Taking Charge

Picture this: Your business is up and running. Your product is selling well, so your advertising and marketing plans must be working. You happily prepare to ring up a sale, when a customer hands you a credit card.

Uh-oh. You don't accept credit cards, you say. The customer fumbles around in his wallet for enough cash to cover the purchase, but comes up short. Embarrassed, he leaves, promising to return later. But will he?

Chances are, he won't, says Robert Fazzini, president of commercial loans at Busey Bank in Bloomington, Illinois. Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments.

Johanna S. Billings explained how to shop for ergonomic office furniture in the September issue of Business Start-Ups.

This article was originally published in the November 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Taking Charge.