October 28th, 2018 by Admin
In the age where technology is practically king, and your business needs to run. We have decided to share with you, apps that can help your business today.
1. OfficeSuite : Free Office + PDF Editor. OfficeSuite lets you view, edit and create in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, and perform advanced PDF operations. Many find the app easy to use while on the go; however, do keep in mind that many found a need to purchase the paid version to get the best out of it. As of this post, the app rated 4.3 stars out of 5 in GooglePlay.
2. Slack: This app brings your team together and maintains communication a breeze. This app helps you check off your to-do list and move your projects forward by bringing your team, conversations, tools, and information you need together. The app is great for big and small business and as of right now it rated 4.4 stars out of 5.
3. Google Drive: This app can help you manage your projects, documents, and photos with ease. Better yet, you can start working on a document from your computer and continue on the go if needed. Google Drive is a safe place for all your files and puts them within reach from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. Currently, is rated 4.4 stars out of 5.
4. Evernote: This is another note app but with more features! This app can help you jot down a few notes, create to-do lists, scan your hand-written notes, add images, web links and even audio. And best yet, this app can be accessed from your computer or on the phone making it extremely versatile. Rated 4.5 out of 5.
5. DocuSign: Save time, money and the environment with this app. Docusign allows you to send contracts to your clients while on the go. This app also complies with the e-sign act, the documents are encrypted and is ISO 27001 SSAE16 compliant. Rated 4.5 out of 5.
6. aCalendar: We love Google calendars but this app takes it to a new level of organization. It syncs your phone and Google calendar, has agenda and widget view, 48 colors per calendar, moon phases, mini month or graphical week overview in a day and week view. Currently rated 4.4 out of 5.
7. Google Ads: With a business, you got to market. Google is usually a good way to get started a managing your Google Ads from your phone is even easier. You can view your campaign’s performance when you are not near your computer and it’s free. Rated 4.3 out of 5.
8. Google Analytics: Google tools can be your friend and Google Analytics can help you learn how your website is performing. While on the go, this is a good app to have. It helps you see how your ad campaign is doing and what you can do to improve, for free. Rated 4.5 out of 5.
9. ZOOM Cloud Meetings: Growing your business can mean lots of meetings in your future. When you are not able to meet in person, ZOOM Cloud can help. This app brings video conferencing, online meetings and group messaging into one easy-to-use application. People can connect through the app or via computer. Rated 4.4 out of 5.
10. Mailchimp: Chances are, if you have a business you are doing e-mail marketing. Up your game with Mailchimp and manage your e-mail marketing efforts on the go. Rated 4.1 out of 5.
App images via Google Play
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: Android, Android app, apps, b2b business, boost productivity, business, calendar, evernote, google, Google Apps, google drive, google play, mailchimp, productivity, slack, zoom
May 21st, 2014 by Elma Jane
Mobile credit card processing is way cheaper than traditional point-of-sale (POS) systems. Accepting credit cards using mobile devices is stressful, not to mention a hassle to set up and customers would never dare compromise security by saving or swiping their credit cards on a mobile device. Some of the many myths surrounding mobile payments, which allow merchants to process credit card payments using smartphones and tablets. Merchants process payments using a physical credit card reader attached to a mobile device or by scanning previously stored credit card information from a mobile app, as is the case with mobile wallets. Benefits include convenience, a streamlined POS system and access to a breadth of business opportunities based on collected consumer data. Nevertheless, mobile payments as a whole remains a hotly debated topic among retailers, customers and industry experts alike.
Although mobile payment adoption has been slow, consumers are steadily shifting their preferences as an increasing number of merchants implement mobile payment technologies (made easier and more accessible by major mobile payment players such as Square and PayPal). To stay competitive, it’s more important than ever for small businesses to stay current and understand where mobile payment technology is heading.
If you’re considering adopting mobile payments or are simply curious about the technology, here are mobile payment myths that you may have heard, but are completely untrue.
All rates are conveniently the same. Thanks to the marketing of big players like Square and PayPal – which are not actually credit card processors, but aggregators rates can vary widely and significantly. For instance, consider that the average debit rate is 1.35 percent. Square’s is 2.75 percent and PayPal Here’s is 2.7 percent, so customers will have to pay an additional 1.41 percent and 1.35 percent, respectively, using these two services. Some cards also get charged well over 4 percent, such as foreign rewards cards. These companies profit & mobile customers lose. Always read the fine print.
