Business Building Tips

The Lesson in the Unexpected

I love attending events and stretching my mind as a business owner. Learning how can I make things better for my company, for my staff and for the finances is a never-ending journey. Maybe you can relate! What I find most intriguing however, is when unexpected situations end up teaching me the best lessons. I recall an event when I ended up catching a flu bug and was only able to attend 1 of the three days scheduled for the conference. As luck would have it, I was traveling with two of my team m...

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Do you need a processing system that does "a little more' than just processing? Check out our Clover Systems!

So how does a little green plant help your business? It might or it might not, but the Clover POS System has some great features that WILL! What is Clover? Clover is a POS Point of Sale system that can really give you a step-up with your card processing. With several options to choose from you can streamline your processing and other business activities as well! Here are a few of the Clover units available below. Clover Station Pro Clover station is a full-featured POS for ret...

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Why NOT Hiring a Coach is Costing you BIG TIME

Some months ago, I asked my husband to grab the Seasoning Salt from the kitchen. He was gone for a long period of time and then returned empty-handed, I don’t see it. he said. I was about ready to launch into the it’s right there speech but instead, I walked into the kitchen and picked up the seasoning salt. It really WAS right there- but why couldn’t he see it? Sometimes, we have blind spots that prevent us from seeing what we need to see. At home, it might just be a seasoning...

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Using Social Media to INCREASE sales!

What if we told you that, we can help you tap into 10+ sales channels, including Facebook and Instagram, to grow your reach on platforms where your customers already spend most of their time — AND you can control all of that from ONE single dashboard? Finding customers is heavy lifting for any business. But leveraging a network of 2.5 billion consumers categorized by age, action, and interest can certainly help. And TMC is happy to step in and fill that gap, monetizing your existing social...

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Shifting from offline to online

To start accepting orders online, you need an e-commerce-enabled website. If you’ve never dealt with websites before, no worries: we can help you easily set one up on TMC Shop Now . If you already have a website for your business, but it doesn’t have an online ordering option, you can add TMC Shop Now to your website. It doesn’t matter which site builder you used to create your website — just connect your TMC Shop Now and you’re ready to go. You can also add an enti...

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To HIRE or Not to HIRE?

I remember sitting in a job interview many years ago and being told I did not have enough experience to be awarded the job. How in the world was I supposed to GET experience if they would not hire me?? That particular ‘experience’ would season the way I would hire people as a business owner in the future. Experience is a double-edged sword- we often gain experience by figuring things out while we are on the way to becoming proficient! When we are looking at filling positions here at ...

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The REAL Cost

How do you determine the REAL cost of credit card processing? With so many different fees, charges, pass-throughs, interchange, flat rate, etc., it is nearly impossible for a business owner to understand what they are REALLY paying for processing. We get asked all the time what fees do you charge- what is the COST? And while the fee structure is a critical component- the actual COST of a merchant account goes much deeper. When you select the right Partner rather than the one size fit’s all...

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Why Is Your Hair Wet?

As a busy business owner, I sometimes fill my schedule to the brim - with barely enough time in between tasks. And so it was this past Friday when I quickly showered after a long drive home and rushed to the grocery store to pick up some items for a Lions Club event later that evening. As I was rushing through the aisles, grabbing the necessary items, I was stopped in my tracks by an inquisitive set of siblings. How come your hair is wet, the first brother asked. I had barely responded when the ...

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There is NO PLACE LIKE YOUR Business

In the movie The Wizard of Oz we all sat glued to the television set while the Scarecrow found his brain, the Tin Man found his courage, the Lion found his heart and Dorothy realized there was no place like home. Creating an award-winning culture in our businesses can sometimes feel like we need a Wizard! Someone behind the magic curtain whispered those words of encouragement that eventually helped us realize what we had all along! Years ago, if you would have told me that my company would be co...

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5 Things To Increase Teamwork

There are 120 hours in a 5 day work week and we spend 1/3 of those hours with our Co-Workers. So it is no surprise that TEAMWORK is a huge topic of discussion within the business world! Here are 5 things you can do to increase, encourage and improve TEAMWORK - where you work! 1- Keep The Bar High Working in an atmosphere where Excellence is the name of the game- encourages staff members to perform at their best. Since each member's performance impacts the overall TEAM performance- setting high s...

