November 15th, 2018 by Admin
When you think of starting a business, you often think of making a huge investment: Office, marketing materials, furniture, inventory, etc. The reality is that not all companies need that and not all need an office to start. Here are ten businesses you can start from home now.
1. Web Design: If you have experience building websites or do it as a hobby, do it this one is for you. Website design is in high demand, and although there are Do-It-Yourself sites available, not everyone wants to spend the time doing it. This is where you come in, create a fantastic website, a portfolio with your best work and get started.
2. Virtual Assistant: If you have experience as an Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant or you are just good at the computer this one is perfect for you. With many people working and managing the business online, it is only fit that many entrepreneurs look for virtual admins to help them with everyday tasks. Some might hire you for a short-term/one task kind of project, while others might want to hire you for the long term. Be sure you outline a plan to figure out which type of projects you want and which industries you would want to focus on.
3. eBay Seller: If you have been online, we are sure you or someone you know have heard of Gary Vaynerchuk and his flip challenge. Essentially, you would buy items at a garage sale that you know you can sell for more online. You can try this approach or start by selling books and other things you have already at home, and you don’t use. It is an easy and not complicated way start a side business. Just be sure to abide by their terms of service.
4. Accountant: Do you work as an accountant? Those online businesses and even brick and mortar businesses are always in need of an accountant. Find out competitive rates in your area and reach out to companies that might be in need of your services. Do a good job and good luck!
5. Copywriter: Marketing is significant for any business, writing good copy is essential for this part of the business, and you might be the person who makes a difference in the company’s advertising efforts.
6. Driver: With companies like Uber and Lyft offering ride services, it is easy to start your own ride service business. You can join either of them and get started. Do keep in mind that they do have guidelines when it comes to the vehicles. After all, they are the brand.
7. Consultant: If you are highly knowledgeable about a specific topic and you know there is a demand for this kind of information, you can sell your services as a consultant. Set up a rate and know who your customer will be and get started.
8. Coach: This is another one that pays off when you are good at a specific skill. People can coach in a variety of subjects like Business, Life, work, spirituality and more. For this one, we recommend you get the tools needed by becoming a certified coach, although it is not necessary.
9. Meal Delivery Service: Similar to the ride services, you can deliver food by joining companies like GrubHub, Uber Eats DoorDash. Many companies offer this service, and you can get started as soon as your application is accepted. The benefit, like Uber or Lyft, is that you make your schedule.
10. Social Media: If you are creative like to write and enjoy social media, this might be a good business to start. This is the kind of business that is needed and can compliment a good marketing strategy. Remember to stay on top of trends, news and be willing to learn as this industry changes quickly but can be a rewarding experience.
There are many more businesses you can start home that requires minimal to no investment; we hope this list gives you an idea to get started.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: business, coach, consultant, copywriter, customer, data, driver, ebay, entrepreneur blog, entrepreneurship, lyft, mobile, social media, tips, uber, uber eats, virtual assistant, web design, work from home, writing
November 1st, 2018 by Admin
We are officially 55 days until Christmas, time to take all of the tricks out of your hat to promote your business. Since we know you will be using social media, here are 30 random holidays you can use to promote your business with their Hashtag.
November 1st:
#ExtraMileDay: Show your customers how you will go the extra mile for them.
November 2nd
#LoveYourLawyerDay: Need we say more? This one is perfect for lawyers or anyone working with them.
#FountainPenDay: If you sell promotional items, this one is for you. It can also work if you want to post the latest contract signed.
#SandwichDay: Even if you don’t own a sandwich shop, Sandwich day can be used to share a more laid back look of your company. Maybe sharing a picture of your last company picnic or lunch will do. Remember to have a good looking picture!
First Sunday of November
#ZeroTaskingDay If you work for a spa or anything that promotes relaxation, this one would be a good one for you!
November 5th
#LoveYourRedHairDay Hairdressers, time to get those finished looks and share them on social media!
#NachosDay Any day is a good day for Nachos, but on Nachos day you can show some humor as a way to connect to your customers. This one is great for restaurants.
