FYI to group

Note: forwarded message attached.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Every Body,

Greetings! It is an interesting forum. I need your
thoughts on following.

Do we able exercise Non_competition and NDA in
Federal/state agency opportunities for
employee/independent contractors?

What is the reasonable term (Period) for
Non_competition and NDA?

How does Non_competition and NDA work for short term
opportunities (eg 21 Days)?

What is the reasonable term (Period) for
Non_competition and NDA for short term opportunities
(eg 21 Days)?

Thanks in advance in sharing your experience.

Ram




____________________________________________________
Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.
http://auctions.yahoo.com/

Hi all -

I know that you are really busy and may not always have time to check the
discussion forums on Unit of 1, so this email is a "heads up" to stop by and
see what you've been missing.

Come on over to the website and chime in on these issues.
http://www.unitof1.com

- PR Opp - Have you Reinvented Yourself?

http://www.unitof1.com/ftopicp-112.html#112

- Getting started - with cash?

http://www.unitof1.com/ftopicp-111.html#111

- Looking for accountant to work with startup

http://www.unitof1.com/ftopicp-110.html#110

All best,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

Does anyone have any good sources of contract templates or other online
legal help?

I've been building a list of links, and know there must be other good
collections out there somewhere.

Here's what I've come up with so far:
http://www.unitof1.com/link-2.html

Thanks,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

Andrea:

You could try Kiplinger's Business Attorney Software if you don't mind
spending a little money.

Gina Signorella-Arlen,
Copywriter

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Andrea Michalek andrea@...
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 22:24:50 -0400
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Any good sources of contracts?


Does anyone have any good sources of contract templates or other online
legal help?

I've been building a list of links, and know there must be other good
collections out there somewhere.

Here's what I've come up with so far:
http://www.unitof1.com/link-2.html

Thanks,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners




Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links





--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

Andrea,



One source that is great for investment oriented legal documents is:

http://www.nvca.org/model_documents/model_docs.html



I also have a number of legal documents (as well as sales, marketing, HR and
more) in my Team and a Dream repository (employment agreements, shareholder
docs, NDAs, professional service agreements, etc. etc.) but that is
currently only available to clients who pay at least $995 for my Early Stage
Jumpstart program (PDF description available upon request).  I would
consider lowering the $$$ bar for repository only access if there was
sufficient interest.



Hope that helps.



Skip



Skip Shuda, Team and a Dream(SM)

http://www.TeamAndADream.com <http://www.teamandadream.com/>

skip@..., (610) 687-9195



   _____

From: unitof1@yahoogroups.com [mailto:unitof1@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Andrea Michalek
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 10:25 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Any good sources of contracts?



Does anyone have any good sources of contract templates or other online
legal help?

I've been building a list of links, and know there must be other good
collections out there somewhere.

Here's what I've come up with so far:
http://www.unitof1.com/link-2.html

Thanks,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners




Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com





   _____

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



*  Visit your group "unitof1 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unitof1> "
on the web.

*  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
  unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>

*  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Terms of Service.



   _____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Andrea:

There are tons of sources out there, and it's difficult to respond in
general terms. I'd be happy to discuss this further offline. For now, here's
part of an e-mail I posted to PANMA's list just this evening in response to
an inquiry about sources for web development agreements:

For free contract samples, try the following:
www.findlaw.com (also a useful site for legal information in general)
http://contracts.onecle.com

For samples at a cost, try:
www.contractedge.com
www.techagreements.com
www.weblawresources.com

Also, government agency sites may often be good starting points; see, e.g.,
www.sba.gov/businesslaw/index.html or
www.irs.ustreas.gov/businesses/small/index.html. It all depends on what
you're looking for.

-- Arnold
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
---
Entrepreneurial Legal Services For Business Clients
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
---
For information on Entrepreneurial Law News, my free e-mail newsletter:
www.lawwinter.com/Entrepreneurial_Law_News.htm.
(includes an archive of past issues)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
---
Arnold W. Winter, Esq.
LIPTON, WEINBERGER & HUSICK
125 Kelly Lane  +  Media, PA 19063  +  USA
(by appointment only)

Phone: 610-891-6910  +  Fax: 610-566-0957  +   Cell: 610-909-4611
arnold @ lawwinter.com     www.LawWinter.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
---


----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrea Michalek" <andrea@...>
To: <unitof1@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 10:24 PM
Subject: [unitof1] Any good sources of contracts?


> Does anyone have any good sources of contract templates or other online
> legal help?
>
> I've been building a list of links, and know there must be other good
> collections out there somewhere.
>
> Here's what I've come up with so far:
> http://www.unitof1.com/link-2.html
>
> Thanks,
> Andrea
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> Andrea Michalek
> 215.280.1805
> andrea@...
> www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
> www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners
>
>
>
>
> Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
> "Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
> Details at www.unitof1.com
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>

Unit of 1 is getting a major facelift this fall, and I'm looking for people
to be on the beta test team.

If you're interested in helping out (as well as getting a sneak peak as to
what's coming)- let me know.

Depending on the response, it should only encompass a few hours of your time
over the next 3 months.

All that is required is to bang on new features of the site as they're
launched on the Unit of 1 beta website, and give your feedback on them.

Optimally, I'd love to have a mix of backgrounds as well as technical skill
levels, so don't be afraid to step forward!

Let me know if you're interested!

All best,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

Andrea:

If you need to mix in critique from a "plain vanilla male" (wife's
words) with the creative volunteers, count me in.  Note:  I hope that
"Ram" guy volunteers.....he sure gets his U1 money's worth!

TKC



Andrea Michalek wrote:

>Unit of 1 is getting a major facelift this fall, and I'm looking for people
>to be on the beta test team.
>
>If you're interested in helping out (as well as getting a sneak peak as to
>what's coming)- let me know.
>
>Depending on the response, it should only encompass a few hours of your time
>over the next 3 months.
>
>All that is required is to bang on new features of the site as they're
>launched on the Unit of 1 beta website, and give your feedback on them.
>
>Optimally, I'd love to have a mix of backgrounds as well as technical skill
>levels, so don't be afraid to step forward!
>
>Let me know if you're interested!
>
>All best,
>Andrea
>
>---------------------------------------------
>Andrea Michalek
>215.280.1805
>andrea@...
>www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
>www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners
>
>
>
>
>Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
>"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
>Details at www.unitof1.com
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I am not sure if I am qualified to be one of the testers since there are
alot of other techies better than me. I am not the best teckie --- you are!!

BARB
----- Original Message -----
From: <unitof1@yahoogroups.com>
To: <unitof1@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 4:29 PM
Subject: [unitof1] Digest Number 677


