It is hard to argue that first impressions are everything. The way you present both yourself and your business the first time around will go a long way with your future clients. The moment that someone is uncomfortable or dissatisfied with your company, you have likely lost him or her for life.

Not only is having good business etiquette extremely important but the physical presentation of your storefront, shop or restaurant is paramount to its success. Imagine entering a restaurant where the cutlery was dirty, or where there were rips in the carpet. Chances are you would not want to ever eat there again.

Can you picture yourself continually giving your business to a store that hasn’t fixed its broken window in a month? Would you spend your money somewhere with a leaky or water damaged ceiling?

Presentation is everything. Keeping your shop in tip-top shape may mean the difference between your business succeeding and struggling to survive. Tammy Brzeczkowski, the co-founder of Dynamic Designs Unlimited, believes strongly that how a store looks, smells and makes customers feel makes all the difference in the world.

On EzineArticles.com, she offers a number of tips on how to help business owners maintain a well-kept and impressive looking store to keep customers coming back.

Firstly, Brzeczkowski recommends that you do a “walk-through” of your store on a regular basis. This is important, especially at the beginning of the day to ensure that all merchandise is in its proper place. This will also ensure that nothing is on the floor that may present a danger to your customers. Plain and simple, make sure your store isn’t a mess before it opens for business!

Second, Brzeczkowski insists that no smoking in your store ever be allowed. This is generally the case for most establishments in Canada these days, however, it should be stated that a smoky or foul-smelling environment is pleasing to nobody. Be sure to have your place of business well vented, she says, as this adds to your presentation of professionalism.

As well, be sure that your merchandise is visible through a pleasant and organized display. Piling items on top of each other is not the key to selling them. Especially with clothing that can become easily disorganized, it is key to have your merchandise on display in a favorable way. Brzeczkowski suggests that retailers provide customers with an example of how to wear the clothes buy putting an outfit together for them. If it is easy to see, it is easier to sell.

In addition, be sure to restock items properly. Empty shelves and peg hooks give a desolate look to the store. Try to avoid having completely empty shelves.

And finally, “keep it fresh”, says Brzeczkowski. Move things around and keep the store looking updated and attended to. Present the idea that action is taking place and that business is good. Remove dust, cob webs and anything else that does not convey that your store is top-notch!

Many Canadian business owners have taken advantage of Synergy’s merchant cash advance program for the purpose of repairs and renovation. We would be more than happy in assisting your business reach the tip-top as well!

Having concerns about how to survive Canada’s current economic downturn are commonplace within the business world. Small business owners especially, have expressed worry over declining sales and increased difficulty in maintaining their businesses during the recession.

And while brighter days are promised to be ahead, for most business owners across Canada, the end of the recession cannot come soon enough. There does, however, seem to be some good news on the horizon for small business owners. Dr. Sherry Cooper, chief economist of BMO Capital Markets recently wrote in The Globe and Mail that the number of small businesses in Canada have actually multiplied in spite of the country’s current financial crisis.

“A recent report stated that not only will the majority of Canada’s small businesses survive the recession, but, as the recovery continues, many will become stronger than ever,” says the publication’s website.

According to Cooper, “Today, business understands the importance of maintaining sufficient capital to ride the cyclical bumps.”

A repot from The BMO Financial Group also indicates that Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe region as well as the Ottawa-Gatineau are national “hotbeds” for the growth of small businesses.

Says Cooper: “Whether it’s expanding into unknown markets, refocusing customer bases, or jettisoning non-core businesses, successful enterprises should not be afraid to forego the familiar and embrace the risks that can lead to higher rewards.”

On The Globe and Mail‘s website, Cooper discusses the successes she has seen in Canada’s small business sector during the recession. One of the main factors in such businesses succeeding in today’s financial climate is their abilities to change the landscape of their business by adapting their technology to adjust their procedures and the way they offer their products and services.

She cites a 40-year-old family business who reluctantly put a stop to offering credit to its customers. Although their volumes decreased, their profits increased. Another example she provides is a heavy equipment operator who took advantage of auctions and bankruptcies to upgrade his equipment.

It is Cooper’s belief that Canada has been in a much better position than its G7 counterparts during the current financial crisis. It is recommended then that Canadian business owners work boldly to move into the next decade as leaders in innovation and productivity by investing in their businesses today.

It may be a bit early to ask this question but we would like to go ahead and ask it nonetheless: Got any plans for the new year?

And no, we don’t mean what New Year’s Eve party you plan on attending or throwing, but the ideas you have for achieving greater success in the upcoming brand new decade. With 2010 being under two months away, there is no better time than the present to begin thinking about the various ways in which you can help grow and expand your business to meet the needs of your consumers in this ever-changing and advancing world.

Especially with the economy looking to improve in the forseeable future, it would be advantageous to think of how you will compete in the marketplace once it recovers. Have you put any thought into renovating, expanding, advertising or even opening up a new location of your store?

Interestingly, most of our very satisfied clients first expressed that they had “no need” for money when contact was first initiated between us. In our experience, we have found that the idea of not “needing” money is based primarily on the fact that most business owners believe that the money they DO need is not realistically attainable.

With all of the hassle that Canadian business owners are forced to go through when approaching a bank for a business loan, it’s no wonder that many of them have resorted to the concept of not being in “need” of money. We suppose that if you convince yourself that you don’t “need” the money, you won’t be disappointed when you don’t get the money!