Credit card information is stored on my mobile device after a transaction. Good mobile developers do not store any critical information on the device. That information should only be transferred through an encrypted, secure handshake between the application and the processor. No information should be stored or left hanging around following the transaction.
I already have a POS system – the hassle isn’t worth it. Mobile payments offer more flexibility to reach the customer than ever before. No longer are sales people tied to a cash register and counters to finish the sale. That flexibility can mean the difference between revenue and a lost sale. Mobile payments also have the latest technology to track sales, log revenue, fight chargebacks, and analyze performance quickly and easily.
If we build it, they will come. Many wallet providers believe that if you simply build a new mobile payment method into the phones, consumers will adopt it as their new wallet. This includes proponents of NFC technology, QR codes, Bluetooth and other technologies, but given very few merchants have the POS systems to accept these new types of technologies, consumers have not adopted. Currently, only 6.6 percent of merchants can accept NFC, and even less for QR codes or BLE technology, hence the extremely slow adoption rate. Simply put, the new solutions are NOT convenient, and do not replace consumers’ existing wallets, not even close.
It raises the risk of fraud. Fraud’s always a concern. However, since data isn’t stored on the device for Square and others, the data is stored on their servers, the risk is lessened. For example, there’s no need for you to fear one of your employees walking out with your tablet and downloading all of your customers’ info from the tablet. There’s also no heightened fraud risk for data loss if a tablet or mobile device is ever sold.
Mobile processing apps are error-free. Data corruption glitches do happen on wireless mobile devices. A merchant using mobile credit card processing apps needs to be more diligent to review their mobile processing transactions. Mobile technology is fantastic when it works.
Mobile wallets are about to happen. They aren’t about to happen, especially in developed markets like the U.S. It took 60 years to put in the banking infrastructure we have today and it will take years for mobile wallets to achieve critical mass here.
Setup is difficult and complicated. Setting up usually just involves downloading the vendor’s app and following the necessary steps to get the hardware and software up and running. The beauty of modern payment solutions is that like most mobile apps, they are built to be user-friendly and intuitive so merchants would have little trouble setting them up. Most mobile payment providers offer customer support as well, so you can always give them a call in the unlikely event that you have trouble setting up the system.
The biggest business opportunity in the mobile payments space is in developed markets. While most investments and activity in the Mobile Point of Sale space take place today in developed markets (North America and Western Europe), the largest opportunity is actually in emerging markets where most merchants are informal and by definition can’t get a merchant account to accept card payments. Credit and debit card penetration is higher in developed markets, but informal merchants account for the majority of payments volume in emerging markets and all those transactions are conducted in cash today.
Wireless devices are unreliable. Reliability is very often brought up as I think many businesses are wary of fully wireless setups. I think this is partly justified, but very easily mitigated, for example with a separate Wi-Fi network solely for point of sale and payments. With the right device, network equipment, software and card processor, reliability shouldn’t be an issue.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Smartphone Tagged with: (POS) systems, aggregators rates, apps, BLE technology, bluetooth, card, card processor, card reader, cash, cash register, chargebacks, consumer data, credit, credit card payments, credit card processing, credit card processors, credit card reader, credit-card, customer support, data, data loss, debit card, debit rate, device, fraud, fraud risk, hardware, industry experts, merchant account, Merchant's, mobile, mobile app, mobile credit card processing, Mobile Devices, Mobile Payments, mobile point of sale, Mobile processing apps, mobile processing transactions, mobile technology, mobile wallets, network, network equipment, nfc, nfc technology, payment solutions, payment technology, PayPal, phones, point of sale, qr codes, retailers, rewards cards, Security, Smartphones, software, Square, tablet, tablets, vendor's app, wallet providers, Wi-Fi network, wireless mobile, wireless mobile devices
March 17th, 2014 by Elma Jane
With so much to do each day, it’s easy for a small business owner to get bogged down in details. That’s where your smartphone comes in. With the right apps, your mobile device can automate the tasks that used to be daily chores. Whether you need help keeping track of all your business documents, or organizing your calendar and contacts list, it’s time to let your smartphone do some of the heavy lifting.
