Here’s a tough question: What’s the one thing nearly all business owners consistently overpay for?

The answer is pretty surprising: Postage costs. Stamps, shipping charges, even the time it takes to go to the post office can all add up, costing thousands of dollars or more each year, depending on the volume of mail you ship. Most business owners don’t know exactly how much it costs to mail a particular parcel- so they end up “over stamping” and overpaying- often by quite a bit. Postal stores and shipping providers have overhead costs to meet, too- you pay for these when you’re charged to ship an item.

You can avoid overpayment- and create big savings- by using a postage meter. A postage machine, or digital mailing system, can calculate postage costs precisely, so you’ll never overpay, and can be used in-office, saving you trips to have packages shipped from other providers. Here’s a quick guide to using a postage meter:

How meters work
Postage meters are leased, and work similarly to a parking meter. You “fill up” by making a payment, and postage charges are drawn against your balance. Most meters allow you to “refill” when necessary, and some calculate monthly charges and send a bill- similar to paying for electricity costs. In addition to paying the postage charges, you’ll also need to lease the equipment. You can choose machines with advance features (scales, document feeders) or a simple stamp machine that just prints postage stamps on your outgoing mail.

Features
Mailing machine equipment can be very simple (a stamp machine) or very complex- some machines fold, collate, stamp, and stack bulk mailings containing several different printed pages. If your business sends large bulk mailings, you could benefit from such a machine. Machines can also be fitted with equipment to ship packages- you’ll weigh the parcel and arrange for the pickup online in a few simple steps. No matter which features you need, you can take advantage of cost savings- with a postage meter, shipping costs can be calculated down to the penny for each mailing, so you’ll never overpay.

Costs and billing
Equipment leasing costs can range from less than $20 a month to hundreds for sophisticated equipment designed to handle large volume mailings. You’ll pay for the postage machine equipment (the meter) as one bill, and pay postal charges according to current rates. Some meters only allow you to “pre-pay” postage charges, while other companies allow you to “pay as you go,” where you receive a bill for both postage and meter use costs at the end of a specified period of time. Pay-as-you-go options usually carry additional charges or fees.
You’ll generally sign a lease contract that specifies your terms of use for the meter. Longer term lease contracts can be significantly less expensive- if you’re willing to commit to a longer period of time using the equipment, you’ll get a better monthly rate. You can also choose to purchase a maintenance or service contract that covers repairs or part replacements over the life of the machine.

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According to Forbes Magazine, businesses that don’t accept credit cards lose as much as 70% of sales to competitors who do allow this method of payment. With the number of Americans that use credit cards to make purchases increasing every day, you can’t afford to lose this many potential customers or clients. Here’s a quick and easy, real-world tested guide to accepting credit cards:

Merchant Accounts: The Basics

The merchant account is the “middle man” between a credit card account and a business’ bank account. Businesses that only process cards online usually use gateway software that collects credit card information, where retail businesses typically use credit card swipe machines. Whichever method you use, it’s necessary to have a merchant account to collect the information, verify it with the customer’s credit card provider, and make the transfer of funds from their account to yours. Merchant account providers often “bundle” the costs of online processing software into the account service costs.

Billing
Generally, merchant account providers will assess a fee for each transaction, whether a sale or a return (a “chargeback”). These fees are a portion of the transaction amount or a specified dollar amount. Many companies require monthly minimums, and will charge your business the remaining amount if this minimum is not met. Billing occurs automatically, as each “batch” of transactions is processed, typically at the close of each business day. Vendors provide reports detailing transactions, charges, and payments made at specified intervals.

Transaction Types

The fee assessed for each transaction typically depends on the way the sale or return is recorded. Swipe machines or those with signature capture devices carry the lowest risk of fraud, and thus transactions are less expensive to process. Online transaction s or those that are “keyed in” are typically more expensive, depending on the security measures taken to record the transaction. Vendors assess higher fees for “chargeback” or return transactions.

