Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts

Sep 7, 2011

Comment installer un moyen de paiement par carte bancaire sur un site

Il existe différents moyens de créer une boutique en ligne pour vendre des produits en ligne. Mais on ne peut pas imaginer de faire une boutique sur Internet sans permettre de payer par carte bancaire.
Dans le processus de déroulement d’une commande, la phase de paiement en ligne par carte bancaire est une étape particulièrement délicate.
Vous pouvez faire un sans faute dans l’architecture de votre boutique, le marketing, l’accroche du client, et perdre votre client dans la dernière étape simplement à cause d’un détail qui a fait fuir le client. Cela peut être une incompréhension du processus de paiement, ou une méfiance face à un terme affiché, ou simplement parce que votre visiteur ne connaît pas la banque par lequel vous désirez qu’il paye.
Choisissez un site francophone :
Première règle, n’envoyer pas votre client potentiel vers une page sur lequel in devra laisser son numéro de carte bancaire qui soit en anglais et avec un nom exotique. Rien dans sur une telle erreur, vous pouvez perdre 40% de commande.
Attention aux commissions fixes :Lorsque vous devrez choisir votre moyen de paiement, faites attention aux frais fixes. Si vous vendez un produit à 3 Euro est que vous avez des frais fixes de 0,5 Euro, vous risquez de perdre votre marge.
Un moyen de paiement pour tester, Paypal :
Si vous débutez votre activité avec la philosophie de tester sans prendre de risque en créant une entreprise avec la forme d’auto entrepreneur, vous serez peut être désireux d’adopter la même philosophie concernant le moyen de paiement
Le système Paypal a des avantages et des inconvénients : 
Le gros intérêt de ce système est sa facilité d’installation technique et administrative. Pas besoin d’être ingénieur informatique pour mettre cette solution de paiement en place, et inutile de prendre rendez-vous avec une banque, ouvrir un compte, ou présenter un bilan ou un business plan.
D’autre part, c’est un système fiable. Les problèmes techniques sont plutôt rares.
Les inconvénients tiennent sur trois points :
D’abord, certains clients ont entendu parler de personnes qui s’étaient fait piratées leur compte Paypal. De ce fait, ils font à tord un amalgame avec pirater un compte Paypal et pirater un compte bancaire. Ils n’osent donc pas saisir leur numéro d compte bancaire pour payer dans une page Paypal. On peut en effet payer par carte bancaire sans ouvrir de compte Paypal. Généralement, les gens qui ont eu leur compte Paypal piraté sont des personnes qui à un moment ou un autre donné imprudemment leur mot de passe Paypal. Elles ont généralement été victime d’un Email qui demande ‘’une mise à jour ‘’ de leurs coordonnées, ce que Paypal ne fait jamais.
Le système Paypal est au contraire très sécurisé, et ne pose aucun problème de fonctionnement. Ne communiquez jamais vos identifiants, un point c’est tout.
Le deuxième inconvénient est que ce service est plus cher que de passer par une banque. C’est la contre partie de la simplicité d’installation.
Et enfin le troisième problème est qu’en cas de litige avec un acheteur, Paypal donne toujours raison à l’acheteur. C’est en tout les cas ce que nous avons remarqué après quelques années d’expérience. Si par exemple un acheteur achète sur votre boutique un produit, et qu’il ouvre un litige parce soit disant il n’a pas reçu le produit, ou que le produit ne lui plait pas, ou que le produit ne fonctionne pas, Paypal annulera au bout du compte la transaction, et vous en serez pour vos frais. Ce qui n’est pas normal car le vendeur n’est pas forcement responsable.
Mais il fait noter que ces cas sont rare, et que ce système reste un très bon moyen pour débuter votre commerce en ligne.
Après quelques temps, le chiffre d’affaire de votre boutique devrait augmenter et vous devrez vous tourner vers un système de paiement par carte bancaire plus économique. Comparez cependant les tarifs Paypal, et contactez-les, car les frais de transactions peuvent baisser en fonction du chiffre d’affaire.
Vous pouvez aussi avoir intérêt de proposer plusieurs formes de paiement sur votre boutique en ligne. Paypal, carte bancaire, chèque, virement bancaire. Votre devoir de commerçant étant de ne perdre aucun client.
Parmi les solutions de paiements proposés par les banques, vous avez deux solutions. Soit vous utilisez leur système dans leur entier, soit vous ouvrez simplement un compte bancaire, et un compte VAD. Pour la transaction, vous passerez par un autre prestataire.
Par exemple vous pouvez utiliser Ogone pour traiter les paiements. Cette société belge vous proposera des frais de transaction particulièrement bon marché.

