Synergy Merchant Services provides merchant cash advances to small and medium-sized businesses in Canada. This alternative source of funding is much different that a traditional bank loan in that it is not borrowed money. Instead, we purchase a certain amount of a merchant’s future credit and debit sales by providing them with a lump sum of cash within five business days.

Now, this is something that we have been communicating to business owners all over the country for the past few years, and yet many have still not heard about this type of funding for businesses. And we completely understand that. Still in its “toddler stages” if you will, the concept of the merchant cash advance is foreign to most Canadians.

That being said, our staff is fully aware that many business owners are skeptical when first hearing about our program. This is why our team works diligently to break down that “wall of skepticism”. The Synergy Merchant Services staff is highly trained to attentively listen to the concerns of our potential clients in an effort to quell any fears that they may have about the many “scams” that are out there.

Rest assured, we did not become “Canada’s Merchant Funding Company” by scamming anybody. In fact, we take great pride in being the nation’s leader in supplying entrepreneurs with the working capital they need to take their companies to the top of their respective industries. We ask that you give us the opportunity to speak to you so that we may answer some of the questions you may have about our program.

For most who first hear about it, they become immediately skeptical about the fact that there is “no interest rate” affixed to our cash advance. While this is absolutely true, by no means are we saying that we give out free money! Now, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Of course, there is a charge for the cash advance that is known as our “discount fee”. This is simply a one-time cost for the cash advance that represents the amount a merchant must add to the cash advance he or she receives when paying it back.

Some owners are also skeptical about the idea that there is “no fixed repayment schedule”. This too, is true. Now, this is not to insinuate that a merchant can take his or her sweet time and repay the advance whenever it is convenient. The way in which we get paid back is one of the most beneficial aspects of the program.

We literally only receive a payment when the merchant makes a sale. Through a seamless automated process, Synergy receives payments towards the cash advance by withholding a small percentage of the credit and debit transactions that go through a merchant’s terminal. It’s known simply as a “withholding perecentage”. If no sale is made, no payment is made. It’s that simple.

For most, of course, it isn’t that simple at all. And again, we completely recognize that many business owners may have reservations about becoming involved with this foreign concept. This is why we introduce our program by offering an absolutely free review of a merchant’s credit and debit card summaries in order to provide information on exactly how much money your company would be approved for and what it may cost.

There is no obligation at all to take the cash advance. We simply ask for the opportunity to break down the wall of skepticism that you may have. We’re confident that you will be happy with what you see on the other side.

Last October, the Synergy Merchant Services Blog visited the news story of the Canadian dollar’s growing value and its attempt to reach parity with its American counterpart. Interestingly, some economists proposed that the strengthening loonie would pose a threat to the rebuilding of Canada’s economy as it would make Canadian exports more expensive to foreign markets.

In our October 13th post, we quoted Prime Minister Stephen Harper as saying that “the value of the Canadian dollar is a risk to recovery. I don’t think it’s a risk to choking off the recovery but if it goes up too rapidly it does have difficult effects on our economy.”

Today, QMI Agency’s Sharon Singleton reports that the loonie will be at its strongest as soon as this summer. In fact, in an article posted on The Toronto Sun‘s website, she reveals that the Canadian dollar is expected to surpass the U.S. “greenback” in value. By September, she writes, the loonie will likely trade at $1.02 to the American “single”, although it may dip down to about 97 cents by the end of 2010.

Citing a recent report by CIBC World Markets, Singleton notes that the “demand for commodities and the perception of Canada as financially solid” is helping to push up the value of the national currency. The forecast is based on the Bank of Canada’s increasing interest rates that are expected to rise this summer. This would be a half year sooner than an increase expected to be made by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Most Canadians view the Canadian domination of the dollar wars as a good thing. It makes sense to feel a sense of pride in knowing that your national currency is stronger than that of the United States. However, economists warn again, as they did months ago, that the nation’s manufacturing sector may suffer as Canadian goods become more expensive overseas.

Said CIBC Senior Economist, Peter Buchanan: “The economy has shown more momentum in the recent quarter and the higher dollar may slow things down. We are also expecting the U.S. economy to downshift in the second half as stimulus spending runs out.”

Others aren’t as worried however. Scotiabank currency strategist, Sacha Tihanyi believes that the Canadian economy is currently in a better state to handle the impact of a stronger loonie that it was years ago. As of today, the Canadian dollar sits at 97.89 cents U.S.

Singleton offers more positive aspects of the growing strength of the loonie: “On the upside, the strength in the Canadian currency may help to reduce the impact of inflation, allowing the central bank more leeway in containing rate increases…A perception of Canada as fiscally solid may also help the local currency as other governments around the world struggle to control deficits.”

