One of the major hurdles to growing a small retail business is the fact that it can be expensive to accept credit cards from patrons. Processing companies typically charge hidden fees and make it difficult for a small store to earn a profit on lower-priced items, which causes some retailers and food shops to stop accepting credit cards completely. This is a problem, given that 66 percent of transactions are made using plastic.

But Square, a company that is hoping to revolutionize the way people pay for purchases, is making it much easier for these small companies to accept credit cards in a sustainable, profitable way. With Square's credit card reader, a business can accept payment using an iPad 4, iPad mini or even an iPhone from anywhere in the store. Money is transferred to the merchant's account with one or two days, and the small fee of 2.75 percent per transaction that Square collects is competitive with those charged by mainstream processing companies.

The service comes with no hidden costs, and users can also opt for a flat, monthly fee of $275 a month for the first $250,000 in sales, which allows them to forego the 2.75 percent rate.

It's a great idea for stores and restaurants that want to have a more interactive customer experience, as employees can carry around a tablet with a Square reader attached that lets them collect credit card payments without having to direct the customer back to a centrally-located cash register.

To take advantage of Square, it's best to have a mobile device such as an Apple iPad mini or the iPad 4, so head over to the PortableOne online store for our latest deals on these great products!