Author: Kenneth Bolam

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Tips For Staging Your Home Office For More Productive In-Person and Virtual Client Meetings

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Tips For Staging Your Home Office For More Productive In-Person and Virtual Client Meetings

You can find this guide and many other helpful and valuable pieces of content on the Mid-Century website.​

When working from home, staging and decorating the space is crucial for both the aspect and the productivity you’re bound to get. Staging is the process of cleaning, decluttering, decorating, and organizing the rooms usually to show potential buyers the best parts of the home. This preparation helps aspiring entrepreneurs in their effort to conduct in-person and virtual meetings with customers or sell the house quickly for the highest price possible.

Stage Your Home Office for a More Productive Work Environment

Part of making your home a more appealing and more productive space is staging a home office. When you have an extra room to use as a workspace, that place creates an attractive option for many buyers in case you want to sell the house. So if you believe you might sell your home in the foreseeable future, a home office that has all the required necessities is an update that could boost your property’s appraisal value altogether. Before you proceed with the staggering and designing, ensure you take before and after photos of the office to chronicle the changes and improvements so you can sell your home at a higher price. Here’s how to stage a home office properly.

Declutter

A home office is a spot that can become quickly cluttered. Remove all the paperwork, electrical cords in view, and small objects to create a more productive and clean space. If you plan to sell, also remove family photos, certifications, and other personal stuff – these items can be distracting to purchasers who need to be able to imagine themselves using the room.

Create More Space

If your home office is small, you can create the illusion of more space by removing or changing some of the furniture, downsizing the large pieces, or simply rearranging them. Remove any furniture you don’t need, such as the extra chair or the decorative vase, and replace it with a floor lamp that doesn’t take much space. If the closet is sufficiently deep, make room to store filing cabinets inside that can be accessed when the sliding panels or the door is open.

Set Up an Organized Workspace

Both for your well-being and for a decluttered and impeccable-looking space, clear off the desk and let only a few things on it, such as a desk lamp, a computer, a notebook, and a cup of pens. This will help you feel more productive and calmer when working and arrange the stage while making the office look spotless and minimalist.

Keep It Neutral But Accessorize

While home office staging and designing, one of the main guidelines is to keep the colors neutral so the decor will inspire calmness and allow clients to feel comfortable. So, while bright colors are fantastic for keeping you motivated and energized in a home office, they should not be on the large pieces or the walls while staging.

And while it’s understandable that the home office should look professional and even sober, it should also be comfortable and inviting. You can achieve this by including a beautiful area rug, preferably with an interesting pattern or design. A few pieces of decor will also help make that space feel warmer and more magnetic. Hang some artwork on the walls, add some curtains to soften the window area, or bring in a plant – these details go a long way in making clients feel more comfortable or selling quicker.

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Tips for Launching Your Business as an ECOpreneur

Tips for Launching Your Business as an ECOpreneur

If you’re passionate about environmentalism and interested in entrepreneurship, you might worry that you would have to give up on your principles to open a business. But “ecopreneurship” could be the right path for you! From making donations to hosting educational events in your community, this guide from Save First Financial Wellness outlines everything you’ll need to do to embrace ecopreneurship.

If you’ve always dreamed of launching your own business, and you’re ready for ecopreneurship, turn to Save First Financial Wellness to help turn your dream into a reality.

Legal and Administrative Tasks

First things first – you’ll need to check a few legal and administrative items off of your to-do list before your official launch!

Building Your Business

Now, you can start growing your business. Here’s how to do it while keeping your operations eco-friendly.

  • Typical packaging is often wasteful, so package your products with one of these eco-friendly options.
  • Live out your values by keeping the utility bills for your retail space low.
  • Want to save paper? Conduct most of your marketing efforts online!
  • Figure out a fair price point that keeps your products accessible to customers who want to shop at sustainable small businesses.

Connecting With Your Community

You want your business to make a positive contribution to the world. Community outreach will allow you to do just that.

  • Get to know other ecopreneurs in your area through networking.
  • Partner up with an environmental charity to raise money for important causes.
  • Bring people into your retail space for educational or philanthropic events!

Figuring out how to manage your business in an eco-friendly way can be challenging. But it isn’t impossible by any means. With a little perseverance, you can become a successful ecopreneur by providing a product or service that makes the world a better place!

