Gift Cards Are Gold For The Merchant

The holiday gift card season is here.

Each year, gift card sales go up by about 10% over the previous year. Ever wonder why the big restaurants have the promotion of purchase $100 gift card and receive an extra $20 gift card? Continue reading.

Over a billion dollars in gift cards have gone un-redeemed.

More than 10% of gift cards never get redeemed. That's great for a retail store or restaurant. You get the cash, but don't have the expense.

However, make sure you are following the gift card laws of your municipality. Even if not cashed, you have some legal obligations for un-redeemed gift cards.

For accounting purchases, a gift card is not counted as a sale until it is actually redeemed. The money you receive for selling a gift card becomes a liability until the gift card is exchanged for merchandise.

Nearly 85% of people between 25 to 34 years old are giving gift cards this year.

Only 40% of those over 65 will be giving gift cards. I'm in this group. Maybe that's why I don't like gift cards.

22% of those with a gift card make a purchase of an item that they would normally not purchase.

72% will spend more money in your business than the value of the gift card.

On average, gift card users spend 22% more money than the value of the gift card.

77% of all Americans have given out a gift card in the past year.

$25 is the most popular gift card denomination.

55% of those using gift cards need more than one trip to the store in order to redeem their gift card.

Read the statistics at: https://www.cardcash.com/gift-card-statistics/

For help with getting started on a gift card program call us at 888-506-9225 option 103 or visit
www.tampabaymerchantservices.com

Why Can’t I Get a Small Business Loan from a Bank?

Having trouble getting financing from a bank? You’re not alone. So far in 2015, big banks have approved only 21.7% of small business loans. Despite a recovering economy and an increasing demand for small business credit, banks have become less and less inclined to lend to small businesses.

But why? The answer isn’t as simple as low credit scores. While it’s true that small business owner credit scores are still suffering from the effects of the Recession, other factors are at play as to why banks are suddenly shunning small to medium sized businesses from their portfolios. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Riskier: Small businesses are riskier lending propositions than larger businesses for a variety reasons. For one, small businesses are more sensitive to the ebbs and flows of the economy. Because big businesses are generally more self-sustainable than small ones, larger businesses can weather a dip in the economy. However, any prolonged economic downturn can have lasting consequences on a small business and may even cause them to default on a loan.

Decline of community banks: Historically, community banks have always been more willing to give microloans (generally loans of $50k or less), the amount that small businesses often seek. However, many of these banks have either been consolidated by big banks or have closed completely. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the number of community banks dropped 41% between 2007 and 2013, a bad sign for small business owners looking for loans.

Not as profitable for banks: Perhaps the biggest reason bank lending to small businesses has slowed down is that it’s just simply not as profitable for banks as it used to be. Lending to small businesses in the lower dollar range is too costly and risky for banks. For instance, the cost to process a $50k loan is comparable to a $500k loan, and with 51% of small business owners looking for loans below $100k, you can see the problem.

So with banks not lending to small businesses the way they used to, where can owners turn for small business credit?

We Can Help
We specialize working with small businesses by partnering with companies that provide lending to businesses like yours.  Whether a restaurant owner is in the market for a quick $25k or a beauty salon owner wants $15k to cover sudden expenses, we can help.

What we can offer is different from a bank in that we completely eliminate the mountain of paperwork, long waiting times, and stringent payback policies. Bad credit or low credit score is not a problem.  Whether it’s our Merchant Cash Advance or Business Loan, these  financing programs are an easy and fast solution for small business owners looking for credit.

Call us today at 888-506-9225 option 103 or visit our website at www.tampabaymerchantservices.com