> There are 2 messages in this issue.
>
> Topics in this digest:
>
>       1. Looking for participants in the Unit of 1 beta
>            From: "Andrea Michalek" <andrea@...>
>       2. Re: Looking for participants in the Unit of 1 beta
>            From: TCasey <bcs@...>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 1
>    Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 13:37:33 -0400
>    From: "Andrea Michalek" <andrea@...>
> Subject: Looking for participants in the Unit of 1 beta
>
> Unit of 1 is getting a major facelift this fall, and I'm looking for
people
> to be on the beta test team.
>
> If you're interested in helping out (as well as getting a sneak peak as to
> what's coming)- let me know.
>
> Depending on the response, it should only encompass a few hours of your
time
> over the next 3 months.
>
> All that is required is to bang on new features of the site as they're
> launched on the Unit of 1 beta website, and give your feedback on them.
>
> Optimally, I'd love to have a mix of backgrounds as well as technical
skill
> levels, so don't be afraid to step forward!
>
> Let me know if you're interested!
>
> All best,
> Andrea
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> Andrea Michalek
> 215.280.1805
> andrea@...
> www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
> www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 2
>    Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 16:28:16 -0400
>    From: TCasey <bcs@...>
> Subject: Re: Looking for participants in the Unit of 1 beta
>
> Andrea:
>
> If you need to mix in critique from a "plain vanilla male" (wife's
> words) with the creative volunteers, count me in.  Note:  I hope that
> "Ram" guy volunteers.....he sure gets his U1 money's worth!
>
> TKC
>
>
>
> Andrea Michalek wrote:
>
> >Unit of 1 is getting a major facelift this fall, and I'm looking for
people
> >to be on the beta test team.
> >
> >If you're interested in helping out (as well as getting a sneak peak as
to
> >what's coming)- let me know.
> >
> >Depending on the response, it should only encompass a few hours of your
time
> >over the next 3 months.
> >
> >All that is required is to bang on new features of the site as they're
> >launched on the Unit of 1 beta website, and give your feedback on them.
> >
> >Optimally, I'd love to have a mix of backgrounds as well as technical
skill
> >levels, so don't be afraid to step forward!
> >
> >Let me know if you're interested!
> >
> >All best,
> >Andrea
> >
> >---------------------------------------------
> >Andrea Michalek
> >215.280.1805
> >andrea@...
> >www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
> >www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
> >"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
> >Details at www.unitof1.com
> >
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
>
> Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
> "Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
> Details at www.unitof1.com
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>

Barb - thanks for volunteering - I'll add you to the team.

Just to be clear - I am NOT looking for technical people - anyone who wants
to lend a hand (regardless of background) will be qualified.

I'm really looking for some fresh eyes to take a look at what we're doing,
look at the new features, report any bugs, and give their input on ways to
make the service better.

Thanks,
Andrea
---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees? I
need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars to
perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com] charges
for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe or
key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter 	 $   30.00

Application Fee  $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee  $  10.00
Minimum Monthly 	 $  20.00
NSF Charge 	 $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs 	 $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.  Both
of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect  FREE
24x7 Customer Service  FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME

Bill,



The problem with all of the standard merchant account options is that they come
with monthly fees
whether you have processing activity or not. Over time, if you don't end up with
enough sales to
justify the cost, it can get a bit annoying at $50 to $60/month.



If you need to be able to handle phone, fax or physical card transactions then
you'll have to get a
merchant account. If you're going to do Web transactions only you can do it all
with PayPal with no
monthly fees, only transaction fees that are a bit more than the standard
merchant account.



PayPal also now has a merchant card option that will be $20/month starting
11/1/05, free until then;
between 2.2% and 2.9% + $.30 per transaction.



Either way, you open a corporate account with PayPal (no charge), link your
PayPal account to your
bank account - this has a nice bonus in that you can use it to manually sweep
excess funds in your
checking account into essentially a money market account currently earning 3% -
and then (without
the new Website Payments Pro merchant account) accept either PayPal payments or
credit card payments
for anyone without a PayPal account. I've got this set up on my Web site
(www.gryphonsystems.com
<http://www.gryphonsystems.com/> ) now - you capture a few odds and ends on your
site and then send
it off via form processing to their site to finish the purchase.



- Joe





-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees? I
need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars to
perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
charges
for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe or
key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter                  $   30.00

Application Fee            $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.  Both
of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect            FREE
24x7 Customer Service            FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com





SPONSORED LINKS


Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+finance&w1=Small+business+fi\
nance&w2=Small+busin
ess+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.si\
g=WmmCgK9GnqtUsVsZVp
0EZw>  business finance

Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+owner&w1=Small+business+fina\
nce&w2=Small+busines
s+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=\
NgYwZ9xqc66uWpMLD4uB
eQ>  business owner

Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+directory&w1=Small+business+\
finance&w2=Small+bus
iness+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.\
sig=6T-3tSr0j9gvd2ZX
6-SchQ>  business directory


Business
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Business+finances&w1=Small+business+finance\
&w2=Small+business+o
wner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=PFs\
DbAoUml0lOxLjkMDY_A>
finances

Unit
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Unit&w1=Small+business+finance&w2=Small+bus\
iness+owner&w3=Small
+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=jeZ5QTq372698eCW\
9GXHmA>





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YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



*  Visit your group "unitof1 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unitof1> " on the
web.

*  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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<mailto:unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>

*  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Service.



   _____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I think Paypal now has a service for accepting credit cards as well.  I
would suggest checking that option out as well.



- Skip



Skip Shuda, Team and a Dream(SM)

http://www.TeamAndADream.com <http://www.teamandadream.com/>

skip@..., (610) 687-9195



   _____

From: unitof1@yahoogroups.com [mailto:unitof1@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Bill Frysinger
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees? I
need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars to
perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>  charges
for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe or
key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter                  $   30.00

Application Fee            $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.  Both
of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect            FREE
24x7 Customer Service            FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com





SPONSORED LINKS


Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+finance&w1=Small+busines
s+finance&w2=Small+business+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+fi
nances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=WmmCgK9GnqtUsVsZVp0EZw>  business finance

Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+owner&w1=Small+business+
finance&w2=Small+business+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+fina
nces&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=NgYwZ9xqc66uWpMLD4uBeQ>  business owner

Small
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Small+business+directory&w1=Small+busin
ess+finance&w2=Small+business+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+
finances&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=6T-3tSr0j9gvd2ZX6-SchQ>  business directory


Business
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Business+finances&w1=Small+business+fin
ance&w2=Small+business+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finance
s&w5=Unit&c=5&s=117&.sig=PFsDbAoUml0lOxLjkMDY_A>  finances

Unit
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Unit&w1=Small+business+finance&w2=Small
+business+owner&w3=Small+business+directory&w4=Business+finances&w5=Unit&c=5
&s=117&.sig=jeZ5QTq372698eCW9GXHmA>





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on the web.

*  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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*  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Terms of Service.



   _____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi, Bill.

After exhaustingly searching out low-cost options for accepting credit
cards last year, I found what I believe is the lowest cost option for
accepting low-volume credit card transactions.

Option 1: As Joe suggested, Paypal is the lowest cost and the easiest
for you.  Just open a free account, attach it to your bank account, and
direct people to go to Paypal to pay you.
*Advantage: lowest cost, and people can use any credit card to pay you
using Paypal's system.
*Disadvantage:  People have to create a paypal account to pay you,
requiring a certain amount of computer savvy and inconvenience.
Additionally, getting the money FROM Paypal takes more computer savvy
(which I know you have) and is risky as paypal has the ability to clear
out your bank account if someone accuses you of bad things. For this
reason, I recommend that you set up a special bank account to accept the
transfer and then transfer the money out as soon as you receive it.

Option 2: Find someone with credit card equipment they no longer need,
and open an account with a merchant service that has a "seasonal" plan.
I use First National Merchant Solutions and pay only $50 a year plus an
average of 3% per transaction. I was able to get a low transaction cost
because I found someone who gave me her credit card terminal equipment
(original cost about $3000) for free.  This isn't as unlikely as it
sounds - many organizations are switching over to on-line only services,
and no longer need the equipment.  You simply "take over" their account.
*Advantage: low cost, only takes a phone line to get transactions
authorized
*Disadvantage: I can't accept transactions directly on the web.  That
would have cost much more.

Option 3: Find someone else you trust who trusts you who already has a
merchant account and have them run the transactions through their
account.  My account is actually shared between my consulting firm AND a
non-profit organization where I'm a board member.  The orgs share the
$50 cost.  The key is trust, because you have no legal standing to get
your money if the organization chooses not to give you a check.
*Advantage: No setup costs, application costs, or ongoing fees
*Disadvantage: You must wait several weeks for the money since it has to
clear, you are dependent upon the organization with the merchant account
to send you a check, and that organization's name will appear on the
transaction, not your own.

