Advantage/Disadvantage of small farms accepting credit cards.
Rob here from the Flanagan Homestead and Esport Christmas trees Farm uh I just Sold did a pre-sale to a few friends and Family right here so we're not busy but I want to talk about taking payments at The Christmas tree farm uh originally we Were cash only uh cash or check which we Wanted and that was convenient for us And we didn't have a credit card reader But uh it's it's not hard with today's Technology to take payments in different Ways so when people come up to me now And they say hell will you take payments I said I'll take cash check card uh Cryptocurrency venmo it doesn't matter If you want to pay me I'll take it but Uh anyway I want to talk specifically About credit cards right now Uh when we first started taking them Probably five years ago now uh we Charged a convenience fee because the One reason we really don't want to use Credit cards is uh you know they take Anywhere from Two and a half to three Percent of the sales they get and just For swiping the card so we were hesitant To that and we were charging convenience Fee but then we started to feel bad About doing that and we also found out That uh there is a lot of convenience in Having a credit card so uh taking a Credit card so we signed up with a Square app this is several years old and They sent us a couple different things
That fit in your phone I have the one That fits in my iPhone 8 yes it's old Technology and then this one fits in my IPad so when we have if we have a hot Spot for Wi-Fi we can hook it up so I'm Very simply standing out here and uh Sliding this into my phone Oh Just stick it where you would charge Your phone and it's sitting in there and Then I I charge uh charge people on the Card and so uh Like I said we've actually I I wouldn't Say we prefer credit cards now but uh we Don't mind losing the fee as much so We're basically open on weekends and It's only a small farm but usually if on A given weekend day we'll do Between ten and fifteen thousand dollars In sales and on the weekend we probably Will end up with twenty five thousand Dollars in sales so I I'm standing out Here I'm the cashier I usually have my Rain bibs on like today or my bibs on I Don't have them on today and this and It's hard to have pockets and the cabin That you've seen behind behind me is not Really for sales that's for hot Chocolate and everything so I'm out in The rain and I just have a big Bank Envelope that I'm putting money in and Out in and out so I've I'm running Around with an envelope but by the end Of the day it may have fifteen thousand
Dollars in it and trying to my hands are Cold today it was 37 degrees and raining And you're trying to film through and You're trying to find the right change People are backing up and you're you're Trying to get the people through so Being able to just swipe the card And then hit it and then send them on Their way is good the other thing is at The end of the day It's all in the bank it goes you know They deposit it the next business day Into your bank so uh all the cash I have To go in there at the end of the day Count it out sort it out make sure Everything that lines up and uh it it Sounds odd but it's a kind of a pain at The end of the day to just sit there and Count out all your cash and sort it out And then put it away and then you got to Take it into the bank so the other thing That I've really enjoyed is I'm a Statistics type person And I love to see stats and so one of The things that happens when you're Using the reader like this is you can Run reports and so when I set up I'll Show you how to how I'm personally set Up for sales but we have all set up for Nordman's Nobles uh Grands Dougs and the Christmas tree stands and maybe the Ornaments a few other things that we Sell and so you just click Nordman you Know one Nordman one Noble sales swipe
The card and then it will tell me how Many nordmans I've sold every day how Many Nobles how many everything else and Even when I do take cash I can just Click on there that I sold this and it Could keep track of the sales for me so The reports are really good for letting Us know what days we're selling what Time of day we're selling things and uh Just gives us statistics to build our Business on I was talking to my friend At the patch pumpkin patch and they just Started using a credit card this year And you know they weren't sure how how Well they've been doing in the past Because they just took cash on their Corn maze and on their hay rides and he Just knew that the hay rides were busy And so anyway he when I was talking to Him he said last Sunday after church so They start they don't open till after Church on Sundays at one from one O'clock to the end of the day they did Over uh 1500 hayrides at six dollars a Piece and so he was and he was enthused To see that and has the statistics and To know hey you know we need to continue To put emphasis on our hay rides and the Money makers that that is so obviously I Don't have that many people out here I Don't you don't sell as many Christmas Trees as pumpkins but Um that's again another person that's Running the farm having taken sales
Right at their farm and getting the Reports and seeing uh where the sales Are and what time of day and what Selling what's not and it just educates The farmer on how to proceeds the next Year So I would recommend at least getting a Reader for I don't care if it's square Or another company but uh it works well For us we're happy with it I know we Lose a little bit of money but it works The one bad thing is cold rainy days Like this sometimes my fingers don't Work and I've also found that when it's Cold and wet sometimes the card reader Is temperamental and it takes a little Bit more work sliding it back and forth A few times but it will go eventually Thanks for joining me on the Flanagan Homestead where Christmas trees are my Business teaching including Horticulture Is my job and outdoor projects are my Passion hope to see you again soon be Blessed everyone Thank you