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How to save TIME and MONEY with Recurring Payments!

As a business owner, having ways to save you time is money is important, and one great way to do this is by setting up automation for your payments! Recurring Payments is a transactions charged to a cardholder's account with prior permission on a periodic basis automatically for goods and services, i.e., health club memberships, property management, landscaping, and more. Here are some reasons recurring payments can help our business and save your business TIME and Money: Speed Up Payments Imagi...

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GROWING your Business

I know, you’re so busy working day in and day out that giving thought to taking a little time out of your business in order to grow your business seems counterproductive! But consider this: We’ve all attempted to grow plants from seeds; some are successful, some are not – What’s the difference? It’s the time we spend caring for the seeds to get them to the point where all they need is a little water now and then. To grow a plant from seed you must plant it caref...

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Clover: One of the essential tools to help your business grow.

So how does a little green plant help your business? It might or it might not, but the Clover POS System has some great features that WILL! What is Clover? Clover is a POS Point of Sale system that can really give you a step-up with your card processing. With several options to choose from you can streamline your processing and other business activities as well! Here are a few of the Clover units available below. Clover Station Pro Clover station is a full-Featured POS for retailers, restaurants...

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Don’t let sales PASS YOU BY because you don’t have an online presence!

Having an online presence used to be convenient, but since the pandemic changed so much about the way we shop, an online presence is now critical if you want to be visible and accessible to your customers. No business wants to be left out in the cold when it comes to providing service and products for their customers just because they don’t have an online presence! Don’t be that business! Envision this: • A quick and easy solution - • That’s up and running quickly -...

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Learning From Each Other

Owning a business can be as thrilling as a great roller coaster ride! We learn so much from all the ups and the downs in business and it just makes sense that those experiences would fuel our forward progress and, if we let them, the forward progress of others! This past week, Dean and I had the opportunity to visit a successful franchise in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. We spent an entire day, discussing best business practices, how to overcome obstacles and what actions yield business success. In...

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Get your 2023 Journal Ready!

There are few things as therapeutic as writing everything down. For centuries, great treasures of words have been found in the journals of historical figures and those we love. Today, I would like to share an article by Jim Rohn that gives you several compelling reasons to start and keep a journal. Please enjoy this excerpt from his How to Use a Journal. Keeping a Journal-One of the Three Treasures to Leave Behind by Jim Rohn excerpted from his How to Use a Journal audio CD If you're serious abo...

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Making a Powerful & Positive Difference

Are you concerned about the future of your business due to circumstances beyond your control? The best way to reduce that concern is to take care of the things within your control – You’ve Got the Power if you use it in the right way! Many people equate business ownership with POWER . And, depending on your definition- I would have to agree. Small business owners have an opportunity to have an amazing amount of positive influence by leveraging the REAL POWER generated by their busine...

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What Are You Looking For?

It’s funny how life’s circumstances can help us be better leaders at home and in our businesses! This past weekend, my husband and I went for a walk at a local park. There is a 3-mile loop that we like to walk and on this particular day, it was sunny and brisk! We clocked a great time for the 3 milers and followed up with our usual trip to the local coffee house- it was a great morning. When we got back home I realized that I had lost an earring on our walk. Typically that would not ...

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Black Friday Sales Stats

It seems hard to believe that we are just a few weeks away from our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration! After the family gatherings, the feasting & festivities and of course the mid-afternoon naps! - many people begin the planning and preparation for BLACK FRIDAY! Let's take a look at the origin of the term and some statistics. The day after Thanksgiving has been the unofficial start to the Christmas shopping season since the 1930s but the history of the Friday after Turkey Day began in 196...

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What's Power

As a business owner, you can be faced with daily frustrations that might direct your focus away from WHY you became a business owner. But have you considered the REAL POWER generated by your business? Examples of POWER your team can generate when you are committed to making a powerful & positive difference! The POWER of Integrity-Based Business Dealings When one company sets the standard, many businesses take notice and choose to follow in your path! Be the company setting the standard and t...

