One of the easiest ways to run your small retail business is to know your point of sale. That means everything form software, hardware, applications, troubleshooting and more. Being knowledgeable and having the right resources will help you maintain the level of efficiency you need to have with your point of sale system. This weeks first featured article actually came from a press release but that it would be an excellent point of sale resource similar to our Wizard of POS site. Our second article focuses on a mobile point of sale application that was tested by a small businesses owner and comes highly recommended. As we roll into our third article you will read about Radiants Systems new employee theft deterrent application. The last two articles in this weeks roundup reflect on your small retail online presence, tips for your business blog and how online pricing should be handled.
1. New Online Magazine Launched for Point of Sale Industry - Expert Retail Knowledge and Breaking News on Pointofsale.com – PointofSale.com is a new website directed at giving information to business owners and small retailers about various POS topics. This online magazine covers many topics such as hardware, mobile products, specialized retail software and software for various niche retailers.
2. Leave The Credit Card, Take The Cell Phone – Marketing director of Wallace Oil, Rachel Wallace has a review of a new mobile point of sale payment solution that is affordable for small retailers. This service called Bling Nation is a mere $40 a month but could save thousands in the long term.
3. Radiant Systems Announces Launch of Widely Adopted Employee Theft Deterrent Application – Radiant Systems may be trying to redeem itself after the major security breach that is making headlines. They are introducing a new application that promises to deter employee theft.
“Aloha Restaurant Guard has been the most impactful application to our operations that we have installed since Aloha POS,” said Jim Nichols, owner of Nichols restaurant in Marina Del Rey, Calif. “We discovered that more than 40 percent of our employees were stealing, and in one instance with a single person, the overall theft equated to a loss of $10,000 per year.”
4. How to Use Your Business Blog for Brand Evangelism – If you don’t already have a blog for your small retail business, create one according to these great branding tips. If you currently have a blog for your small business, hurray, just tweak what you have to help build your brand and bring in new customers. The Noobpreneur has some expert advice on what will work to get your blog noticed.
5. The pros and cons of concealing product prices online – Some great advice on how to decide if you should display the price of a product or service online. This is a great article that features a panel of retail industry experts called BrainTrust
Emerging technology is once again the focus in this weeks roundup. As a small retail business you need to embrace the new technology that is available in order to create a loyal young customer base. These new applications and ways to market your business are the future which will be the norm for future generations. This week we feature another new mobile point of sale application that can be used with an average POS and a customer’s mobile phone. Next, JcPenny is joining the mobile coupon realm from a different approach which may prove very profitable. We then touch on a different form of technology, websites. This is something that every small retail business should have in place to reach customers online in some way. Our fourth article is the reason why you as a small business owner need to be embracing and using these new technologies. Last we end the roundup with some tips for bookstore owners to compete with the new digital books on the iPad.
Combining point of sale and digital technology gives you the new and modern small retail business. Many retail establishments are far behind when it comes to new technology which with the high cost and the many available options makes this understandable. The issue arises when the customer is looking for their favorite retailers to implement the new technology options because they fail to realize the overall picture of the small business owner. This weeks round up will help bring new ideas for improving every aspect of your small retail environment allowing you to retain loyal and happy customers.