Digital Marketing: Six Tips from a Small Business Mentor

From promoting an offer on the screen of Zeller Terminal to adding a QR code onto your receipts, or customising the colour of your invoices: Zeller ensures your brand is central to the payment process. When we think of brands, naturally some of the most prominent come to mind: Nike, Ikea, McDonalds. However, a strong brand doesn’t necessarily mean a big one. Small businesses are able to derive just as much benefit from a recognisable brand identity as major international companies, it’s all a question of scale. The beauty of building your brand as a small business is that you don’t have to go to huge lengths to achieve it, you just have to be consistent. Emphasising your brand at every customer touch point – whether it’s a simple logo printed on your napkins or the colour of your bathrooms – can leave a lasting impression. In this article, we offer you three innovative ways to integrate your brand into the payment process to engage customers with your business right until they finalise their transaction. 1. Add a Custom Screensaver to Zeller Terminal. Even when Zeller Terminal goes to sleep, it keeps working for your business. Thanks to this new update, you can now set a custom screensaver that will appear on your Terminal screen when it’s not in use. While customers wait for you to scan their items or pull up their order on your point-of-sale, it is the perfect opportunity for you to engage them with your brand. Whether you’ve got a new offer to promote, need to remind customers to place their Christmas orders, or want to highlight a new product or item on the menu: the large, digital screen on Zeller Terminal is the perfect place to do it. Any image can be uploaded, as long as it is sized correctly (320 x 496 px). By incorporating a QR code into the image you can invite customers to sign up to a newsletter, referral program, or competition. This is a great way of bolstering your mailing list with people you know have already interacted with your business. However you choose to use Custom Screensavers on Zeller Terminal, it’s a great way to maintain brand consistency throughout your premises. When you upload a screensaver via Zeller Dashboard, there’s no need to update each Terminal individually, it will automatically update to all the Terminals operating within the site you have selected. By featuring your logo, as well as colours and fonts consistent with your style, a slogan or key message; you will emphasise your brand identity just before your customers walk out the door. To upload a Custom Screensaver: Open the Zeller Dashboard and navigate to Sites Locate and click the site to see its settings Click the Appearance tab Upload your logo Select a background colour (Zeller will automatically recommend some colours based on your logo) Click Save All Zeller Terminals within the site will display the image when in sleep mode 2. Use receipts to engage your customers. Whether they’re printed or sent digitally as an email or SMS , receipts can be used in clever ways to help drive return business or help your customers connect with you. With Zeller, you can add a custom image at the top of the receipt, where a simple logo and/or QR code will catch people’s eye. Below this, you can add in your business details, so your customers know how to contact you, as well as your social media handles. In the case of digital receipts – these are live links that will take customers directly to your social profiles. There are two spaces, above and below the purchase details where you can add a message of 500 characters or less. You could include a brief history of your business, details of a competition you’re running, or a message or slogan that aligns with your brand. Much more than a simple proof of purchase, receipts are an innovative marketing tool that can be leveraged to instil your brand messaging. 3. Align your invoices to your brand identity You don’t necessarily need a shop front to create a strong brand. Having a clear, identifiable web presence will set you apart from your competitors, and ensure your business is the first that comes to mind when your service is required. Or even when it’s not! Your online presence doesn’t end at your website. Every interaction with your customer is an opportunity to remind them of your brand, and invoices are no exception. Zeller Invoices provides you with the best of both worlds: the ability to create and send invoices quickly, but also the flexibility to customise them to align with your brand. With different colours and layouts to choose from, space for your logo and a custom message, your clients will be able to instantly recognise your business and your service. Not only does this make it easier (and therefore faster) for your clients to pay you, but they’ll associate the service with your brand, and are much more likely to return to you next time. Bringing your brand to life across the payment process is just one of the many ways Zeller lets you tailor your financial solution. With many different ways to take payments, make payments and manage your money, Zeller’s tools are designed with the flexibility and versatility to adapt to your business. Find out for yourself by signing up for a free Zeller Account today or by contacting our Sales Team to learn how Zeller could be a great fit for your business, and your brand.