November 8th
Guinness World Record Day: #GWRDay: Sharing a fun fact comes a long way in Social Media. Sharing a Guinness World Record that might relate to your industry can attract a new crowd online.
#CappuccinoDay: People love coffee, (search #CoffeeLover, and you’ll see) so why not share Cappuccino Day with your coffee loving crowd. Perfect for the coffee shop owner to the savvy consultant on the go.
November 10th
#SesameStreetDay: If you are in an industry that deals with children, this one is for you. Make the posts funny or just cute but remember you are targeting the parents at the end. Nostalgic posts work well too with this.
#VanillaCupcakeDay: Cupcake lovers beware, this hashtag might be for you. Perfect for the bakery owner and the all-time cupcake lover, there is no need to be a pastry chef to use this one.
November 11th
#origamiday This one might require some skill and imagination, but it can delight your online community and attract them more to what you do. If you use this one, be sure to send us a picture.
#SundaeDay Who doesn’t love Ice Cream Sundaes!
November 12th
#HappyHourDay Geared more for restaurants and bars, but with a bit of creativity, many can use this hashtag.
November 13th
#KindnessDay Show your kindness to others.
November 15th
#AmericaRecyclesDay We all need to take care for our planet. Show your support by sharing this with some facts and information about recycling.
November 18th
#PrincessDay: Pamper the princesses in your business or show appreciation of your customer.
#MickeyMouseDay Need we say more?
November 19th
International Men’s Day #MensDay: Men’s day is great to share information about current men’s health issues. Perfect for those in the healthcare industry
#PlayMonopolyDay: This one we feel is perfect for finance. “Don’t get caught in monopoly games and get your money safe” what do you think?
November 20th
#EntrepreneursDay Completely self-explanatory.
#NameYourPCDay Give some love to those PC users in your industry and have fun too.
November 21st
#HelloDay A great hashtag to introduce yourself and the team.
November 22nd
#GoForARideDay Whether it is a ride on a car or bike ride, many can use this hashtag if you are creative enough.
November 23rd
#FlossingDay perfect for those in the dental industry.
#EspressoDay Just like #CapuccinoDay, this hashtag can help greatly any account.
November 25th
#ShoppingReminderDay If you sell goods, this one is for you.
November 30th
#ComputerSecurityDay Technology always changes, this one can be an excellent reminder to keep online info safe.
All Month Long:
#PeanutButterLoversMonth When you ran out of ideas or inspiration this month, this hashtag can be a lifesaver. Remember that social media should entertain or educate and this one can help with that.
Bonus Holidays:
These might not be random but are always useful to add.
#Movember
#ThanksGiving
#CyberMonday
We hope these hashtags can help boost your business online presence and bring a little more creativity to your social media game. As always, have fun and use your to see if any of these can help your business.
Posted in Small Business Improvement Tagged with: account, business, capuccino, christmass, coffee, consumers, credit card, customer, customers, data, disney, e-commerce, Facebook, finance, fun, hairdressers, hashtags, holidays, Instagram, lawyers, merchants, payments, photography, restautrant, retail, Security, social media, transactions, twiter
October 18th, 2018 by Admin
As your business grows, your time seems to shrink. Here are some tips that can help you manage your time better.
Create a Plan
Creating a plan will always lead to a successful day. Organization will allow you to have a much more balanced day and better quality of life while running your business. Be sure to write down all the tasks you need to get done. Having them written down will give you a better idea of how much you have to do and what needs to get done.
Have a Calendar
Along with a list of all of your tasks, a calendar will help you figure out what else is happening throughout the day. Do you have meetings to go to, people to talk? A calendar will be your best friend for better time management. It will also help you block out time to get your to-do list done.
Prioritize
Now that you have your list and your list, it is time you prioritize and figure out what needs to get done first. A common mistake is to go down your to-do list as you wrote it and that is not efficient. Figure out your “Must’s”; “Should’s” and “can wait’s” so you can get the best out of your day. You will realize that many tasks are not as important for your productivity as you might think.
Delegate
Now that you see what you must do first, do you need to do it yourself? Perhaps some tasks do not require all of your attention. That is when delegating will be your greatest ally for time management. That run to the store for supplies can be done by your employee or family (if you run your business from home).
