More money exchanges hands in December than at any other time of year, but if you don’t sell products, how can a savvy business person get in on the holiday shopping frenzy? Many professional organizers get on board by selling gift certificates for their services, but is it really a good idea?

A reader sent me the following question: There are a decent number of people in my town with good income, but the majority are low income, and I am concerned with getting paid. How do you go about getting a deposit up front? Is there some way to ensure that you get paid for your services?

I have previously blogged about using PayPal for receiving payments online, and E-Junkie and Practice Pay Solutions for selling and delivering digital products. A reader has requested clarification of these various services, asking “As far as Practice Pay Solutions, why would I want to use that over PayPal?”

I received some excellent questions and comments on my last post, Accepting Credit Cards, including several questions submitted via the Ask a Question form. Today I will answer those questions.

Let’s face it; organizing services are not inexpensive, and there will be many occasions when someone would just love to hire you, but they don’t have the cash on hand. Maybe you’ve thought about signing up for a credit card merchant account, but were put off by the expensive monthly fees which you’re required to pay, even during months you have no credit card activity.
