With FreshBooks, you can accept credit cards online right on your invoices with our PayPal integration.

Today brings great news for Canadian merchants, straight from the PayPal Blog:

Canadian dollar transaction fees for receiving payments, for all merchant rate tiers, has [sic] been lowered from C$0.55 per transaction to C$0.30.

We’ve also lowered our currency conversion rate for some Canadian sellers that receive payments in U.S. dollars and withdraw those funds to a Canadian dollar bank account.

This brings Canadian pricing directly in line with the United States.

For PayPal merchants in Canada, these changes mean you’ll start saving money immediately, whether you’re collecting your payments in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars. It also makes signing up with PayPal even more attractive.

So, you’re sitting there trying to decide how to finish your tax return without all the information you’re missing or not sure of, right?

Well, take a breath - and get an extension.

Your tax software service can probably do it online. If not - use Form 4868.

If you have a partnership or LLC filing as a partnership, or an estate (Form 1041) or trust (Form 1041), use IRS Form 7004.

The extensions are automatically accepted - no approval needed. Good for 6 months.

BUT, if you owe money, you need to pay. Drop by TaxWatch article at MarketWatch.com (it’s written by me) for tips on how to pay - especially if you don’t have money right now. In fact, read it BEFORE you finalize your tax return. You’re going to find one last way to cut last year’s taxes. But only if you put your tax return on extension.

Oh, let me dispell a rumor I just heard about extensions and the Stimulus Rebates. Some fool is spreading the rumor that you won’t get your rebate if you put your return on extension. That’s utter nonsense. You’ll get it. Perhaps a bit later. But it will come.

Happy Tax Day!

So there I was in McDonalds (shhhh, don’t tell) and I’m waiting in line and, honestly, I’m starting to get a tad cranky because well, if it’s called “fast food” shouldn’t it be FAST!

Well, on this particular occasion it wasn’t all that fast and my hunger pangs, magnified by the seductive smell of the fries, got me into a hyper critical state and I’m thinking all sorts of negative thoughts until I start to observe what’s going on around me.

Heck, from what I saw, those counter folks were doing things right. You might have some issues with the food itself, but the service and the sales techniques…those were right on target.

Here’s what we should learn from McD’s:

Do You Want Fries With That?

When you order a burger and the counter person asks “Would you like fries with that,” you’ve experienced a marketing tactic called cross-selling. This strategy encourages customers to purchase additional products and services that are related to the item they are already buying. Cross-selling doesn’t just work with fast food; it’s also a highly effective technique for any type of sales. Here are a few ideas to help you achieve cross-selling success in your business:

Service with a Smile

The success of cross-selling depends not only on the quality and value of the product, but also the customer service provided. Customer service begins with the very first encounter, either in person, through email, or on the phone. It’s true that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Every customer should always be greeted with enthusiasm and respect.

Listen to the Customer

Many sales opportunities arise by just listening to the customer. The simple skill of listening demonstrates that you are helpful and approachable. A good salesperson should be able to take information from the customer and inform them of all the products and services that would be benefit their needs. Customers appreciate being informed of additional products and services that could provide an added benefit to the item they already intend on purchasing.

How Well Do You Know Your Product?

Product knowledge is the key to successful sales. Successful salespeople know every detail of their products from how they work to when to use them. It’s essential that this knowledge be relayed to the customer to help them understand why they can benefit from your product. The product you are cross-selling should either be related or complementary to the original item the customer purchased. It’s unlikely to sell an add-on product or service that offers no additional value to the original product.

Don’t Forget to Ask

Many customers walk out the door without ever being asked whether they could benefit from related products. It should go without saying, but it is necessary to ask the customer whether they are interested. Even the best products and services won’t sell themselves. Sales must be initiated.

Follow-up

Numerous cross-selling opportunities are lost because the salesperson didn’t take the initiative to contact the customer regarding their original purchase. A quick follow-up call shows the customer that you truly care about their needs and not just the initial sale. This is a perfect time to find out whether they could benefit from related products or services. This simple act will open the door to a long-term sales relationship.

Designing for flow is something we strive for here at FreshBooks, and every time we roll out a release, we get a little closer to achieving our design ideals with respect to designing for flow - it’s a never ending project.

In the last release we were able to kill off our “default terms” preference for estimates and invoices — so now instead of having to go to “settings” and set your “default terms” you can set those terms *in context” as you create your first invoice.

This is my first in a series of posts about ways for service-oriented professionals (FreshBooks types) to prosper in a down/recessionary market.

First things first: you need to understand the market’s dynamics and market momentum.

Bear markets, recessions, bad times — they are (usually) preceded by good times, and it’s the good times where things begin to go bad.

