In Iowa, the corn is always sweeter

A little variation this week, in honor of Iowa's signature crop.

It's corn harvest time in Iowa, and little stands are popping up on every corner. I bought our first helping of Iowa corn this week, and could hardly wait to get it home.

Having grown up in Tucson, Arizona-land of arid desertion, I am in complete amazement every time I see a corn field. I must sound like a broken record, pointing out my car window like a tourist telling the kids "look at that field, look at that barn, WOW!" Each field is so meticulously manicured, a point of pride amongst Iowa farmers.

But who has the sweetest corn? I dared to ask that very question of a native Iowan in my pursuit for the best corn in the Cedar Rapids area. The response, short and sweet- "In Iowa, all the corn is the sweetest." This "all for one" attitude is very indicative of the Iowa mentality.

With this in mind, I stopped at three different stands, buying a half dozen ears at each. At home, I shucked two ears from each bag, and prepared them all the same way (boiled and topped with butter and Cookie's Seasoning). My Iowan friend was right- all the corn in Iowa is sweet. This fabulous feast reminded me that I am truly blessed to call this land of bounty "home." Whether you are growing a business, growing a family, or growing corn-there is no better place to be than Iowa.

Where do you buy Iowa corn? Have a favorite recipe? I want to hear from you! @AmySwipeRite

Golf clubs on sale, aisle 10

Last week, I posted a link to our affiliate site SaveSome Solutions. There, we have compiled in-depth merchant credit card processing information in our "education center." The information is second-to-none, I assure you. But what if you are like me-and just don't have time to read all that stuff? If you fall into the category of "too busy to learn the intricacies of merchant accounts" you are not alone. In fact, other Merchant Processors count on those of us who can't speak their coded language, and don't have time to learn. So to make it a little easier, I have summed it up--in layman's terms--and illustrated my point with golf clubs.

"Interchange" is what Visa/Mastercard charges a merchant, aka, a business owner, to move money from a customer's account to their own when a purchase is made. If you are a shopper, you should know that when you use your debit card to buy those great golf clubs from Dick's Sporting Goods for $199, Dick's has to give a percentage of that straight to Visa/Mastercard (1.1225% + a .15 cent transaction fee for those of you who like math).
As if that weren't enough, Dick's also has to give a kick-back to the company...known as a Merchant Processor...who works as an intermediary. Remember the old movies where Sue calls Randy, but first she has to call the operator and ask to be connected? A merchant processor is essentially that; an operator, and we need to get paid for our services too. Which means Dick's is responsible for that fee as well. Let's say Dick's uses one of the many greedy Merchant Processors to make the connection when they "call" Visa/Mastercard. Dick's could end up paying an additional 3 or even 4% MORE in "batch fees," "authorization fees," "statement fees," "Executive car-wash fees..." and the list goes on. And if the golf club buyer wants to use a credit card, one where he/she earns rewards or cash back on purchases--Dick's pays even MORE to the Merchant Processor. Each fee, each seemingly little charge, reduces the profit Dick's makes on those golf clubs.

But Dick's can't afford to reduce profit margins by 4-5% and expect to stay in business, right? So they have no choice but to pass this on to the shopper. Sure, the golf clubs are a steal at $199, but in this day and age-wouldn't it be great to get them cheaper? Wouldn't it be great if Dick's used Swipe-Rite for Merchant Processing, took advantage of our "Fee Free" Interchange-Plus pricing, and passed the savings along to their loyal customers?
Swipe-Rite specializes in the transparent structure of Interchange-Plus, also known as "cost-plus" pricing. That means that instead of paying exorbitant fees, the rates of which are impacted by (seemingly) everything from the weather to the time of day, Dick's (and every other merchant) would pay a single, low flat-rate no matter what. There are no monthly minimums, no batch/authorization or swipe fees, and we pay for our own car washes (company consensus is that Guppy's Auto Spa in Cedar Rapids is our favorite).
If Dick's Sporting Goods used Swipe-Rite, those golf clubs could go on sale. Dick's would increase their bottom line and their customer flow. And the proud new golf-club owner could afford golf lessons, to boot.

Interested in learning more? I love to answer questions, ask me here: @AmySwipeRite

Why We Tweet

First, let me stipulate that by “We” I don’t mean “We the People” or “We Americans.” I am talking specifically about why “We” at Swipe-Rite take part in “Tweeting.”

As a company, we are a Merchant Processing Service Provider, an ATM and Point of Sale Retailer, and a Customer Loyalty Solution Specialist. This industry, with its association with Credit Card Companies (because we provide a way to interface and accept credit card payments) and ATM Fees (yes, those nasty surcharges), can carry with it a sort of negative stigma. This is especially true in recent months as we hear the words “Bank Bail-Out” and “Frozen Credit Lines” repeated on our nightly newscasts. As a result, it has become evermore important for us to earn the trust of our clients.

So, when I approached our Fearless Leaders: Todd, (@ToddSwipeRite), Shannon (@ShanSwipeRite) and Mark (@MarkSwipeRite), about delving into the world of social media, I took my inspiration from Social Media Extraordinaire Chris Brogan (www.Chrisbrogan.com) who wrote “Talk to people because you like the people. Choose people that have something to do with your product, and then, ask them about THEM.” The importance of establishing relationships is, to us, more important than just getting down to business. We realize that trust requires transparency, and when our clients have spent years reading confusing Merchant Processing Statements, often with hidden charges and inflated rates, we had to set ourselves apart by being crystal clear in everything we do as a business. So I thought “What if we gave the world at large access to our lives, our thoughts, our daily events, our favorite music, our families and children and pets…24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on Twitter?” And so our little experiment in Social Media evolved.

Sure, you can read @JerrySwipeRite’s technical service feeds (which are also comedic genius), but you can also check in with Adam (@AdamSwipeRite) and Quintin (@QBSwipeRite), both former Army Rangers turned Sales Agents who share an even greater thing in common: the adventures of first-time fatherhood. And, of course, there’s me. (@AmySwipeRite) I am the most active “Tweeter,” which isn’t always an easy task. Why? Because I manage our eCommerce, Twitter, Facebook and Blog all from home while raising 4 children under the age of 10 (it is SO noisy here).

We Tweet so we can meet you, so we can get to know you, so we can continue to know you. If we have a product or service you need at some point, great; If not…that’s okay too. The important thing to us is that our company stands out as being one of integrity in an industry where trust has been so unfairly violated.