We pass from one year into another and all over the world people are reflecting on the past year while looking forward to the next. I have to say that, personally, this has been a very good year for me. If you have read any of my past posts here, you will know that I am happy to be working for a company that shares many of my values; that fosters a friendly atmosphere among the employees. I have a job where I get to indulge a passion I have for research and writing; where I am able to offer suggestions and  improvements and have those appreciated and considered.

How does this impact you? Well, going forward I will be taking an increasingly active role with our vendors to make it easier for you to make online sales. I hope to grow our  community as well as our customer base and continue to be a source of information and assistance.

I am also excited about some of the new developments for 2Checkout in the coming year. Our  new multi-lingual payment page is just the beginning. We have some great features being developed and added this year, many of them are a direct result of your suggestions. I wish I could talk about some of the other projects our developers are busily working on, but I know our developers like a  little mystery and anticipation. You all will just have to stay tuned to see the cool new features we are adding – I promise you will be very pleased.

Stay safe and have a very happy New Year!

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Like many of you, I take my morning coffee while watching the news. Frankly, the economic reports have been causing many people a lot of anxiety. However, one of the things that excites me is International e-commerce. The ability sell online alleviates many of the worries that people are having. In many cases, some of you are doing better than you were last year.

Why is this? It is because you have an international audience looking for value. When the US Dollar is low in relation to, say, the Japanese Yen; you can see an increase in sales from Japan. If you are willing to accommodate an international market on your site, you can get paid for international sales. There are some very simple things that you can do that can increase the sales you make. Things that require more of a mindset than actual targeted marketing. If you understand that you are going to be shipping internationally, do things to reduce the costs for shipping (offer free shipping for large orders, reduce shipping across the board). Be aware of culture and cultural differences. Places like this site can give some advice on conducting business around the world. Much of the information deals with face-to-face meetings, but much of it is easy to translate to an e-commerce environment.

Owning a business can be a difficult job to have. The Internet in general, and 2Checkout in particular, can provide tools that can be used to maintain your sales regardless of the local economic climate by expanding your presence globally.

I have been settling into my position here, and getting a feel for the company and my co-workers. Most people in my position would say how nice everyone is, how friendly they are, and skilled, and how the company feels like a family. That last part always made me laugh a little – I mean HUGE corporations with offices spanning the globe use the term “family” to describe their company culture.

In all seriousness, every word in the past sentence could be used to describe what I have observed here. I have met and had very informative and productive conversations with the heads of almost every department (I’m waiting on some very busy schedules to conclude my string of meetings). I found that, without fail, each person I have met genuinely wants to assist you to sell online (and get paid for it). Even in some of the more “strict” departments (like Fraud and Verifications), the attitude is to take the rules/policies/regulations and use them in a way to let good sales process easily.

That word “family” keeps coming up in conversations. The pace here can be hectic and “busy” would be quite an understatement. But, like a family, everyone seems willing to offer help as needed – from a smile given after a difficult call to offering to giving me a ride home when I had to stay late (on my second day here even). This is the first job I have had in a very long time where I can say words like “family” or “friendly” or “cares” in relation to my workplace and actually have that mean something.

In the spirit of my previous post, I would like to kick off the unofficial start of the Holiday Shopping Season by inviting you to share with our readers a little about yourself and your business. If you feel comfortable, let us all know how long you have been selling online, some of your favorite products, why you are selling what you sell. Feel free to include links to your shop; I’m sure that all of us would love to see what you offer. Who knows, maybe you have the perfect gift for a fellow 2CO supplier (or they have that hard to find present for that impossible to buy for person in your life)!