates a push payment from their bank account. There is no Merchant Account whereby a payment processor receives the sale proceeds from the consumer and in turn (24-48 hours later) funds the business.

An example would be a property management application that enables rent collection. Using Yodlee/Plaid/Finicity etc, the platform enrolls the tenant by having them “connect” their bank account. This is done via a “lightbox” that pops up and asks the consumer to log in their online bank account.

Once done the property management application can check balance, payment history etc. They can also  future check bank account balance before a debit, thereby reducing NSF risk.

New technology takes this one-step further and once the consumer connects their bank account they are then presented with an option to push or send the payment from their bank account. This PushPayments run on the same network as Zelle or PopMoney network rails and uses Real-Time Payments (RTP).

***Note: PushPayment Solutions  we are discussing are geared toward US based non face to face transactions. PushPayments do have a use case for Point of Sale transactions.

 Payments are final when completed and cannot be reversed.

This instant settlement eliminates payment failures due to insufficient funds, which is relatively common in the  ACH world. When a business uses ACH processing to debit a customer’s bank account for a regular payment and that bank account doesn’t have the requisite funds, their bank sends the ACH network notice that the debit was returned NSF. This NSF notice cab come back 72 hours from the payment being processed. Because RTP are creditor push payments, there is no risk of payments failing due to insufficient funds.

Your bank won’t let you send money you don’t have in your account so payment declines are eliminated as well, meaning no NSF.

The technology also eliminates the need for a merchant account. As long as a business has a bank account they can receive push payments from their customers.

PushPayment solutions or Consumer Permissioned Payment Solutions connect the consumer’s payment directly to the business bank account.

PushPayment FAQ’s

• Does it really eliminate chargebacks? Yes-the consumer is providing express permission to pay for an item or service
• Can anyone pay via PushPayments? Anyone can provided they use a bank that participates in the RTP network and the entity being paid also has a bank in network
• Are there prohibited businesses? There are high-risk business types that are ineligible. This includes adult, credit repair, basically the usual suspects that typically must rely on high-risk merchant accounts. Crypto and legal betting ARE eligible. All businesses must be US domiciled.
• What does it cost? Typically 50 cents to a $1+.
• How do I sign up? To start we would have a conversation about your business. If everyone agrees you complete an application (similar to a merchant account). Because the risk involved is mitigated by finality of payment and certainty of good funds the primary risk concern is reputational. Eg “Could your business damage the reputation of either the banks involved or your Push payment tech partner”?

To be able to use PushPayments as a payment channel both you and the paying customer need to have a bank account at an in-netwrok bank that participates in the Real-Time Payments network. If you have used Zelle or Pop Money the payment rails are the same for PushPayments.

For more info visit AgilePayments.com/PushPayments

Keys to SuccessKeys to Success

There is no single course to starting an effective small company. Several tiny as well as micro business don’t endure their very first few years. Local business owner can not manage everything, but you can establish on your own up for success by discovering what identifies profitable organizations from those that fall short.

An action-oriented strategy. Research is vital to beginning an organization, and you might need to consistently purchase your own expertise as you run as well as grow your business. Nonetheless, some people may miss their chance to end up being business owners since they spend too much time dreaming regarding it as well as not moving ahead. Effective entrepreneur understand the threat and prospective benefits of beginning a service. They put their understanding right into method and continuously pick up from their successes and also failures.

Product-market fit. If customers want and can manage what you’re offering, after that you may have discovered a great product-market fit: your product fits your target audience. Whether you’re marketing a physical product, teaching a course online, opening a dining establishment or offering a service, discovering the very best means to market your offering is vital to success.

You might need to transform your product and services in time to account for new competitors or transforming customer choices. As an example, you might see a change in clients’ expanding preference for green items as well as need to move to utilizing eco-friendly resources. To keep your sales numbers expanding, you require to market your item efficiently to get to new purchasers and expand your client base.

The right people. A lot of small companies depend on team effort. As the business owner, you’ll require to determine who to work with and also who to fire. Try to hire staff members that have the abilities for the work and show your business’s goal and worths.

Your team additionally consists of the specialists as well as specialists you employ, such as an accounting professional or a company attorney. Take into consideration whether these people have experience dealing with comparable kinds of businesses or in your industry prior to hiring them.

Additionally, you might discover ways to meet various other business owners and also gain from their experiences, or locate a coach. Discovering from others’ experiences, and also sharing your very own organization successes or failures, is important regardless of the type of company you run.

A well-researched business plan. Your service plan can aid keep you organized and focused. You’ll improve your service suggestion as you develop your business strategy, as well as you’ll have a roadmap that you can refer to prior to making major choices.

Financial knowledge. Even with an excellent concept, group and plan, your organization success relies on just how well you can manage your business’s finances.

Attempt to discover the fundamentals of creating a spending plan, conserving money and funding a service. You can work with an accountant or accountant to aid, but you may wish to regularly examine your very own monetary statements and have sufficient knowledge to comprehend what you’re seeing to guarantee you are generating income.

Recognizing how much cash is being available in and also heading out of your organization every month (its capital) can additionally assist you make calculated, fact-based decisions. Capital troubles can cause otherwise successful small business to fall short. For example, you could offer a large order to a significant corporation and afterwards need to wait 60 or 90 days to make money. In the meantime, you need to determine exactly how to pay your staff members and suppliers.

Along with capital monitoring, monetary knowledge can include understanding which tax obligations you need to pay (as well as when they schedule), what types of organization insurance you ought to have and also just how to successfully borrow cash.

Reliable procedures. Local business owners in some cases seem like there isn’t enough time to do every little thing on their to-do list, as well as they could be right. Producing processes can aid you streamline service activity.

For instance, you might develop detailed instructions for exactly how to open your store every early morning. Or, exactly how to pay your invoices every month. If you’re doing these tasks yourself, having a process can help you prevent mistakes as well as save you time.

When you can pay for to hire aid, it will certainly be less complicated to pass these tasks on to someone else and transform your emphasis to more crucial work.

Targeted advertising. Consumers can’t sustain your business if they do not recognize it exists. Whether you’re running a physical shop or e-commerce shop (or both), you’ll intend to produce an advertising strategy to promote your service and figure out which types of marketing are most reliable with your target market.

Client commitment. Constructing a faithful customer base can take time, but it’s likewise an indicator of a successful organization. Devoted customers give 2 terrific advantages: persisting earnings as well as word-of-mouth referrals.

Just how do you construct client loyalty? Provide excellent customer care, inform the story of your firm’s vision or goal, as well as describe the worth of the product and services you sell. Some customers may also be loyal to local business owners who are impressive members of their neighborhood. Lots of communities motivate individuals to “purchase regional” to support and grow the economic situation and assist their neighborhood prosper.