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Let’s Go For A Walk

For years people have taken the challenge to run the HOOD TO COAST relay. I’ve always been intrigued but somewhere between the mountain peak and the Sandy beach - I’ve never managed to commit to the journey. Until this year, when I learned of the Portland to Coast walk that has been part of the Longer Hood to Coast. To be honest, the signing up and pre-race parts of the process were not appealing to my DO IT NOW personality - little did I know how much I would come to appreciate thos...

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Don't FREAK OUT!

I was doing a little reading this morning and came across this headline and it reminded me of the time I went to see Jurassic Park I think it was 3 Tesla Is Cutting 10% of Workforce, Elon Musk Says He Has a 'Super Bad Feeling' About the Economy Dean and I bought the tickets and were excited to take our seats. Popcorn was being consumed- candy was almost gone and then the movie started. Several minutes into the movie- I was sitting on the edge of my seat when one of the characters went into a lit...

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Exceptional Educational Experience

Have you ever purchased something, asked someone for assistance, and had someone say, I don’t know – I just sell them! Unfortunately, that kind of mediocre service is all too prevalent these days, but it doesn’t have to be! You can be the talk of the town in a good way by implementing a process to guide your customer service expectations! Here are a few things we do to set TMC apart from the competition and deliver an exceptional experience for both our team and our clients ...

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What an Honor!

This month we are focused on the businesses that are the BACKBONE of America- Small business USA. Stats and opinions vary on the actual definition of a ‘ SMALL ’ business but it is safe to say that a majority of the businesses we serve here at TMC are just like us- small businesses. So what’s it like to own and operate a small business in America? The answers are almost as varied as the many different kinds of businesses there are- every person’s experience is different b...

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5 Attributes of a GREAT Credit Card Processor that Business Owners need to know!

Are you tired of hearing lofty promises and getting bargain basement service? Business owners have a lot to deal with, so here are a few tips to make the process of choosing a Credit Card Processor easier. Integrity: A processor with integrity will guide you to the RIGHT processing solution regardless of their financial gain. As your business grows, your needs as a business owner will change, so being able to count on integrity-based information is very important. Knowledge/Expertise: With the c...

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Three Tips to Deliver Service With Passion

When we train our referral partners to send their members to our company, we make some HUGE promises related to the level of service they can expect from our team. We've even been accused of implying that our staff can Walk on Water! Well, they do not walk on water that position was filled over 2000 years ago , but there is a reason why we feel so comfortable making large promises regarding the service level of our team: THEY DELIVER ! Each of our staff members truly cares about the businesses t...

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Automate payments with Invoicing & Recurring Billing

Where’s the money?? Having to send out monthly statements, wait for the money to come in and then sending past due statements to the ones that forgot or got lost in the mail not only causes frustration but eats up a lot of time and energy. Why not automate the process and reduce that frustration! It's easy to do and will provide some immediate relief to your invoicing and recurring payments headaches! How can this help? Speed Up Payments Imagine spending less time chasing down payments! Re...

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Put the LOVE back in your Business!

Valentine's day is about LOVE and what better time to talk about loving YOUR business. Like most partnerships, things can sometimes be complex. When this happens, we have to focus on the BASICS to get the complex issues ironed out. The credit card processing industry is a mess of fees, regulations, issues and the list goes on. Hopefully, these strategies below are useful to you and can help you keep the passion and the love for your business alive. When you are done reading them, please visit ou...

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Welcome To 2022!

A New Year has begun and for many, it means time for resolutions and refocusing! Here at TMC, we are looking at ways to be of MORE service and add more value to those who partner with our company. We are excited to let you know that our merchants & referral partners are going to benefit from our commitment and focus on some exciting business-building areas! Here is a glimpse of things to come in the New Year! Excellent Customer Service: This is our PASSION at TMC and we are always in the pro...

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Are You Ready For a BREAKTHROUGH in 2022?

Every year is a little different; unless it seems THE SAME !! As we race towards the finish line of 2021 and eagerly await the brand new year, I wonder if you’ve given any thought to how this New Year will be different? I’m not talking about vaccinations or supply chains- I am talking about YOU! Are there some areas where you could use a BREAKTHROUGH in 2022? I know I have a few areas in my life where a breakthrough would be a welcomed visitor! Here are a few areas where you might wa...