Of course - if you are willing and able to pay the normal fees for a
credit card account (between $200-$500 a year) or need to be able to
accept on-line transactions, none of these options will suffice.  Like
you, I investigated the services that conduct all the authorization by
your hitting numbers on your phone (ARU) instead of obtaining the
equipment, and found the cost to be higher than my few transactions were
worth.


Just my opinion
CJ Rhoads
------------------------------------
ETM Associates, Inc.
PO Box 564, Douglassville, PA 19518
http://ETMAssociates.com
484-332-3331
--------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees


Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees?
I need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars
to perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
charges for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe
or key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter 	 $   30.00

Application Fee  $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee  $  10.00
Minimum Monthly 	 $  20.00
NSF Charge 	 $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs 	 $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.
Both of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect  FREE
24x7 Customer Service  FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

One correction - buyers do not have to create a PayPal account to make a
purchase - there is a pathway from the initial PayPal page that allows
non-PayPal account buyers to execute a credit card transaction. I have gotten a
few reports of people having trouble with that - mostly cases where they had
created a PayPal account at some point in the past which PayPal remembered but
they couldn't figure out how to get into it. The solution for that problem is to
enter a different e-mail address that PayPal doesn't recognize.







-----Original Message-----
From: CJ Rhoads [mailto:CJRhoads@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:18 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Hi, Bill.

After exhaustingly searching out low-cost options for accepting credit
cards last year, I found what I believe is the lowest cost option for
accepting low-volume credit card transactions.

Option 1: As Joe suggested, Paypal is the lowest cost and the easiest
for you.  Just open a free account, attach it to your bank account, and
direct people to go to Paypal to pay you.
*Advantage: lowest cost, and people can use any credit card to pay you
using Paypal's system.
*Disadvantage:  People have to create a paypal account to pay you,
requiring a certain amount of computer savvy and inconvenience.
Additionally, getting the money FROM Paypal takes more computer savvy
(which I know you have) and is risky as paypal has the ability to clear
out your bank account if someone accuses you of bad things. For this
reason, I recommend that you set up a special bank account to accept the
transfer and then transfer the money out as soon as you receive it.

Option 2: Find someone with credit card equipment they no longer need,
and open an account with a merchant service that has a "seasonal" plan.
I use First National Merchant Solutions and pay only $50 a year plus an
average of 3% per transaction. I was able to get a low transaction cost
because I found someone who gave me her credit card terminal equipment
(original cost about $3000) for free.  This isn't as unlikely as it
sounds - many organizations are switching over to on-line only services,
and no longer need the equipment.  You simply "take over" their account.
*Advantage: low cost, only takes a phone line to get transactions
authorized
*Disadvantage: I can't accept transactions directly on the web.  That
would have cost much more.

Option 3: Find someone else you trust who trusts you who already has a
merchant account and have them run the transactions through their
account.  My account is actually shared between my consulting firm AND a
non-profit organization where I'm a board member.  The orgs share the
$50 cost.  The key is trust, because you have no legal standing to get
your money if the organization chooses not to give you a check.
*Advantage: No setup costs, application costs, or ongoing fees
*Disadvantage: You must wait several weeks for the money since it has to
clear, you are dependent upon the organization with the merchant account
to send you a check, and that organization's name will appear on the
transaction, not your own.

Of course - if you are willing and able to pay the normal fees for a
credit card account (between $200-$500 a year) or need to be able to
accept on-line transactions, none of these options will suffice.  Like
you, I investigated the services that conduct all the authorization by
your hitting numbers on your phone (ARU) instead of obtaining the
equipment, and found the cost to be higher than my few transactions were
worth.


Just my opinion
CJ Rhoads
------------------------------------
ETM Associates, Inc.
PO Box 564, Douglassville, PA 19518
http://ETMAssociates.com
484-332-3331
--------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees


Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees?
I need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars
to perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
charges for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe
or key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter                  $   30.00

Application Fee            $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.
Both of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect            FREE
24x7 Customer Service            FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links













Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com





   _____

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



*  Visit your group "unitof1 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unitof1> " on
the web.

*  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
  unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>

*  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Service.



   _____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm reaching out to the Unit of 1 community for some help (yet again!)

This time, I'm looking for someone with a flair for writing web copy.

Curious?  This is what I need:

In the next release of the website, there will be an overall description of
each topic area under "Small Biz Articles."

What I'm looking for is for someone to author a blurb about why that area is
important.

For example, under "Customer Service" - the following text can be there:
"Customer service is an area where a small business can outperform larger
businesses.  Serving your customer is all about one-to-one interactions.
<br>What are trends, ideas, or approaches that can be put to immediate use?"

What you get out of this is:
- recognition as a contributor to the website
- an administer level account to be able to use the fabulous Unit of 1
toolkit to edit the copy online
- a one-year membership to Unit of 1
- and of course, my thanks :-)

Let me know if you're interested!

All best,
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

Hi, Joe.  How are you doing?

You are right, but it depends upon your definition of "create an account".

You have to enter your name, address, phone number, credit card information,
and create a password.  In my definition, that's an "account".  What you
don't have to do is ever go back into that account, but the account must be
created for the seller to receive $ from the customer, and the information
must be kept on file for the historical records to be accurate.  What's
more, Paypal is constantly ragging on the people who are "unconfirmed" (ie -
did not verify their email address or connect a bank account to their Paypal
account) intimating without ever saying so that you "should" tell them all
about your bank account (which I think is risky).  Finally - if they ever
try to go back in using the same email address, they will have a very hard
time if they don't remember their password, because Paypal won't let them
pay again on the same account without knowing the password.

Among the technically literate, this is trivial - entering names and
addresses to register on sites is just something you get used to doing.  But
believe me - among my clients are some older generation business owners who
would rather eat glass than go onto a web site and enter their credit card
information. But they will happily call my bookkeeper and give him all the
information he needs over the phone. So it really depends upon your client
base if Paypal works well for you.

Just my opinion
CJ

-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Magid [mailto:jsmagid@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:37 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees

One correction - buyers do not have to create a PayPal account to make a
purchase - there is a pathway from the initial PayPal page that allows
non-PayPal account buyers to execute a credit card transaction. I have
gotten a
few reports of people having trouble with that - mostly cases where they had
created a PayPal account at some point in the past which PayPal remembered
but
they couldn't figure out how to get into it. The solution for that problem
is to
enter a different e-mail address that PayPal doesn't recognize.







-----Original Message-----
From: CJ Rhoads [mailto:CJRhoads@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:18 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Hi, Bill.

After exhaustingly searching out low-cost options for accepting credit
cards last year, I found what I believe is the lowest cost option for
accepting low-volume credit card transactions.

Option 1: As Joe suggested, Paypal is the lowest cost and the easiest
for you.  Just open a free account, attach it to your bank account, and
direct people to go to Paypal to pay you.
*Advantage: lowest cost, and people can use any credit card to pay you
using Paypal's system.
*Disadvantage:  People have to create a paypal account to pay you,
requiring a certain amount of computer savvy and inconvenience.
Additionally, getting the money FROM Paypal takes more computer savvy
(which I know you have) and is risky as paypal has the ability to clear
out your bank account if someone accuses you of bad things. For this
reason, I recommend that you set up a special bank account to accept the
transfer and then transfer the money out as soon as you receive it.

Option 2: Find someone with credit card equipment they no longer need,
and open an account with a merchant service that has a "seasonal" plan.
I use First National Merchant Solutions and pay only $50 a year plus an
average of 3% per transaction. I was able to get a low transaction cost
because I found someone who gave me her credit card terminal equipment
(original cost about $3000) for free.  This isn't as unlikely as it
sounds - many organizations are switching over to on-line only services,
and no longer need the equipment.  You simply "take over" their account.
*Advantage: low cost, only takes a phone line to get transactions
authorized
*Disadvantage: I can't accept transactions directly on the web.  That
would have cost much more.

