BluePay Blog

Father’s Day may not receive the same recognition and fanfare as Mother’s Day, but with domestic sales approaching $15.5 billion, this annual event isn’t a shopping holiday you can afford to ignore.  In fact, roughly 75 percent of Americans purchase some sort of gift for Father’s Day. When you run the numbers, this means the average son or daughter spends more than $130 on their dads.  So, ask yourself … is your retail store positioned to take advantage of these Father’s Day shopping trends? Let’s take a look.

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips, Payment Trends

As one of the most consumer-friendly countries in the world, the United States has a plethora of shopping “holidays” throughout the year. Some of the most popular include Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, Easter and Independence Day.  With so many shopping “holidays” on the books, we don’t really need another — but we have one anyway. Every June 18, the U.S. “unofficially” celebrates National Splurge Day — when consumers can indulge their wildest desires, regardless of price or budget. 

Topics: E-Commerce and Online Payments, Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Losing your credit card usually isn’t a big deal. If one of your cards is lost, stolen or somehow compromised, your bank will send you a replacement ASAP.  Many card issuers also provide fraud protection so you’re not personally liable for any unauthorized purchases.  In fact, the algorithms used to monitor fraud are so good that your bank might contact you to verify purchases that “seem” out of character. If you use your card primarily for grocery shopping and gas stations, for example, a sudden weekend shopping spree at the neighborhood electronics store might raise red flags. 

Topics: EMV, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Fun Posts

With yearly sales exceeding $23 billion, Mother’s Day is one of the most lucrative “spending” holidays on the calendar. Some lucky businesses are ideally positioned to take advantage of this annual event.  If you sell flowers, jewelry or spa treatments, for example, you’ll likely generate a lot of sales in the days leading up to Mother’s Day.   What if you don’t sell these types of items? How do you get the sons and daughters of America excited if your core business centers around the following products/services? 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

There was a time when going green required major sacrifice. You had to do without certain luxuries or make radical lifestyle changes, all for the sole purpose of “protecting the environment.”  Fortunately, that’s no longer the case.  There now exists a wide range of greening strategies that are easy to implement. Better still, these tips often pay for themselves — many times over. This explains why companies around the globe continue analyzing ways to make their operations more sustainable. 

Topics: Recurring Billing and Electronic Invoicing, Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Many of us have heard of Small Business Saturday, but did you know there is another day honoring the hard-working 29.6 million small businesses in U.S.? National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day is recognized from coast to coast each year on March 29th. Created by Rick and Margie Segel, this holiday commemorates their parents whose successful hat shop, Ruth’s in Everett, Massachusetts, opened on March 29, 1939. In the nearly 60 years it was in business, it grew into a 10,000 square foot women’s clothing store, generating over $2 million in revenue.

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Oscar season is almost upon us, and the 2018 crop of Best Picture nominees certainly doesn’t disappoint — whether you enjoy …  Quirky films (such as "Lady Bird") Stories of intrigue ("The Post") Nail-biting war dramas ("Dunkirk")  However, movies can do more than just entertain. They can also inspire us to try harder or reach further.  This is obviously true when it comes to finding love (which is why romance is a cinematic genre that will never go away), but movies can also guide us along the path to wealth, whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned executive. 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

"Groundhog Day" is a hilarious film in which the main character (played by Bill Murray) is forced to relive the same day again and again. It doesn’t matter what he says, does or thinks. When he goes to sleep and wakes up, it’s still Feb. 2 — i.e., Groundhog Day.  Stuck in this infinite loop, Murray’s character starts to go crazy. To break up the monotony, he tries different things such as: 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Billed as an opportunity to “dress up silly, partake in office-based mischief, or just crank the music up loud while you work,” National Fun at Work Day is a real thing.  No one seems to know who created it. Congress hasn’t voted on it. And technically speaking, it’s not an official holiday. But every year, offices across the country celebrate this holiday on the last Friday of January.  In 2018, National Fun at Work Day falls on Jan. 26. 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips

Roughly 41 percent of Americans make an annual New Year’s resolution, with commitments ranging from losing weight to saving money to giving up smoking.  Some even look beyond personal development and focus on improving their professional lives. For example, they may learn new business skills such as coding, accounting or public speaking — but why stop there?  This year, you could resolve to improve your entire business and start exploring ways to grow your profits. 

Topics: Fun Posts, Small Business Tips