There is only one day left for you to experience Canada’s largest hospitality show. Since Sunday, the Direct Energy Centre has been hosting the CRFA Show which, according to www.crfa.ca, “brings together 12,000 industry professionals, 1,200 exhibitor booths, 12 top Canadian chefs, seven mixologists and much more under one roof.”

An amazing showcase of restaurants, food suppliers and other foodservice industry professionals, the CRFA Show is the perfect meeting place for entrepreneurs to socialize, network and of course, sample the endless supply of foodstuffs.

Synergy Merchant Services has enjoyed the past two days at booth #1009, speaking to business owners from all over Canada and the rest of the world. Introducing them to our innovative cash advance program has become an annual treat for us.

For some of these professionals, it is their first time hearing about the concept of merchant cash advance. And as we experience every year, so many of them are greatly interested in this alternative source of extra capital for their businesses.

As a result, we remain very happy and loyal members of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. The opportunity provided to us by the CRFA Show continues to pay dividends as it always increases our customer base.

As CRFA president and CEO Garth Whyte explains: “The CRFA Show is largest gathering of foodservice professionals in Canada, and a unique opportunity to network, exchange ideas, shop for new products and services and celebrate this $60-billion industry. A show of this magnitude is especially important in the restaurant industry, where innovation is a hallmark.”

As if the networking opportunity wasn’t incentive enough, the CRFA Show always provides its visitors with tons to experience. This year, the show has a few new additions. The “Centre for Sustainability” joins the event as a brand new showcase of “a variety of innovative and sustainable products, ranging from energy-efficient fridges and non-toxic cleaners to low-flow fixtures and bamboo placemats.”

In addition, The Sysco Innovative Products Pavilion has been added to the event. This includes a display of “exciting new food and beverage products from some of Canada’s leading foodservice industry suppliers.”

As well, back by popular demand are the series of free workshops including an awesome wine and spirits tasting experience. Visitors also receive tips from the nation’s top chefs and mixologists by taking in cooking demos and competitions.

There’s only one day left to experience the 2010 CRFA Show. Bring your business cards and your appetite. We look forward to seeing you there.

With all of the excitement going on with our upcoming CRFA Show this weekend, the Synergy Merchant Services Blog neglected to reflect on the recent 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the South American nation of Chile about a week ago. And while a higher level on the richter scale was reached in Chile than the destructive quake in Haiti just a few weeks earlier, thankfully the death toll is significantly lower.

Recent reports reveal that nearly 300 people were killed in central Chile while numerous buildings, bridges and roads were destroyed. We would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to open up your hearts and your wallets, once again if possible, to provide the much-needed aid to those who are suffering from this disaster.

Canadians more than answered the call to support Haiti in the Caribbean nation’s time of need. We trust that our country will undoubtedly do us proud once again in showing their heartfelt concern and compassion for their fellow human beings in Chile. There are a number of ways that we can all help out.

The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations on their website, www.redcross.ca or by calling toll free at 1-800-418-1111. Of course, donations will also be accepted at any local Red Cross office. According to The Toronto Star, so far “ The International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies has contributed $300,000 to Chile from its disaster emergency fund.”

Etobicoke’s GlobalMedic is also accepting donations at their website, www.globalmedic.ca. They provide emergency relief after natural disasters by supplying technological equipment and training. Your support, of course, is greatly appreciated.

The Star also reports that World Vision will also continuing to do its part to assist with the relief effort in Chile: “World Vision has worked in Chile for 30 years and have more than 100 staff in the country, many living and working in areas close to the quake epicenter. However, given the magnitude of this disaster, World Vision is preparing to deploy additional staff to support the relief response.”

Make no mistake, the damage in Chile is vast. Similar to the earthquake in Haiti, this disaster has caused mass destruction. In fact, the quake triggered a tsunami that even threatened coastlines as far away as Hawaii and Japan, according to Reuters’ Jose Luis Saavedra. He posted comments from Chileans who experienced the earthquake on Reuters’ website.

Said Santiago housewife Dolores Cuevas: “It came in waves and lasted so long. Three minutes is an eternity. We kept worrying that it was getting stronger, like a terrifying Hollywood movie.”

According to 27-year-old Temuco receptionist, Claudia Rosario, “it was like we were being shaken around in a box…But thank God it was just small things (broken). It could have been worse.”

Of course, things will get worse without immediate aid. Thanks in advance Canada for being the humanitarian nation that you are. The world looks to us to be leaders in humanitarian efforts. We know we will not let anyone down.

Better make it quick. Your last chance to register for the upcoming CRFA Show at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto is fast approaching. The three day extravaganza begins this Sunday, March 7th and lasts until Tuesday, March 9th marking yet another incredible opportunity for business owners and consumers alike to mix, mingle and network with industry professionals in the restaurant and foodservices field.

