Online and tech
Monday, 13 January 2025
A roundup of payment trends and predictions for 2025 for small businesses
From the rise of AI-powered security to the dominance of contactless transactions, staying informed on the latest trends may not just be helpful — it may be essential for small businesses aiming to meet today’s consumer expectations and stay one step ahead of the competition. But don’t worry; it’s our mission to keep small businesses flourishing, so we’ve taken one thing off your plate.
Friday, 22 November 2024
13 common scams to watch out for and how to prevent them
In 2023 alone, UK businesses lost £83.3 million to authorised push payment (APP) fraud, which is when a victim is duped into sending money to a fraudster. Whether it’s clever phishing emails, AI-powered deepfakes, or sham insurance policies, scammers' tactics are constantly evolving. While ensuring your business has the required card payment security measures is one of the best ways to protect you and your customers from fraud, prevention also means being clued up on how scammers are tricking people out of their hard-earned cash.
Thursday, 04 July 2024
Tips versus service charge: How should businesses accept and allocate gratuities
While there’s no expectation to tip in the UK, 60% of Brits said they’d add gratuity if impressed by the service, and 1 in 3 people stated they were likely to tip independent businesses to show their support. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn more about tips and service charges so you don’t miss out on hard-earned money. However, as a business owner, it’s also important to know your responsibilities for distributing your tips amongst your staff.
Wednesday, 03 July 2024
What is Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)? How it works for small businesses
As a small business, upgrading or expanding your payment options is a no-brainer. Giving your customers more ways to pay not only makes your business more accessible, but offering multiple ways to pay can increase revenue by nearly 30%. We all know what the benefits of card are, so let’s look at another payment method that’s been taking the world by storm: Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL).
Friday, 22 March 2024
PCI DSS 4.0: how to comply with the latest changes
Running a business brings some big rewards but also comes with many responsibilities, from managing taxes to invoicing. One of these obligations is being compliant with the required payment regulations and standards, which is crucial for protecting your business and customer trust. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard version 4.0 (PCI DSS 4.0), the latest update to card payment security standards, introduces a new wave of requirements that businesses must meet before the deadline.
Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Does my website need a privacy policy?
If you're just taking your business online, you'll no doubt have a list of to-dos as long as your arm. One item that can easily be overlooked is the addition of a privacy policy to your website — though vitally important following the introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) throughout Europe and the UK. With these regulations being relatively new, it's easy — especially for startups and small-business owners — to overlook the importance of a coherent privacy policy.
Friday, 27 October 2023
What are card schemes and how do they work? A guide for small businesses
The UK Finance Payment Markets Report 2023 found 50% of all payments in the UK were made using debit cards in 2022. What's more, over 95% of the UK population owns a debit card. With card payments on the rise, it's crucial for businesses to understand the pivotal role card schemes play in ensuring secure transactions.
Monday, 04 September 2023
8 ways to improve your website
The world of business websites is constantly evolving, and it’s now simpler than ever to create a great looking site thanks to the multitude of CMS’ on the market, at a very reasonable cost. But setting up your site is only a part of the story, regular maintenance is the key to success, so it’s super important that small business owners are up-to-date with the latest trends and customer demands to ensure they’re on their A-game.
Monday, 04 September 2023
How to use videos for your small business
As a small business owner, you’re no doubt already wearing many hats - entrepreneur, accountant, marketer, the list goes on - so do you really need to add another element to your jam-packed to-do list? The answer is, for many, yes, creating top-notch videos to promote your small business can bring tonnes of benefits, and help you boost your bottom lines, so finding the time to jump on the video-train is well worth the added effort.