Service Contracts

Most businesses sign a service agreement that covers a specified period of time. Canceling your account before the service term expires generally carries penalties and fees, much like breaking a lease. Your per-transaction and monthly minimum rates are set when you apply for an account and sign the service agreement. The best rates are reserved for those businesses with a stable financial history and high credit card sales volume- many vendors offer “tiered” rate structures, where the per-transaction rate decreases the higher your sales volume rises. Though newer businesses just starting out might not be eligible for the best rates right away, they can negotiate for better terms as the business becomes more profitable.

Equipment and Software

Credit card processing equipment and software costs are often included in the service contract you sign with a provider. If you own or manage a retail store, chances are you’ll only need hardware, such as a swipe terminal or a signature capture device. Businesses that sell products online can puchase “gateway” software that is billed along with the merchant account service bill. Credit card terminals can be purchased, financed, or leased. It’s always a good idea to ask if there are any discounted models, or if a certain model is included with an account agreement.

Choosing an Account Provider: Where to Start

The most popular places to find a merchant services provider are through referral or using a vendor match service. You can consult businesses similar to yours in terms of size and sales volume: Ask who they use as a provider, if they are satisfied with the service they receive, and if they have any particular recommendations. A vendor search service allows you to compare several different companies, ask for quotes, and choose a vendor based on your requirements. Make sure you compare several different merchant account providers before signing a contract for services.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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One of the best ways to save money is to start with the expenses that are the easiest to reduce. Over 68% of business owners cited “cost savings” as the primary reason they’d switch phone systems, according to a recent survey. Phone systems are an often overlooked source of cost savings. By switching to VoIP or a hosted service, you can save tens of thousands of dollars a year in service and maintenance costs alone. Here’s our real business-tested, expert approved, step-by-step strategy for switching to a more cost effective phone system:

Make a list of requirements. If you already have a phone system, this is easy. Do you need voicemail, videoconferencing, call monitoring features, or more? If you’re a brand-new business, start with the basics- ask around to see what kinds of features are absolutely necessary and pick a system where you can add features later on an as-needed basis.

Do a little research on types of systems. Phone systems basically come in 4 flavors- landlines, internet-based, and combination of both. Traditional landline systems (Regular PBX phone systems and KSU systems) that use routing software (if you need lots of extensions or features) can be housed in your office or off-site by a provider. Internet-based systems use an internet connection to route calls. The type of system you choose makes a BIG difference: according to a recent study, switching to VoIP can save a business with over 500 employees up to $300,000 yearly.

Work out the nuts and bolts. If you have a current provider, you’ll need to work out the particulars of the switch. Consider things like downtime, number portability, and installation timing. Switching from a traditional landline model to a hosted PBX or VoIP system can take up to a week.

Negotiate your contract. Before you sign a brand new contract with a new provider, consider bargaining with your current vendor for more services, features, and upgrades to save on your overall cost. If you’re satisfied with your current service, bargaining is a great way to save without the hassle of switching to a new provider. One of the best ways to lower your bill is to lengthen your contract, expanding it to include more services at a lower cost.

Consider all potential expenses. Consider costs beyond those quoted by your service provider for equipment and setup expenses. Training is a good example. VoIP or hosted systems can have complex features that employees will need to learn how to use. Make sure you have the available budget to pay for training- at the very least, to pay for the time it will take for employees to learn how to use the new system. Some setup costs might not be apparent in the quote, for example, fees associated with switching internet service providers or upgrading your connection to handle the additional traffic a VoIP system will create. Make sure you consider all costs associated with the switch to get the big-picture estimate for how much money you’ll end up saving.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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Article contributed by Michelle Ulrich

1.Social networks – how to work it
a.http://www.craigslist.com
b.http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com
c.http://www.ryze.com
d.Ning.com is a create-your-own social network site

2.Free Classified Ads
a.Backpage
b.Craigslist
c.MySpace – need to be a member with a profile, I believe

3.Teleclasses/Podcasts
a.These can be pre-recorded if you don’t want to interact with others
b.Teleclasses are great for getting the word out about your products/services; guest speakers can promote you to their list and increase your list on a monthly basis
c.Use www.fullcalendar.com to promote teleclasses and events

4.Joint Ventures – co-creation of…
a.New products
b.New teleclasses
c.New workshops
d.New podcasts
e.New ebooks
f.Limitless ideas…

