4 square tips to avoid leaving money on the table

As a newcomer to the Omega Psi Phi National Convention, Karla Spencer-George has learned lots from other vendors who’ve been in the industry for years. But when she pulled out her Square bank card reader, everyone was impressed by her ability to quickly process transactions using the device on her Android phone.

“I wish they would have used it instead of a traditional machining machine,” says Spencer-George, who worked as an electrical engineer at Lockheed Martin for 12 years before founding Liberation Clothing & Gifts, LLC in February 2010.

It sells merchandise promoting Black history and culture, including T-shirts, documentaries, books, calendars and paintings. Although the company’s business is primarily online, Spencer-George also sells its merchandise at Black Run events, comparable to national and regional Black sorority and sorority conventions, Black History Month fairs, science fairs, Juneteenth observances and natural hair symposia .

Spencer-George selected to use Square for events since it was faster and cheaper than a bank card processing machine. In any case, bank card payments can account for 35% to 65% of the products it sells. She learned that despite the fact that the Square device only cost $10, she could get it back once she arrange an account. It also helped that there have been no fixed monthly fees.

Additionally, Square allowed her to call regular customers without having to re-enter their email addresses or phone numbers to send them confirmations. She was also impressed by the plug-and-play features of Square’s software.

“Just connect the device to your phone or iPad and swipe,” says Spencer-George, who also studied computer science in college. “I also see the proven fact that transactions are paperless as a bonus for me and the environment.

Already an experienced seller, Spencer-George offers the following tips to make sure you don’t miss a sale:

Perform advanced on-site testing

“It’s necessary that my bank card payment processor runs easily. Whether your event is held at an out of doors trade show or in the underground, lower level of the exhibit hall, you will need to travel to the event venue and complete a test Square transaction prior to the event. If you might be unable to get to the event location upfront, please call your ISP to discuss coverage in that area. Additionally, if a spot offers secure Internet for industrial transactions, consider purchasing it.

Don’t stop at a single point of failure

To avoid falling victim to Murphy’s Law, use two mobile devices with Square software. This way, if one device dies, you’ll have one other one. I take advantage of each a Droid phone and an iPad. I take advantage of a wireless hotspot separate from my Droid phone for iPad. This will make your Droid phone take longer to charge. Finally, I’m bringing my laptop so I can use an old-fashioned merchant account if all else fails.

Charge all of your devices

Since you might not have access to electricity during the event, make certain to charge all of your devices the night before. Before each event, I charge my Droid phone, iPad, laptop, wireless hotspot, and portable wireless charger.

Use a stylus

Invest in a stylus for touchscreen devices. Let your customers sign transactions with a stylus as an alternative of their fingers. Using a stylus is more skilled and easier for purchasers to write.