My Mini, Me and My Aftermarket Shop

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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. 

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.

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POS Software Increases Profitability

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Maximizing sales can significantly impact profitability, especially if it’s done in such a way that your overheads remain practically the same. How can that be achieved? Easily. All it takes is a website. By creating a website to sell your products, alongside your brick-and-mortar store, you are gaining access to a massive pool of customers you may not have otherwise been able to reach. In fact, if your products can be shipped globally, there is absolutely no reason for you not to sell your goods all over the world.

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

But many retailers shy away from putting up a website because they fear it would be like a second business they need to run, with all that entails from inventory control to other retail administration tasks. Well, this isn’t an issue with quality POS software because it features an integrated website management system, allowing you to synchronize everything so that the website basically runs itself, with stocks updating in real-time. In other words, your business will consist of online and offline stores that can be managed using the same system, giving you more free time to find other ways to improve profitability.

Another way you can maximize sales and improve profitability is by increasing your customer retention rate. We all know that repeat customers are more cost-effective than new customers and loyalty is a powerful thing when it comes to people parting with their money. But how can POS software help to increase the number of repeat customers? Simple. A good retail software system will provide you with all the tools to better understand your customers so you can make them irresistible offers.

Using a variety of methods, including branded loyalty cards, you will be able to capture the information of your customers as well as their purchasing habits. Using this data, a POS software system will be able to analyze customer behavior, allowing you to create irresistible offers and incentives that can be used to draw them back to the store.

POS Software to Reduce Costs

Increasing profitability is not just a matter of maximizing sales. Decreasing costs is also an important aspect and one of the biggest problem areas for many retailers is inventory management. It is rare for a retailer to be able to optimize their inventory and they often find they’ve spent too much money on excess inventory. Considering that inventory is the largest cost for a retail operation, it makes sense that the ability to manage it properly and ensure stocks are always at optimal levels will lead to lower costs and bigger profits.

Any good POS software will be able to help you with inventory management, as stocks are updated in real time and intelligent stock ordering systems analyze past data and make recommendations. Thus, you will constantly have optimal stock levels and save a lot of money because you will never have excess stock again.

In a highly competitive market, retailers need every edge they can get and POS software is one of the biggest advantages you can have over your competition as it allows you to streamline your operation. Higher efficiency implies lower costs, which in turn increases profitability and allows you more time with your customers, increasing customer loyalty.

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10 Benefits to help make Terrified Retailers make the Transition from Offline to Online

The retail world is full of battle hardened business men and women. This is because; retail business is one of the hardest to keep afloat especially with new entrants into the market on a frequent basis. These battle hardened business people tend to be set in their ways and some of them are more comfortable doing things the old way. Sometimes the old way is no way. Like all other businesses that are moving more into the internet age, retail businesses have not been left out. For those still standing in the peripherals too afraid to try, these few motivations may more them forward in a positive way. They include;

•  No major investment required in IT software – this is because some of the best point of sale software systems do not need any new software installation. They can be run using the already existing IT structure of the retail outlet. This makes the installation process less daunting for busy retail business owners who are more focused on increasing their bottom line.

• Easy training modules – these can be successfully completed at all levels of the retail business. This includes the new IT savvy employees and the older more cautious less IT conscious gurus. Adding new knowledge to their portfolio always makes employees feel empowered, motivated and well taken care of.

• Low maintenance – this software does not affect the elusive profit margin in many retail businesses. This is because, to keep their businesses competitive many retail owners need to cost their products very competitively in the hope that they will attract  larger customer numbers who will in turn build up the bottom line.

• No investing in new IT hardware – usually with most new automation projects there is a corresponding high investment in new hardware so as to keep the system running. Nowadays, many retail software solutions can be installed and operated on the existing IT infrastructure.

• High security – many good retail systems operate with very high levels of integrity. This means that, the chances of data getting corrupt are virtually nonexistent.

•  Immediately operational – the system, once installed can be used for all the retail outlets operations on a daily, weekly and monthly basis from that point forward. This makes work much easier and faster for both customers and employees.

• Fast sales – as with all automated systems processing times are heightened and this makes the retail business improve its capacity for handling many more customers at any given time.

• More visibility – this means that, the retail outlet becomes more accessible to an increasingly online business community. This added visibility can create more opportunities for doing more business.

• Improved management – many online retail systems allow retail owners more control over their overall operations. This is a great improvement for chains that cover different geographical locations. This helps top management plan out their mission and vision in terms of where they want their business to reach and when the right timing for this is appropriate.

• Accurate reporting – like all systems, data collection is crucial to creating accurate reports. The data that retail systems use is important in making informed decisions regarding the business on the ground. Glaring loop holes are also plugged and operations tightened for better efficiency.

Author box

Edna Simms is a retail chain owner operating a robust point of sale software to make her business model more profitable. She also uses it to improve services for both her employees and customers alike.