The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryBike shop software

Tower Systems at Magento Imagine 2018 in Las Vegas

April 30, 2018
1 Min read
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The Magento Imagine conference is a must attend conference for Magento partners. Magento is the premier e-commerce platform in the world.

At the conference this year we expanded our knowledge, networked with valuable colleagues and learnt how best practice retailers leverage Magento to facilitate in-store and online growth.

The time away was also an opportunity to fine-tune our web and desktop development plans and leverage the already considerable success we are having with multi-store POS software connected Magento websites.

The story about baked by Melissa was especially inspiring.

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Xero POS software link helps small business retailers

April 24, 2018
3 Min read
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Tower Systems offers a direct integration between the xero cloud based accounting application and its smart POS software.

Using our xero link, retailers can be sure they will:

  1. Save time.
  2. Cut mistakes.
  3. Uncover theft more easily.
  4. Reduce overstocking.
  5. Make better quality business decisions, sooner.

We know this because we see it every day, in retail businesses we own ourselves.

The Tower Systems POS software Xero link helps small business retailers cut costs. It does this in a range of practical ways that small business retailers can leverage without having to spend more money on software or professional services.

Thanks to the Xero POS software link retailers are able to eliminate bookkeeping work and have accounting data flow through accurately from the POS software where data originates to Xero where it is accessed for key business accounting functions.

Developed with careful oversight of CPA qualified accounting experience as well as current small business management accounting experience plus insights from experienced bookkeepers, this link is a true cost saver because of the accounting steps it eliminates and the mistakes it avoids. Both of these have costs to any small business. Eliminating them is a bottom line cost benefit for any business.

Setting up the Xero link is easy. You map the data flow from invoice entry through to the chart of accounts managed by Xero. Once this is done, supplier invoices, sales, credits, LayBys and other everyday business transactions flow from the POS software to Xero.

This makes business accounting easier, more certain, less expensive and more useful to the business.

Your BAS is easier. Your P&L and Balance Sheet are more up to date. This is a big win for any small business retailer.

Tower Systems uses the Xero POS software link itself for retail businesses it owns in the gift and homewares spaces. By using our software, especially the Xero link we are able to draw on broad practical experience when providing advice to our retail business owner customers. It means that our help desk advice is based on us walking in your shores more than is usual for a POS software company.

Tower Systems is keen to help small business retailers cut costs. We know the more we can do this the more our customers will appreciate the practical benefits a relationship between our businesses can deliver. With our software support being optional we know that our customers can switch any time. The best way for us to keep them is for us to deliver practical benefits at each touch point.

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Inspiration for small business retailers from our POS software company

April 23, 2018
2 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems we help small business retailers in ways beyond what is traditional for POS software companies. One such way is through inspiration.

Our inspiration initiative is all about eloping retailers see what they may be missing. This could be in their data, in their sore or elsewhere.

As skilled retailers, we bring real world experience in many different retail situations to the table to help our Tower Systems POS software customers who engage with our inspiration initiative to find new joy from their businesses.

The joy could be from a new approach to business, new insights, now opportunities uncovered or better understanding. It can be different for different businesses. It can be big or small. Quick or slow. Each inspiration is different for each business … and we love it.

We are grateful to our customers for engaging with us on this, for trusting us to be part of these inspiring opportunities where we learn plenty about retail each time and where we can share what we know, too, to benefit those whom we serve.

Beyond POS software, Tower Systems is grateful for the trust shown in us to serve in this practical and valuable way in small business retail. We take the opportunity seriously and engagingly.

  1. In one case recently we helped a retailer find $20,000 they had invested from which they were not receiving any return.
  2. In another situation we helped a retailer discover a business cost they had no idea about and which they could quickly rein in.
  3. In another we helped a retailer see that the bad news they saw was hiding some good news, which they leveraged to build a better business.
  4. In another we helped a retailer with shop floor placement such that they increased the average shopper spend.

These are each practical things we have done working with everyday small business retailers. Real things, in-store things, things retailers can action right away without spending any more money.

And from each of these things came inspiration for more change in each business, to the broader benefit of the business and those it serves.

We are proud that Tower Systems is not your average POS software company.

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World first integration from Tower Systems helps retailers win more sales

April 20, 2018
1 Min read
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Oxipay buy now pay later integrated with the Tower POS software helps small business retailers sell more.

