Grow your side hustle with a mobile POS solution

Whether it’s walking dogs, selling baked goods, tutoring kids online or cutting lawns, the popularity of side hustles is growing. A recent survey* shows that nearly one in four Canadians work in the gig economy or operate a side-business to supplement their income.

No matter how or when you run your business, it is important to be able to accept all types of payments from customers. While some customers may still prefer to pay with cash, most are comfortable using cards and mobile devices to make purchases; in fact, research from the Bank of Canada* shows that 84% of Canadians over the age of 15 own a smartphone for personal use, and 16% of Canadian consumers used mobile payment apps for purchases in 2022. That means you need a way to take payments beyond a cash box.

What is a mobile point-of-sale system?

A mobile point-of-sale (POS) system is a payment acceptance solution that requires only a smartphone, mobile app and small card reader. This is a good fit for part-time entrepreneurs, since it allows you to take payments anytime, anywhere with minimal startup costs or hardware commitments. While offering customers a convenient way to pay is good for business, the benefits of a mobile point-of-sale tool go well beyond the transaction.

• Get started with low setup costs

Whether you are just starting out or trying to grow your small business, controlling your operating costs is critical. Choosing a mobile payment system is an easy way to test your business idea without having to commit to lots of hardware or expensive software subscription plans. You don’t have to pay for the app itself and only pay for the rental or purchase of a card reader, as well as small payment processing fees when you make sales. As you work through your business setup checklist*, you can rest easy knowing you have chosen a simple mobile POS solution and focus on other important tasks for your side hustle.

• Take payments anytime, anywhere

Wherever your side hustle takes you, you need to be able to take payments quickly and easily. Choosing an app-based mobile POS allows you to manage customer payments on your personal iOS or Android devices and do business anytime, anywhere. Gone are the days of lugging around clunky payments devices or searching for nearby Wi-Fi networks – your mobile POS will allow you to accept payments securely over cellular data networks with just a swipe on your small mobile card reader. You can also view sales reporting information from your mobile app and offer your customers SMS or email receipts for their purchases.

• Improve your cash flow

You probably started your side gig to earn extra income or explore new career options – that means you don’t have time to wait for funds to make it into your business bank account. As your payments processor and POS provider, we offer quick settlement of funds and same-day funding on holidays and weekends. Tracking your cash flows and paying your business expenses should be the easiest part of your side hustle. The right POS solution will help you stay focused on your products, services and customers instead of administrative tasks.

• Keep your side hustle organized

The mobile payment app helps you stay organized by serving as a central hub for your business. Whether you are tracking sales revenue or product inventory, your cloud-based mobile POS is an invaluable source of information about your operations. You can sync this information with your accounting software and business management tools to make sure you are staying on top of sales trends and growth opportunities to grow your gig work to a full-time small business.

• Grow your business over time

While you may be a team of one now, choosing a payment solution with scalability in mind will make it easier to grow your business. Your payments provider should offer options to add hardware and software features to your POS solution over time – without having to switch systems or incur unforeseen costs. Whether you need access to working capital tools or decide to expand to online selling, your payments provider is here to help seamlessly grow your business.

As more Canadians turn to side gigs, you need flexible payment options to support their small business operations. Mobile point-of-sale solutions can help you test out your side gig with low startup costs and minimal commitment.

* By selecting this link, you will leave Elavon content and enter a third-party website. Elavon is not responsible for the content of, or products and services provided by this third party, nor does it guarantee the system availability or accuracy of information contained in the site. This website is not controlled by Elavon. Please note that the third-party website may have privacy and information security policies that differ from those of Elavon.