5.Strategic Alliances
a.Promote one another via banner ad exchanges
b.Promote one another via ezine or newsletter mentions

6.Article submissions
a.Write an article – submit online
b.Repurpose into an ezine article or ezine series if article is long
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

7.Ezine submissions
a.Write an ezine – submit online to ezine banks
b.Repurpose into an article
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

8.Ezine with tips, resources, trends
a.Submit to ezine banks for additional subscribers

9.Blog
a.Blog or have someone else blog for you no less than 3x/wk
b.Pick a theme for each month to make it easy
c.Base the theme on your teleclasses and ezine, etc. to make all items/tasks easier to complete

10.Affiliate accounts
a.Amazon – book store, software store, web store, etc.
b.Commission Junction
c.Create your own affiliate account – essentially provides a means for others interested in your product a way for them to make a small percentage while you gain a virtual sales force

11.Blogtalk Radio – 15 mins – longer monologues or full blown radio show; record to podcast
a.Repurpose into an article
b.Repurpose into an ezine piece
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

12.Get involved; share your passion
a.Share your passion with others
i.Online
1.Social networks
2.Forums
3.Message boards
ii.In person
1.Networking
2.Volunteer opportunities in community
3.Church
4.Youth groups
5.Etc.
iii.Don’t forget to share your projects and/or websites with others

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation™, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members.

She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific time zone.

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Teleseminars are a great way to learn from experts without leaving the comfort of your home. No travel expenses, jet lag or cafeteria food to deal with makes them the perfect way for work-at-home moms to expand their business knowledge and skills.

More and more experts and authors are offering teleseminars on topics such as business, marketing, advertising and more. Many of these subjects are of interest, but can we as business owners really learn enough to make it worth the time and expense? In short, yes. However, there are a few important steps you should take when attending a teleseminar.

Make sure the speaker is qualified.

It’s fairly simple to set up a teleseminar and virtually anyone could do put one together. So, before investing in a seminar, do some quick research on the speaker(s) to be sure they are experienced in the areas they will be covering. Search for their name using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and see what results are returned. Also, if they have authored a book, take a look on Amazon and read any reviews/comments posted there.

Take notes.

If you’re like me, you have multiple projects on your mind, as well as your children, spouse, etc. With all of the information running through my brain, I tend to recall very little of what I hear during the day, even if it’s good information. In order to retain the information given during a teleseminar, don’t just sit and soak it up. Make the effort to listen closely and take notes. You’ll remember more of what was discussed and you’ll be able to refer to your notes in the future if necessary.

Speak up.

A teleseminar is similar to a massive conference call with one main person speaking. Because of the size and the virtual setting, many people feel unsure about speaking up and asking questions. However, you’ll do both yourself and the speaker a favor by voicing your thoughts when appropriate and asking honest questions. Chances are good that others in the group have the same questions and will appreciate you stepping out and asking. Do be careful not to ask too many questions. This isn’t a personal training session and if too many questions are asked, especially by the same person, the speaker doesn’t get to cover all the material they have planned.

Enlist a Friend.

What better way to get the most out of a seminar than to take it with a friend? If you have a friend of colleague that is interested, you can both participate in the teleseminar it will give you a great topic for discussion afterwards. I tend to learn more from discussions post-seminar than I do while listening to the lecture. I think talking it over with another attendee helps me to process the information and see how it applies to my daily life and business.

Follow up.

If a teleseminar is especially helpful to you, send a thank-you to the speaker. Try to send a written note or if this is not possible, an email will do. By making contact with the speaker and showing your appreciation you’re not only providing encouragement, you are networking. You just never know what type of response you might receive and you may even make a new friend or find a mentor.

The key to getting the most out of teleseminars is to find the ones that are by true experts in their field and that interest you the most. So, the next time you find a teleseminar that catches your interest, gather up your pen and paper and tune in. If you can find a colleague that interested in joining you, you’ll be all the better for it. You’ll learn more and have more fun in the process.

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Studies/Bible. Jill has worked from since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life.

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The Global Village is driven by technology.