Thinking of scaling up? Give your business the best chance of success by timing it right. You run a business. You’ve got customers, and your product or service keeps them coming back. At this stage of your business journey, your challenge shifts. Where once you were striving to make your business viable, you are now working towards making it profitable and sustainable. This next phase of growth is both exciting and risky, so it’s important not to rush into it. Read on to learn the six signs you’re ready to take the next step. 1. You have positive cash flow. Cash flow is the make or break of any business. It’s what ultimately determines whether a business can grow sustainably, or whether it is destined to fail. Ensuring there is more money flowing in than is flowing out, is the number one most important thing you can do before deciding to expand your business. Healthy cash flow is intrinsic to growth for a number of reasons. Expanding your business inherently involves risk – whether it’s through hiring more employees, investing in a large piece of equipment or machinery, or opening a new premises – having healthy cash flow will help mitigate this risk. It will give you a financial buffer that can help you absorb any setbacks or unexpected costs associated with your expansion plans. Similarly, having positive cash flow will give you the ability to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. If a lucrative client contacts you for an ongoing partnership or requests a significant quantity of your product, your ability to take on this new customer is entirely tied up in whether or not you can afford it. Even though it might be tempting to take on larger clients or jobs, if you do not have the cash on hand to deliver the product or service, it could put your business in a perilous situation. Having positive cash flow is the key that unlocks future growth opportunities. Don’t try breaking down the door without the key. 2. You have a reliable team. Your business is only as strong as the people in it. If you plan on expanding your operation, it's paramount that you have a trustworthy team who will support you in the process. Ask yourself: are they reliable? Are they passionate? Are they knowledgeable? Are they driven? If you have more than one employee, do they work well together? Additionally, it’s important that you have a healthy work culture within your business. Ensure your employees feel supported and respected, talk to them about your expectations, their ambitions, and most importantly, ensure you are paying them correctly (if you’re not sure, read our guide to the minimum wage in 2024 . Think about how the growth of your business might offer them opportunities to up-skill, gain responsibility or earn more. It’s essential you have buy-in from them before you start executing the growth plan. However you intend to grow your business, there will likely be a heavier workload – whether it’s answering more customer queries, handling higher production volumes, or managing additional sales channels. A team that already has experience and knowledge will be much better equipped to absorb this increased load. 3. You have business savings. Whether you plan on taking out a loan to finance the next stage of your growth, or whether you intend on funding it yourself, you’re going to need some savings to back you up. Adding funds to an interest-bearing savings account is a simple way to earn some passive income that can be invested back into your business. Additionally, having some business savings also improves your position to borrow. In ascertaining your credit rating, a lender might assess your cash flow and your cash on hand, so having a savings account can assist in providing this context. Importantly, having a cash reserve will also act as a safety net in the event that your growth strategy doesn’t go quite according to plan. If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that you never know what’s around the corner. As you take on more risk in this next phase of growth, it’s important to have a cash buffer that your business can use through unforeseen expenses. * Terms apply. 4. You have a loyal customer base. Before you go looking for more customers, you need to nurture those that you have. Remember, it’s much easier to re-engage an existing customer than it is to find and convert a new one. Your existing clientele is already convinced of the quality of your services or products, and you already know and understand their purchasing behaviours. As you execute your growth strategy, ensure your customer service is not compromised in any way, you cannot risk losing your loyal customers. They are, after all, the driver of your cash flow as well as your best sales representatives. Before you roll out your growth strategy, seek your customers’ feedback. Positive testimonials will help give your business legitimacy and will help convert new leads as you expand your operations, while negative reviews can help you identify shortcomings that need to be ironed out before you expand. 5. You have an opportunity. One of the biggest indicators that it’s time to scale your business is the presence of an opportunity. This may take the form of a partnership proposition, a new high-volume client, entry into a fresh market, or a gap in an existing market, for example. If you own a clothing store, you may decide to stock additional sizes. If you run a restaurant, you might explore the opportunity to rent a market stall outside of your local area and increase awareness of your brand. If you own a beauty salon, you might employ a technician who can offer an additional service. Whatever shape or size your opportunity takes, it must align with your business goals, resources, and capacity for growth. When evaluating the opportunity, conduct thorough market research, analyse potential risks, and project the impact on your operations. The goal is to be able to effectively capitalise on the opportunity while maintaining business as usual for your existing clients or customers. 6. Your operations are efficient. Before you expand, you need to know that your resources are being used efficiently. If your business is leaking money, it’s very important to find the cracks before you take on more work or more employees. When operations are optimised, unnecessary time and money are saved. Conversely, if your business expands before it has streamlined its processes, the growth can further exacerbate inefficiencies, leading to increased costs and reduced profitability. The best way to assess efficiency in your business is to follow the money. Every expense needs to be traced. If you find you’re spending too much on staff, ask yourself what new processes you could put in place to help your employees do their work faster, and in turn, reduce your labour costs. Analysing sales data can help you recognise patterns that can inform when you need more or less staff on the floor. If you’re spending too much money on bank fees, it might be time to consider an alternative EFTPOS provider or whether surcharging is right for your business . If you can’t keep up with what your team is spending, an expense management system will help ensure budgets aren’t exceeded and that money isn’t being wasted on unnecessary purchases. Zeller can help. From accounting tools to POS software, and content management systems, there is plenty of technology available to automate or simplify processes and make your operations more efficient. Zeller is one such service that helps business owners manage their money. An alternative to your traditional business bank, Zeller helps you monitor every cent that flows in and out of your business – from accepting payments to storing funds and paying for expenses. Everything can be tracked in real-time via an online dashboard or Zeller’s mobile app – an important feature that will prove essential when tracking the success of your growth strategy.