Tower Systems was the first POS company to integrate with Oxipay, the buy now pay later solution launched by ASX traded Flexi Group.

With Oxipay, your customers can buy now, take the goods now and pay over time. If they default, there is no cost to you. Approval is fast, easy. Settlement is fast. And, being integrated with our software, record keeping is easy.

The Oxipay relationship is one of a series of strategic relationships that we leverage for the commercial benefit of retailers like you.

Let us show you our POS software in an obligation-free demonstration.

We use Oxipay in our consumer-facing websites as well as in our own retail gift shops. Our experience goes beyond the software, and into the retail operational. It will help you sell more.

Email sales@towersystems.com.au or call for an obligation free demonstration: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au. We are proud to serve 3,500 specialty retailers with our software.

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The loyalty offer that helps small business retailers compete against big business – in our Aussie POS software

April 19, 2018
2 Min read
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Tower Systems pioneered the pitch of discount vouchers in small business retail. Now, many years on, more and more retailers are singing the praises of this unique and loved small business POS software loyalty offer.

Discount vouchers change shopper behaviour. They are a unique loyalty offer that older how shoppers see a business and how they engage in-store.

What sets Tower Systems apart, beyond the strong algorithm behind the vouchers, is the way we support small business retailers in deploying the voucher tactic in-store. We offer business trade training, so the context is understood at the owner level through to the sales counter level.

Being retailers ourselves and using the vouchers in different retail businesses we can speak from experience and retailers love this. Beyond the vouchers themselves, which are unique, our business engagement and knowledge is unique in software company circles.

Discount vouchers can be called anything you want, too. We have customers in the high end jewellery space calling them a Personal Thank You Gift and finding wonderful shopper engagement.

We are confident that Tower Systems’ Discount Voucher facilities can help you:

  1. Get customers spending more in a visit.
  2. Bring existing customers back sooner.
  3. Attract new shoppers to your business.
  4. Drive impulse purchases at the sales counter.

One of our own retail businesses reported growth of 10% in the three months to June 30, 2015. Much of the success comes down to smart use of Discount Vouchers.

Discount Vouchers don’t need a card – they print on sales receipts and offer an amount customers can spend right away. Our experience and the experience of hundreds of our customers is that Discount Vouchers drive faster and deeper engagement with the business – making a shopping visit more valuable right away.

  1. You name the voucher anything you like and can change this at any time.
  2. You set the rules on how the value of the voucher is calculated.
  3. You set the rules on what the voucher can be redeemed for.
  4. You set the rules on expiry dates.

See the software live. Contact us for an obligation free demonstration: Email: sales@towersystems.com.au. Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Why our POS software might not be right for your retail business

April 18, 2018
2 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems we will tell you if we think our POS software is not right for your business.

Seriously.

We have been in business too long and have too good of a reputation to risk it by selling a business software that is not ideal for their needs.

Our sales team are not under any pressure to reach a sales quota. This takes away the usual pressure on sales people to get a sale at all costs.

Here are some of the reasons why we might say our software is not right for your business:

  1. Your retail business is not in one of the retail channels for which we have specialty software.
  2. You want changes that do not fit with our vision for the software.
  3. You have business processes you are not prepared to change that we think are not a good fit with the software.
  4. The price you are prepared to pay does not res the software and services we offer.

We don’t like saying no. However, being transparent is important to us, and to prospective customers.

When we do say no we do so with an explanation, usually in writing, so there is not doubt. This can lead to a discussion about why we have said no and even changes in a business so the no becomes a yes. This process works well as it encourages a business discussion from which we learn and our prospective customer takes a look back at their business.

More than a software company, we are a retail business focussed business. Being retailers ourselves we understand the complexity of retail today. This personal experience enables us to take a retailer-focussed approach in how we navigate a situation where we do not think our software is a good fit for a prospect.

Some of our most engaged customers are businesses where we felt we were not a good fit. The process we have has worked well in ensuring everyone goes into a relationship with their eyes and ears open and we often see this benefiting both businesses.

See the software live. Contact us for an obligation free demonstration: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Helping small business retailers manage a more efficient end of shift

April 11, 2018
1 Min read
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The end of shift process in any retail business is when the day comes together, when the numbers are revealed and and errors resolved.

