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| There are a host of plug-in processors! |
This is HUGE for the emerging artist! I mean HUGE! Do you hear me? HUGE, HUGE, HUGE! I can't count how many times over the past year that I've heard artists complain about lost sales at craft fairs, etc due to customers not carrying enough cash. The difference this makes is absolutely and unequivocally indisputable. The proof for me was my recent gig - a little tiny art function in Princeton called Hey Day. The entire event saw only 600 people - a fraction of which entered the barn to view the artwork. And yet I netted sales in 5 hours that surpassed my show which was up for 2 entire months!!!
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| The person signs with their fingertip! |
Credit card processors for the phone are low-cost (or not cost) and so easy to use that even a monkey could do it. Receipts are sent by email (PERFECT for capturing folks for your mailing list) to both buyer and seller. Deposits are made directly to your bank account generally within 48 hours. Weekend sales will see a slight delay - usually posting on Tuesday. If you are an artist who is tired of starving, then you need to step it up and take your business seriously. You ARE a business and as such you need to have the ability to accept all forms of payment - not just cash. In addition, the professionalism factor here is epic. Customers considering your work (especially collectors) are looking at you with a critical eye. The more professional you appear, the more confidence the customer has in your abilities which translates into you being a more viable investment for them than the hobby artist at the next table! So what are you waiting for? Get your butt in gear - go get one of the merchant accounts and watch your sale increase exponentially!
That's interesting. But how do you get custumers e-mail? Do you have to ask for it? Cause I would want a receipt right there. I don't think my credit or debit cards have my e-mail so I can't imagine how that goes.
ReplyDeleteYou ask the customer right there if they want their receipt emailed. They give you the email address and off it goes. The info is not stored (though it is on the receipt that is emailed to you)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there was more than one app beyond Square, which I'd heard about. I'd like to share an experience I had with a Square-user:
ReplyDeleteI was at a farmers market and saw some beautiful yarn that was calling to me. I had no cash (DARN!) but I had some funds in my Paypal account if the vendor took credit cards. She was over the age of 55 and I figured IF she took credit cards, she was using those old hand machines. She told me she was using SQUARE with her I-PHONE! You could have knocked me over with a feather as this 'hip grandma' proceeded to use her I-phone to process the sale and inform me of each step of the process! She confided that she was a bit of a techno-phobe, until she learned how to use an I-phone and she loves how the Square system sends an email to let you know the transaction is completed. She did not ask for my email, but gave me a hand written receipt and I could see the transaction in my Paypal account later that afternoon...This woman was VERY HAPPY with using Square and the ability to take credit card purchases and I was excited to see the process in action. My dear boyfriend can tell you just how excited I was about the whole transaction! =-)
I tell you, if an 'older woman' who is a confessed 'techno-phobe' can learn to use Square and be EXCITED about it, anyone can use this awesome technology =-)
Now if only I could get an I-pad and Square, doing craft shows would be a truly worthwhile venture for me!
Thank you for the link in this awesome post and thank you for visiting my blog!!
@The Creative Beast I'm sooo glad you found this useful! I'm all about sharing what I'm learning. Becoming a "professional" artist has certainly been a learning experience via hard knocks so if I pave the way for others behind me, then I consider myself successful :)
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