Recessionary Psychology

When things are “good” (meaning business is booming), businesses don’t fixate on risk — they become desensitized to it. Human nature tricks people into believing that things will tend to stay as they are today. So when times are good, people tend to believe things will stay that way. Worse yet, people want to believe it — so denial can become a factor. As a result people tend to become overconfident and brazen; survival instincts become dulled.

The trouble is, change is constant — things are always shifting beneath the surface, and markets always cycle given enough time. Therefore when you think things are great, it’s precisely the time to start planning for the bad times.

Recessionary Dynamics

In service-oriented industries — especially in creative industries like film, marketing, etc. — growth leads to hiring because the business model scales with headcount. The growth and hiring is caused by positive things (new customers, increased demand, etc.) and the drive to add staff, in an effort to adequately service and onboard customers and projects, becomes the modus operandi.

Trouble is, growth leads to greater operating inefficiency in people powered organizations. Businesses need more support staff to help enable the contributors who drive the business — and it’s a vicious cycle.

The long and short of it is after a long period of growth starts to draw to a close, and the new work begins to dry up, growth slows, revenue flatlines and organizations are far less efficient than before the growth began.

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, and this is a generalization, but it’s the experience of most businesses. There is no rocket science here, it’s all a cycle. It’s happened before and it will happen again.

The writing is on the wall

During each of my last two trips to NYC I hung out with creative professionals (creative directors, film people, developers, designers) at barcampNYC and at Media Bistro events and some other conferences. People at each of these events were talking about layoffs in their offices. In the bar at the Hilton I could not help but overhear an improtu interview going on. These are the unmistakable signs and it’s late in the game frankly. In my opinion, professional employment in NYC is a leading indicator. People in NYC are wise to the downturn. They’re making plans and you can too.

How to take advantage of a downturn

Now that the table is set and you understand the market dynamics at a high level, we’re good to go with what it means as a creative professional and how you can take advantage of the changing market.

Parting note: never forget change is opportunity.

Everyone knows usability is important, but not everyone knows exactly how to go about determining if their software/web/hardware product is indeed usable. As a professional usability consultant, I would (ahem) advise that you seek the aid of an experienced usability consultant to help.

This isn’t always a practical option for lots of reasons though, so what I’d like to offer are some pointers and practical things to keep in mind when you’re developing a website or any other interactive product.

Know thy user

Above all else, always try to keep this mantra in mind when designing or developing — you are not your user. What’s obvious and simple to you may not be for the people who will be actually using your product.

By the way, you do know who you’re designing for, right? Do you know something about their skill level, geographical location, wants and needs as they relate to your product? If the answer is no, I’d suggest doing some research and asking some questions to find out.

Use established interaction standards to your benefit

If you have a choice between inventing a new, cooler way to sort tables and using the more well-known method of clicking on the column header, use the latter. Chances are that people will be familiar with this paradigm and less likely to become confused.

Now for a caveat — don’t let adherence to standards stifle your creativity and innovation. It might be the safer road, but it’s not always the best choice, so think of it like any other rule of law — sometimes it’s best to break the rules, just do so wisely!

Subscribe to usability-related RSS feeds

This is a great way to keep on top of what’s being discussed in the usability, interaction design and user experience realms. It’s also an easy way to learn and internalize what’s working and not working for others.

Some of my favorites:

• Smashing Magazine (website/RSS)
• Boxes and Arrows (website/RSS)
• UXmatters (website/RSS)
• And for fun: OK/Cancel

Sanity-checking your design is not usability testing

Don’t get me wrong, grabbing someone next to you and asking “does this make sense to you?” is often a good idea. But just don’t let this turn into “yeah, I showed it to some people and they thought it worked okay.”

There are many reasons why this type of information-gathering could lead to bunk conclusions, but primarily it comes down to the first axiom I discussed — the person in the next cube, down the hall, etc. is most likely not your target user. If they’re a software developer like you are, and they think it’s easy to use, your user may beg to differ.

More usability guidelines

These pointers are just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re interested in learning more, there’s a lot out there but I’d suggest starting with (and referring to often) this site. It contains a ton of good info for those just starting to think about usability and seasoned professionals alike.

Again, these are just some quick pointers and guidelines. There’s a lot more to the multi-faceted study and practice of usability and user experience, but hopefully this can get you started in the right direction!

My online journey to becoming a self-employed freelancer has been a story in the making, I guess. Seven months have passed since I got my first paying client, and I am now officially earning a full-time income from home as a freelance writer and pro blogger.

“I am now officially earning a full-time income from home as a freelance writer and pro blogger.”

Having been a professional chef of over 22 years it was rather scary to make the jump into self-employment, since I knew nothing else. It didn’t happen overnight.