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Review,Refocus,Refuel

As we stare down the remainder of 2021- it's time to do what business owners typically do several times per year: Review, Refocus and Refuel. REVIEW Consider asking yourself these questions- we are talking business, but this also works personally!! Honest assessments and reviews will help you understand what went well and where improvements can be made. What worked this year? What did not work? Are there specific areas in your business that need attention? What would you do differently to increa...

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Are you ready for the "Big 3"?

We are off to the 'Big 3': Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year! As business owners, one of two things is happening right now: You are winding down from a busy summer and getting ready to plan out 2022 or You are running around like crazy, getting ready for your busiest time of the year In either case, here are a few timely tips to make sure that your Cash Flow is as steady as possible during the last 2 months of 2021: A - Make sure you have plenty of cash register tape and credit card machine ...

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The Science of Shopping for the Firearms Retailer

As a Firearms-Friendly company, we have the pleasure of working with many gun retailers. A source of great information for firearms-related businesses is NSSF: The Firearm Industry Trade Association. I recently found a great video on the NSSF website https://www.nssf.org/retailers/retail-strategies created to help gun retailers make sure their retail space is set up to achieve the most success. Here are some great nuggets from that video: Parking Lot: The sales experience starts and ends in the ...

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The POWER of Work Community

There are so many benefits to owning your own business: we are truly blessed to live in a country where we can, if we choose, blaze our own trail and do our own thing. With so many plusses, it can be easy to forget that there are a few downsides to being the one 'calling the shots'! If we are not careful, we can easily end up in a very isolated and closed off-world. Not because we are anti-social but because the road to small business success is rocky and requires an uncommon focus. That is why ...

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Use Gift Cards to GROW your Business During the Holiday Season

Have you ever thought about gift cards to GROW your business? Gift cards make a perfect addition to any business, big or small and your customers will love the easy and convenient gift-giving solution that gift cards offer. What can GIFT CARDS do for your BUSINESS ? Hassle-Free & Effective Advertising Word of Mouth Referrals from HAPPY customers Instant Revenue and Cash Flow That: Doesn’t take up much space Needs no prep One size fit’s all GIFT CARDS!! And you can sell them ONLIN...

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Right People in the Right Seats

How is your team wired? If you are lucky like we are, you have people on your team who can and DO whatever is necessary to make things work the way they should. However, there is a big difference between a staff who does what they must and a staff who does what they LOVE! In order to deliver on the promises of Excellence, Stellar Service, and a Top-Notch Experience- teams need to be filled up with the Right People, sitting in the Right Seats, who are doing the Right Work! Defining your objective...

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3 Things You MUST Know About Credit Card Processing

As complicated as the credit card processing industry can be, there are only 3 things you REALLY need to know. #1 Understand The Rates There are 500+ tiers of pricing when you combine all credit/debit card types. It is important to familiarize yourself not only with the pricing but also how the pricing relates to your specific business. Card pricing rates vary based on card type and how the cards are processed. Take some time getting to know both VISA INTERCHANGE and MASTERCARD INTERCHANGE rates...

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Pre Flight Check List (WORK)

Our Son is now licensed to be a Commercial Airline pilot I am so very proud of Tyler and his efforts! . He has lots of hours and accreditations to add before he is flying the friendly skies- but HOW EXCITING to be a Pilot right? I wonder if we can use a little playful imagination and pretend that WE are pilots? What would that look like in our companies? Flight Preparation: In order to be prepared to fly- we have to add to our knowledge tool belt. Just like Tyler has been attending flight school...

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5 ways to keep your staff members engaged!

Dealing with employees can be one of the most rewarding aspects of small business ownership; it can also be one of the most taxing. At TMC, we have always been blessed with an incredible cast of characters! Our team consistently delivers excellence and they tend to bring their hearts to work each day. Don't get me wrong- we have our share of challenges and some of the normal drama associated with our work family, but for the most part, we have been blessed! Some recent changes in staffing, job d...

