A sense of place

It's amazing how you come across new concepts, and this is one concept that I have always thought about, but never heard articulated: "a sense of place."

While at a lecture by a local historian/author, she mentioned that she shared a "sense of place" with the town she wrote of. These new ideas are useful inspirations for postings for my blog, so here goes another one:

I share the "sense of place" in electronic payments with a lot of people and institutions, some honorable, some not, often many have not fully explained something to a client. Thus, the overall need for this blog: education.

I sense the "bad guys" ruin it for the "good guys." But not only in my industry.

It happened to a potential client whose business type, while legal and honorable, was rejected by my processor and many others I referred them to as well, suffering guilt by association with the less-than-honorable competitors who make certain miraculous health claims.

What their competitors don't tell you is the number of people who buy and then return the items as useless. That makes credit card processors nervous, so the entire industry was placed on the "unacceptable merchant list."

Not that these guys are unacceptable as merchants, in fact they have a great concept and can truly help a lot of people-it's just the place they share with others is murky. They know they have these challenges, as do I in the industry I am in.

That's another reason to have this blog: to provide a level of service and explanation the other guys aren't, even though they can live with their consciences.

I welcome your comments on this topic. Help share my sense of space with your notes and opinions.

Blog Action Day-Environmental Theme

Tomorrow, October 15th, is Blog Action Day, where blogs can comment on the environmental aspects of what they do.

Simply put, don't mail payments to people or have them mail payments to you! Save the gas, paper, and reduce carbon emissions associated with business as usual for the past 100 years:

1. don't create or mail paper invoices-email them with a link on the email to your website to accept online payment


2. don't create paper checks: pay electronically by creating an ACH (e-check) and crediting the payee-saves postage, time, effort, gas and waste


3. don't make your clients or customers expect that they have to mail you a check-accept payments electronically via e-check or credit card-and you can do that over the phone, e-fax (saves paper over regular fax), by email, or online


4. ask your bank and credit card processor to convert you to electronic statements-you get them faster and without wasting the paper for an envelope or a stamp

That's only 4 ways. There are so many more which we can explore creatively and effectively. Ask us. Challenge us. We will find a way to make payments more environmentally-friendly.