Accepting Payment

~A brief conversation on accepting payment~

Accepting payment for your small business can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before. I’m still intimidated, and I’ve probably done at least a hundred transactions by now! After a year in the game, I like to cover my bases by having all possible payment avenues available to my shoppers. The payment options that will be most applicable to Missoula Makers Markets include:

• Cash

Accepting cash might involve breaking bills. For a Missoula Makers Market, it might be helpful to bring several ones, fives, tens, and twenty bills so you can make change for your customers.

• Venmo

Setting up a Venmo account to receive payment might sound like a pain, but it’s worth it. On a market day that I’ve forgotten to bring cash or my POS system goes down (you know- all the bs that seems to happen when you’re already stressed), Venmo has been my rock. Once you set it up, it’s ol’ reliable for when things go sideways. Venmo starts getting tricky when you begin using it for a lot of transactions. Watch for upcoming blogs about this topic. 

          Tip: It's nice to have a board with your Venmo account displayed in easy-to-read font ready to go on your table. You can also print your QR code so it's ready to scan and customers don't have to search for you. 

• Card

“Do you take card?” is a question I get a lot when I’m selling at a market. Let me tell ya: it feels so good to say “YES!” I swear, sometimes my enthusiasm with that answer is the thing that makes the sale. It feels good to make it easy for people who want to pay with card, however, if you can’t (for whatever reason) I’ve found shoppers to be kind and willing to work with you.

Personally, I use Square Space to collect card payments but there are more options that could suit your business needs better. Shop around, do your research, and maybe chit chat with other makers at the market to see what they like and dislike about their POS systems! I could spend WAY more time talking about POS systems, which will make it a great blog topic for the future. Keep your eyes peeled for it!

          Tip: I like to bring a portable battery because I'm paranoid my POS system will die unexpectedly (and it actually has happened). 

Setting yourself up to receive all these payment avenues is the trifecta to bulletproof easiness for your shoppers. *BUT DON’T PANIC IF YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THREE* In fact, I don’t think I ever have all three because I’m not as organized as I think I am. You can get a lot done with just one of these payment avenues so take a breath, show up, have at least ONE of these options… do this, and you’re already slam dunkin’ it.

Lastly, things go wrong sometimes. Makers (specifically the ones we invite to MMC markets) are usually awesome people. If you need help with something, it’s likely you’ll have at least five people lined up to help you. You’re never walking into a MMC Market alone.

-Rachel