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Why You Need to Feed Your Mind

Rohn: Why You Need to Feed Your Mind Jim Rohn But can you imagine what would happen if you kept up an accelerated learning curve for the rest of your life? Can you imagine what you could learn to do, the skills you could develop, the capacities you could have? Here’s what I’m asking you to do: Be that unusual person who keeps up his learning curve and develops an appetite for always trying to find good ideas. Search libraries for books and programs. Search magazines. Search documen...

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Cost and Price

Many potential business owners ask us the same question- what fees do you charge- what is the COST? And while the fee structure is a critical component- the actual COST of a merchant account goes much deeper. Selecting the RIGHT partner is GOOD for your bottom line. Here are a few things to consider when evaluating your current solution or a new processing partner. OVERALL EFFECTIVE RATE: When you divide the amount of processing volume INTO the fees paid to process that volume- you get your over...

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Excellent Service is Delivered With Passion

It is VERY easy to get in the 'routine' of any position or career. We simply must remind ourselves and our teams what business we are in and WHY what we do is so important! Our WHY is simple- the industry we reside in is notorious for substandard service and a lack of integrity and we choose to be the exception. We spend time WEEKLY discussing our WHYS, our areas for improvement, and our personal goals. What is your WHY? Does your staff know what your unique proposition is and are they passionat...

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A time of crisis calls for EFFECTIVE and STRONG Leadership

On Sunday, I had the privilege of listening to John Maxwell’s address on Leadership. I’ve listed the link to the website below and my 5 main takeaways!! A time of crisis calls for EFFECTIVE and STRONG Leadership in our communities, our businesses, and our families. Our citizens, our team members, and our children are watching and learning from our response! 1- CRISIS IS QUITE COMMON By definition dictionary + Greek + medical a crisis is an intense time of difficulty, requirin...

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What Direction Are You Growing?

What Direction Are You Going or Growing? They say the rearview mirror is smaller because that’s not the direction we are going, and after a year like we have all just walked thru- that’s GREAT NEWS! The direction we are going in all areas of our life makes a tremendous difference, and few times are as RIPE for reflection as a NEW YEAR! So how about you? Are you being intentional with the direction you are going, or should I say GROWING in both your business and your persona...

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What We Know For Sure!

In troubling times, it feels GREAT to lean ‘in’ to the things we KNOW FOR SURE! I remember flipping through the pages of an Oprah Magazine and seeing her WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE section in the back of the magazine. What Oprah knows for sure is different from what I know for sure. What I know for sure differs from what you know for sure and so on and so forth! But consider this: spending some time to think about what you and others know for sure can REALLY have a positive impact on how y...

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Back To Basics For Business Success

Sometimes we have to focus on the BASICS to get the complex issues ironed out in our lives and in our businesses! The credit card processing industry is a mess of fees, regulations, issues and the list goes on. Hopefully, these strategies below are useful to you. When you are done reading them, please visit our Facebook page the link is listed below to share your thoughts and ideas! Together, we can help each other out. #1- KNOW YOUR WHY When times get tough financial barriers, customer issues, ...

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The POWER of our WORDS!

A couple of years ago, I was challenged by my business coach with a question: What are you doing to increase Leadership on your team Cheri? I was meeting with them weekly, talking about business growth and development, and giving them opportunities to attend life-changing events, but as I reflected on the question, I realized that I did not have a FORMAL leadership path or plan in my company. So I decided to make a change. It’s funny how a simple decision can rock your world! Over the past...

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How to Work from Home 101

Circumstances can change the way we do a lot of things including the way we work! Right now in America, LOTS of people are working remotely- while it is not a NEW trend, it was a RAPID move for many businesses. Years ago, we were faced with circumstances that resulted in the resignation of a trusted and valuable staff member. At the time, we had never even considered a remote workforce. Today before COVID-19 we have 6 remote staff members. I’ve asked Hope- the team member who caused me to ...

