Archive for the ‘Ecommerce’ Category

I have known John Lawson for almost 4 years now.  John and I met when he was in attendance at a SCORE Atlanta seminar I was teaching. I was impressed with him then and I am even more impressed with what he has accomplished as an eBay Platinum PowerSeller.

John was most recently feature as “On Fire” in the Startup Nation Home Based 100 contest Please visit this site to help John win this contest by voting for him every day.

If you have been thinking about starting an eBay business, now is the time according to one of John’s 5 secrets he shares with our Solopreneurs. Take a listen to our one-on-one conversation and then head over to John’s Blog Colderice.com and get more insight and education on the ins and outs of running a successful eBay business.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

[podcast]http://2thenextlevel.com/2blogs/john_lawson_eBay_secrets_tim_intro_mwhite_end.mp3[/podcast]

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As I have said in my previous post, “PayPal.com Makes Ecommerce Easy for Solopreneurs” I have been a PayPal member for 8 years so I am definitely hooked on using them for my business. Over the years I have learned many of the ins and outs of using the PayPal service. Here are my top ten tips on using your PayPal account.

1. Upgrade your account from Personal to Business.
   If you have not done this already upgrade your account to a PayPal Business account. A PayPal personal account is very limited and won’t give you all the features you need to help you run your business. Two main reasons. You can operate a PayPal Business account under your business name you can also accept credit card payments from non-PayPal account holders. As great as PayPal is to your business to accept credit card payments not everyone wants or needs a PayPal account. Click here for more information on upgrading.
2. Apply for the PayPal Debit Card: By now you have hopefully had your PayPal account for some time but you may not know about getting your own PayPal Debit Card. The PayPal Debit card will allow you instant access to the money in your PayPal account from any ATM machine. Solopreneurs need to have direct access to funds that will allow them to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Your PayPal Debit card will also give you Cash Back with the PayPal Preferred Rewards program. This rewards program provides 1% cash back on the net amount of your eligible monthly purchases.
   
3. Use the PayPal Invoicing Service. One of the best features that I use almost every day is the PayPal Invoicing service. Not only can I send out professional electronic invoices via email but once they are received by my clients, the invoice includes a link that allows them to make a payment by credit card. After sending your invoice you also have the option of saving that same invoice as a template for future use with other clients. I use this feature so much I wish PayPal would raise the number of templates you can save, which at this date happens to be 10.
   
   
4. Add a Bank Account or Credit card to your PayPal account. Having a bank account and/or a credit card attached to your PayPal account is good for two very important reasons. First you need a bank account in order to transfer money in or out of your PayPal account. Second it is always smart to have that bank account or credit card available as a backup just in case your PayPal account cannot cover the amount you need to make an online purchase.
5. Beware E-check Payments. If you are paid by a PayPal E-Check don’t ship anything or render service until the E-Check has cleared. An E-check is just like a traditional check. It takes about 3-5 business days to clear. The amount of that E-check will show a pending status and will not change to paid until the funds are available and visible in your PayPal account.
6. Open a Second or Third PayPal account. This is not a feature but something I would advise to those who are selling services or products on eBay. PayPal was purchased by eBay a few years ago because PayPal was the number one way most eBay sellers and buyers did commerce. Selling on eBay is a wonderful thing but can turn ugly if a person who makes a purchase from you disputes the charge or is unhappy with the condition of the item purchased. Now that PayPal and eBay are owned by the same company, PayPal/eBay have every right to freeze your PayPal account until the dispute is settled.
   PayPal does this to protect against fraud. Having a second PayPal account can keep your eBay business flowing and keep your customers happy until your main PayPal account is back in good standing.
7. Download and Install the PayPal Plugin. The PayPal Plugin is one of the newest and most security contentious feature PayPal has introduced. This plugin has two great qualities. The first is the ability for it to sense an ecommerce form on any chosen shopping cart checkout page. Once detected you have the option to auto fill all your PayPal information, cutting down the time that one has to take filling out forms to make a purchase with just the press of a button. The second quality allows you to create a randomly generated credit card number further enhancing the security of not giving out your real credit card number online.
   
8. Place the PayPal Referral link on your blog or website. If you are like me and enjoy sharing great web 2.0 tools with your clients and friends. You wouldn’t mind getting compensated for letting people know how they can benefit from using PayPal. The Merchant Referral Bonus Program allows you to Earn up to $1,000.00 dollars for Each Referral.
   
   
9. Get a PayPal Security Key. This little device is PayPal’s answer to all the Phishing scams that are happening with the banking industry. You can get this device for Free if you have a Business Account. It will come in the mail from PayPal and is small enough to put on your key chain. All you have to do is press the button on the front of the device to get a randomly generate six digit number that is exclusive to your PayPal account. This just gives you another layer of protection against those who are always trying to get at your account information.
   
10. Get the PayPal Virtual Terminal. The PayPal Virtual Terminal is the ultimate way you can take your PayPal account on the road. If you are selling your products or services at events like trade shows or your own speaking engagements. The Virtual Terminal is like an online version of the credit card swipe machines used in stores. As long as you have an internet connection via your laptop and Wifi or access via smart phones like the Apple I-Phone you can take credit card orders and get them processed within minutes.
    These are just a few of the tips I have learned over the years using PayPal. Please make some comments on some of the many tips you have learned in using PayPal or comment on how some of the 10 tips I shared have helped your business.

All the best

JB

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I have been a Paypal.com account holder for eight years now and I am amazed at how much money I have made using their service. If you are not yet familiar with PayPal and are a Solopreneur or a Small Business owner you are leaving a lot of money at risk. I say at risk because if you don’t have a way to accept credit cards/debit cards for payment on your goods or services you not only risk losing business but you also risk not getting paid at all.