Option 3: Find someone else you trust who trusts you who already has a
merchant account and have them run the transactions through their
account.  My account is actually shared between my consulting firm AND a
non-profit organization where I'm a board member.  The orgs share the
$50 cost.  The key is trust, because you have no legal standing to get
your money if the organization chooses not to give you a check.
*Advantage: No setup costs, application costs, or ongoing fees
*Disadvantage: You must wait several weeks for the money since it has to
clear, you are dependent upon the organization with the merchant account
to send you a check, and that organization's name will appear on the
transaction, not your own.

Of course - if you are willing and able to pay the normal fees for a
credit card account (between $200-$500 a year) or need to be able to
accept on-line transactions, none of these options will suffice.  Like
you, I investigated the services that conduct all the authorization by
your hitting numbers on your phone (ARU) instead of obtaining the
equipment, and found the cost to be higher than my few transactions were
worth.


Just my opinion
CJ Rhoads
------------------------------------
ETM Associates, Inc.
PO Box 564, Douglassville, PA 19518
http://ETMAssociates.com
484-332-3331
--------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees


Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees?
I need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars
to perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
charges for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe
or key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter                  $   30.00

Application Fee            $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.
Both of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect            FREE
24x7 Customer Service            FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links













Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com





   _____

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



*  Visit your group "unitof1 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unitof1> "
on
the web.

*  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
  unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:unitof1-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>

*  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Service.



   _____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

There are substantial changes occurring at PayPal, which folks may not be
aware of if they don't use it regularly.  I have been a PayPal user for
almost 8 years, a PayPal merchant for the past five, and a member of the
Paypal Developer Network for two or three.

The traditonal way to use PayPal as a merchant is to put PayPal buttons or
their free shopping cart on your website. Purchasers are prompted to log
into PayPal if they have an account.  If PayPal recognizes their email
address or credit card number, it will want them to login.  If they are
NOT part of the system, they do not have to log in or create a new account
to simply use a credit card to pay.  Fund go ito the merchant's Paypal
account to be spend directly or moved to a bank account.  Kind of clunky.
3-4 days to get cash.

But... add a free PayPal debit card, and a merchant has the ability to
*instantly* spend or withdraw money from an account.  No sign-up fee. No
waiting for a monthly statement, or for money to be deposited or sent by
check.  No holdback percentage, no report fee, no check fee. Even
low-vlume users get low transaction fees.

For the past two years, I have been using PayPal's Invoice Tool to send
custom payment requests from stored templates, and they also do not
require someone to make an account.

The classic PayPal obstacle is that if a client made an account long ago,
or a business partner or household member used the same CC or email
address to make an account, that PayPal would want them to log in... and
the login info may be long-lost, or attached to an invalid email address.
THAT can frustrate an inexpert, occassional Paypal payer.

But now... there are NEW Paypal tools.  There is a new shopping cart API
that does not trigger the login process... its just a regular shopping
cart, that processes payments into your PayPal account.  PayPal is
invisible.  Free until October, then it's only $20/month.  No sign-up
cost.  No monthly minimum. No separate gateway or gateway fee.  Favorable
transaction fees, compared to typical merchant accounts.

Coming soon: I am a beta-tester the Virtual Terminal, which allows you to
manually input card information online from a client on the phone or
in-person contact.  You could use that for phone orders, for manually
processing securely-collected online orders, or for trade show or
bricks-and-mortar retail operations.  Free.  Again, payPal is invisible,
and I have specifically tested it with people whose CC's are registered
with Paypal.  Transactions go through without a hitch.

(Funny, how someone will refuse to use a CC online, but will give it to a
complete stranger on the phone, without any explantation about how the
data will be stored and protected.)

And, as a merchant, I have the actual name, email, and phone extension of
my own Paypal support rep that I can contact about any merchant tool or
account issue.... they are recognizing the value of personal contact with
merchants.  We bring them new clients, and new merchants.

Let's look at a bank.  Banks require newbies to understand LOTS of complex
policies and rules, and to use all sorts of special processes that vary
from bank-to-bank.  For instance, can anyone tell me off the top of their
head how long the float is for a check you deposit into a business account
from a bank three zones away?  1 Day?  3 days?  5?  When will you be able
to use that money?  NO financial insitution is user-friendly.  And they
close early, after a 4-day business week!  Deposit business checks on
Thursday, and the money may not be available until next Tuesday.

Ever read the agreement you sign for a merchant banking account?
Understand it the first time?  Do you see how easy it is for them to
suspend *that* account if you have even a few chargebacks, even if the
problem is not with you?  For every 3-year-old Paypal horror story, I can
show you a matching story about a Visa or Mastercard processor.  Starting
with CardService International, who just went from being one of the
largest online processors to bankruptcy, after exposing millions of
people's CC data.

PayPal has never had a security breach that revealed client CC info.  They
used to tend to be overly security-conscious... and that resulted in some
people getting their accounts suspended.  They tended to be folks that
didn't read the rules, tried to use the account in unusual ways, screamed
into the phone instead of calmly asking for help, or who failed to give
Paypal current contact info.  Not all the clients' fault, but a good
number if them completely failed to read any policy.  There was a
class-action lawsuit about 2 years ago, and now PayPal confirms to many of
the rules used by the "regular" banking industry regarding accounts.  It
will take a while to outgrow those old stories.

You can't walk into a bank and say, "I think I once had an account here,
or maybe my wife did, but I am not sure what name I used, or the account
number... and I have no ID.  Can you give me money anyway?"  Why would
people think you could do the same at Paypal?

A few years ago, someone paid me $500 fraudulently.  It wasn't immediately
discovered, and by the time PayPal had to reverse the payment, I had
already swept it into my checking account.  Paypal allowed me, without any
charge, to carry that negative balance for a few weeks, while continuing
to accept payments that eventually brought the balance back up.  Can you
imagine a bank *ever* letting that happen without a fee?

I have not had a single negative incident with PayPal.

I believe Paypal is now preparing to offer cheap, easy-to-use merchant
tools that will rival the complex, expensive, and hard-to-get merchant
account mish-mash now available.

Online payment processing and credit card use is broken... for everyone,
user and merchant.  A very few financial institutions control us all.

It will take a long time for many people to stop thinking of PayPal as
"unprofessional".  But they have steadily built a clientele of over 70
million of users who trust them with their banking information, starting
with eBay users and spreading into the general online retail community.
Most shopping carts integrate with Paypal. Paypal offers me free digital
data that integrates with my bookkeeping tools. And we have all matured in
our expectations of online payment processing.

I think PayPal is paying attention.

(And no, I am not selling PayPal or offering an affiliate link.)

--Tracy

............
Tracy Brant
Gryphyn Media Hosting
tbrant@...
610-724-8967
http://gryphynmedia.com
............