Jun 1, 2011

International Phone Calling Cards – Touching Base With Home

It is hard to move or even travel internationally with some assurance that you will be able to talk to your loved ones on a frequent basis. Thank god for international calling cards. If you are moving to another country these may not be a use to you as you are probably able to get a reasonable plan from your phone company. However if you are traveling abroad it can be difficult to get in touch with people in your home country. Okay so most cities have internet cafes nowadays but if you are anything like me you like to hear your mother’s actual voice once in a while, not just to read her words on a computer screen.
So before you travel it would probably be in your best interest to investigate some international phone calling cards. Now I have actually found a website on the internet-surprise surprise-that provides you with rate information on different calling cards, http://www.masterbell.com/. For example I searched for information for calling Venezuela from the United States and the web page gave me 20 different calling cards. Now I would say this is a pretty thorough search.
From this information you are able to at least estimate how much it will cost your family and friends to get in touch with you. All you have to do is reverse the search to find out how hard it will be for you to keep in touch with them.
Now the hard part might actually be finding the calling cards with the best rates in your home town. Well, aren’t you lucky, this website even allows you to order the cards online and to refill them? It is amazing what you can do with the internet nowadays. So, here you go, no more worries. Finding international phone calling cards is like every thing else these days; as simple as searching on the internet.

What are the Most Common Ways to Commit Identity Theft or Fraud

It’s the number one source of consumer complaints at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and unfortunately, it’s one of the simplest crimes to commit. Identity theft involves information from your daily life, from shopping, bill-paying, and even applying for a job. Thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your personal information, including your Social Security number (SSN), bank or credit card account numbers, income, name, address, or phone number, and use it to commit fraud or other crimes.
How can a stranger get to your information? According to the FTC, identity thieves may pose as legitimate representatives of an organization, as business professionals or agents of the government, conning you into revealing sensitive information. Common scams include impersonating employees from banks, credit card companies, Internet service providers, and utility companies. If someone calls you claiming to represent a legitimate organization, confirm this by calling the customer service number listed on your statement or bill.
Thieves may also use your place of employment to get the information they need. A co-worker may steal information from your employer; someone could hack into your company’s computer and copy employee records; or a criminal could resort to the old-fashioned method of bribing someone you work with for your information. Check with your employer to find out the company policy on securing your records and disposing of them when you’re gone.
If your employer is authorized to pull credit reports on employees or potential customers, someone could take advantage of this access to retrieve illegal reports. Criminals may also pose as employers, landlords, or collection agents to pull your credit information. It’s a good idea to order a copy of your credit report once a year to check for unauthorized entries.
Shredding your documents before you throw them away is also good idea, whether at work or at home. Identity thieves have been known to sift through garbage, in the trash can or at the dump, to find sensitive information. <
The most common form of identity theft is credit card fraud. Technology has allowed criminals to begin stealing your credit or debit card numbers as you use the cards, “skimming” them with an information storage device. In addition, thousands of drivers’ licenses and credit and debit cards are stolen each year. Keeping your Social Security card in a secure location and safeguarding your purse or wallet while at work are necessary precautions.
Even your mail is a source for identity thieves, who may complete credit card applications in your name and go on a spending spree. After stealing your bank or credit card statements, tax information, or box of replacement checks, criminals are able to access your accounts and spend the funds in your name. They may even change the address on your existing account, diverting the bills to keep you from recognizing the problem until it’s too late. Being aware of your billing cycles can help you catch a discrepancy in the arrival of your statements.
Identity thieves have a variety of ways to use your information for their personal gain. They may shop for big-ticket items using your credit or bank account information and then sell the items for cash. With your SSN and date of birth, they can open new bank accounts or apply for lines of credit. In fact, banks have granted loans to criminals using stolen identities for purchases as large as cars.
Telephone or internet service can be set up using your SSN. Thieves can avoid impending eviction or accumulated debt by filing bankruptcy in your name. Perhaps the most emotionally traumatic, police could issue a warrant for you if a criminal was arrested using your name and failed to appear at a court hearing.