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Taking Down Life's Fences

Sometimes when life gets crazy, some good old-fashioned work can take your mind off things for a bit. This weekend, Dean and I decided to take down an old fence. As we began the task, I was transported back 10 years- to the day we put the fence in. My father had reached a point in his life where he could no longer ride horses and he made the decision to give his stallion, Bucky, to me. I remember the excitement of putting in the fence- the shiny tractor we used, the many trips to Shurway Buildin...

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Credit Card Disputes: 3 Tips to reduce and possibly eliminate disputes

Conflict is a part of life and in the credit card processing world, we sure have our fair share of conflict! A 'Credit Card Dispute' happens when a customer is not happy with their purchase for any reason and they choose to contact their card issuing bank to reverse the credit card transaction. These disputes have many impacts on merchants and the credit card processing industry overall. Merchant Account Approvals: Because consumers have up to 6 months past any implied warranties to dispute a tr...

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Keep Your Cash Flow- Flowing

There are lots of great things to enjoy in our businesses- POOR cash flow is not one of them! In order to keep your cash flow flowing, it is important that your merchant account be set up properly. Our team is in the habit of doing these things but just in case you accidentally chose a different processor, keep these things in mind! When setting up a merchant account, underwriting departments use a series of guidelines to 'approve' the account for credit card activity. Credit Worthiness Industry...

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Our Heroic Journey Begins!

2019 was one of those years that delivered on every aspect of business here at TMC! Opportunity - Every new year holds a certain amount of ‘Promise’ and to the degree that we embrace it, promise usually delivers! We were blessed with many new opportunities and were fortunate enough to make good on many of them! How you approach your New Year has a massive impact on your overall business results. Growth - IF you take advantage of the opportunities, barring any cataclysmic event, the n...

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Satisfaction vs. Loyalty

Simply telling people that "We have GREAT Customer Service" falls on deaf ears these days- why? Because the easiest thing in the world is to promise a GREAT Customer Service experience!! Do any of these situations sound familiar? Thank you for calling ABC Company, your business is VERY important to us- please HOLD. TRANSLATION: Thank you for calling ABC Company, your business is so important, that we are inadequately staffed to handle your call. You enter a business and wait to be greeted- sever...

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Life Outside Of Your Comfort Zone

In order to reach our goals and dreams, oftentimes we have to venture outside of our comfort zones because that is where life gets interesting! You might be thinking 'interesting'- GREAT ! I do not need any more 'interesting' in my life and operating every single day is tough enough without moving outside of my comfort zone! But hear me out- there truly is LIFE: Outside of Your Comfort Zone. COMFORT ZONE DEFINED: Psychology a situation or position in which a person feels secure, comfortable, or ...

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Don’t Give Away $$

With the Holiday season right around the corner we wanted you to be aware of a very popular scam that happens. With SOLID processes in place, you can prevent this type of fraud from happening to you and your team! Here is the most recent scenario: A customer/member walks into your business or Credit Union and attempts to make a purchase or process a cash advance. When you run the card, you receive an error message - typically "Call" or "CIB" which stands for 'Call Issuing Bank' or possibly "Hold...

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We Are In This Together!

Owning a business can be as thrilling as a great roller coaster ride! All the ups and the downs in business and it just makes sense that those experiences would fuel our forward progress and if we let them, the forward progress of others! Here is what we have learned over the years. Every Business Has The Same Basic Elements: No matter how different businesses are, they all have the same basic elements. Sales, Cost of Goods Sold, Employees, Vendors, etc. No matter what challenges you face it is ...

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You've Got The Power

Many people equate business ownership with POWER . And, depending upon your definition- I would have to agree. Small business owners have an opportunity to have an amazing amount of positive influence by leveraging the REAL POWER generated by their businesses and not the abuses we hear so much about on the news. Here are some examples of the kinds of POWER your team can generate when you are committed to making a powerful & positive difference! The POWER of Integrity Based Business Dealings ...

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Credit Card Processing Rules

There are times in life when you really SHOULD follow the rules! Accepting credit cards is DEFINITELY one of those times! The operating rules and regulations are designed to protect card holders, financial institutions and lastly- the merchant. When you are aware of the rules as a business owner, you help reduce your risk for having your money held by the processing companies and you play a large part in reducing credit card fraud. Since cash flow is such a critical part of being in business, re...

