Is Facebook a plus for the small business owner or just another chatting station? While I haven’t interacted much in Facebook reading others blogs it just might be helpful in getting the news out about your business. In ‘2008 Facebook came out with a feature called Pages which was designed specifically for businesses. While many features are the same at the chatty social network the pages are designed for posting photos, videos, updates and use applications. You can become a part of larger groups of people with the same type business as yourself. If you have friends who allow potential seekers to gain access through their contentious stream is also a good way of networking. A little interest might just spark good business. Hey, you can look at it this way, you can get I thousands of people faces in just a matter of minutes – free advertising! I understand that Facebook has some privacy issues that may be of concern.

Customer Service Please - Google Checkout or PayPal

According to some blog reports PayPal is the best way to go when possible returns are involved. Most purchasers prefer to have access to a live customer service representative, but unfortunately Google Checkout does not provide live assistance. The “Help” search is all that is available which frustrates most purchasers.
As for returns PayPal has a fraudulent return policy with NO time limit on refunds, whereas Google Checkout only allows 60-days for return of purchases. My suggestion ALWAYS read AND PRINT the return/cancellation policy – buyer be ware!
When you set up an account with PayPal you are debited directly from your bank account or participates in the peer-to-peer program which gives bonuses for using the service, where as, an account is set-up directly with Google Checkout.
Now the deciding factor is what is MOST important? Well, if you are the buyer it might be the return policy but for the seller overall price may be the determining factor. Google’s transaction fee’s a less than PayPals AND when using Adwords the fee (according to spending in Adwords) may be $0.

eCommerce Made Easy

Hey, something new for the big thing in a small package – small business. As in times past you had to do all of the tedious foundation designs for your website on your own, from integrating shop, thinking of labels, to organizing and tracking stock and setting up the best strategy so your site will be easily identified by various search engines. E-Commerce has done the groundwork for you, have I already say it is Free! All you have to do is add your merchandise, eCommerce will do the rest. There is no commission received from your merchandise sales, ever! The freeWebstore allows you to sale around the world, all denominations of currency are accepted, from the Dollar to the Zloty. You can even provide coupons to you customers to use during checkout. Your customers will have several choices of payment, from Google Checkout, PayPal, WorldPay and Nochex (mostly for UK customers). Once again this is all Free! to the small package-small business person (me one day). I don’t know about you but this is worth doing research.

http://www.freewebstore.org/website/index.html

N the Wink of An Eye Coast to Coast - Business to Buds

Twitting seems to be the new craze in social networking. Sending and receiving “tweets” in real time gives on the spot happenings in your neighborhood to around the world.
Here are few reason why I think Tweeting can be the best thing since a hot apple dumpling with vanilla ice cream; Microblogging- sending messages in what is termed as “tweets”. The messages are 140 characters or less. Short and to the point; Quick answers – since twitter is in real time questions and answers can be exchanged in the blink of an eye almost. This is truly an asset to the on the go business person. Twitter is able to interface with FaceBook, ActiveRain and other social networks so the user never misses a tweet. Not wasting valuable time waiting for the phone to ring can save money; Seeking employment- becoming a seeker for the first time or looking to expand your horizons Twitter can put your name all over the world in a matter of minutes, Coordination events with friends and family – from Christmas homecomings to lunch with a friend Twitter brings everyone together from the east to the west coast in minutes. While interaction is limitless each twitter has the option to remain private or going public, where anyone can become a follower or being followed, the choice is yours.

The Merger That Works

Before we can understand how Google Checkout and e-Commerce tie together we must first understand them individually.
In essence e-Commerce also know in the business world as the electronic market, is the buying and selling of products and services over the internet. Many different vendors, host and buyers use the World Wide Web and sometimes e-mail when necessary to contract business.
In today’s society a consumer purchasing a text book from Azamon.com is thought to be a simply transaction, but in actually there are many components involved. Not just buyer to seller, but the hosting website of the purchase, the processing center where the initial transaction was made, the bank that the funds are being transferred from to pay for the book, then back to the consumer when the merchandise is received. This is eCommerce in a nut shell. It is all parties involved.
As for Google Checkout the goal is to make everything as simple and secure as possible. The buyer’s personal information is stored in an encrypted fashion that when they are ready to purchase from a merchant who allows the Google checkout icon to be displayed on their web page buyers can purchase at participating stores at the click of a button.
Now we see how Google Checkout and eCommerce tie together. Both are web based which benefits the buyer by being protected from fraudulent use of personal information and sellers being able to increase sales by real-time transactions – Anytime day or night.