Webinar on Card Acceptance Basics Provides New Tools and Resources for Small Business Owners
Master Your Card (MYC), a community empowerment program sponsored by Mastercard®, today announced a new webinar series on card acceptance, developed in partnership with the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC). The webinars are based on input and feedback from small business owners on how to maximize the value and minimize the cost of card acceptance. Building on a partnership first established in 2015, MYC and AWBC created this new resource to help small businesses grow and prosper through the smart and effective use of electronic payment technology.
“Given that consumers in the United States use cards for approximately 50 percent of purchases, small businesses must accept electronic payments in order to succeed in today’s market,” said Antonella Pianalto, president and CEO of AWBC, and MYC Small Business Panel member. “Partnering with MYC, we are helping small business owners get the knowledge, tools and resources that they need to succeed.”
The five-part webinar series covers why accepting cards is good for business, the payment processing system, negotiating with processors, understanding contracts and statements, and how business owners can address common challenges to ensure they are getting the most out of electronic payment technology. Kathryn Cleary, an expert in electronic payment technology, and vice president and senior business leader at Mastercard, hosts the webinars.
“As a champion for women entrepreneurs, AWBC shares a common goal with MYC to help people grow their businesses,” said Ravi Aurora, executive director of Community Relations at Mastercard. “Working together, we are helping small business owners understand the benefits of accepting payment cards and how electronic payment technology helps them increase sales by opening new channels and providing their clients with more convenience. Leveraging technology also helps them save time and money, and better compete with larger retailers.”
Electronic payments are an important contributor to the U.S. economy. Between 2004 and 2014, the increased use of electronic payments resulted in nearly $433 billion in gross domestic product and nearly 5.7 million permanent U.S. jobs, according to a study by The Perryman Group.
In the United States, there are 28.8 million small businesses, which account for 99.7 percent of all businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Further, there are 9.9 million women-owned businesses in the United States.
The webinars created in partnership with AWBC are available at www.masteryourcardusa.org/awbc. For more information about MYC, please visit www.masteryourcardusa.org.