Back up your business files. Your work machine contains everything you need for a productive day, including every file and document you are working on. But you can’t always be at the office. With your smartphone and the right apps, however, you can back up and access your business files from anywhere. Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, SkyDrive and iCloud are all solid mobile apps that automate the process of syncing your business files to the cloud so you can access them from any Web-connected device, including your smartphone or tablet. Better yet, any edits you make will be synced across all your devices, so you can stay productive and organized.
Manage new contacts. Swapping business cards is a great networking strategy, but cards are easy to lose, and manually inputting all that contact information into your address book is a chore. So let your smartphone enter all that data into your address books. CamCard (available for iOS and Android) is an all-in-one business card management solution. Just point your iPhone camera at a card and snap a photo. The app’s text-recognition software will pull out the key details and update your address book automatically. It can even search for new contacts on LinkedIn to add a photo and additional personal details for each new contact.
Silence your smartphone. A buzzing or ringing smartphone can be distracting – not to mention embarrassing – during a business meeting. Silencing your phone is simple, but chances are you’ll occasionally forget. That’s why there are handy apps that monitor your smartphone calendar for meetings and appointments, then silence your phone for the duration of that event. You can even whitelist specific numbers so you won’t miss an emergency call. When the meeting is over, your smartphone’s ringer and vibration settings will be returned to their normal state. That way, you can stay focused and free from distraction when it matters most. Android users can try Silencify. For iPhone users, AutoSilent is a good option.
Sync your calendars. Both Android and iOS have built-in calendars to help you plan your week and schedule meetings. But juggling both a mobile calendar and a desktop office calendar is a pain, so why not use your smartphone to synchronize the two? If you use Microsoft Outlook as your business calendar, for example, Google Calendar offers an easy way to link them. And iPhone users can synchronize their mobile calendar with Outlook by plugging their smartphone into their computer and accessing the Calendars tab in the iTunes options menu. Automating the process of syncing your calendars means you’ll never mix up appointments. And if you share your business calendar with your employees, it ensures that everyone is always on the same page.
Sync your social media accounts. A strong presence on Facebook and Twitter can help you engage your customers and grow your business. Mobile apps can help you keep your business profiles fresh when you’re on the go, but reposting those updates on each platform individually can be a chore especially from a tiny smartphone screen. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to automate the process of synchronizing social media posts between your business profiles. Simply visit this page to link your Facebook and Twitter accounts. After that, go ahead and use the Facebook mobile app to post updates, news or promotions to your business’s Facebook page, each post will be automatically funneled to your Twitter followers as well.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Mobile Payments, Small Business Improvement, Smartphone Tagged with: all-in-one, Android, apps, automate, automate the process, automating, box, business documents, business profiles, camcard, devices, dropbox, Facebook, google drive, icloud, iOS, Iphone, linkedin, Mobile Apps, mobile device, networking, organizing, productive, skydrive, small business, smartphone, synchronize, synchronizing social media, syncing, tablet, twitter, web-connected
January 3rd, 2014 by Elma Jane
Results of a new survey on overall mobile use by consumers has several ramifications for payments using mobile devices. The report, from global management consultancy Deloitte, found the number of consumers who said their device is NFC-equipped more than doubled from 2012 to 2013. More importantly perhaps, for a technology many observers have pronounced dead and buried, of those whose devices are equipped with NFC technology, more than one-third said they have made a contactless payment using their phone in the past month.
The report also found that the number of app downloads decreased 13 percent this year in the U.S. and even more in other countries. Per-app spending also decreased during the year, but the report’s authors still believe the outlook for apps is positive.
The good news is, we see a lot of potential remaining in the apps market space over the long term. We believe that the overall declines indicated in this year’s survey may be due to increasing sophistication among consumers. It is likely that they have already obtained the core apps they prefer for work and play, with those choices persisting over time as they upgrade and change their devices said Craig Wigginton, vice chairman and U.S. telecommunications sector leader for Deloitte.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Electronic Payments, Environmentally Green, Mobile Payments, Near Field Communication, Smartphone Tagged with: apps, contactless, devices, equipped, mobile, nfc, outlook, payments, Per-app, phone, report, technology, upgrade
December 20th, 2013 by Elma Jane
16 Free Online Tools for Small Businesses
Whether you’re starting a small business or you’re just thrifty, you can likely benefit from some free online productivity tools.