> Hi, Joe.  How are you doing?
>
> You are right, but it depends upon your definition of "create an account".
>
> You have to enter your name, address, phone number, credit card
> information,
> and create a password.  In my definition, that's an "account".  What you
> don't have to do is ever go back into that account, but the account must
> be
> created for the seller to receive $ from the customer, and the information
> must be kept on file for the historical records to be accurate.  What's
> more, Paypal is constantly ragging on the people who are "unconfirmed" (ie
> -
> did not verify their email address or connect a bank account to their
> Paypal
> account) intimating without ever saying so that you "should" tell them all
> about your bank account (which I think is risky).  Finally - if they ever
> try to go back in using the same email address, they will have a very hard
> time if they don't remember their password, because Paypal won't let them
> pay again on the same account without knowing the password.
>
> Among the technically literate, this is trivial - entering names and
> addresses to register on sites is just something you get used to doing.
> But
> believe me - among my clients are some older generation business owners
> who
> would rather eat glass than go onto a web site and enter their credit card
> information. But they will happily call my bookkeeper and give him all the
> information he needs over the phone. So it really depends upon your client
> base if Paypal works well for you.
>
> Just my opinion
> CJ
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joseph Magid [mailto:jsmagid@...]
> Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:37 PM
> To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees
>
> One correction - buyers do not have to create a PayPal account to make a
> purchase - there is a pathway from the initial PayPal page that allows
> non-PayPal account buyers to execute a credit card transaction. I have
> gotten a
> few reports of people having trouble with that - mostly cases where they
> had
> created a PayPal account at some point in the past which PayPal remembered
> but
> they couldn't figure out how to get into it. The solution for that problem
> is to
> enter a different e-mail address that PayPal doesn't recognize.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CJ Rhoads [mailto:CJRhoads@...]
> Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:18 PM
> To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees
>
>
>
> Hi, Bill.
>
> After exhaustingly searching out low-cost options for accepting credit
> cards last year, I found what I believe is the lowest cost option for
> accepting low-volume credit card transactions.
>
> Option 1: As Joe suggested, Paypal is the lowest cost and the easiest
> for you.  Just open a free account, attach it to your bank account, and
> direct people to go to Paypal to pay you.
> *Advantage: lowest cost, and people can use any credit card to pay you
> using Paypal's system.
> *Disadvantage:  People have to create a paypal account to pay you,
> requiring a certain amount of computer savvy and inconvenience.
> Additionally, getting the money FROM Paypal takes more computer savvy
> (which I know you have) and is risky as paypal has the ability to clear
> out your bank account if someone accuses you of bad things. For this
> reason, I recommend that you set up a special bank account to accept the
> transfer and then transfer the money out as soon as you receive it.
>
> Option 2: Find someone with credit card equipment they no longer need,
> and open an account with a merchant service that has a "seasonal" plan.
> I use First National Merchant Solutions and pay only $50 a year plus an
> average of 3% per transaction. I was able to get a low transaction cost
> because I found someone who gave me her credit card terminal equipment
> (original cost about $3000) for free.  This isn't as unlikely as it
> sounds - many organizations are switching over to on-line only services,
> and no longer need the equipment.  You simply "take over" their account.
> *Advantage: low cost, only takes a phone line to get transactions
> authorized
> *Disadvantage: I can't accept transactions directly on the web.  That
> would have cost much more.
>
> Option 3: Find someone else you trust who trusts you who already has a
> merchant account and have them run the transactions through their
> account.  My account is actually shared between my consulting firm AND a
> non-profit organization where I'm a board member.  The orgs share the
> $50 cost.  The key is trust, because you have no legal standing to get
> your money if the organization chooses not to give you a check.
> *Advantage: No setup costs, application costs, or ongoing fees
> *Disadvantage: You must wait several weeks for the money since it has to
> clear, you are dependent upon the organization with the merchant account
> to send you a check, and that organization's name will appear on the
> transaction, not your own.
>
> Of course - if you are willing and able to pay the normal fees for a
> credit card account (between $200-$500 a year) or need to be able to
> accept on-line transactions, none of these options will suffice.  Like
> you, I investigated the services that conduct all the authorization by
> your hitting numbers on your phone (ARU) instead of obtaining the
> equipment, and found the cost to be higher than my few transactions were
> worth.
>
>
> Just my opinion
> CJ Rhoads
> ------------------------------------
> ETM Associates, Inc.
> PO Box 564, Douglassville, PA 19518
> http://ETMAssociates.com
> 484-332-3331
> --------------------------------------
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
> To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees
>
>
> Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees?
> I need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
> transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars
> to perhaps a thousand dollars.
>
> Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
> <http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
> charges for low monthly usage:
>
> **********************************
> When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
> first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
> The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe
> or key enter the information into an electronic terminal.
>
> ARU Processing
> MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization
>
> Equipment:
> Imprinter                  $   30.00
>
> Application Fee            $100.00
> Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
> Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
> NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
> Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
> American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization
>
> If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
> statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.
> Both of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.
>
>
> Merchant Connect            FREE
> 24x7 Customer Service            FREE
> **********************************
>
> --
> <bill.frysinger@...>
> Bill Frysinger
> Northport, ME
>

CJ,



I believe Tracy has given about as complete and accurate description of what
PayPal has to offer as
can be provided.



I do want to clarify that a customer does not need to create any kind of account
if you don't
already have one in order to pay by CC - no user name, no password. All that is
required is an
e-mail address to use to send a receipt. Pay Pal does not maintain any record of
the customer
separate from the payment transaction, same as any on-line purchase via any
gateway processor.



In my alter-ego role with the non-profit not-quite-political group I'm involved
with we used both
PayPal and a separate merchant account to accept payments for Grassroots Theatre
Network screening
events. We received at least several dozen non-PayPal account holder credit card
payments via PayPal
without a problem. There were 2 or 3 customers who had the dreaded - you have an
account with us you
should use problem.



I know you characterized it as dangerous to link your bank account to PayPal,
but it's no different
than any credit card processing company - they all are subject to the same
rules. I find PayPal to
be at least as good, if not better about moving money to and from my bank
account as the merchant
account company. The only difference is that I need to tell PayPal to move money
to my bank account
where as the merchant processor would move it automatically, though not
necessarily predictably -
well, except for the withdrawal to pay monthly fees - especially if there is an
unusually large
purchase in which case they will wait a bit longer than usual. PayPal makes the
"cash" available to
be moved immediately and I've never had it take more than 2 business days for
the money to be
available in my bank account.



As Tracy said, they've come a long way from their early days. And if you aren't
aware, PayPal is now
an E-Bay subsidiary - and they are all about customer service as they go
head-to-head with Yahoo and
others.



- Joe



-----Original Message-----
From: CJ Rhoads [mailto:CJRhoads@...]
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 6:41 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Hi, Joe.  How are you doing?

You are right, but it depends upon your definition of "create an account".

You have to enter your name, address, phone number, credit card information,
and create a password.  In my definition, that's an "account".  What you
don't have to do is ever go back into that account, but the account must be
created for the seller to receive $ from the customer, and the information
must be kept on file for the historical records to be accurate.  What's
more, Paypal is constantly ragging on the people who are "unconfirmed" (ie -
did not verify their email address or connect a bank account to their Paypal
account) intimating without ever saying so that you "should" tell them all
about your bank account (which I think is risky).  Finally - if they ever
try to go back in using the same email address, they will have a very hard
time if they don't remember their password, because Paypal won't let them
pay again on the same account without knowing the password.

Among the technically literate, this is trivial - entering names and
addresses to register on sites is just something you get used to doing.  But
believe me - among my clients are some older generation business owners who
would rather eat glass than go onto a web site and enter their credit card
information. But they will happily call my bookkeeper and give him all the
information he needs over the phone. So it really depends upon your client
base if Paypal works well for you.

Just my opinion
CJ

-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Magid [mailto:jsmagid@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:37 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees

One correction - buyers do not have to create a PayPal account to make a
purchase - there is a pathway from the initial PayPal page that allows
non-PayPal account buyers to execute a credit card transaction. I have
gotten a
few reports of people having trouble with that - mostly cases where they had
created a PayPal account at some point in the past which PayPal remembered
but
they couldn't figure out how to get into it. The solution for that problem
is to
enter a different e-mail address that PayPal doesn't recognize.







