Are you already in business and looking for a new way to get the Internet results you want?
Click here to go to a section designed for the needs of your existing business.
Please note the following information
Your USER NAME for this access area is: one_user
Your PASSWORD is: start
Welcome to the beginning of your new adventure. Your business is more than just a way to make money. As you experience the rewards and set-backs of the entrepreneurial lifestyle please remember that this is a journey; not just a destination. Getting there is much of the fun!
Are you wondering what makes us different from the other companies who want your business? Here's a link to our e-book, "Have You Made a PASS at Your VIP?". Clicking on the link will open it in a new pdf window. You can also right click on the link and then "save target as" if you want to read this off-line. In this e-book you'll find the attitude that clearly distinguishes us from "the other guys".
By the way, we're confident enough in our ability to generate sales for you that we make a unique offer to defer our fees.
Take a look at our fee schedule here.
Let's start with some basic ideas. If you find them to be tooooo basic please don't skip ahead to what you want to read. I will assume that you have read the articles in order and are comfortable with the terms we are using.
In order to have a business on the Internet you will need several things to fit together and work together well. You will need a place for the bits of data that define your business to live. This will include the name of your domain (www.yourdomain.com), where the files are located (server location), and the files themselves.
Domain - this must be completely unique to your business and no-one else. The letters at the end (.com, .net, .biz, .info) can make the difference between one business and another BUT the likelihood is that someone will object to your using their existing business name in ANY form. I strongly discourage you from trying to use any existing name as yours.
Before you pick your domain name you should think about your business and what it consists of. This may sound very elementary but it is absolutely critical to your success. You can overcome a bad domain choice but why put obstacles in front of yourself.
You should register your business with the correct State Agency where you live. A simple declaration that you are "doing business as" (DBA) will often be enough. If you're not sure who to tell, ask your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for a "New Business Start-Up Package". Most offices will have them in some form or another. Your DBA doesn't have to be identical to your Domain.
Employer Identification Number (EIN) - an IRS number that keeps your business records separate from your personal records. Available at no cost, all you do is ask for it, and another way for your business to gain legitimacy. A local college would not purchase from me until I provided them this information.
Sales Taxes - if you sell anything inside the United States then someone will want you to pay sales taxes on the sale. Exceptions can sometimes include (but are not limited to) selling to someone who lives in another State if you deliver it to their address; selling to schools; selling to some non-profit organizations; selling outside the USA. Even if you think you'll never sell in a retail location you should get an account and start sending in the "No Taxable Sale" returns. There are several businesses I know who will NOT accept you as a "merchant" unless you can provide them with your own tax number. You will not be able to buy tax-free supplies for your business without this. Don't be surprised if it takes many weeks for your tax number to arrive. This will be the first place you use your new EIN.
Separate Bank Account - When we first started, I went to my family bank to open a business account thinking it would be more expensive than the free one we use for personal expenses. They suggested that I just open a second free account and put the DBA information on the checks. Great advice and a good reminder NOT to forget to ask advice from the professionals who are already in your life.
Except for choosing the domain, up to this point it sounds like we're talking about a brick-and-mortar business. That's because there is very little difference between the two. The basics of starting with the basics and building on a solid foundation are just as important here as it would be on Main Street.
If you want to sell to someone in person they can hand over the cash for the sale. Or, if you think they look trustworthy, you could accept their check. These days, the introduction of Debit Cards to replace checks has reduced the number of people who will use them for on-line transactions. People willing to buy from the Internet are much more likely to want to pay you with either a credit card or a debit card through a secure area.
Anyone can accept checks, endorse the back, and deposit the check in a bank account. To make a payment with a credit/debit card yourself you must create an account with some company that issues them. But to be able to accept payment from a credit card/debit card you must have a Merchant Account. I want you to think about the process of paying by credit card for a minute.
Let's assume that you just stopped at a quiet gas station. You pump the gas into your vehicle and walk inside to make the payment. The attendant looks like a refuge from a bad Hollywood biker movie. He has rings, studs, a scar across his cheek, tattoos, and what hair hasn't been shaved off is dyed three different colors you usually see on tropical birds but not humans. (Hey, you still have to pay for the gas.) To make the payment you hand him your credit/debit card. He swipes it through the machine and you both wait for the machine to print out your receipt. (You can hear his muscles creaking as he flexes them and in the background you can hear a clock ticking the seconds away.) The machine finally burps out a receipt you sign, take one copy, and very happily leave.