Learn to say no
Along with running and managing a business, there will be things that, while you would love to do, are not necessary for you to do. Learn to say no in a polite way and you will find yourself more organized and meeting deadlines faster. Sure, you might have a few disappointed people at first, but they will realize that you are working on being efficient for them and you and it will add value to your service.
Track your time spent
Do you feel you are spending way too much time on a task or job? Perhaps it is time you start tracking your time. This is an excellent tool for freelancers who find themselves working day and night. Tools like TopTracker can keep you accountable and give you perspective on how much time you are truly working. It will help you learn and adjust if necessary.
Eliminate Time Wasters
There are plenty of time wasters at the office! That e-mail didn’t need to be checked so many times, and that note could have waited for later. No, you do not need to check Facebook before work. Setting boundaries will allow you to become much more productive and have more time to do tasks like this after you have completed your list.
Always plan to be early
When it comes to meetings, calls or events, always plan to arrive early, this will help you prepare for unseen events like traffic jams or car problems. Practicing this habit will help you be on time and have less stress.
Take Small Breaks
To get all of your tasks done, you must take breaks. Taking breaks will allow your mind to rest for a few minutes and can help you become a lot more productive. Be sure to use your calendar so you can schedule some break time every day.
Focus
Lastly, focus. Know that the tasks needed need to get done in a timely matter. Be sure you focus and avoid any distractions while getting it all done. Focusing will help you be done with all tasks sooner than you think.
We hope these steps can help you get more out of your day and you can be in control of your time better.
Posted in Small Business Improvement Tagged with: business, business goals, calendar, data, delegate, efficiency, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, freelancer, leaderhip, manage, plan, planner, planning, professionalism, smartphone, technique, time management, tools, track time
October 7th, 2018 by Admin
National Transaction is celebrating 21 years in the business today. Founded in 1997 National Transaction (NTC) purpose is to serve businesses of all sizes with their cash flow with the highest levels of professionalism and care.
This 21 year anniversary would not be possible without our leader, Mark Fravel and we want to take you back to his why and the reason we are still here today.
The beginnings:
Mark, a single parent of 3 beautiful daughters, wanted to provide for their kids without being on the road all the time. And so, with this passion in mind, a desire to serve and commitment to his family, National Transaction was born.
NTC began like many business and passions, with no customers and only one employee but quickly grew and Mark knew that leading with confidence and excellence will drive this business somewhere.
The Present:
Now, NTC often ranks in the top 10 of many data and technology awards. This Excellence has also earned us an A+ rating in the Better Business Bureau.
This 21 years would not be possible without our desire to help a business grow and give them the right tools for their transactions. We love being on the phone with our customers, we love getting to know them and how we can provide our best service.
The Future
Mark started this with a desire to be a family man, and so, this family feeling has stayed with our company. We treat our team like family, and we are excited about what our future holds the next 21 years.
Thank you for celebrating 21 years of customer service, passion, connection and above all, quality. We will continue to provide you with the best service we know how to give, and we will uphold our promise and mission to make digital transactions reliable and simple to the merchant and familiar to the consumer, reducing the complexity and expense to both.
Thank you for being part of the National Transaction Corporation‘s family.
Posted in nationaltransaction.com Tagged with: Anniversary, ASTA, Better Business Bureau, business, card, consumers, credit card, credit cards, credit-card, customer, customers, data, e-commerce, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, MasterCard, merchant, merchant account, merchants, Mobile Payments, National Transaction, payments, point of sale, Security, transaction, visa
Over the next three weeks we will explore on this blog some of the reasons why National Transaction Corporation is the preferred choice for travel agents.
The Travel industry is one of the world’s largest industries with a global economic contribution of over 7.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2016. (Statista)
At NTC we recognize that travel agency payment processing has some unique hurdles to overcome, but we are leveraging our innovation because we want our travel agency partners to explore how our solutions transcend the challenges that travel agents face.
Secure processing is one of the reasons why National Transaction is the preferred choice for travel agents
National Transaction Corporation has Secure Merchant Payment Processing – Because when your customers know their data is safe, they keep coming back!
