Rydertech: Cash register

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

My Mini, Me and My Aftermarket Shop

I am a mini copper enthusiast. I own a 2010 Blue BMW Mini Cooper S and a Blue 1999 Rover Mini. I used to order aftermarket parts for my cars and my fellow mini owners have asked for my help in acquiring parts for their own minis as well. They told me that if I put a store or shop, they would be more than glad to support and help me spread the word about it. So, after more encouragement and sleepless nights, I put up my aftermarket shop. It has been three years and the shop is still growing strong with more Mini owners ordering and buying stuff from my shop. It’s both work and play and I love it.

When I was putting up the shop, I made it a point to get the best retail software and system to make my work easier. I scouted around and found a supplier for the system. A friend has recommended it and I was able to get a discount for the system. The POS system that we have acquired included a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display, a barcode scanner and a debit/credit card reader. The point of sale software was very easy to understand and use. It just took us a total of three days to know the functions and features of the system. As a retailer, I don’t want my sales unrecorded; or my inventory doesn’t match the tallies and spending time correcting mistakes. The system is a good investment because it solves many operational tasks and record keeping headaches. Based on these merits, the retail software has more benefits that I can tell you. This type of system was only available to major retail stores and thankfully, it’s now readily available to small and medium businesses.

The point of sale software speeds up the checkout process by calculating sales, change and adding the sales tax. It has made the shop more efficient and we can talk to the customers and spend more time with them answering their inquiries and made them feel that they are important plus we can show them parts that can help the performance of their Minis and in return, it makes the customers happy because they do not go through a lengthy checkout process. The retail software also lets me identify inventory levels especially when the books do not match the actual stocks in the shop. The degree of inventory control is important in sales and the software can track which items are selling well and it also determines which stocks or parts are not popular.

Some say that most point of sale software and systems are just sophisticated cash registers, which I say is true but as a user of this system, I can say that its more than just a sophisticated cash register. It has a standard format for records and transactions that keeps daily sales, which is very easy to understand. It also keeps tab on the person who performed the transaction and the amount of the items purchased. There are more benefits a point of sale software offer but it will depend o the individual or type of business the system is used for. In my case I was lucky to have a reputable point of sale software and system vendor that discussed the benefits and the various features of this system. Everything is much easier, efficient and effective. I can balance my Mini cooper aftermarket business while enjoying rides and rallies with fellow enthusiasts and friends.

Author:

Jerry Hall is a father of two and a Mini Cooper enthusiast. The love affair with the Mini began when his father gave him his first second hand 1971 Morris Mini in 1986. He now owns an aftermarket shop selling parts and accessories for classic and BMW Minis. Jerry has attested the use of point of sale software has helped him in managing his business efficiently.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Grocer’s Testaments To POS Systems

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As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The first impression given to the potential buyer will determine if the store-owner has gained a client for life or lost a potential long-term buyer. Recent studies state that most in-store purchase decisions are made in the store at the time of purchase; it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Putting more emphasis on the shop’s design, shopping environment, in-store promotions; will increase the influence impulse or mood purchasing.

Point Four Touch Point of Sale Till (Photo credit: Cyberslayer)

There are so many qualities that you need to have if you want to run a successful retail business. You need to make sure that you’re in a position to make your store a success. In these tough economic times, many businesses are struggling to make it or to stay afloat. You need to have the right place, timing, business sense and tools to succeed. One of the tools that any retailer need are POS systems. I know because I own a medium sized grocery and having a POS system has greatly increased the productivity, efficiency and made the job of managing the store easier.

What are POS systems? Point of sale refers to the software solution that is used at the point of purchase by the sales clerk. It allows the store to have a simple checking process. POS systems usually include a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display, a barcode scanner and a debit/credit card reader. The system, particularly the software is easy to use and understand. The POS software speeds up the process by calculating sales and change and adding in the sales tax. It has greatly increased the efficiency of our store and we can spend more time on the floor servicing to customers and it made the customers feel that they are important and well cared for.

The POS systems record each transaction and helps manage the inventory. Updates allow accurate records of sales to be pulled out at anytime of the day. Transactions are time stamped that help products sold together to be identified. It’s really handy and gives me useful information to keep tabs of our sales. Taking inventory is one of the most time - consuming and labor intensive task every storeowner face and one of the most crucial. Having too much stock or too little of it is very costly. Although having a POS system track my store’s inventory, it does not substitute for a physical inventory count but it reduces the number of times each year I have to conduct this time consuming task. Good thing I have wireless portable scanner programmed to the system that saves me hours and footsteps in the process. Really nice.

POS systems have the ability to provide immediate and accurate assessment of my inventory. Each time an item is sold, the item is immediately subtracted from the inventory list. It lets me know when a given item or products are in its reorder point. . As a retailer, I don’t want my sales unrecorded; or my inventory doesn’t match the tallies and spending time correcting mistakes. The system is a good investment because it solves many operational tasks and record keeping headaches. This type of system was only available to major retail stores and thankfully, it’s now readily available to small and medium businesses. Some say that most point of sale software and systems are just sophisticated cash registers, which I say is true but as a user of this system, I can say that its more than just a sophisticated cash register. POS systems are a complete solution.

Neil Adams is a father to three boys, a hardworking funny man that enjoys Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Jack Black. Neil has been in the retail business for 10 years now and thankful that POS systems were invented.