This event is literally a can’t-miss. The online registration fee is only $20 so head on over to www.crfa.ca right way. Or at least, when you are finished reading this blog! Once you are there, you will be prompted to follow a quick and simple step-by-step process to secure your spot at the greatest hospitality event of the year. The registration fee at the door is $30. And quite honestly, still very well worth it.

As it promises every year, The CRFA Show comes fully prepared with seminars, presentations and workshops that everyone can enjoy. Among them this year is “Canada’s Top Chefs” which is presented by Garland Canada and McCain. You will be able to meet the best culinary artists in the country and be dazzled by their cooking presentations.

“Cooking With The Stars” is yet another amazing feature of this year’s event. Presented this Sunday and Monday by Garland Canada and Manitowoc, this is a live culinary event that will pair Ontario’s top chefs with members of the audience for a special contest. As CRFA’s website explains it: “Together, the professionals and their newly recruited sous chefs will prepare two plates for judging, based on mystery ‘black box’ ingredients.”

Escoffier Society of Toronto will be bringing you the “Culinary Salon”. This event, which spans the full three days of the CRFA Show, will showcase top chefs as well as culinary apprentices to compete in a showcase of their cooking prowess. Considered the “Culinary Olympics”, the focus of the competition will be on cold plates that are created by the professionals and their students.

Making its return to the show this year is Tabasco and BartenderONE’s “Cocktail Stage”. Also to be presented on all three days, visitors will get to “see master mixologists sharing the latest trends in cocktails and demonstrating the difference that fresh quality ingredients and proper technique can make in preparing and serving cocktails.”

Now how can you miss all of that? Of course, your friends at Synergy Merchant Services will be waiting to meet with you over at Booth #1009. Be sure to stop by and meet our Vice President of Marketing, John Meloche. While you’re at it, you may want to bring him a snack.

The office still likes to rib John about his exploits at the CRFA Show from 2008. With a wealth of free food samples to be had all over the building, John decided that he would buy his lunch. Feel free to make fun of him for that. See you there!

We must say, we are pretty proud of our Synergy Merchant Services Blog. With it’s recent facelift complete with photos and easier access to other related posts, our blog is one of our most effective sources of communicating with our client base on a regular basis.

Although we pay close attention to Canada’s financial climate and discuss small business and our alternative source of funding, our blog also likes to peruse through the many wondrous current events that affect our nation. Everything from weather to sports to various stories involving our industry, this very blog is a favourite go-to destination for many an online reader to discover what’s happening in today world.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been loyal readers of this blog since its inception in 2008. Of course, at just two years old, your favourite blog only continues to get better. We’d like to ensure that you continue to reap the great benefits of this fascinating daily read by inviting you to subscribe to our RSS feed.

If you haven’t yet joined, it’s as simple as going to http://www.synergymerchants.com/blog/feed. The sign-up process is simple. Doing so will allow you immediate access to all of our latest posts. There are a number of easy ways to subscribe to the feed including through Google Reader and iGoogle.

As we have mentioned a number of times before, maintaining a frequently updated blog keeps your customer base aware that things are happening with your company. A website that goes un-updated for lengthy periods of time becomes virtually useless. Your clients want to know that you are on top of your game and that you are continually working towards becoming a leader in your industry.

Our blog has not only secured Synergy Merchant Services a constantly growing number of loyal readers, but it has also opened up a nation of small to medium-sized business owners to the prospect of securing extra captial for their compaines in a way they never before knew about.

Sometimes a blog is the best way to communicate to your customers. Industry jargon set to the side, blogs are most often written in a conversational, everyday speech type of fashion. They lend themselves to being more “friendly” than your average article or news piece.

Often explaining our program in a simple and to-the-point way, the Synergy Merchant Services Blog continues to help grow our business. As always, we recommend that you take advantage of blog writing for your own company’s website.

Now, don’t worry yourself if you can’t get your blog to look and read as snazzy and as slick as ours (we try our best). Simply ensure that your topics are relevant to your business as well as the readers who you are trying to attract to your brand. Feel free to keep them light and be sure to touch on a variety of subjects.

Blogs help to add that human side to an otherwise cold business world. So subscribe to our blog and help us to keep in better touch with you. Perhaps you may even have some ideas that you would like us to blog about. We are always open to suggestions. Thanks for reading!

From time to time, the Synergy Merchant Services Blog discusses the crazy weather that is often a topic of conservation at water coolers across Canada. For example, who knew that the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia would require snow to be flown in to be dropped onto Cypress Mountain for the alpine skiing events?

