I have been juggling since 1993, and decided to launch my first juggling website in July 2001 offering professional juggling services such as workshops, seminars and lessons to schools and nurseries, or at parties and events.

I was pleased to see that the website received thousands of visitors, and I began to recognise a gap in the market for a well designed online store selling Juggling equipment, with a chance to sell gadgets and novelty items too. I already had some experience in web design, so the natural next step was to develop an online store. I began selling juggling equipment and novelty items by mail order in July 2002, and subsequently launched my first online store in August later that year.

My online store started off with PayPal and Cheque/Postal Order as the only payment methods, and from August 2002 to January 2004 I processed approximately 200 sales.

As my business grew, I decided to expand the choice of payment method available to my customers, and I obtained an Internet Merchant Account from the Royal Bank of Scotland in early 2004 to use in conjunction with a payment gateway.

The next step was to choose an appropriate and cost-effective payment gateway to process my online payments.

In the course of my investigations, I looked into a number of payment gateways before finally settling on Protx which seemed to offer the best terms and conditions, and at a very competitive rate. I wanted to offer a safe, secure and trustworthy environment where people would feel at ease using the shopping cart and not have to jump through several hurdles just to be able to make a purchase! Protx were able to accommodate this need.

I already had my merchant number set up with Royal Bank of Scotland, so I was able to sign up for a Protx account straight away. Protx made the setup process simple. They were always on hand to talk if I got stuck, and their help files answered most of my questions.

My choice was a success, and over the last two and a half years I have processed a further 2,000 sales!

I continually try to modify my store and website to keep up with the needs of a growing business. Accordingly the store has already had several revamps, and last year I needed to move the physical store to bigger premises in order to accommodate my expanding product range! I also redesigned and reorganised the navigation of the website, making it quicker and more user friendly.

My site now features over 320 products (and growing), and attracts over 23,000 visitors per month. I always get a really positive response from the customers visiting the store, with comments on how colourful and informative it is, and thanks for the helpful tips I offer.

I continue to use Protx as my payment service provider, and I am pleased with the relationship I have with them. They have fully gained my trust. Theirs is a growing business also, and I fully expect them to go from strength to strength in the years to come!