Synergy Merchant Services works diligently to destroy that notion.With a simple look at a business owner’s average monthly credit and debit sales volume, a free quote can be given so that he or she may know exactly how much money is available to him or her. Five business days from the time that this quote is given is as long as it takes for a merchant cash advance to be deposited into a business owner’s bank account.

For some of our clients, it is still hard to believe that the process was literally that easy. Not only does our program help for them to develop numerous ideas for what they would “need” the money for, but it inevitably allows the company the flexibility to spend wisely in an effort to promote greater profits.

It is our sincere belief that Canadian business owners “need” to give themselves the opportunity of at least knowing how much money can be made available to them through our unique program. A few minutes of your time is all that it takes to get one step closer to no longer “needing” to put off your dreams for success in the new year.

Don’t let the title of today’s blog fool you. By no means do we advocate business owners taking out a line of credit, only to have to worry themselves with increased debt and regular monthly payments that seem as if they’re never going to end. Actually, we’re referring to you Canadian business owners out there who are yet to take advantage of the benefits of accepting credit and debit cards as methods of payment in your shops and stores.

At Synergy Merchant Services, we have spoken to countless business owners who comment upon how much extra business they received once they started allowing their customers to swipe their cards to make a purchase. These days, it is not uncommon for people to walk with only their cards, freeing themselves of the responsibility to keep cash on them.

Of course, merchants who still only accept cash as a means of payment miss out on sales that would otherwise help their business to accumulate greater profits. Not only that, but having a point-of-sale processor allows for Canadian merchants to take advantage of Synergy’s merchant cash advance program.

One of the very few criteria for participation, the acceptance of credit and debit cards as methods of payments allows for Canadian business owners to attain a free, no obligation quote from Synergy to determine just how much extra capital can be secured for their companies.

Moneris just so happens to be the largest merchant processor in Canada. As their website exclaims, Moneris processes over three billion transactions a year for over 350,000 merchant locations across North America.

If you are yet to establish a relationship with a POS processor, going with the best would be a wise choice. Moneris has enjoyed being the leaders in the industry due to what they call “The Moneris Difference”.

As their website states: “Transaction processing is our business. Moneris is the industry leader because we focus all of our energies on the three key elements of processing – technology, innovation and people. These strengths differentiate us in the marketplace and allow us to deliver exceptional value in transaction processing.”

Are you looking to expand and your grow your business? If so, and you do not yet accept Visa, MasterCard and/or Interac payments in your store, perhaps it’s time you “give yourself more credit”!

One of the first things that our funding specialists here at Synergy Merchant Services pick up on when first speaking to a new client is skepticism. Most often, Canadian business owners who have not yet become familiar with the merchant cash advance concept are hesitant to believe that such a program even exists.

“You mean I can get money for my business WITHOUT going to a bank? How is this so? That sounds strange.”

As “Canada’s Merchant Funding Company”, Synergy prides itself on being at the forefront of an industry that is predicted to become huge in the Canadian marketplace within a decade. As pioneers of sorts, we find it understandable that since our program is still growing out of its infancy stages, some may not realize that it is legitimately an alternative source of extra working capital and NOT a scam of any kind.

We liken ourselves to the first company who ever delivered pizza. Internet sources everywhere tend to credit Domino’s as the first to do so. Of course, before pizza was ever delivered piping hot to anyone’s doorstep, the mere idea of having a hot meal sent to one’s house by simply making a phone call may have seemed a strange one.

To use a more contemporary example, most people buy their groceries at a grocery store. Naturally, right? However, there is such a thing as GroceryGateway.com. For some people, the concept of getting groceries WITHOUT visiting a store is unsettling. The same can be said for those who feel that a bank is the only place one can get money.

Like online grocery purchases, the merchant cash advance is still a relatively new concept. Who knows what that industry will be like a decade from now? Merchant cash advance, however, is a rapidly growing industry. And it is so because of some of the stark differences between the cash advance and the traditional bank loan.

Firstly, no interest is charged on a merchant cash advance. Therefore, unlike with a bank, a business owner’s repayment balance will never grow on them. Instead, we charge a one time fee assuring our clients the benefit of knowing EXACTLY what the cash advance will cost them no matter how long it takes to pay back.

That brings us to one of the best things about our program! Unlike a traditional bank loan, there is NO fixed repayment schedule. Since payments are made through an automated process and are simply made up of a percentage of a merchant’s future credit and debit sales, we only get paid when a sale is made.

Therefore, there is no such thing as making a late payment! Of course, there are numerous other benefits that one of our funding specialists would love to discuss with you. Give us a call and get some information about this innovative product and we are sure you will find that it’s not so strange after all.

This year, Halloween fell on a Saturday. So, of course, many people took the opportunity to get dressed up in their most glamorous or ghoulish costumes before hitting the town to party it up. Naturally, Halloween parties were abundant this past weekend, and some of us were even lucky enough to cash in on costume contests celebrating the annual event.

And by some of us, we mean…one of us. Synergy Merchant Services Vice President of Marketing and Chief Technology Officer, John Meloche turned heads all over downtown Toronto on Halloween with his gruesome get-up! Entering into a Halloween Costume Contest at Gossip Restaurant at Exhibition Place, John secured himself first prize, winning him $500 in gift certificates!

It is at this time that Synergy would like offer John our sincere congratulations. It is also at this time that Synergy would like to ask John what he plans on getting for his associates at work with his winnings!

Anyone who knows John is well aware that he's an upbeat, energetic and fun-loving kind of guy. So when his fianc