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Inspiration

You are exactly what merchants need

iven the ongoing adapting small and midsize Employee retention and hiring are expected to be huge
business owners have to do in light of the issues for SMBs in 2022, as well. You have tools and
ongoing and unpredictable pandemic, ISOs knowledge to help with that, including full-featured
G and merchant level salespeople are ideally CRM systems to make customer service reps' lives easier;
situated to help them not only with with full-featured pay- expertise in managing entrepreneurial individuals who
ments and related business services you bring to the table, value flexible working arrangements; working knowledge
but also with the hands-on experience you have and the of artificial intelligence and machine learning that can
knowledge you've gained while navigating the fast-paged improve processes; and the ability to engage and empower
payments world. Your ability to reassess and regroup on employees who demand to be heard and appreciated.
a dime is invaluable to business owners who haven't had
to move so quickly in the past. In the same boat
In addition, since you face many of the same challenges as
Take, for example, your technological prowess. To your merchants, you can share your own experiences in
survive in payments today, you must be comfortable with finding and implementing solutions. You can, for example,
technology. You must know your own offerings inside out, share tips on social media marketing, which continues
as well as those of your key competitors. And you must to grow in importance and works in tandem with other
stay abreast of new developments, many of them game marketing efforts to boost awareness and profits. Related
changers, as well as innovate yourself or partner with to this is the growing importance of customer reviews,
developers on the cutting edge so you can jump on new which can be difficult to obtain. If you can help merchants
opportunities before your business becomes disrupted. crack this nut, you will get a boost in their eyes.

Experts to rely on
Having a future focus will also be essential to SMBs in the
As we transition to a new year, SMB owners can rely on coming year. If you are not a millennial yourself or haven't
you to help them employ technology to address evolving brought members of this generation onto your team, it's
challenges. Staffing shortages mean SMB owners need past time to do so. And watch out for upcoming Gen Z,
to identify and deploy technologies that can automate the largest generation. They will soon be essential workers
some functions previously done manually. As expert and consumers. These are digital natives; they are mobile-
consultants, you can explain how your technology can centric. Both of these generations value engagement, quick
provide a seamless digital ordering system that allows resolution of problems and personalized experiences
patrons to place their own orders at table, online or tailored to their tastes. Right now is the time to get on
via mobile app. Or you might demonstrate how your board and help merchants do the same.
technology simplifies inventory tracking during a time of
supply chain disruptions, reducing the time required to
identify the most compelling items to stock and where to
find them.
Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

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