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7 Things You Should Know About Having a High Risk Merchant Account

7 Things You Should Know About Having a High Risk Merchant Account

Having a high risk merchant account is a necessity for some businesses. Learn more about this type of account with these seven facts.

If you have an online business, accepting credit cards as a form of payment is absolutely critical to your success and your bottom line.

But if your business is considered high risk, finding the right match can be a daunting task.

So, what do you need to know about having a high risk merchant account before you begin looking for the right company to serve your needs? Here are nine things you should be aware of before you make a commitment.

1. Determine if Your Business is Considered High Risk

Before you select a merchant processor, you need to know if your business is even considered to be high risk. The criteria can vary widely between providers, but one of the first things they look at is if your industry typically has a high rate of fraud or chargebacks.

If you’re not operating from the United States, this is another potential indicator of high risk. Certain categories like firearms, drug paraphernalia, or even auction sites may also be considered high risk. Find out if you fall into this category first so you can be prepared for the next steps.

2. Prepare for Higher Fees and Longer Contract Terms

If you have a high risk merchant account, you can expect to pay more in processing charges and billed account fees. The reason is that your processor is taking you on as a risk, so they’re passing the cost of that risk on to you.

You’ll also likely have to keep your contract with the processor longer than you would if you were not a high-risk client. On average, high-risk accounts must stay with the same processor for three years or even longer.

An auto renewal clause is usually included which can force you to remain an ongoing customer for periods of a one-year minimum after each renewal. If you want to cancel, you’ll likely get hit with an early termination fee.

3. Check Available Plans for Your High Risk Merchant Account

Merchant processing plans can vary, so shop around until you find one that offers terms you can live with. Traditionally, these fees are charged on something called an interchange-plus pricing plan, although your rates will be higher than a low or no-risk account.

Find out if you can get a flat-rate pricing plan which will make billing a lot easier. If you discover that a merchant processor is charging extremely high per-transaction charges, you may want to steer clear. Compare rates and plans until you find one that’s within a reasonable amount.

4. Be Aware of Rolling Reserves

The term rolling reserves refers to money that is set aside from the proceeds of your sales in order to cover certain expenses. These reserves will help pay for things like chargebacks, and they’re put in place to protect the merchant processor.

Since many high-risk accounts tend to go out business, these reserves are there to cover any unexpected costs to the merchant processing company. If you’re new in business, you can almost guarantee that this is a requirement. However, as time goes on, the rolling reserves should decrease as long as your account remains in good standing.

5. Read the Fine Print

Any reputable merchant processor will give you a contract that spells out all of your fees and terms. Make sure you read this thoroughly before you make a commitment.

Look closely for different clauses that could cause you to pay even more than you expected. Some companies claim to specialize in high-risk accounts so they feel that they can charge their merchant accounts exorbitant fees. Do your homework and never sign anything until you’re completely comfortable with the terms and the cost.

If you’re ever in doubt about a potential merchant processor, ask your fellow business owners who they recommend. You can also read reviews online to find out which ones most high-risk customers are happy with, and which ones to avoid.

6. Security Measures will be Added

A quality payment processor will add some layers of additional security to your account. This can actually benefit you since it will help prevent fraudulent transactions and dishonest chargeback claims.

Requiring things like CVV2 verification is a good thing since it protects you and your processor from fraud. Ask your provider about what kinds of security measures they take to protect themselves and your business from unscrupulous transactions.

7. Develop a Good Track Record

If you really want to lower the costs associated with a high risk merchant account, work diligently to prove your salt. This could mean anything from reducing or completely eliminating chargebacks to consistently showing a profit for a long period of time.

The longer your business does well and maintains its reputation, the better off you’ll be in the eyes of the merchant processor. Some providers may even reward their high-risk accounts with lower rolling reserves over time or even reducing fees as time goes on.

Ask several potential merchant processors what kind of benefits they offer high-risk accounts if they do well. You might be surprised at the progress and positive benefits you can reap once the business is more established.

Success is Possible

Even if you operate a high-risk business, there’s no need to despair. With a few helpful bits of information and a little research, you can find a quality high risk merchant account that will serve your needs well.

Visit our website for more information about: High Risk Merchant Services.