-----Original Message-----
From: CJ Rhoads [mailto:CJRhoads@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 2:18 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees



Hi, Bill.

After exhaustingly searching out low-cost options for accepting credit
cards last year, I found what I believe is the lowest cost option for
accepting low-volume credit card transactions.

Option 1: As Joe suggested, Paypal is the lowest cost and the easiest
for you.  Just open a free account, attach it to your bank account, and
direct people to go to Paypal to pay you.
*Advantage: lowest cost, and people can use any credit card to pay you
using Paypal's system.
*Disadvantage:  People have to create a paypal account to pay you,
requiring a certain amount of computer savvy and inconvenience.
Additionally, getting the money FROM Paypal takes more computer savvy
(which I know you have) and is risky as paypal has the ability to clear
out your bank account if someone accuses you of bad things. For this
reason, I recommend that you set up a special bank account to accept the
transfer and then transfer the money out as soon as you receive it.

Option 2: Find someone with credit card equipment they no longer need,
and open an account with a merchant service that has a "seasonal" plan.
I use First National Merchant Solutions and pay only $50 a year plus an
average of 3% per transaction. I was able to get a low transaction cost
because I found someone who gave me her credit card terminal equipment
(original cost about $3000) for free.  This isn't as unlikely as it
sounds - many organizations are switching over to on-line only services,
and no longer need the equipment.  You simply "take over" their account.
*Advantage: low cost, only takes a phone line to get transactions
authorized
*Disadvantage: I can't accept transactions directly on the web.  That
would have cost much more.

Option 3: Find someone else you trust who trusts you who already has a
merchant account and have them run the transactions through their
account.  My account is actually shared between my consulting firm AND a
non-profit organization where I'm a board member.  The orgs share the
$50 cost.  The key is trust, because you have no legal standing to get
your money if the organization chooses not to give you a check.
*Advantage: No setup costs, application costs, or ongoing fees
*Disadvantage: You must wait several weeks for the money since it has to
clear, you are dependent upon the organization with the merchant account
to send you a check, and that organization's name will appear on the
transaction, not your own.

Of course - if you are willing and able to pay the normal fees for a
credit card account (between $200-$500 a year) or need to be able to
accept on-line transactions, none of these options will suffice.  Like
you, I investigated the services that conduct all the authorization by
your hitting numbers on your phone (ARU) instead of obtaining the
equipment, and found the cost to be higher than my few transactions were
worth.


Just my opinion
CJ Rhoads
------------------------------------
ETM Associates, Inc.
PO Box 564, Douglassville, PA 19518
http://ETMAssociates.com
484-332-3331
--------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Frysinger [mailto:bill.frysinger@...]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 11:04 AM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees


Do any of you have knowledge about or experience with credit card fees?
I need to be able to accept credit cards, but I only expect a few
transactions a month, with each transaction being a few hundred dollars
to perhaps a thousand dollars.

Here's what the firm my bank sent me to [http://www.novainfo.com]
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
<http://www.novainfo.com%5d>
charges for low monthly usage:

**********************************
When we spoke we talked about processing your transactions via phone at
first.  That type of processing is called ARU (automated response unit).
The rate for this type of processing is usually higher than is you swipe
or key enter the information into an electronic terminal.

ARU Processing
MC/Visa Rate 3.85% + .65 phone authorization

Equipment:
Imprinter                  $   30.00

Application Fee            $100.00
Monthly Statement Fee            $  10.00
Minimum Monthly             $  20.00
NSF Charge                  $  20.00 per occurrence
Charge backs                  $  15.00 per occurrence
American Express/Discover      $      .15 per authorization

If you would like to take American Express the rate 3.50% plus a $5.00
statement fee charged by American Express and Discover 2.14% + .10.
Both of these cards can by signed up with your merchant application.


Merchant Connect            FREE
24x7 Customer Service            FREE
**********************************

--
<bill.frysinger@...>
Bill Frysinger
Northport, ME



Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Both Tracy and Joe make a good case that dealing with Paypal has improved
since the early days.  That's good to hear.  I'm especially pleased that
there is someone you can call - part of the problem before was that there
was no way to contact them directly - and it was extremely frustrating to
keep getting the same standard response email which was inappropriate for
whatever unique circumstances with which you were dealing.

I maintain my point, however, that it depends upon your client base.  It
doesn't matter how great Paypal is for me if my clients don't want to use
it.  My bookkeeper won't use any on-line payment service despite the fact
that I think it would be quicker and easier.  He wants a paper invoice in
the mail box, to which he can write and send a paper check.  This give Tracy
headaches and problems, I'm sure, since she hosts my web sites and wants him
to use Paypal, but no amount of encouragement on my part is going to change
the way he does things, and unless I'm willing to do it myself (which I'm
not) I have to let him do it the way he wants.  I'm sure many of my clients
would feel the same.

When we tried to get people to pay for their Festival Registration through
Paypal we got 1 taker.  When we switched to calling the bookkeeper with the
credit card information, we got at least 10 to pay that way.

So if your clients are willing to use Paypal - go for it.  But if not,
consider other options.

Just my opinion
CJ Rhoads

I just want to emphasize the point that you can "use Paypal" as a REGULAR
credit card processor now... not "as PayPal."  I feel like you may have
missed that point in my over-long description.  PayPal is brand name for a
lot of different services, not just one kind of payment procedure.

I am not criticizing your bookkeeper... I have many clients and
bookkeepers that pay me with checks and with credit cards by phone. Your
bookkeeper gets my invoice by email, prints it out, and sends me a check.
I do NOT want or need him to use Paypal, and I have not asked him to do so
recently. The invoice clearly says it can be paid online, OR by phone, OR
with a check in the mail. You may not realize that, since the invoice goes
to your bookkeeper instead of you.

Paypal does give me with the ability to take cards by phone, invisibly and
inexpensively.  Client do not know they are using PayPal when they give me
CC by phone.  If you called me with a credit card, you would not know who
did the processing... it could be Paypal, Authorize, or even Card Service
International, and your only contact would be me on the phone.

When I switch to the new Paypal API, users will also not know they are
"using" Paypal when they pay with a card online. They will stay on my
site, but Paypal will do the processing the put the money in my PayPal
account.  Very affordably.

I also want to point out that users have been able to call PayPal directly
for years.  You are not limited to online help.  Even before I was
assigned an account manager, I was able to call them to solve problems
with my account and my debit card.  They *used* to be harder to contact in
the early years, but they heard the complaints and became more accessible.
  The account manager is an *extra* bonus I get for being a merchant and a
participant in their merchant beta programs.

I think my overall point is that "PayPal" has added services that make
them not a lot different than a traditional merchant account.  I hear you
saying "people won't use Paypal" because you are referring to their
traditonal services, not to the MERCHANT services I was describing.  I
think that misrepresents what I do with PayPal's range of services.

I don't want people on this list to overlook PayPal without looking at the
merchant service options, because they read a review of only the
traditional PayPal option.  The folks on this list are exactly the sort
that would benefit from the no-start-up fee services they can get from
Paypal now.


--Tracy


............
Tracy Brant
Gryphyn Media Hosting
tbrant@...
610-724-8967
http://gryphynmedia.com
............