Well apparently, the residents of Vancouver knew. Known to be among the warmest cities in Canada, Vancouver was anything but wintery over the past few weeks. Meanwhile, the rest of the world appears to be clinging on to its steadfast belief that the Great White North actually is perpetually covered in white year round.

And while the west coast is not as akin to getting snow as much as the rest of the nation is, southern Ontario has surprisingly also received very little snowfall this winter. Now that March is here, many Torontonians are eagerly anticipating the end of a winter where winter never really came, save for a few relatively light snowfalls.

In fact, just yesterday Charlene Close of 680News.com reported that there was only 48 centimetres of snowfall in Toronto in the month of February. This is significantly less that than the 91 centimetres of snow that the GTA is accustomed to this time of year. The number is even more bewildering considering that last year at this time, 148 centimetres was recorded.

Environment Canada senior climatologist, David Phillips believes that most Torontonians are thinking that this next-to-snowless winter is just too good to be true. Said Phillips: “I know that it strikes fear into Torontonians because they think oh my gosh if it’s going to begin lamb-like it’s probably going to end lion-like. There’s no creedence at all to that kind of weather lore. sometimes it can “baa” in and “baa” out or the vice versa.”

That being said, Toronto residents are cautioned to not do away with their shovels and heavy winter jackets just yet. Phillips notes that chances are, the worst is yet to come as it relates to impending snowfalls.

He advises: “About 20 per cent of our annual snowfall occurs after the first of March. So don’t write the obituary on winter. We haven’t seen the end of the snowflakes quite yet. This week looks pretty tame, nothing to inconvenience us but what’s beyond that, there are storms not even born yet that will probably come our way.”

And although Phillips does predict that no major snow is expected for the rest of the week, the temperatures will remain cold. Even still, The Weather Network’s website indicates that the city will see temperatures around the freezing mark for most of the week. For a Toronto winter at the beginning of March, that is still relatively warm.

So where did all the snow go? Unless you’re a snowman-making child who loves the outdoors, chances are that you’re saying, “who cares?”. With less than a month to go for the official end of winter to come, it would appear as if this will be Toronto’s ‘unsnowiest’ winter in many years.

Okay, so it’s March. By now, it’s no longer “the new year” but instead we are firmly planted into 2010 with the expectations that last year was…well, last year. Most Canadians are hoping that what happened in the past will stay in the past as they look forward to a much more prosperous future.

With the adverse effects on the economy that the global recession had, Canada is now working its way back up a strong financial status than it had in 2009. Today, the Canadian Press reports that things are, in fact, looking up.

According to their report on The Toronto Star‘s website: “The economy boomed back in the fourth quarter of last year, pushing well past expectations…Real gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of five per cent in the fourth quarter, a full point above what analysts had expected and the largest quarterly increase in nearly a decade.”

Canada’s economy actually grew by 1.2 per cent in the fourth quarter marking its largest rise since the third quarter of 2000. It looks as if the nation has finally made a “clean break” from the recession-strapped situation that hit in October of 2008. At least, it has according to economist Douglas Porter of BMO, who remarked that the fourth quarter of 2009 displayed a very significant change from the “devasatating 7.0 per cent decline in the first quarter of last year.”’

Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank, believes that the numbers provide strong evidence that Canada’s economy escaped the recession as early as 2009′s third quarter. Said Ferley: “The strong rise at the end of the fourth quarter suggests strong momentum going into the first quarter of 2010.”

The hope, of course, is that job opportunities will continue to see a significant increase over the course of 2010. With the excessive job losses over the past year, the nation has become home to too many unemployed citizens. We would like to take this opportunity to remind Toronto residents, that Synergy Merchant Services is keeping its doors open to those who are seeking a career in the merchant cash advance industry.

We encourage you to contact us at 1-866-299-0101 to discover if the career opportunities offered by Synergy are right for you. Of course, we also continue to strive towards helping the Canadian economy by offering our unique merchant cash advance program to Canadian owners of small and medium-sized businesses.

We have long believed that even during tough economic times, it is wise for business owners to look into their funding options for the purposes of growing and expanding their companies. That way, once the recession ends, these owners will find themselves in a strong position to dominate their respective industries. Many of our clients used merchant cash advances to purchase new inventory at very competitive prices during the recession.

With the current state of the strengthening economy, these owners are in the process of reaping great profits through the sales of the relatively inexpensive items that were purchased last year.

Especially with the closing of the 2010 Winter Olympics yesterday in Vancouver, B.C., Synergy would like to wish a hearty congratulations to the entire country. With a record-setting gold medal performance and the escaping of the recession coming almost simultaneously, it is certainly time to forget 2009 and rejoice in a new era for Canada. We have already achieved great successes so far this year. There are certainly more to come.