Australia’s 3G network is being switched off at the end of October. While this transition ultimately means greater connectivity and efficiency, it requires business owners to upgrade their EFTPOS technology ahead of the 3G shutdown to ensure minimal disruption to their operations. Read on to learn what’s changing, how you may be affected, and what steps to take. Why is Australia’s 3G network being shut down? While 3G was once the backbone of mobile coverage across Australia, modern devices are becoming increasingly dependent on faster 4G and 5G networks. As a result, Australia’s mobile network operators – namely Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom/Vodafone – are having to dedicate a large portion of their network to a service that isn’t being used and will only become more redundant. By shutting down the 3G network, the providers will be able to enhance the capacity, speed, and reliability of their 4G and 5G services. What is the difference between 3G, 4G, and 5G? The difference between 3G, 4G, and 5G lies in their data speeds and capabilities, with each generation offering faster speeds and better performance than the previous one. 3G was introduced in 2001 and offered a major leap in cellular technology with speeds up to 7 Mbps, which enabled basic music and video streaming. By 2009, 4G brought even faster speeds, ranging from 5 to 100 Mbps, allowing for HD video streaming, mobile hotspots, and more responsive real-time applications like video calls. The latest advancement, 5G, offers ultra-high-speed data transfer and improved performance in crowded areas, supporting 8K video streaming and rapid downloads. As 5G deployment continues, it's set to become the dominant cellular technology, providing even faster and more reliable connectivity. When is the 3G shutdown happening? TPG Telecom/Vodafone has already switched off its 3G network Telstra will switch off its 3G network on 28 October 2024 Optus will switch off its 3G network on 28 October 2024 What devices will be affected by the 3G shutdown? Any device that is reliant on the 3G network – such as phones, EFTPOS machines, cars, tablets, and security cameras – will stop working after the shutdown. All EFTPOS machines need a stable internet connection in order to accept payments. Many older and outdated EFTPOS machines from incumbent providers such as the big-4 banks (Commbank, NAB, ANZ or Westpac) as well as Tyro, are locked to the 3G network, and won't automatically switch over to 4G. The easiest way to find out whether a device you have is going to be affected by the shutdown is to contact the manufacturer or the provider. If you are a Zeller Customer, rest-assured, all our  EFTPOS terminals  are compatible with the 4G and 5G networks. My EFTPOS machine relies on 3G – what should I do? Contact your payment provider. To ensure your EFTPOS machine won’t lose connectivity when the 3G network gets switched off, contact your financial services provider and ask them. They will likely ask you for specific information about the model of machine you are using, so make sure to have your hardware and any documentation close by before picking up the phone. Have back-up hardware on hand. If your EFTPOS terminal is locked to 3G or you're concerned about getting an upgrade in time, it’s a great idea to have a back-up method to accept payments.  Tap to Pay with Zeller App  is a great, affordable way to accept payments without an EFTPOS terminal. Simply download Zeller App on your smartphone, and accept card and mobile wallet payments directly on your mobile device. Just make sure that your smartphone is 4G enabled too! Switch to WiFi or Ethernet. Most EFTPOS solutions provide various connectivity options beyond just  SIM cards , including the ability to default to Wi-Fi or connect via an Ethernet dock. This ensures a stable and reliable connection that doesn't rely on mobile or cellular networks. Avoid interruptions: switch to Zeller. Zeller is a modern financial services provider offering next-generation EFTPOS hardware to Australian businesses. By switching to Zeller, not only are you safeguarding your business during the 3G shutdown, you are also preparing your business for the future with the latest ever-evolving technology.