> Both Tracy and Joe make a good case that dealing with Paypal has improved
> since the early days.  That's good to hear.  I'm especially pleased that
> there is someone you can call - part of the problem before was that there
> was no way to contact them directly - and it was extremely frustrating to
> keep getting the same standard response email which was inappropriate for
> whatever unique circumstances with which you were dealing.
>
> I maintain my point, however, that it depends upon your client base.  It
> doesn't matter how great Paypal is for me if my clients don't want to use
> it.  My bookkeeper won't use any on-line payment service despite the fact
> that I think it would be quicker and easier.  He wants a paper invoice in
> the mail box, to which he can write and send a paper check.  This give
> Tracy
> headaches and problems, I'm sure, since she hosts my web sites and wants
> him
> to use Paypal, but no amount of encouragement on my part is going to
> change
> the way he does things, and unless I'm willing to do it myself (which I'm
> not) I have to let him do it the way he wants.  I'm sure many of my
> clients
> would feel the same.
>
> When we tried to get people to pay for their Festival Registration through
> Paypal we got 1 taker.  When we switched to calling the bookkeeper with
> the
> credit card information, we got at least 10 to pay that way.
>
> So if your clients are willing to use Paypal - go for it.  But if not,
> consider other options.
>
> Just my opinion
> CJ Rhoads

I'm glad you clarified, Tracy.  I'll also be very interested when the API is
finished that will allow people to pay on-line without a monthly processing
fee.  That will be really great!

Thanks
CJ

(PS. I didn't mean to imply that you ever complained that Gene won't pay
on-line - sorry if you got that impression. I was just using him as an
example of people who don't want to change the way they do things.)

-----Original Message-----
From: Tracy Brant [mailto:tbrant@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 1:29 PM
To: unitof1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [unitof1] Credit Card Fees

I just want to emphasize the point that you can "use Paypal" as a REGULAR
credit card processor now... not "as PayPal."  I feel like you may have
missed that point in my over-long description.  PayPal is brand name for a
lot of different services, not just one kind of payment procedure.

I am not criticizing your bookkeeper... I have many clients and
bookkeepers that pay me with checks and with credit cards by phone. Your
bookkeeper gets my invoice by email, prints it out, and sends me a check.
I do NOT want or need him to use Paypal, and I have not asked him to do so
recently. The invoice clearly says it can be paid online, OR by phone, OR
with a check in the mail. You may not realize that, since the invoice goes
to your bookkeeper instead of you.

Paypal does give me with the ability to take cards by phone, invisibly and
inexpensively.  Client do not know they are using PayPal when they give me
CC by phone.  If you called me with a credit card, you would not know who
did the processing... it could be Paypal, Authorize, or even Card Service
International, and your only contact would be me on the phone.

When I switch to the new Paypal API, users will also not know they are
"using" Paypal when they pay with a card online. They will stay on my
site, but Paypal will do the processing the put the money in my PayPal
account.  Very affordably.

I also want to point out that users have been able to call PayPal directly
for years.  You are not limited to online help.  Even before I was
assigned an account manager, I was able to call them to solve problems
with my account and my debit card.  They *used* to be harder to contact in
the early years, but they heard the complaints and became more accessible.
  The account manager is an *extra* bonus I get for being a merchant and a
participant in their merchant beta programs.

I think my overall point is that "PayPal" has added services that make
them not a lot different than a traditional merchant account.  I hear you
saying "people won't use Paypal" because you are referring to their
traditonal services, not to the MERCHANT services I was describing.  I
think that misrepresents what I do with PayPal's range of services.

I don't want people on this list to overlook PayPal without looking at the
merchant service options, because they read a review of only the
traditional PayPal option.  The folks on this list are exactly the sort
that would benefit from the no-start-up fee services they can get from
Paypal now.


--Tracy


............
Tracy Brant
Gryphyn Media Hosting
tbrant@...
610-724-8967
http://gryphynmedia.com
............


> Both Tracy and Joe make a good case that dealing with Paypal has improved
> since the early days.  That's good to hear.  I'm especially pleased that
> there is someone you can call - part of the problem before was that there
> was no way to contact them directly - and it was extremely frustrating to
> keep getting the same standard response email which was inappropriate for
> whatever unique circumstances with which you were dealing.
>
> I maintain my point, however, that it depends upon your client base.  It
> doesn't matter how great Paypal is for me if my clients don't want to use
> it.  My bookkeeper won't use any on-line payment service despite the fact
> that I think it would be quicker and easier.  He wants a paper invoice in
> the mail box, to which he can write and send a paper check.  This give
> Tracy
> headaches and problems, I'm sure, since she hosts my web sites and wants
> him
> to use Paypal, but no amount of encouragement on my part is going to
> change
> the way he does things, and unless I'm willing to do it myself (which I'm
> not) I have to let him do it the way he wants.  I'm sure many of my
> clients
> would feel the same.
>
> When we tried to get people to pay for their Festival Registration through
> Paypal we got 1 taker.  When we switched to calling the bookkeeper with
> the
> credit card information, we got at least 10 to pay that way.
>
> So if your clients are willing to use Paypal - go for it.  But if not,
> consider other options.
>
> Just my opinion
> CJ Rhoads








Next Unit of 1 networking event: May 24, 2005
"Grow Big or Stay Home" - RSVP today!
Details at www.unitof1.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

I am in need of consulting partners to assist me in implementing our
business performance improvement program.  Specifically, I am looking
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We have a Fortune 500 client, located on Long Island, NY, who has a need for
Oracle Financials training in the fall.  If you know someone who can provide
this training please have them send their resume, along with their billing
rates, to me.



Thank you,

Barry



Barry Meyers

Principal

The People Source Group

gold minds for your business success

PO Box 3404,   Maple Glen, PA 19002-8404

Phone: 215-643-5558,   Cell: 215-266-5982

  <mailto:bmeyers@...> bmeyers@...  <http://www.tpsgco.com/>
www.tpsgco.com.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Job Title: Mechanical Designer
Company: Local Design and Build Precision Machinery Company
Location: Hatfield Township, PA
Employee Type: Contract, 2-4 month assignment



Summary of Major Responsibilities:

.         Develops details from design concepts for assemblies and subassemblies
.         Contributes to the specification, design, and/or procurement of
mechanical design modifications.
.         Addresses design issues that require review and/or modification.
.         Maintenance of mechanical design documentation.
.         Performance to Commitments
.         Performs work under direction of engineering staff.



Experience and Education

.         2 year Associate Degree preferred
.         3-5 years of design experience
.         Autodesk Inventor 3-D v8-v10 required







Barry Meyers
The People Source Group
  <mailto:bmeyers@...> bmeyers@...









[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The next Unit of 1 event is set for Tuesday, Sept. 20th.

To RSVP visit:  http://www.unitof1.com/article393.html

Global access to a vast network of talented professionals and stunning
advances in Information Technology is changing the way business is done. A
growing pool of free information is just a mouse-click away. Fierce
competition among service providers is heating up in all but the most
specialized niches. Like it or not, The Cheap Revolution is here.

In this panel discussion we examine the questions:
- What are the driving forces behind our changing business world?
- What's different today from 2-3 years ago? 5 years ago? 10 years ago?
- How should we as service providers respond?
- How you can your business best take advantage of The Cheap Revolution?

Join us Tuesday, September 20, 2005 (8:00 - 10:30 am) at Villanova
University (Health Building, Room 200, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA
19085) for this important conversation. The future of your business just
might depend on it!

The panel will be moderated by Andrea Michalek, Founder of 1-800-CTO and
Managing Director of Unit of 1.  Panelists will include:
. Lee Devin, Dramaturg and author of "Artful Making - What Managers
Need to Know about How Artists Work"
. Jennifer Guinan, President of Sage Strategic Marketing
. David Newman, Founder of UNCONSULTING
. Skip Shuda, Startup and Entrepreneur Advisor, Team and a Dream,
Wharton SBDC Early Stage Practice

Panelist Bios:
Lee Devin, Dramaturg and author of "Artful Making - What Managers Need to
Know about How Artists Work"
Lee Devin graduated from San Jose State College and took his PhD at Indiana
University. He taught at the University of Virginia, Vassar College, and
Swarthmore College. In 1970, he founded The Theatre at Swarthmore. An
experimental acting class in ensemble techniques, the first practical arts
course offered for academic credit at the College, led eventually to an
independent Department of Theatre Studies housed in a state of the art
building. He retired from teaching in 2002. In 1975 he became a member of
the artistic staff of the People's Light and Theatre Company, acting,
teaching acting, and doing dramaturgy. With Rob Austin of the Harvard
Business School he wrote "Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know about
How Artists Work". It's about using theatre techniques to do creative work
in business, replacing industrial teams with knowledge work ensembles.