It began with television, telecoms and travel. Gradually, stumblingly we learnt about other people - not just where they were on the map but how they lived, what they thought, what they needed, what they aspired to. At first it was a peek at their quaint, sometimes bizarre, lifestyles, customs and practices. Mother T and Bob Geldorf brought us down to earth. Mother T talked for over fifty years about the poorest of the poor until we began to realise they demanded more than an odd coin in the collector’s tin. Geldorf held The Concert and began a massive, serious movement of giving.

Famine, earthquake, flood - all the natural disasters - became the real on-line drama of life. So did the media-monitored terrorist attacks. We went to look but we also went to help. We rounded on our religious superiors for their patronising, 'heaven next' approach. As the final notes of our evening prayers resonated through the great Cathedral, Mosque or Temple we began to feel that to follow them with a slap-up, four course dinner washed down with a good hearty drink was not always the best response to those without shelter, food and medicine.

For business, the Global Village offered markets beyond the wildest dreams of our fathers and grandfathers. We were now selling finished goods to people some of whom were beginning to have enough in their pockets for more than the bare essentials. It seemed as though growth was guaranteed forever. Expansion was the name of the game.

People who achieve a little discretionary spending soon want a little more… and a little more. They are willing to work for it at rates that make the present producers look very expensive. 'Lowest cost' drives production – and, increasingly, services (call centres, for example) - to where it can be done most economically, leaving in its wake a trail of redundancies, bankruptcies and capital shortages.

All this will shift unemployment - gradually, at first - from the destitute to the well-off, the very people who are seeking a Balanced Life Style.

* * *

John Bittleston blogs at TerrificMentors.com, a site that provides mentoring for those who wish a change in career or job, wanting to start a business or looking to improve their handling of people (including themselves).

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StartupJournal: Most small-business owners can't afford consultants or an IT staff. For tech support, they draw on other resources: neighbors, friends, relatives -- anyone they know who might have a handle on a tech issue they don't understand.

But there are other sources that small businesses can turn to for reliable, inexpensive and even free tech support: online, government, and academics.

We interviewed technology experts about where to find the best help. We also asked small-business owners where they go to find the latest and most comprehensive tech information. In the process, we discovered not only what some consider to be the most helpful Web sites on tech matters for small businesses, but also government services that offer free consultations, and a business school whose students give free support to local companies facing network-security issues.

Where You Can Find Good, Cheap Tech Help [StartupJournal]

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Small Business Trends: The latest installment of the Future of Small Business report is out. The Future of Small Business report outlines major trends affecting small businesses in the United States over the next ten years.

This latest installment of the report focuses on technology. It outlines three categories of technology trends that are shaping the face of small business.

On My Time, On My Terms — We will run our businesses increasingly “on my time” and “on my terms.” For instance, mobile devices will be used for more than just communications to let us talk and send text messages. Instead they will be tools that let us run our businesses at any hour, from anywhere. And we will also have access to a new wave of sophisticated analytic tools to help run our businesses — tools such as large corporations use today. The analytic tools will help us make decisions.

But instead of all this connectedness and technology meaning that we will be working around the clock, these tools put us more in control. We can leave the office at noon if we want to go play golf, and then put in two hours of work in the evening from home.

Global, Local, Virtual — The evolution of the Web makes it easier to start a business, operate it and innovate in it.

High-tech ceases being a hurdle, because it keeps getting cheaper and easier to use. In turn, that is spurring the formation of small and personal businesses.

At the same time, small business relationships will become increasingly virtual, as we develop relationships with customers, partners and suppliers beyond the local neighborhood to potentially anywhere in the world. Peer networks become more connected and become a much more important force in helping small business owners make decisions.

From “Push” to “Pull” — The small business marketing approach will shift from a “push” to “pull” mindset. In other words, customers take charge. Customers increasingly find the information they need to make buying decisions, rather than accepting what is pitched to them.

A Web presence will become the most important factor for small businesses to acquire customers. And a Web presence is not just a Web site but the totality of your online presence across a variety of places. And mobile phones will increasingly become an important part of marketing for small businesses.

Technology Trends and the Future of Small Business [Small Business Trends]

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