INSURANCE

WORKER'S COMPENSATION INSURANCE

NCTA members may also be eligible for a special worker's compensation insurance program at their own cost offered by First Pioneer Insurance Agency. For more information, contact First Pioneer Insurance Agency at 800/547-1495 or on the web at http://www.pioneerinsurance.com/html.asp?f=associations.html

CREDIT CARDs: UNTAPPED SALES

We are in the electronic age. The average consumer, your tree customer, can hardly live without a touch-tone phone, microwave, VCR, computer, e-mail, cell phone... the list goes on and on. And the list includes CREDIT CARDS.

Credit cards are becoming more and more prevalent in the tree industry. To NOT use them as a business tool is to miss sales, and to lessen your professional image. NCTA was looking for membership benefits and retailers were asking if there was a way to getagroup rate through NCTA.

So... we started searching for an answer. We asked various retailers about their experiences with merchant services providers what they got, what it cost and whether or not they were happy with the service. Then we contacted merchant services providers around the country, discussed services and requested bids.

We selected Capital Q of Phoenix, AZ, which is a broker of services. Rocky Mountain Bankcard System, Denver, CO is the processor. In addition to discounted rates for NCTA members, the company offers seasonal accounts which means you can discontinue your merchant account for the off season and reactivate it when you open again.

Equipment leasing is something else to consider. You can purchase or lease both new and used equipment through Capital Q, which offers NCTA members a 10% discount on equipment purchases.

Solutions for special situations, i.e. no phone lines or electric on location are also available. For more information, visit http://www.capitalq.com/ncta or call Capital Q at 800/887-6227.

NCTA INTRODUCES CTConnect

Discounted long distance telephone rates through Eclipse Telecommunications are available to NCTA members. This NCTA-endorsed program offers members long distance telephone service at an excellent rate with no monthly fees. The plan is actually better than most advertised long distance services. In addition to not charging monthly fees, NCTA CTConnect member telecommunications service gives members six-second billing after the initial 30 second minimum. This means, for example, if an NCTA member call is 2 minutes, 10 seconds, the billing will be for 2 minutes, 12 seconds.....not 3 minutes like many providers that don't offer increment billing.

CTConnect will offer members inbound (800, 888, 887) rates of 7.9 cents. In addition, members can designate separate account billing codes for outbound calls. This means you can code your long distance calls indicating whether the call is a personal call, a business-related charge or a charge to a specific enterprise. All billing will be directly through Eclipse Telecommunications.

For applications to sign up, call the service agent, SRL, Inc., at 314/868-8733.

REALLY BIG COLORING BOOKS

Looking for a great sells itself item to have in your gift shop or retail lot this year? The Really Big Coloring Book can be a great addition. A second edition of the Twas the Night Before Christmas has been printed with new pages containing facts and messages about the Real Tree, including pages about the environmental benefits of purchasing a Real Tree.

This 42-page book is 17" wide and 22" tall and are designed for children ages 2-12. They're kid-tested, averaging over 60 hours of coloring in each book. They allow parents and children to spend quality time together, having fun and learning about Real Trees.

Really Big Coloring Books have proven successful as a stock item during the holiday season. Many lots have offered them as prizes to local school children and sold them throughout the community as a really big stocking stuffer. A personalized sticker can be supplied for the front cover of your books with your company's name, address and phone number. You can buy direct from the publisher by visiting their website at http://www.bigcoloringbooks.com or by calling 314/725-1452 or e-mailing NBELL43544@aol.com.