The reason I became a PayPal.com member so long ago is because I had a contract with a major university to complete work on a website I was designing for their building services department. The department head was very impressed with my work and asked if I accept credit cards as a form of payment. I only accepted checks or cash at the time like most small businesses just starting out.

The amount they owed me could only be paid by the department head with his university issued credit card. The department head’s only choice was to send a check request to the director of the department, the director of the department sent a request to the purchasing department who then sent a request to the billing department who then 5 months later sent a check to me.

If only I had a traditional merchant account at that time. Most Solopreneurs or Small Business owners don’t need or can’t afford the cost involved to maintaining a merchant account. I didn’t have enough volume of business at that time to justify a merchant account so I was stuck waiting when it came to check payments from my clients.

PayPal.com to the rescue! Not only can I now accept credit cards of all types including American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover Card, I can also allow my clients to send me an eCheck through PayPal.com
PayPal.com also gives you an Invoicing tool that will send out professional invoices through email that will include a link back to PayPal.com to allow your client the ability to pay that invoice with their credit card.

Their once was a very popular commercial that a famous actor at that time Karl Malden did for the American Express Travelers Checks. The catch phrase at the end of the commercial was “Don’t Leave Home Without Them!” Well I do the same with my PayPal.com Debit Card. I don’t leave home without it. You can get a Free PayPal.com Debit Card with 60 days of good standing of creating your PayPal.com account. Once one of your clients or customers pays you through PayPal.com using their credit card the funds are automatically availble via your PayPal Debit Card.

There are so many other great features PayPal.com has to offer it will take more than one Blog Post to go over them. So if you are a Solopreneur or Small Business owner and want to expand the profit potential by accepting major credit cards for payment of your goods or services get THEE to the PayPal.com site NOW!

All The Best

JB

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Since I use most of these sites to help me run my business I wanted to list them so that you can make mention of some of the Web 2.0 sites that help you run your business. I have given a brief description on how I use each of these sites.
Please post comments on your top 10 Web 2.0 sites.

1. Zoho.com
2. PayPal.com
3. WordPress.com
4. Google Apps
5. Facebook.com
6. iContact.com
7. Logmein.com
8. Microsoft Live Small Business
9. Skype.com
10. Picnik.com

These 10 Web 2.0 website are actually in order of importance to my business. Your top 10 may look totally different and also might not be in the same order as mine. The top 5 are website I use daily. I do have many others that I use as well but these 10 are the ones I cannot do without.

1. Zoho.com (CRM, Spreadsheet, Word Processor,  Presentations, Database, Project Management, Organizer, Web Conferencing and many more)
Even though Zoho.com has not been around to long I still see it as my number one because of the way it helps me run my business. I mainly use it for the awesome and yes Free CRM but its all in one running a business capabilities are literately outstanding.

2. PayPal.com (Online Credit Card Payment System)
I have used PayPal.com the longest, going on 8 years now. I will talk more about PayPal.com in coming blog entries but for now I will only say it is a must have for any Solopreneurs business person that wants to get paid for their service or product via credit card today.

3. WordPress.com (Blogging)
This blog is using the WordPress.com technology. If you are just starting out in the blog world I suggest you start with Google’s Blogger.com but for a more professional and state of the art look and feel I would recommend WordPress.com.

4. Google Apps (Gmail, Google Doc + Spreadsheet, Google Calendar, Google Notebook, Google Adsense, Google Adwords, Google Anylitics, , , and many more)
Google Apps is a combination of Applications and Tools that can have a very big impact on your business. Gogge Apps could be considered a number one for most Solopreneurs and should be in most cases. It may move them up on my list in the coming months. In the mean time I will keep them here because my top 4 have just a little more influence on how my business runs everyday.

5. Facebook.com (Social Networking)
Facebook has taken everyone buy storm. If you don’t have a Facebook profile page get one today. Social networking is the future of business marketplace for Solopreneurs and business owners alike. Myspace is for the kids, dating and entertainment. Facebook is for those of us who want to market and promote our business to millions of like minded people.

6. iContact.com (Email Marketing)
Email marketing at its best. All the features your business needs to send out professional email campaigns. Remember email is still the most inexpensive and fastest way you can market your business to your targeted prospect and customer.

7. Logmein.com (Remote Support and Training)
I use this service both as a way to remotely log into my home computers when I am on the road or at a client site. I also use it to remotely train my clients without leaving the comforts of my home office. All you need is a quickly installed plugin and a Fast Access connection to the Internet on both ends.

8. Microsoft Live Small Business (Websites, Email, Online Advertising, CRM, Chat)
I can’t say enough about Microsoft Live Small Business because I regard it as the Best way a Soloprenuer can start out on the web. Where else can you get a starter website with domain name and branded email all for Free. Please see my previous blog post “Don’t Already Have a Website For Your Business? With Microsoft You Have No More ” for more information.
 
9. Skype.com (Long Distance and International Phone Calls, Chat, Video Conferencing)
Skype is the future of Internet Communication as far as I am concerned. I use it for making calls all over the united states and the world. Skype to Skype call are always free and Skype to land lines are really inexpensive. It is also a great video conferencing tool that will work with most of your existing web cam software.

10. Picnik.com (Graphics Editor, Photo Editing and Alteration)
Here is a great site for those of you who don’t want to pay an outrageous price for some of these photo and graphic editing software. Think of it as “Web 2.0 PhotoShop” without the cost and installation.

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