About: Starting WW business

[SonomaProducts.com]

Not sure why Google won't let me post a reply so thought I would try a new thread in response.

1. You can sell a lot on eBay if you make good stuff that people like. Stic kley is still flaming hot. People want a deal on there but of you can contr ol cost and have production type speed/labor, you can be profitable. Small items are better because of shipping hassle.

1. Etsy is a higher-end eBay type place and you can actually sell for real prices. Make small things so shipping is easy. Smaller audience but buyers do exist.

2. Local art fairs, etc. Don't do those "only" because you can get skunked (zero sales) real easy on a bad day or bad fit. It takes a while to learn t hat business and see what sells and to learn what shows are good and gettin g into the juried shows, etc. But can be one good source among many.

1. Consignment is tough. They want at least 30% and often 50% but if you ca n find some places it can be easy money. I make "Antique like" faux finishe d stuff and it sells through consignment some.

2. Roadside setup. I made Adirondack chairs and could seel a truck load any weekend I wanted to park in the wine country area near my home. Also sold my faux antiques along side the road in the gold-country area. Any tourist areas. I never had a permit, just took cash and never got hassled except on ce and they just said "move along" it was more of a traffic issue than sell ing. I have a "Square" now and can take credit cards this summer season whi ch I plan for Gold Country again.

1. Local cabinet shops, the big ones, often get requests for custom stuff t hey don't want to bother with. If you can impress them they may throw work your way but you need to keep visiting once they say maybe.

[none]

On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:49:57 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"

What is your opinion of Square? I've seen the ads for it, but I'm wanting to know if it is as straight forward as they make it sound? Aside from the 2.75% per transaction fee, are there any other fees or hurdles to use one? An end user perspective is what I'm interested in. Thanks.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I used it once when I bought something. It is a little different than the typical CC transaction. I can only tell you from the customer's perspective.

The person had the Square on a tablet. I was able to swipe my card, put in my email and have the receipt sent to me. This particular setup did not have a printer available. It was fast, easy, accurate, portable.

[Casper]

I use Square. Many local small business here use it. It's become especially popular in our shopping streeet area around a major farmers market. No other fees. I've been on both sides of the Square transaction and love it.

[SonomaProducts.com]

h I plan for Gold Country again.

Well, I heard about it so I went to their website. There was no in-depth ex planation and they just wanted me to sign up so they could send me the devi ce. It surprised me because getting a normal merchant account requires quit e an approval process with the bank. I poked around a little then signed up .

They sent the square. I configured it to know about my bank account. I star ted using it. Pretty much just works. I use it from my iPhone. Some people shy away a little but if they want to buy by card, that is what I can offer .

[Swingman]

How long does it take for the Square funds to be available in your bank account?

Not a big fan of the service, but will occasionally accept payment via PayPal when doing custom furniture, particularly if it is out of town, or when clients insist on paying with credit cards. I did use PP frequently when doing furniture jobs through CustomMade that were quite profitable .... that is until CM insisted on using only a single payer system (WePay), instead of PayPal, that got between me and the customer for payment. (No one knows my business better than I do, especially some wet behind the ears Sillycon Valley Millennium who can barely spell "cash flow").

What I don't like about PayPal is the two to three days lag time before the funds end up in the linked account, and the 3% fee (I add the fee to the contract price to at least cut back on that cost). What I do like about PayPal is the ability to invoice online for same, and for the client to be able to use a credit card if that is their choice, without me having to deal with a merchant account.

Like all aspects of doing business, flexibility is most important when it comes to managing cash flow ... the more flexibility the better in that regard, and there is no one-size-fits-all method of managing cash flow, despite what each provider will try to convince you.