takepayments blog.
Friday, 17 November 2023
How to prepare your business for Christmas: 5 tips for the festive period
The festive season is creeping up on us – it’ll be here before we know it. As well as being an important commercial event and a cultural holiday, Christmas requires plenty of preparation. For many businesses, performance over the festive season can determine whether they make a profit that year. As the retail landscape grows more competitive, it’s crucial to get it right and plan your festive strategy sooner rather than later.
Monday, 13 November 2023
Black Friday: 7 Ways Small Businesses Can Prepare for Success
Although Black Friday initially has its roots across the pond in America to mark the Friday after Thanksgiving, the occasion has gone global and has fast become a huge shopping day here in the UK too. In recent years, Black Friday has also spurred the creation of ‘Cyber Monday’ and ‘Cyber Weekend’ – where e-commerce businesses can cash in by offering huge savings and discounts online across a three-day period, creating a weekend retail phenomenon. Research has found that over half of UK adults (51%) plan to shop over the Black Friday weekend, with total Black Friday sales in 2022 reaching an estimated £12.3 billion.
Thursday, 09 November 2023
What are biometric payments — and do they really make transactions more secure?
In recent years, we've witnessed an incredible evolution in the world of payment methods. Card payments have become increasingly seamless, from the widespread adoption of contactless payments to the convenience of using smart wearable devices for transactions. But what lies ahead in the realm of payment technology? Today, we're delving into biometric payments, a cutting-edge approach that could redefine how we make card payments.
Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Does my website need a privacy policy?
If you're just taking your business online, you'll no doubt have a list of to-dos as long as your arm. One item that can easily be overlooked is the addition of a privacy policy to your website — though vitally important following the introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) throughout Europe and the UK. With these regulations being relatively new, it's easy — especially for startups and small-business owners — to overlook the importance of a coherent privacy policy.
Friday, 27 October 2023
What are card schemes and how do they work? A guide for small businesses
The UK Finance Payment Markets Report 2023 found 50% of all payments in the UK were made using debit cards in 2022. What's more, over 95% of the UK population owns a debit card. With card payments on the rise, it's crucial for businesses to understand the pivotal role card schemes play in ensuring secure transactions.
Friday, 08 September 2023
What are business assets? A simple guide for businesses
Whether you realise it or not, every business needs assets to operate. And when you’re starting a business, one of the most important decisions you can make is what assets your company should hold. But, getting your head around the different types of assets and how to account for them can be difficult. Find out more about the specifics around business assets — including their various forms — and how valuable they really can be to small businesses.
Monday, 04 September 2023
How to get followers on your small business Instagram account
Instagram might not be the biggest social network, but it’s one of the best for businesses and boasts some pretty impressive statistics: On top of all that, research suggests Instagram is the best social network for building customer engagement and loyalty.
Monday, 04 September 2023
What is SEO and how can it help your business?
Search engines have become man’s best friend and something most people rely on day in, day out. While there are loads to choose from though, the main ones, of course, are Yahoo, Bing, and Google - aka the giant. The stats show Google is used to search a staggering 63,000 times per second, equating to over 2 trillion searches per year. Wow.
Monday, 04 September 2023
The benefits of blogging for your online business
You’ve probably heard the word ‘blogging’ bandied around the online marketing arena more times than you can shake a stick at, but might be wondering what it’s all about and whether it’s something your business should be doing. The short answer is, yes. Technology and consumer demands are constantly evolving and businesses need to keep up to engage and communicate with customers. According to a recent report, 80% of businesses incorporate blogging into their marketing efforts and acquire customers as a consequence, in fact, 82% agree it’s critical to their success.