Jennifer Guinan, President of Sage Strategic Marketing
Jennifer Guinan, president of Sage Strategic Marketing, offers 19 years of
experience in marketing, communications, and PR for companies and
organizations large and small. Guinan's background includes national and
international marketing and communications executive management and
strategy, PR and media relations, and consulting. Her experience spans
multiple industries from financial, healthcare, and life sciences to
technology segments including software, networking, telecommunications,
embedded systems, and wireless. She has developed M&A communications
strategies, executed crisis management campaigns, successfully launched a
number of startup companies, and strategized and implemented company
repositioning, product launches, and issues campaigns.

David Newman, Founder of UNCONSULTING
David Newman is the founder of UNCONSULTING, helping independent
professionals take the struggle and mystery out of marketing their services.
David uses an innovative combination of 1-on-1 training, consulting, and
coaching to help individual clients achieve their unique successes. David's
specialty is helping people get more done, make more money, and rediscover
the joy of business. David's work has appeared in print in The Philadelphia
Business Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, Business Digest, and on
fastcompany.com. He also writes a regular column for Business2Business
magazine. David is the co-creator and co-host of Business Matters, a weekly
radio show debuting in 2005.

Skip Shuda, Startup and Entrepreneur Advisor, Team and a Dream, Wharton SBDC
Early Stage Practice
Skip Shuda is the founder of Team and a Dream, which helps early stage
technology companies to get to the next level. In addition to Team and a
Dream, Skip is active in the Wharton Small Business Development Center's
Venture Initiation Program and Early Stage Practice. For over 20 years Skip
has been an innovator in the use of new technology to enhance the growth and
profit potential of early stage software, service and technology companies.
Skip assists entrepreneurs through leadership coaching, technology and
methodology audits, product definition, management of software initiatives,
staff planning, market definition and sales/proposal assistance. His
research interests include business and software patterns, agile
methodologies and entrepreneurship.

Agenda:
8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Check in and Open Networking
8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Unit of 1 Introductions
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Panel Discussion - The Cheap Revolution
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Open Networking

As always - special thanks to our event sponsors:
- Team and a Dream (www.TeamAndADream.com), helping early stage technology
companies to get to the next level,
- Villanova University (www.villanova.edu), and
- 1-800-CTO (www.1800cto.com), a consulting firm focused on providing
interim technology leaders to software companies.

For details, and to RSVP visit:  http://www.unitof1.com/article393.html

About Unit of 1
Unit of 1, founded in 2001, is a group of independent contractors, free
agents, and business owners who all run micro-businesses. The group supports
all members in running more successful practices by sharing lessons learned,
advice, and horror stories. Unit of 1's networking meetings are a popular
way to network with a virtual peer group of other business owners and get
actionable advice for running a business.

The typical audience of Unit of 1 networking events is made up of business
owners from diverse disciplines including management consultants, graphic
designers, human resource professionals, writers, lawyers, financial
advisors, technology gurus, etc.

About Team and a Dream
Team and a Dream helps very early stage technology companies get to the next
level. The firm increases the momentum of technology startups by filling
management and knowledge gaps. Using experienced, executive-level expertise,
template-ready intellectual property and affordable muscle for execution,
the packaged expertise of Team and a Dream fills startups' gaps in
technology, marketing, sales, operations, staffing and executive search, and
funding.

About 1-800-CTO
1-800-CTO provides services that assist technology companies in launching
first versions of products. Our clients include both startups as well as
established companies re-launching or creating new product lines. With
time-tested planning methodologies, leadership practices, and even
technology components, we can help you effectively launch your software
product.

I hope to see you there!
Andrea

---------------------------------------------
Andrea Michalek
215.280.1805
andrea@...
www.1800cto.com - technology management consulting
www.unitof1.com - community for micro-business owners

We have a client who is interested in bringing a product from Europe to market
in the US.  They are looking for a consultant to assist them in the following:



Oral Diagnostic Sensor Technology: develop a proposal that would address the
following:



1. Help shape strategy for approaching healthcare industry:

*         .....feasibility of entering US market

*         .....market analysis

*         .....identification of partners

2. Help with regulatory compliance and FDA issues for product in US market.

3. Review of the Centers of Excellence and their potential role for clinical
trials



The request is for a draft proposal.



Key issues for them at this stage would be:

- where would the technology fit in relation to current procedures to detect
colorectal cancer

- who would be the target customers for the product

- what do they need to do to reach these customers

- is reimbursement necessary, if so what is the route to gaining reimbursement

- what are the likely regulatory steps

- who should they partner with



If you have experience with any of the areas listed in items 1 - 3, please send
your resume indicating the appropriate experience, and your billing rate, to
bmeyers@....



Barry Meyers

The People Source Group

  <mailto:bmeyers@...> bmeyers@...





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I would first like to thank all of you who assisted me in my recent
search for registered W/M/D BE's who could partner with BCS on future
government assignments.

The response was overwhelming.  After originally contacting
approximately 120 consultants and contacts, we have received over 350
replies from firms and individuals with a broad range of impressive
talents and skill sets.  Needless to say, I am quite certain that BCS is
now the pre-eminent contact source for available W/M/D BE's along the
East Coast!

Although I have met or talked with a small percentage of you, time has
restricted me from contacting everyone.  I promise that I will attempt
to reach everyone who replied in some fashion in the not too distant
future.

Thanks again for your invaluable assistance!

Tom Casey, CMC, CCP
Business Consulting Services
610-328-9806

Please visit our web site:   WWW.CONSULTBIZ.COM <http://www.consultbiz.com>

"Performance Improvement through Technology Planning and Operational
Redesign"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business Consulting Services improves operating results through business
process improvement and information technology consulting.  Serving the
business, government and non-profit communities, we provide only senior
level resources and skill sets at competitive fees affordable to a
client's budget.

* Certified Management Consultant (CMC) is a certification mark awarded
by the Institute of Management Consultants USA and represents evidence
of the highest standards of consulting, and his adherence to the
technical and ethical canons of the profession.  Less than 1% of all
management consultants have achieved this level of performance.
Certified Computing Professional (CCP) is awarded by the Institute for
the Certification of Computing Professionals, and certifies proficiency
in the information technology field.

Tom Casey is one of fewer than 15 consultants in the world to have
achieved both the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Certified
Computing Professional (CCP) designations, the only internationally
accepted certification in each field.  To achieve this distinction, Mr.
Casey has undergone peer reviews, client audits, competency tests and
oral interviews; he has complied with continuing education requirements
and has pledged to uphold the Codes of Ethics for both organizations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We have a client, located in Lancaster County that manufacturers and distributes
apparel accessories.  Over the last year they have seen their sales erode by
over 25%.  They are looking for an experienced Business Strategist to help them
determine the cause of the problem and then to help them to correct it.



The successful consultant must have both knowledge and experience in the apparel
and or accessory industry.  They will be working at a VP level of Business
Strategy and must have extensive knowledge of sales, marketing, distribution
channels and retail.



If you have the required experience, please send your resume and your billing
rate to bmeyers@....  To be considered for this opportunity briefly
outline your relevant experience in your email.



Barry Meyers

The People Source Group

  <mailto:bmeyers@...> bmeyers@...





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]