It all started in April 2004, when I joined a network marketing opportunity. I had been very frustrated at work for some time and wasn’t happy in the hospitality industry anymore. This was mainly due to the very low pay and the constant stresses at work. Late nights and long hours at work, standing on my feet all day, and working in kitchens that didn’t have air conditioners (yep, most don’t!) wasn’t enough to keep me happy anymore, especially since I was getting older. I craved more freedom, and evenings at home.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I failed miserably in this first business. Today I know it was partially due to not having the red-hot passion we need to keep working the business when things are tough. There were also other reasons, but they go beyond the scope of this post.

“The only way I would ever be happy would be with something I was truly passionate about.”

When the realization kicked in that I wasn’t going to make it as a successful network marketer after two and a half years of giving it a lot of effort, hard work and a lifetime of savings, I knew I had to get out as long as I had some sanity left in me. So I quit! Cold turkey.

I’d had enough and couldn’t afford to waste one more dollar on a business that wasn’t me in the core of my being. So I took some time out, while going back to my “hated” job as a galley slave to help pay the bills. In that time of reflection, shame, anger and feeling sorry for myself, I suddenly realized that life had to go on. The only way I would ever be happy would be with something I was truly passionate about.

“My failed venture in network marketing made me realize how much I loved blogging and writing about Web marketing.”

As life moves in mysterious ways, I had learned a lot about the Internet, advertising, lead generation, domain registration, blogs and more while working my first business. That experience made me realize how much I actually loved blogging and writing about Web marketing.

Those were the first probing baby steps into what would soon become a journey of self-discovery and total happiness of being able to work from home, doing what I love.

Writing!

Back in December we asked our customers, “who inspires you?” Armed with that information, we set out to ask those people a few questions.

Third in our series: Web accessibility expert Stephanie Sullivan.

What initially got you interested in the Web?

Honestly? It wasn’t the Web that interested me. It was code. I wanted to write C++ because, after doing some brain studies/testing, I arrived at the fact that my brain loves puzzles/research/detective work… and code seemed like it might be in that ballpark. My friend, Stuart Nealy, warned me away from C++ though — and told me I should check out HTML, the language of the Internet, instead. That’s what got me interested in the Web.

When I first started out, I had a lot of fun with graphics and design as well as code, since in my previous life I enjoyed drawing and painting. But in time, after dabbling in a bit of everything, I decided that the best way for me to be successful was to focus. And that focus ended up being in the area of client-side development.

I’ve read many references to your speaking style. How would you describe it?

Well, I’m a pretty high-energy person by nature — and I’m also a big goof with a quirky sense of humour. I get great feedback from my presentations and I try to keep things fun. But sometimes my passion for Web standards and for helping people really “get it” can make me seem a bit serious. And, well — that’s serious stuff!

What do you like most about speaking at conferences and other events?

That would definitely have to be connecting with other geeks. I really, really love getting an opportunity to converse with other people who do what I do. Sadly, I find that at home, most of my friends really don’t grok what I do. So if I start babbling on about something work-related, their eyes glaze over and I instantly lose them. At a conference, I love the opportunity to talk with such geeky people that I can be “lost” myself on occasion. The other reason for speaking is the enjoyment of the “aha moment” — helping people understand a core concept that perhaps never quite made sense before. That’s extremely rewarding.

You have inspired many people with your work, but who inspires you — either in the Web 2.0 world, or just in general?

Oh gosh — there have been many inspirations over the years (most of which are now friends)… everyone from Molly Holzschlag and Eric Meyer to Al Sparber, Mark Wubben and Ray West. It totally depends on the subject at hand. Anyone who’s doing something they’re passionate about is inspiring to me. And let’s face it — the Web is a wonderful melting pot. We share with each other, learn from each other and give back where we can — that helps the next “generation” of the Web get where they need to go as well. I just hope in time, we can attract some younger women — and help them realize this is a rockin’ cool job to have and way more fun than they thought. I mean, what’s better than workin’ and hangin’ with cool, smart people?

Since we are an online invoicing service I feel the need to ask: how do you bill for your services?

I usually bid by the project, but keep track of the hours. Meaning, I figure out the approximate number of hours I think it will take — and then double it so I might be closer to reality (though early on, I found tripling my estimate to be closer to the actual time it took), and that’s my bid. But I then keep track of scope and time so if it gets too far outside the realm of my bid, we can adjust.

I once had a program that recorded the time on each project. Only, I’m so freakin’ ADD, and I bounce around so much, it wasn’t very helpful. So I actually use either a text file (per project), or a notepad (yes, the kind you write on with a pen) and then do my billing from that. Not a very technical way I’m afraid.

Anything else our readers should know about you?