There are apps for accounting, collaboration, customer management, development, scheduling, general office tasks and more. All of these tools have free plans, and several are entirely free.
Appointlet
If you make appointments with customers, you may need Appointlet, an online appointment-scheduling app for Google Calendar. Add it to your website and let your clients do the booking. Confirm, decline, cancel, or reschedule any appointment right from the comfort of your Google Calendar. Easily gather all the information from your clients that you need to fulfill the appointment.
Boomerang for Gmail
Lets you write an email now and schedule it to be sent automatically at the perfect time. Write the message as you normally would, then click the Send Later button. Tell Boomerang when to send your message by using the calendar chooser or the text box that understands language like “next Monday.
Dropbox
Is a cloud-storage service that lets you access and sync files across all your devices. While Dropbox only offers 2 GB of initial free storage (Google Drive and SkyDrive offer more), it expands free storage up to 16 GB free for referrals. Dropbox offers native support for Linux and Blackberry, as well as Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android. To supercharge your Dropbox, utilize the many third-party apps, which offer enhanced file syncing with Dropbox’s new Datastore API.
Evernote
Is an app to remember everything, from lifelong memories and vital information to daily reminders and to-do lists. Everything you store in your Evernote account is automatically synced across all of your devices, making it easy to capture, browse, search, and edit your notes everywhere you have Evernote.
Gmail
Is a Google’s email application, which includes 15 GB of free storage (across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google+ photos). Gmail also lets you communicate via SMS, voice, or video chat. See who’s online and connect instantly. See your contacts’ profile photos, recent updates, and shared docs next to each email.
Google+ Hangouts
Turn any gathering into a live video call with up to ten friends or simply call a contact to start a voice call from your computer. Enhance your call with Cacoo for online drawing, SlideShare for sharing presentations, and Conceptboard for whiteboard collaboration.
HelloSign
Is an application for getting documents signed. It includes tools to facilitate document signing, tracking and management. Notifications keep you appraised of the signer’s activity. Signed documents are securely stored and always accessible. Sign an unlimited number of documents for free. HelloSign has mobile apps and a Gmail extension.
HootSuite
Is a social media dashboard to manage and measure you social networks. Manage your messages, get custom analytics on your social campaigns, and communicate internally without leaving the HootSuite dashboard. Access a single interface to monitor Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ Pages, WordPress and more. Or add more social networks with the HootSuite App Directory.
KeePass
Is a free password manager to help manage your passwords in a secure way. Put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key file. Remember one single master password or select the key file to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using secure encryption algorithms (AES and Twofish).
Mural.ly
Is a visual-collaboration whiteboard app. Drag and drop images, links, and documents to organize your ideas. This simple visual tool can keep your team in sync through brainstorming, planning, or designing a project. Features include private murals, auto-save and backups, comments, activity feed, and chat.
NutshellMail
Takes copies of your latest updates in your social networking accounts and places them in a snapshot email. The NutshellMail update is then sent to your primary email address. NutshellMail supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, MySpace, YouTube, Foursquare, and Citysearch. Receive updates as often as you wish.
Rapportive
Shows you everything about your contacts right inside your inbox. Immediately see what people look like, where they’re based, and what they do. Establish rapport by mentioning shared interests. Record thoughts and leave notes for later.
Streak
Is a customer relationship application for Gmail. Track your deals from your inbox. Group emails from the same customers together, utilizing spreadsheet view right inside Gmail. Use the mobile app to keep track of your customers, make calls, and send emails. Share selective parts of your inbox. Schedule emails to send later.
Trello
Is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. Trello tells you what’s being worked on, who’s working on what, and where something is in a process. Trello uses boards, lists, and cards to create projects and develop your workflow.
Wave
Offers online accounting and finance applications for small businesses. It includes invoicing, accounting, payroll, payments, receipts, and personal finance software. Accounting, invoicing, receipts, and personal finance applications are free.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Merchant Account Services News Articles, nationaltransaction.com Tagged with: accounting, Android, appointlet, apps, automatically, boomerang, developer, dropbox, email, evernote, Facebook, free, gmail, google, hangouts, hellosign, hootsuite, iOS, keepass, linkedin, mac os, mural.ly, nutshellmail, online, passwords, scheduling, skydrive, small businesses, streak, sync, syncing, tools, trello, twitter, wave, windows, wordpress
