Monthly Archives: December 2009

Saving on Merchant Credit Card Processing Services

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Posted by admin on December 31, 2009 – 11:08 am
Filed under Business Credit Cards

Every business in today’s world needs to accept credit cards.  If you’re not accepting credit cards, you’re going to find that you’re going to lose out on a ton of business.  What you’re going to want to do when you start up your business is find a reliable, and affordable merchant credit card processor.

How can I find one?

There are many ways that you can take in order to find a processor that works for you.  What I want to show you today is how you can find the best, and most reliable one for your small business.

Ask other business owners: Hop on a message board online, or go down the street from your business, and chat with other owners.  They don’t even need to be your competitor.  It’s a great way to network, as well as learn how to save on your systems.  Ask them who they use ,and how much they pay.  Take notes, and try to ask at least 10 people.  The more you ask, and the more information you gather, the better idea you’re going to get.

Research on the web: Most major banks will offer a credit card processing service such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and more.  If you want, you can check directly with the banks on the Internet, or if you want to, you can check with the individual places as well.  What you’re going to find out that the individual processors are generally a little cheaper, but a place such as Bank of America, is going to be more flexible in terms of support, if you do indeed need something ASAP.

When you’re researching these places, you’re going to want to look at the following..

  • Fees – What are they charging you?
  • Who do they accept in terms of brands?  (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX)
  • How are their reviews online?
  • What kind of merchants do they work with?
  • How long have they been in business?
  • What kind of equipment can they give you?
  • What makes them unique?

Write down the pros, as well as the cons, and this should give you the best choice online.

The 3 Best Video Conference Software Packs

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Posted by admin on December 30, 2009 – 10:42 am
Filed under Software

Many businesses in today’s technological era love to do things over the Internet.  Not only does it save time, it will also save you a lot of money as well.  Remember back in the day when businesses had to pack up 10 people, and fly them out for a 2 hour meeting?  It sounds a little silly, but today, that doesn’t need to happen.  Instead, you can use video conferencing software to get the job done.

Sure, meetings still happen, but not as often as before, and if your business is looking to save money, and purchase some video conference software that actually works, here are a few that I would consider that you look into.

  • Fuze Meeting: This is a fairly new software package, but has received rave reviews online.  With Fuze, you can conduct meetings in HD, your conferences are held in the browse itself, and access your IM address book, and many other contacts all from the browser.  This means that you don’t have to even download software, which makes it great to access from any computer.
  • Skype: If you want a free approach, Skype is the way to go.  You’ll just have to make sure that every computer has a webcam, as well as  Skype account, which is going to be 100% free.  Since a service like Fuze is going to cost money, Skype is a fantastic way to go if you’re on a tight budget.  It will get the job done, and it’s still very, very professional.
  • ooVoo: Another free service that works wonders is ooVoo.  You can download it for free.  Yes, you will have to upgrade if you want to do more than 2 people in the conference, but it still gets the job done if you want to communicate with just 2 people.

These are the three that I highly recommend.  You’re going to find out that a majority of them are going to charge for you to upgrade, but what you’ll also find out is that you’re going to want to price compare, because some are going to have better features as well.  As long as you compare the three above, or even a few more, you should be able to find a package that fits your budget.

4 Places to Recycle Ink Cartridges

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Posted by admin on December 28, 2009 – 10:23 am
Filed under In the Office

Just about every business today out there has a printer or some sort that’s going to use an ink cartridge.  What happens when you’re done with them?  Well, instead of going out there, and throwing them away, you should highly consider recycling them.

Why should I recycle my ink cartridge?

For starters, you’re saving the environment.  It’s unhealthy to throw ink cartridge into the dump, because of contamination purposes, etc.  Also, you’re going to find that you’ll be able to get discounts with some providers just by giving them your old cartridge.  It’s a win-win for all, because you get a discount, and the merchant can re-use them.

Where can I recycle my cartridge?

There are a lot of places where you can recycle your cartridges.  Listed below are a few of my favorites that I use on a monthly basis.

Amazon: Head to Amazon’s ink cartridge page, and find your printer.  From there, you will be able to browse merchants that will be able to take in your old cartridge, and either give you a credit for it, or recycle it the right way for you.

Staples: If you have a Staples office supply store in your area, and you have a rewards card, you will find that you can recycle your ink cartridge, and in return they will give you a bonus on your card.  For example, right now if you bring one in, you can get an additional $3 onto your card.

Recycle4Charity: This is one my favorites, and if you love giving away to charities, or even if you don’t, this is a great way to give.  Simply send them things such as Toners, Cell Phones, and more, and they will donate the items to charities.

TonerBuyer: Want to just get rid of your old cartridges?  Well, TonerBuyer will buy it from you.  All you need to do is follow the directions, and from there, they will be able to determine what it’s worth.  They will pay up to $22 for your empty, or used cartridges!

The next time you’re thinking about just throwing that empty cartridge away, consider trying a few of the places above, because you’re going to get rewarded, and/or you’ll be helping someone in need!