You’ve heard of the many data breaches within major corporations that have occurred in just the last few years, when customers’ confidential credit card information is stolen and businesses lose a small fortune in repairing the problem. The cost of such a security breach goes far beyond that, however; once a business has lost the trust of its customers, 60% of those cardholders will go elsewhere for their purchases and services, according to studies on the problem.
Imagine if this happened to your travel agency merchant account? It could be disastrous, especially because agencies tend to deal with high-dollar sales from a moderately-sized pool of customers – so every client counts.
NTC knows that you, like us, care about your customers, and we want your travel agency to be seen as a trustworthy place to book a dream vacation. The first step is for your business to be PCI-DSS compliant.
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry-Digital Security Standards) requirements were put in place by the credit card associations to deal with the increasing problem of identity theft and data loss. The requirements vary according to the types and the number of payment transactions your agency goes through, but you can be sure that NTC will help you stay compliant with the latest security standards.
In the event of a data breach, we are here to eliminate the negative impact it can have on your company. NTC may be able to help you with the fines, assessments, and other costs from the networks, and we will consult with you on how to proceed to protect your agency and your reputation.
As you know, data security is as much a concern for the business owner as it is for the cardholder – your customer. When your clients know that their data is safe with you, they will keep coming back to your agency to book their next great trip!
If you cannot wait to read blog number two out of this three part series, feel free to call NTC now at 888-996-2273 to find out the best options for your travel agency!
Posted in Credit card Processing, Credit Card Security, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: cardholder, data, fraud, merchant account, payments, Security, transaction, travel, visa
September 18th, 2017 by Elma Jane
Smart Security for Smart Businesses:
Safe-T for SMB streamlines the PCI process while providing the layered security needed to protect card data
EMV – Fraud protection at the point of sale
EMV chip technology keeps the consumer’s card in their hand. It also helps protect the business from card-present fraud related chargebacks.
Encryption – Protection of payment card data in-transit
Safe-T scrambles cardholder data using advanced encryption technology, so data is protected at the point of entry, and throughout the authorization process.
Tokenization – Token ID protection of stored payment card data
Safe-T returns a token ID or an alias, consisting of a random sequence of numbers to the point-of-sale so the actual card number is never stored. Token IDs can be used for follow up transactions (i.e. recurring payments, voids, etc.).
Reduced PCI – Protection from complex PCI compliance
Maintaining PCI Compliance can be intimidating – second only, perhaps, to completing your taxes. Safe-T eases this process for customers by reducing the number of PCI Self-Assessment questions by more than 60% from 80 questions to 31.
Financial Reimbursement – Financial protection from a card data breach
Recovering from a card data breach can be costly for a small business. Safe-T offers Card Data Breach Reimbursement to financially protect your customer’s business in the event of a card data breach – regardless of the type of card data breach.
For Electronic Payment Set up with this feature call now! 888-996-2273
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: card data, card present, chargebacks, chip, data, data breach, EMV, encryption, fraud, payment, PCI, point of sale, Security, tokenization
May 22nd, 2017 by Elma Jane
Discount Rate: Qualified Mid or Non-Qualified Transactions
Discount Rate – is a percentage of the total sales submitted to the Bank for processing.
Qualified Transactions – are those in which an authorization was obtained electronically, the transaction was settled within the appropriate time frame, and the transaction meets all other requirements imposed by the bank. With qualified transactions you can get the lowest possible discount rate which is the Qualified Rates. The processor determines what transactions are qualified.
Mid-Qualified Transactions – include but are not limited to those transactions where the card is affiliated with a special issuer program or did not meet requirements imposed by the bank processor.
Non-Qualified Transactions – include but are not limited to those transactions where the authorization was obtained by calling a voice or Voice Recognition Unit (VRU) authorization number, the card is affiliated with a special issuer program, the transaction was not settled in the appropriate time frame, or the transaction did not meet the requirements imposed by the bank.
Mid or Non-Qualified transactions may be subject to increased fees and or Discount Rate as determined by the Bank.