Now, you just gave this walking horror your credit card? Why did you do this so willingly? What's to stop him from using the account information and making lots of purchases on your account?
You gave him your credit card because you felt it was safer than pulling out $100 bills from your wallet. We have become so accustomed to using credit/debit cards we forget that they were once treated with as much suspicion as our friendly attendant. The industry that developed their use has put many safeguards in place so that their daily use is virtually unquestioned.
The attendant (who happens to be the owner and a really nice person) has a Merchant Account with some financial institution. He registered with them and probably paid a hefty fee for the privilege of accepting credit/debit cards at his retail location. He may have registered through his local bank but more likely through a larger regional bank or Merchant Account Provider. The transaction you just made with him transferred the cost of your gas from your account to his account. Just as your account is watched by your card issuing company to make sure that you don't break the rules, he is watched even more closely. If there are "questionable" transactions on his account then he will very likely lose his Merchant Account. A merchant is watched as closely (if not more closely) than you are. If there is the slightest suspicion that he is running a scam on unsuspecting customers the big guys with the ball bats are going to be knocking on his door step. (If this sounds outrageous take a look at some of the fees and conditions from an actual merchant account agreement I have printed below. These aren't all from the same account provider but they will all have something like these.)
Fees for having a Merchant Account can range tremendously. A typical fee can be $150 or more just to apply. There are always companies running specials but they will get the fee somehow. After you get the account typical fees are $15 - $45 a month even if you don't sell anything. Each transaction will have a specific fee rate as well. Usually a set cost plus a percentage ( example - $.35 plus 2.1% - on a $100 sale the fee would be $2.45). Fees will be higher for transactions not done in person "card not present" or CNP which will include every transaction done over the Internet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Few Definitions
(these are very typical explanations you can find at any Merchant Account Provider web site)
What is a Merchant Account?
A merchant account is a bank account that enables your business to accept
payment by credit card on-line. Credit card transactions can only be processed
through a merchant account. You must have a merchant account in order to be able
to accept credit cards.
What if I do not have a corporate checking
account?
If you are the sole proprietor of the business, you are able to use your
personal checking account.
What if I do not have a Federal Tax ID#? (also
called an Employer Identification Number - EIN)
As a sole proprietorship, you only need your social security number.
(True, but see my comments above.)
What type of equipment do I need to process credit
card transactions?
All you need is a personal computer and an internet connection.
Are there any programs that I will need?
No. There is no necessary downloading or installation on your
end.
What is a domain name?
Domain names are used to generate web addresses (also known as URLs).
Do I need to purchase a domain name?
I suggest that you do. Having your own domain name allows you to personalize the
web address.
I suggest that you try to find a short, easy to spell domain name that matches your business name.
( THESE ARE NOT MY FEES BUT TAKEN FROM AN ACTUAL MERCHANT ACCOUNT WEBSITE)
BILLING AND FEES
When will the annual fee be charged?
A fee of $29.95 will be charged to your Business Checking Account via
ACH on the 20th of the third month from your live date, and then every year
thereafter. For example: if your store is made live on February 28th, you will
be charged on May 20th each year.
What is a batch header fee?
You will be accessed a fee of $0.25 (25 cents) by your bank processor
each time you batch your transactions. If you batch only once a day, you will be
charged only $0.25 a day. If you AUTO BATCH you will be charged for EACH
transaction. (Note: the bank processor charges a penalty for not batching within
24 hours.)
When do I receive my funds?
If you are accepted as a merchant with no restrictions (Most are
accepted), then your funds will be directly deposited into your account in two
to three business days after you batch the order. Batching is a simple process
that just requires you to review (the order) and then click to submit!
Is there a setup fee?
Yes. There is a $149.00 one-time non-refundable setup fee.
Are there any other fees?
There is a .25cent batch header fee. After a credit card authorization
is obtained, you need to accept that authorization by 'Batching' the order. You
only need to batch once in a 24 hour period, but when you do, you are charged
.25cents. If there are 100 orders being batched or just one, there is a .25cent
charge.
What is the monthly statement fee?
Your Bank Processor will charge a fee of $15.00 each month.
What is a chargeback?
A Chargeback of $25.00 is charged to a merchant when a consumer claims
their card has been charged and the merchant has not delivered the product or
performed the service. The $25.00 (along with the original charge to the
consumer) is debited back to the merchant.