Sure. I love to meet people when I’m speaking so please come introduce yourself if you’re at an event I’m attending. Don’t be shy. (You can check my Web site for my schedule.) The book Greg Rewis and I have been writing for the past year, “Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS3″, is finally going to be released in late March. It’s a project-based book that utilizes the CSS layouts I wrote for Adobe that are included in Dreamweaver CS3 (the book teaches DW and CSS together which is unusual). I’m also currently a developer for a company called Miskeeto, building Web sites for socially conscious companies that want to make a difference. And we’re green (though I guess I complicate that with all my travel!).

On a personal note, I love playing beach volleyball — but I only get to play when I’m in town and can drag myself away from the little people inside my computer. I’m not real great with that work/life balance thing and tend to work 24/7.

Thanks for having me, Saul!

Thanks for having us!

FreshBooks welcomes Adrian Miller as our newest guest contributor to Fresh Thinking. Adrian will share the wisdom garnered from her many years of experience in sales training.

In her first post, originally written for CustomerThink, Adrian gets us thinking about our sales methods. Next month will bring the first of her many original contributions to Fresh Thinking.

No, that title’s not an error.

My question isn’t about your goals, your aims, your vision, your mission, your business plan, your targets, or any of that other stuff that comes together and answers the question of why you are in business.

I’m here to ask you, specifically and simply: how are you in business?

What are you like?

Are you pleasant? Are you responsive? Are you fair? In how you are in business, do you demonstrate that you care about helping people with whatever solution you provide? Do you give your customers a reason to be glad that they do business with you? Would you buy from yourself?

Here’s the thing: business culture today is so focused on the target/goal/objective, that the means of achieving those ends — the ‘how’ of business — is often an afterthought. In fact, sometimes the ‘how’ is not thought of at all, and so it becomes utterly subjugated, sacrificed and snuffed out in a relentless — arguably obsessive — pursuit of the bottom line, of exclusively measurable outcomes. The ‘how’ becomes nothing but a necessary evil between you and the ‘why.’ And like all necessary evils, you treat it with resistance, contempt and disdain.

Focus on the ‘how’

I’m not saying every single customer you meet should receive flowers or a ticker-tape parade (”Hooray! You’re our 9th customer today!”). I’m saying that the ‘how’ of your business is as essential as the ‘why.’ The ‘how’ matters. It’s important. Your customers deserve more ‘how’ from you. And if they get a taste of it from your competitors, they’ll come to expect it from you, too. If you don’t have the ‘how’ of your business in shape, you’ll lose them. And who can you blame for this other than yourself, and your anti-’how’-ism?

So. What can you do to inject some high-quality ‘how’ in your business?

It’s easier than you think. Simply start here:

• Don’t act like you’re doing your customer a favor by selling to them; guard against this especially if, right now, you’re very busy and your stuff is in high demand. Business is a cycle; you’ll come down to earth sooner or later, and the trail of pissed-off prospects in your wake won’t care to help you get back up.
• Don’t ever confuse soft-selling with that ugly creature called “anti-marketing”; the former is an authentic and empowering way to develop a relationship with a prospect, while the latter is an invention of miserable, self-absorbed people who should be in deep, multi-discipline therapy.
• Focus on two fundamental aspects of customer happiness: their happiness with the sales process, and their happiness with the solution they buy from you. When people engage in word of mouth marketing, they often emphasize the ‘how’ of the sale more than the ‘why’ or the ‘what.’
• Remember your customer’s name! Don’t be afraid to ask for it if you happen to forget, because nothing is worse than getting a name wrong; it’s sloppy. If you can remember your own name, you can remember someone else’s.
• Make sure the colleagues around you support your efforts to develop a quality sales experience; don’t have Sarah from shipping or Joe from accounting running around, madly waving a waybill the air, while you’re trying to talk to a prospect about your “total commitment to customer service.”

See? Simple things.

Start with these, and build a ‘how’ consciousness into your business. Don’t take my word for it, just see for yourself. You’ll soon see that a better ‘how’ leads to a better everything else — including a better bottom line.

Want to learn how you can use effective public speaking to sell your services?

Then sign up for “Speak Powerfully/Sell More,” a one-hour online class on Friday, March 28, 2008. The session is co-hosted by FreshBooks customer Adrian Miller.

To grow your business or promote your career, it takes exquisite presentation skills and high impact, results-oriented sales techniques. And anyone can learn them.

In this fast-paced live audio teleconference, experts Diane DiResta (author of Knockout Presentations) and Adrian Miller (author of The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success) will lead you through powerful techniques to increase your confidence and grow your business.

Registration is $39 USD and includes a collection of takeaways, including an audio course on public speaking you can listen to on your own time. If you’re interested, get on over there and sign up now.

Stay tuned for more

Monday will bring a guest post from Adrian on selling your services. She’ll be joining us as a regular guest contributor, and we’re happy to bring her wisdom into the fold here on Fresh Thinking.

Welcome, Adrian!