Guest post written by Jennifer Pollock, Content Marketing Manager at Square.
It’s competitive out there, and to stay relevant, you need to keep up with the latest and greatest technologies that make things easier for both you and your clients. Here are some sure-fire signs your business needs to update its operations — as well as the technologies you should be implementing ASAP.
You’re not accepting EMV chip cards.
It’s estimated that 70 percent of consumers now have EMV chip cards. But beyond the fact that they’re reaching ubiquity, the ability to accept chip cards is a necessary security precaution for your business. Not only are chip cards way more secure than magnetic-stripe cards (they’re far less susceptible to fraud), the EMV liability shift is now in effect. Refresher on this: If you’re not set up to accept chip cards, your business could be on the hook for certain types of fraudulent transactions. So to make sure you don’t incur any unwanted charges, getting a point of sale (POS) that can accept these new cards — like Square’s contactless and chip reader — is mission critical.
You’re not accepting NFC mobile payments.
Beyond the ability to accept EMV chip cards, you should now have a POS that can also accept NFC payments like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. Why? They’re much (much) faster to process than EMV chip cards (the transaction is near instantaneous) and far more convenient for your customers.
NFC usage is picking up amongst millennials, who typically lead the way in new technology adoption. A recent Accenture survey found that 23 percent of millennials use contactless payments at least once a week. And at the Coachella music festival this year, more than 10 percent of all card transactions on Square’s readers were contactless. To keep your business current (and to avoid having to update your POS again soon), you should have a POS that can accept both EMV and NFC transactions, like Square’s contactless and chip reader.
You’re still using paper invoices.
Paper invoices are a pain for both you and your customers. And when it comes to getting paid, any friction (like writing and mailing checks) that can make the process longer is something to avoid. An online and mobile invoicing system significantly reduces the time it takes to get paid and makes it easier for your customers to settle up from their email with a click. When you finish a job, all you have to do is send an invoice with a professional-looking, ready-made template from your mobile invoicing app. That means you don’t have to head back to your desktop to create and send out invoices, which means you’ll get paid faster.
You’re still using a paper-and-pencil scheduling system
Phone tag and email back-and-forth is time-consuming. And missed appointments are a bummer. To cut back on both, implement online appointments software that lets your customers book time with you in your available slots. Online appointments software can help cut down on no-shows and forgotten appointments with prepayment and automatic text and email reminders to ensure customers always remember their upcoming appointments.
If you checked any of these boxes, no need to stress. It’s easy and affordable to update your business operations with solutions like Square’s POS and Breezeworks. You can hook up your Breezeworks account to Square in Square App Marketplace.
Learn More About Square
Square creates tools that help sellers of all sizes start, run, and grow their businesses. The new Square reader accepts all forms of payment, including EMV chip cards and NFC mobile payments like Apple Pay.
Get started with Breezeworks 14-day free trial and start accepting payments with Square.