A chargeback fee is NOT charged when a merchant processes a return of a charge
to a consumer.
Question: What is a retrieval fee?
A retrieval is a request made by the credit card bank to receive a copy
of the original sales draft involved in a dispute. The fee for this is $10.00.
This is often the first step in the chargeback process and is separate from the
Chargeback Rate.
What is a transaction fee?
There is a $0.30 transaction fee charged to each authorization, whether
settled or not. Note, some banks deduct this fee at time of sale, while most
deduct it as a total of charges at the end of each month. If you are outside the
U.S., High-risk or Fast Track, the transaction fee will be higher.
Internet accounts have a 2.39% discount rate, and
$0.30 transaction fee for qualified transactions. How does that work?
Visa & MasterCard and the processor take a fee for every
transaction. It works like this. On a $100 sale, the discount rate of 2.39%
would deduct $2.39 from the $100 sale. There is a $0.30 transaction fee charged
to each order. Therefore, on the $100 sale, the processor would keep $2.69 ,
giving you, the merchant a net of $97.31.
Note, some banks deduct this fee at time of sale, while most deduct it as a
total of charges at the end of each month.
If you are outside the U.S., High-risk or Fast Track, the discount rate will be
higher.
What do you mean by qualified transactions? Will I
be charged more if a transaction doesn't qualify?
Certain conditions must be met for an Internet transaction to Qualify
for the 2.39% discount rate. If a transaction doesn't qualify, $.10 extra will
be charged for the transaction and the discount rate will increase.
Here is Visa/MasterCard's rules for Internet transactions:
*QUALIFIED TRANSACTION CONDITIONS FOR INTERNET ACCOUNTS
One electronic authorization request is made per transaction and the
transaction/purchase date is the same as the shipping date. The authorization
code must be included in settled transaction
The authorization request message must include Address Verification Service (AVS).
The transaction/shipping date must be within 7 calendar days of the
authorization date.
The authorized transaction amount must match the settled transaction amount.
The settled transaction data must include the merchant's customer service
telephone number, the order or invoice number, and the total authorized amount.
Additional data is required in the settled transaction on all Purchasing and
Commercial cards at non-T&E locations (Purchasing card - customer code and
sales tax; Commercial card - sales tax)
The transaction must be electronically deposited no later than 1 day from
transaction date.
** PARTIALLY QUALIFIED (PQ) TRANSACTION CONDITIONS FOR
INTERNET ACCOUNTS
One or more of the Qualified conditions were not met. (OR)
The transaction was electronically deposited more than 1 day but within 2 days
of the transaction/shipping date.
*** NON-QUALIFIED (NQ) TRANSACTION CONDITIONS FOR INTERNET
ACCOUNTS
One or more of the Qualified or Partially Qualified conditions were not met.
(OR)
The transaction was electronically settled more than 2 days from the
authorization date. (OR)
Commercial card, World MasterCard, or Visa Signature card accepted at a T&E
location. (OR)
No additional data in the settled transaction on Purchasing and
Commercial card at non-T&E locations. (Purchasing Card - customer code and
sales tax; Commercial Card - sales tax). (OR)
Visa Infinite card accepted. (OR)
Transaction was not electronically authorized (voice authorization) or the
authorization code was not included in the settled transaction.
The customer is using a Corporate or Government-issued credit card.
The customer is using a credit card issued by a Foreign Bank.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, before this starts sounding like a very expensive luxury let's not forget that most people expect you (as a legitimate business) to be able to accept credit/debit cards. This is your reputation you are building; something you will be working on for as long as you decide to stay in business. There are alternatives to consider; one of which you'll notice I use myself.
You can click on the link above for more information from their site.
Yes, I use PayPal myself and for very good reasons.
If you don't sell anything you don't have a monthly activity fee or any other charges put against it;
Millions of other people already use it and there are very few complaints about them considering their volume;
Very easy to create an account without any set-up fees;
Two level membership available, Personal (can't accept credit cards but can accept payment from PayPal accounts, NO FEES), and Professional which can accept payments from most sources with some transaction fees;
PayPal fees are definitely lower than the sample above;
Accept payment in foreign currencies with reasonable exchange rates or hold in the original currency;
Easy way to get the privilege of accepting credit cards without major expenses or monthly fees.