If you are a mail order telephone order or e-commerce Merchant, the bank card brands/organizations require additional data elements to be submitted as part of the transaction record in order for the transactions to qualify for the lowest possible discount rate.
For Electronic Payment Set up call now 888-996-2273 or click here NationalTransaction.Com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: bank, data, e-commerce, electronic payment, merchant, processor, transaction
May 11th, 2017 by Elma Jane
Three Domain Secure (3-D Secure)
Visa is announcing a global plan to support 3-D Secure 2.0 to help protect e-commerce transactions.
3-D Secure (3DS) – stands for Three-Domain Secure. A messaging protocol to enable consumers to authenticate themselves with their card issuer when making card-not-present (CNP) e-commerce purchases. 3DS is an additional security layer that will help prevent unauthorized CNP transactions and protects the merchant from CNP exposure to fraud.
The three domains consist of:
The merchant/acquirer domain
Issuer domain
the interoperability domain (payment systems)
The purpose of the 3DS protocol within the payments community is to facilitate the exchange of data between the merchant, cardholder and card issuer. The objective is to benefit each of these parties by providing the ability to authenticate cardholders during a CNP e-commerce purchase, reducing fraud.
Visa currently offers its 3-D Secure service through the Verified by Visa program, which supports the existing 3-D Secure 1.0 specifications for consumer authentication.
Visa anticipates that early adoption of 3-D Secure 2.0 will begin in the second half of 2017.
Merchants that authenticate transactions using 3-D Secure are generally protected from issuer card-not-present fraud-related chargeback claims,1 and this rule will extend to merchant-attempted 3-D Secure 2.0 transactions after 12 April 2019, the global program activation date.
For Electronic Payment Set Up go to NationalTransaction.Com or call now 888-996-2273!
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: card, card-not-present, cnp, data, e-commerce, electronic payment, merchant, payment, Security, transactions
May 5th, 2017 by Elma Jane
Tokenization is a powerful security feature that allows a merchant to support all of their existing business processes that require card data without the risk of holding card data and without any security implications, because tokens are useless to criminals, they can be saved by the merchant as they do not represent any threat.
The liability and costs associated with PCI compliance is substantially reduced and the risk of storing sensitive data is eliminated.
Tokenization applies to credit card and gift card.
Merchants set up for the tokenization service receive responses that include a token.
The token generated is not linked to a specific transaction but to a specific card number and the token generated for that transaction will be identical for every use of that card number and merchant.
Furthermore, you can generate a token and save the token with associated information in the Card Manager.
For Electronic Payments with Tokenization call now 888-996-2273
or click here NationalTransaction.Com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Security, Electronic Payments, Payment Card Industry PCI Security Tagged with: card, credit card, data, electronic payments, merchant, PCI, Security, token, tokenization, transaction
May 1st, 2017 by Elma Jane
3D Secure Authentication
One of the biggest frustration for e-Commerce businesses has been the risk of chargebacks. If a shopper were to tell their issuers that they did not authorize an Internet purchase with their credit card, the merchant can lose the chargeback and the product.
By using 3D Secure capabilities, merchants get detailed evidence of authorized purchases “authentication data”.
The authentication data, together with an authorization approval gives you a transaction that is guaranteed against the most common types of chargebacks: Cardholder not authorized and cardholder not recognized chargebacks.
3D Secure is a security tool that enables cardholders to authenticate their identity to their card issuer through the use of Visa’s Verified by Visa and MasterCard’s SecureCode services.
3D Secure adds another layer of security to cardholders by preventing fraudulent purchases in an e-Commerce environment and reducing the number of unauthorized transactions.
NTC’s Virtual Merchant users processing transactions in an integrated e-Commerce environment are able to take advantage of this functionality.
3D Secure processing is supported with MasterCard and Visa transactions only. Other card types will process as normal and will not trigger 3D secure processing.
For e-Commerce Electronic Payments set up with 3D Secure
call now 888-996-2273! or click here NationalTransaction.Com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Security, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: chargebacks, credit card, data, e-commerce, electronic payments, MasterCard, merchant, Security, transaction, visa
