Retail POS Buying Tips

New Web Based POS Feature, Point of Sale Payment Success, Small Retail Optimism, Retail Marketing Lessons, Small Business in the Cloud

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Retail and POS newsThis week we will start the weekly round up of retail and point of sale news with an announcement from a Web POS company that will surely have brick and mortar retailers putting on their thinking caps. The second article comes from another announcement that PaymentMax, a point of sale payment solutions company has earned high marks from Inc. Magazine.

The last three articles we showcase this week way more heavily on the retail side of the roundup. Heading the article showcase is a very inspiring article from Bright Perspectives. The author, Bill Brown, a retail consultant promises to bring new perspectives to your traditional retail business. Then we go into a fascinating piece that gives you some sound advice from the world’s most successful businessman, Richard Branson. We end this weeks roundup with an article about cloud computing…if you’re unsure of what that means, check it out below, this is the future for many small retail establishments.

1. Point of Sale That Synchs Brick & Mortar and Online Inventory – The news of Shopkeep.com partnering with Shopify.com has many small retailers excited about the possibilities that they will be able to run their online and brick & mortar businesses from one location. ShopKeep is a web based point of sale software (see our review below) that shares a vision for retail businesses to be able to manage both their online and physical business with one easy to use software.

2. PaymentMax Merchant Services on the List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies
– PaymentMax, founded in 2004 provides merchant services for credit card processing at the POS. The company has continued to grow at a fast pace by offering a variety of payment avenues including cell phone technology. The company has found small to mid-size retailers and helped them enable their smartphones, iPads, ect for processing major credit cards. Inc. Magazine ranked the company #151 in revenue growth between 2006 – 2009.

3. The Future is Bright for Small Retailers – This inspiring article will have small retailers on the edge of their seats looking forward to the future. The article mentions the business growth of online retailers but insists there is still hope for the traditional brick and mortar retailer through adaptation and change. He states:

Do not listen to the doom merchants: the future is indeed bright for small retailers, but only for those who work smart and really “get” how to market their businesses effectively in this age of “mature e-commerce”.

4. Six marketing lessons from Sir Richard Branson – Who wouldn’t listen to some sound advice from one of the most famous entrepreneurs of all time, Mr. Richard Branson. In this great article featured at the Retail Customer Experience, Mr. Branson lays out six ways to compete ahead of the game. Richard Branson’s philosophy on starting a business:

Get the product right, put a great brand on it and then you’ll have a great success.

5. Why Cloud Business is THE Business Model for Small Business – If you have no idea what cloud computing is, you’re not alone. This fairly new term has a very simple meaning. Cloud computing is essentially “internet-based” computing and many small businesses are starting to lean toward the trend. This article will give you a Cloud Computing 101 tutorial that will have you using great applications such as Google Documents, Zendesk, FedEx and many more.

Retail POS Buying Tips, 101 Small Retail Business Tips, 3 Digital Signage Audio Tips, Retail From Great to Good, Small Retailers Conquer

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istock_000003490427xsmallTips, Tips and more Tips in this weeks weekly roundup. Below you will find great questions to answer when considering the purchase of a point of sale for your business. Then go on to 101 tips for small businesses from small business owners, followed up by three rules you should abide by when using digital audio signage. We finish up with a couple great articles about how small retail has declined and the nostalgia of the mom and pop stores.

1. What Retail Point of Sale (POS) System is best for my business? – This is not your typical article about buying the right POS. The author gives you very poignant questions you should consider and answer before attempting your point of sale purchase.

2. 101 Tips from 50 Small Business Bloggers – This article is invaluable and a must read for all our viewers. There are 101 tips from small retail business just like yours. These are tips you can use and put in place immediately to help conquer any obstacle you may encounter.

3. Three rules for digital signage audio in the retail environment – The retail customer experience pull it off again with a fantastic article about digital signage. This is one of the latest, most effective advertising technologies but it can be ineffective even annoying if not used right. Take these three rules for displaying your audio digital, implement them and reap the rewards.

4. The Slow Drift From Great to Good – This writer makes a great analogy comparing the way to get a good cup of coffee to the way small retail hospitality has declined. Just like the taste of your coffee dwindles as it ages so does the generous experience from your local retail shop. The change is slow and you might not notice but this spells it out and gives you something to think about.

5. The enduring wisdom of Mom & Pop – A truly inspiring story about the time when small retail shops lined the city streets. It was not just a matter of retail style it was about the values, the experience and always the friendships.

Retail POS Buying Tips, EPOS Surveillance Integration, Shoplets for Retailers, Minimum Wage Debate

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istock_000004668910xsmallThe endless minimum wage debate will forever cause a stir in the retail industry, particularly in the small retail sector. Who can afford to pay higher wages and who can afford to live on what minimum wage pays? This week we feature two great articles that give three different valid opinions on the subject. There is also help for choosing the best retail POS, increasing sales with a thing called a “shoplet” and fascinating security integration for small retail EPOS.

1. Choosing The Right Retail POS System For Your Business – Amy Nutt offers some great tips and advise on how to decide on the right retail point of system for your business. From identifying your need to creating a budget this article will help you make an informative choice when purchasing a POS.

2.IndigoVision introduces EPOS integration – Truly amazing new technology integrates IndigoVision’s powerful surveillance system with your retail EPOS. Data being sent to a live video display from the EPOS allows you to view the camera feed and the till transactions at the same time. It bookmarks transactions by thumbnail for easy searching and has an alarm system when certain transactions send a trigger.

This security feature could save retail businesses from theft, security breaches or many other losses. It can alert staff of a door left open, an open till or a large refund. Plus the transaction analysis can improve efficiency like finding a credit card transaction by searching every till in the store or across all stores from the main office.

3. Are Shoplets Better Than Banner Ads? – This is a follow up to an article we featured back in may. A test program put in place before Mother’s Day by Alvenda and 1-800-Flowers. They put “mini-webstores” on advertisers’ sites versus the traditional banner ads. This allowed customers to directly purchase flowers without having to go to the main website. Read the article for the amazing results…This could truly improve internet sales of the future.

4. Small Business Owners Question Minimum Wage Increase – The opinion of what the minimum wage increase means to the average low income American and the perspective of a small retailer that has to pay that wage. You are clearly able to see the great points that both sides of the sector make. How can one do without it and how can the other just do it?

5. Living wage: The salvation of the retail economy – After reading the article above I ran across this one. The author makes a very valid, unique point about the impact of a minimum wage increase to $10. The outlook benefits both the employee and the small retailer. Employee retention, better training and back to the days when employees were helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.

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