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Fill’er Up!

Y ou can’t give out of an empty vessel! Many new business owners go into their adventure thinking they will have more control over their time and better opportunities financially- being the boss certainly has it perks! But as the days, months and years roll by, many of us end up spending way more than our 40 hours per week crafting our businesses and if we are not careful- we end up with very little personal time. After 22 years in this business, Dean and I decided to TRUST what we had cre...

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BOOK REVIEW: Sometimes You Win Sometimes You Learn

This is a review of the book Sometimes You Win Sometimes You Learn, by John C. Maxwell. I learned that even though we always strive for success which is our desired end result we actually learn more when we lose. It is better to take action and fail as long as we learn something from the failure than to do nothing. John is a great story teller sharing stories from his personal experiences along with the experiences of other well-known people who have overcome shortcomings and mistakes on their w...

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Social Media & Feedback In the Business World

Social Media has changed the face of customer feedback. For better or worse, we are living in a new age. The way we communicate with each other is so very important and it is safe to say that there are pros and cons for the high tech way we talk to each other today. Easier- YES, better- maybe. Better technology has helped in many areas: It has made it easier to provide the kind of feedback that can help businesses get better. It has made it easier to sing the praises of a great business. It has ...

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Check Up from the Neck Up

Each month this year, our team will be focusing our Social Media posts and our growth process internally on a single theme. This month is : Check Up from the Neck Up I’ll never forget the first time I heard Zig Ziglar talk about getting a ‘Check Up from the Neck Up’. His southern drawl really drove home the point and I bought it. What Zig was talking about was how much control we really do have; by the way we feed and train ourselves to think. When trouble strikes, do you insta...

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BOOK REVIEW: The Magic Question

A NEW FEATURE for our blog will be our Book Reviews and BOY do we have a good one for you this month! David Cottrell's THE MAGIC QUESTION is a game changer of a book. Brief yet powerful, well written and filled with great tips and exercises to elevate your team. It is possible to get everyone on your team asking the question that counts; How Can I Help! The author clearly lines out the 6 questions your team is constantly asking themselves and why you need to be answering those questions for the...

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Should I accept Credit Cards At My Daycare?

It's funny how technology can change the way we do everything including paying for our child's daycare! If you own a daycare center, you may have found yourself wrestling with the question; to accept credit cards or not to accept credit cards that is the question....the answer? Depends on your business model and your desired end result! #1- 'IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT!' This may seem like strange advice coming from a credit card processing company but if your current business model does not ...

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Rites of Passage

Total Merchant Concepts turned 21 years old this month- no small feat in the business world. Since we started the business the same year our son Tyler was born, he also turned 21 this month! During our celebration, a few things reminded me of the various Rites of Passage not only in our personal lives, but in the lives of our businesses. LONGEVITY IS EARNED: In order for a child to grow into a 21 year old, certain precautions have to be taken. Safety measures and guidance are required. Our busin...

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How Lessons From a Massage Can Help Your Business!

There are few things better than a great massage! This past week I was enjoying some amazing hands and we struck up a conversation that made me think of business- strange! Yes- right there in the middle of working the kinks out of the old body I found some great business tips. Amazing what you find when you are looking TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT: Before our session began, my therapist asked me a series of questions that helped him identify what I needed. In our world, we have to begin with understand...

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How Gratitude Advances Marketing

In her Forbes Magazine Article, Cheryl Conner discusses how gratitude impacts marketing. Here are some specific tips related to some very powerful Social Media Platforms the link at the bottom will take you to the full article! YouTube. Share videos on various social networking sites that speak to your interests and principles, while also commenting to express your appreciation of their content and their value to you. Twitter . Twitter provides the ideal opportunity to show gratitude for someone...

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Business As Usual: Dealing With the Unexpected

Did you LAUGH when you read the title of the blog? Is there anything USUAL about being in business- not usually! As a business owner, I LOVE it when things seem like they are going the way they should but I always need to be prepared for the unexpected. The same thing is true with your credit card processing.. Typically, your credit card processing system works the way it should and all systems are go. But when it doesn’t, it can make business life pretty hectic and worse, it can interrupt...

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