takepayments blog.

The aim of the game for small businesses is to take as many payments as possible, right? But part and parcel of that is that those payments are safe and secure for both you and your customers. Failure to offer safer payments could not only cost you a pretty penny but perhaps more importantly, it could do serious reputational damage to your business and cost you future sales too.

We’ve come to the end of summer in one of the craziest years, and while it feels like we don’t know what’s to come next week - never mind a couple of months, for businesses in the hospitality sector looking to claw back some revenue following the devastating impact of COVID-19, now’s the time to start thinking towards Christmas. Yep, if you listen hard enough you can hear a muffled ho ho ho through the big man’s face mask. Start planning now and you’ll leave yourself ample time to nail it, bring in as many guests as possible, and see out 2020 with a bang.

Each year, credit and debit cards consume more and more payments than the one before, all the while cash payments continue to dwindle. That’s a fact, and there are no signs of it slowing down either. But, while many businesses are riding the wave - with some even becoming cash-free, there are still lots who’re lagging behind. If that’s you, here are seven benefits to taking the card payment plunge.

If​ ​you’re​ ​considering​ ​offering​ ​card​ ​payment​ ​facilities​ ​to​ ​your​ ​customers​ ​then​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you think​ ​about​ ​the​ ​following. Make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​you​ ​fully​ ​understand​ ​all​ ​the​ ​ongoing​ ​fees​ ​that​ ​you’ll​ ​encounter.​ ​Some​ ​card payments​ ​providers​ ​charge​ ​set​ ​up,​ ​administration​ ​and​ ​exit​ ​fees.​ ​But​ ​some​ ​also​ ​charge​ ​for additional​ ​services.​ ​Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​right​ ​questions​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​what​ ​hidden​ ​charges there​ ​might​ ​be​ ​-​ ​Our​ ​Card​ ​Payments​ ​Checklist​ ​is​ ​a​ ​useful​ ​tool​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you.

Let’s get straight to the point: borrowing money from close family or friends should not be your first port of call if you are looking for funding. Mixing business with your personal life can be a potentially lethal recipe for fall outs - particularly if you encounter problems with paying back the loan. However, this might be an unavoidable scenario and you may have no choice but to ask your nearest and dearest for a quick injection of capital. But, you need to treat this with an extra level of care. Particularly, as these are the people who know you best. This means they will know your weaknesses as well as your strengths. This level of intimacy is something you need to get over. This person might be someone you have shared history with, but this arrangement should be strictly business. That means you need to…