Tips to maximize the sale of your business

Question: How can I maximize the amount of cash I receive when I sell my business?
Answer: Acquire every last after tax dollar and get paid in cash. Also, follow three critical steps before proceeding:
1. Preplan the sale of your business. This should not be a spur of the moment decision. Rather, it should be well planned in advance. Though it is not possible to control the external environment, such as interest rates and strength of the economy, it is possible to plan for an orderly transition. Start thinking about some obvious sources for a potential buyer. For example, should an employee be groomed for possible succession? Might a good customer be interested in acquiring your business in the event of its sale?
2. Recognize the importance of finding the right buyer. Most businesses don’t have a value that is set in stone. Instead they have a range of value. This means that different buyers will have different perceptions of the same business’s value. It becomes important to pre-plan your confidential marketing effort to gain exposure to multiple buyers, especially synergistic buyers. Synergistic buyers are those individuals who, because of their location, complimentary customer base, financial resources or market position, can profit more from owning your business and are therefore willing to pay more.
3. Consider getting professional help. Unless you have a background in taxes, legal issues and merger and acquisition work, you will probably unknowingly make a multitude of costly mistakes by trying to sell your business yourself. Those mistakes may cost you substantially more than any fees paid for competent professional assistance. Do some homework on various alternatives. Become informed by attending seminars regarding tax issues, estate planning, and so on. Ask your CPA or lawyer to recommend “general knowledge” seminars that might assist your learning curve.
Question: How do I legitimately minimize my tax obligations when I sell my business?
Answer: Plan well in advance by reviewing your corporate structure on an ongoing basis. This will enable you to maximize the amount of proceeds you retain from your business’s eventual sale.
As one would expect, the tax rules make it difficult for any quick fixes that give rise to immediate benefits. Consider changes to structure now that may result in more favorable tax treatment when the business is sold in five or ten years.
Start by getting up to speed on recent developments in the tax code. Chances are the code is very different today than when you bought or started your business. So sit down with your professional advisor and review your current business structure and its appropriateness for your business’s eventual sale.
For example, if you are structured as a corporation, the substantial difference to your after tax dollars on sale depends on whether you proceed with an “asset” sale or a “stock” sale. Selling the corporation’s assets can result in proceeds being taxed at the corporate level as well as the individual level when the remaining proceeds are distributed to the stockholders. However, if the stockholders sell their stock, it is likely that capital gains provisions would apply. The difference this makes to retained proceeds can be enormous.
Paying our share of taxes in the United States is an economic reality of life. Yet after tax dollars in the sale of a corporation can vary between 45 percent and 85 percent of the sales price based solely on tax structuring issues. The earlier you start planning for the sale of your business, the more likely you will be to minimize tax obligations.
Question: When is the best time to sell your business?
Answer: The best time to sell your business is determined through a careful consideration of the factors that can and cannot be controlled to maximize the amount of cash you receive. These factors include:
Environmental/External Issues- Beyond our Control
Low interest rates and a low inflation environment with plenty of liquidity and a buoyant economy create an ideal scenario for mergers and acquisitions. Clearly, we have enjoyed this scenario in the United States over the last few years. As a consequence, there has been a flurry of activity in corporate America as well as small business America. Well-run, sound businesses are selling relatively easily for nice multiples. Yet, as we all know, the economy goes in cycles. If the sale of your business is on the immediate horizon, then perhaps consideration should be given to bring the “sell” decision forward in order to take advantage of these robust conditions.
Internal Issues-Within our Control
A potential buyer is going to pay significantly more for a business that demonstrates a consistent track record of growing revenues and profitability. However, all too often a business is allowed to stagnate or even decline because the owners have taken their foot off the accelerator. Getting “burned out” and other health issues are probably the most often cited reason for a small business owner wanting to sell. This is understandable, but also often controllable. Recognize the warning signs and take whatever corrective action possible. Again, choosing to sell for a good price while the business is buoyant is far superior to forcing a sale because of health or other issues that have impacted revenues and reduced the business’s value.
Above all, think with the head and not with the heart. A decision to sell can be very difficult for a host of good reasons. Most small businesses don’t have boards of directors holding management accountable. However, sometimes it is prudent to seek outside objective advice from respected confidantes or professionals. These individuals bring a fresh perspective and insight that will assist you in making good strategic decisions for the future of your business.
Question: When a business is sold, what liabilities are the buyer responsible for and which remain the obligation of the seller?
Answer: In general, whether it is as an asset sale or a stock sale, just remember that sellers are obligated to provide “lien free” assets to the buyer. While all transactions are unique, buyers will typically assume liability for the following: leaseholds related to real estate, unless they are relocating the business; accounts payable (and if they do they will also get the accounts receivable); advertising commitments such as Yellow Page contracts; customer deposits, provided seller relays to buyer a like amount of cash; and any other liabilities that are agreed upon in writing.
Sellers will typically be obligated to pay off out of the sale proceeds the following: lines of credit; installment debt and/or leases related to vehicles, computers, equipment; all obligations to employees up to the date of closing; all tax related matters; and all other debt that has any claim against any of the assets that are being transferred to the buyer.
There is another issue related to liabilities. The seller is obligated to give the buyer strong “warranties and representations” (guarantees) that there are no undisclosed or unknown liabilities that might create claims against the assets being sold. The California Bulk Sales Law essentially states that a buyer can be held liable for goods transferred to him or her that has not been paid for by the seller. Obviously, all buyers want and are entitled to protection from having to pay for the same goods twice.
In summary, it is essential that both buyer and seller commit to having everything in writing (i.e. no verbal agreements) and that both sides be represented by competent legal advice before signing on the dotted line.