Andrea Herrera

Credit card processing fees used to be a standard cost of doing business. Today, with tighter margins and rising expenses, more small businesses are questioning whether they should continue absorbing those fees. Most merchants pay 2% to 4% per credit card transaction. On $50,000 in monthly card sales, that’s $1,000 to $2,000 in fees — up…

U.S. Bank Merchant Services offers a full suite of payment solutions for small and midsize businesses, including in-person and mobile payments, POS systems, ecommerce tools, invoicing, and buy now, pay later options. Backed by U.S. Bank and powered by Elavon, it combines traditional merchant account pricing with modern payment features. Unlike many bank processors, U.S….

Retail isn’t just about traditional storefronts anymore. Many of today’s most successful retail businesses use pop-ups, mobile setups, ecommerce, or experience-driven models to keep startup costs low and margins strong. The opportunity for small and independent retailers has never been more flexible. Below are 32 small retail business ideas with proven demand and profit potential….

GoDaddy Payments is a simple, all-in-one payment processor built for businesses already using GoDaddy tools. It lets you accept online, in-person, and invoiced payments without a separate merchant account, monthly fees, or complex setup. Pricing is flat and predictable, approval is fast, and payouts can arrive as soon as the next business day or the…

Starting a catering business is one of the most affordable and flexible ways to break into the food industry. You don’t need a storefront, and you can scale at your own pace, whether you’re cooking from home, renting time in a shared kitchen, or launching a mobile catering setup. But succeeding in catering requires more…

If you sell to customers outside your home country or plan to, your business needs an international payment gateway. These tools let you accept payments in different currencies, support local payment methods, reduce cross-border failures, and keep checkout secure for global buyers. To help small businesses choose the right provider, I evaluated the top international…

Accepting credit cards means staying compliant with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards, and the newest update, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 4.0.1, which became the active version on December 31, 2024, doesn’t introduce new requirements. Instead, it clarifies several areas that were causing confusion under PCI DSS 4.0, including patching timelines, payment-page…

Accepting credit card donations is one of the fastest ways to increase giving, whether you run a small community nonprofit or a large, multi-chapter organization. It makes it easier to collect online and recurring donations, accept payments at events, and give donors more convenient ways to support your work. Many processors also offer discounted nonprofit…

Small Business Saturday 2025, a nationwide shopping event dedicated to celebrating and supporting local, independent businesses, falls on November 29. Launched by American Express in 2010, it has grown into one of the most important holiday shopping days for Main Street retailers. In 2024, US consumers were estimated to have spent approximately $22 billion at…

Starting a YouTube channel for profit involves setting up your channel correctly, planning valuable content, and meeting YouTube’s monetization requirements. This guide walks you through each step so you can launch, grow, and monetize a channel that operates like a business, not just a hobby. Before diving into the steps for how to start a…

PayPal remains one of the most recognized ways to accept payments online, but it comes with trade-offs. Its fees can cut into margins, account freezes disrupt cash flow, and it may lack the flexibility certain industries or international sellers need. For many businesses, switching to a PayPal competitor means not just avoiding these pain points…

Technology and imagination have created more opportunities for farmers to develop profitable businesses. Small farms (earning less than $50,000 annually or occupying less than 180 acres), in particular, can profit from less traditional farming, such as beekeeping, microgreens, or even hops, as well as alternative income sources like agritourism. According to the USDA’s latest Farm…