Your customers DON'T have to be PayPal members to use the payment service
PayPal is not the only alternative but I considered it a good choice for start-ups. As you look around my web site you'll see that we use it exclusively for all our on-line transactions. Plus, we made it to their "Preferred" list which is a great marketing tool to help us make the sale. (Here's a link to the letter for you to see for yourself). You'll find links to this scattered throughout my web site because it helps build confidence with potential customers.
Conclusion:
Okay, so here's the end of the free information I promised you. This is just the beginning of what can be a very rewarding journey for you. I've got a lot more to share; information that will make a striking difference in how you approach your business.
 |
Detailed examinations of what would be the best name for your business, |
|
Pricing strategies that will allow you to PROFIT from your activities, |
|
Step by step guides to places you can successfully use to advertise your business, |
|
Techniques that will increase the number of people who WILLINGLY come to your web site, |
|
Several much-touted procedures to STAY AWAY FROM (yes, there are several traps you can easily fall into), |
|
to EBay or not to EBay ...... |
Now, to get this information I'm going to ask you for one thing; just $29.95. I doubt you're going to find a more inexpensive (cheaper) source of very practical information.
Would it help you to know what's selling the fastest and in the greatest demand at EBay? That information is just one of the items you'll get access to at the next level. That doesn't stay the same so I update it every month.
This is stuff I've learned from actual Internet experience as a producer of a physical product who generates most of his sales from the Internet. We buy raw materials, finish them to our customers requirements, stock, ship, collect sales taxes when appropriate, and the vast majority of our new business comes from the Internet.
You notice I said "New Business". Our customers are almost always repeat visitors. That by itself says something about who we are and what we can do. The fact that PayPal accepted us into their own Guarantee program says something about our reputation with them.
Plus, you are going to find a very nice surprise for you at the next level. I'm not going to ruin it for you but I will say this much. If you are wondering how you're going to get your business "working the web" then it will be a very welcome surprise.
Remember the list of "what people were searching for" I gave you at the last page you saw? That's the kind of detailed information I collect on a regular basis and digest for you. If you could KNOW what people want to buy it would take a lot of guesswork out of your business, wouldn't it?
Here's a small taste of what's available to you. This company literally gives away free a service you could easily pay hundreds of $$$'s for somewhere else. Why would they do this? Because after you see their free information you'll realize how much more valuable their paid services are!
This is where you get this kind of information and at a remarkably low price. Just $29.95? Where else can you expect to find this kind of value packed information?
This is your future you're contemplating.
For the price of a fast food dinner for 4, you will get access to clearly written, easily understood articles and information you'll need to be successful on the Internet.
For less than the cost of a "coffee and roll" a day, you can get the information it took me much longer to learn.
Is this the link you've been looking for? This one's $2.00 less than the link above and you can still use your Visa/MC or PayPal account to make the payment. You will need to include your Discount Code in the optional message area of the payment or it will be refused. Why is there a discounted area? Because we have affiliates who need to be paid for their efforts and we track them by their unique Discount Codes.
Don't have a Discount Code? You can find one if you follow this link. Discount Codes. It will take you to a page that shows you a few health related items. Don't forget to come back here to use it.
Still wondering about what you can expect or curious about how PayPal works. Try clicking on either payment button. (You can't make a payment by just going to the site. I promise you're not being suckered into making a payment you're not ready to make!) Consider this another part of the example.
This will take you to the PayPal web site. Notice that their address starts with https: not just http: like this one does. That means theirs is a SECURED site with multiple layers of encrypting to protect your information. You'll be asked to go to another page if you're not a PayPal member. Look at the information you're being asked about. It's the same things that any other Visa/MC/AmEx payment service would ask you.
Okay, that's enough from me for now. I'll leave you with this thought.
It's not the steps we take that hurt us; it's the not trying to take the steps that guarantees that your tomorrow will be no different from your yesterdays.
This site is maintained by Mike Myklin. Questions or comments should be addressed to:
Mailing address: MYKLIN, 54562 US Highway 59, Heavener, OK 74937 USA
All images, text, and content are protected under international copy write laws. All rights reserved. No part of any of these web pages may be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission in advance. Some images are registered and separately protected by their owners.
Terms of Use
By use of this service you agree to all conditions. You hereby warrant you own any image you provide to us. You will defend us against any claim to the contrary from any source.
Mike Myklin © 2002 - 2005