This week, today in fact, we are offering retailers who use our POS software a free training workshop in end of shift processes and, in particular, the end of shift reports – in which wonderful and valuable in formation can be found.

Understanding the End Of Shift Reports

Why is the End of Shift important? How do I check my settings are correct? What do the reports mean? What parts of the report do I need to use for my accounting….

This training is accessible at no cot whatsoever to any of our customers. People can book online, through our free training portal.

The training is live, interaction and allows for plenty of time for questions.

This free training is another way our POS software customers can learn, for free.

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Why we think our POS software is better than VEND

April 10, 2018
2 Min read
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We are asked from time to time how our software compares with VEND, the POS software from New Zealand. To answer this question we asked people who have switched from VEND to our Tower Systems POS software. Here, we have assembled the most common reasons people give any our POS software is better than VEND:

  1. Fit for purpose. Our POS software is fine-tuned, tailored, for selected speciality retail marketplaces.
  2. Not trying to be for everyone. Generic POS software is generic. The Tower POS software is for selected specific marketplaces.
  3. Human contact is easier. call us and a human who knows our software answers and talks with you.
  4. Enhancement. The Tower software is regularly enhanced, based on direct user suggestions.
  5. Transparency on changes. All changes are detailed in advance of being made available to users.
  6. Control over changes. Users control when they switch to a new version.
  7. On site training. Personal. In-store. At a time to suit.
  8. Unlimited one on one training. Long after on-stire installation Tower customers can book more free training, personalised to the business.
  9. User meetings. Around the country. Meet the leadership team. Influence our direction.
  10. No on going fees. If you want to keep using the software but not pay for support and u0dates you can.
  11. Leadership team access. The leadership team at Tower is accessible, every day.
  12. Cloud or not. The Tower Systems POS software can run locally as well as in the cloud. You choose what is right for you business. Having the option is appreciated by many customers.
  13. Rent or buy. Tower Systems offers customers the option to choose the method of acquisition that best suits their circumstances. Just by appearing options the company demonstrates its flexibility.

At a functional level the Tower Systems POS software is different, unique and valuable. see it for yourself, in your business, at a time that suits you. If we think the software is not a good fit for your business we will say so.

See the software live. Contact us for an obligation free demonstration: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Small business advice: be generous with loyalty rewards in retail and shoppers will show appreciation

April 6, 2018
2 Min read
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Too often small and independent retail businesses create and run shopper loyalty programs that mimic their big business competitors. They ignore that the big business loyalty programs do not have rewarding shopper loyalty as a core focus.

Big business loyalty programs are primarily about the needs and profitability of the big business running them. Too often, they do not offer a real reward for loyalty.

Our advice for small business retailers is to be generous with your loyalty program.

Offer generous rewards for loyalty. Run a loyalty program shoppers love, a program that brings shoppers back again and again.

It is called a loyalty program after all. Show your customers you appreciate their loyalty.

Being stingy will cause frustration and anger among customers, it could have them talking negatively about the business. This is not good for business.

When we look at loyalty programs that have failed to deliver good results in a small or independent retail business, the most common cause we find is that the loyalty reward is not sufficiently a reward.

This is why we encourage retailers to be generous in loyalty reward settings.

The best way to reflect generosity is through transparency of value. By this we mean making it clear what a reward is worth. This is why a dollar amount is more valuable than points. People understand dollars. It is unlikely the will easily understand the ‘value’ of points.

While the Tower Systems software offers multiple loyalty programs and options, our recommended approach is discount vouchers. It is easy to setup, easily understood by shoppers and genuine in the reward.

Showing $$ value on receipts in the form of a voucher that can be spent presents immediate in-store opportunities as well as after the visit opportunities. Our research indicates an average redemption of 20% of all vouchers issued and a total net cost to the business of around 1% of turnover for, usually, a 8% to 10% bump in sales.

For more advice and assistance on the best-practice approach to shopper loyalty, please talk with the team at Tower Systems.

This general retail business advice is another example of the type of advice Tower Systems provides its customers, to help beyond our POS software.

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Small business advice: how to serve local, authentically

April 5, 2018
2 Min read
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Being local matters in small business. Here are ways for any local retail business to be more locally engaged.

  1. Be visable locally: at community events, cafes, restaurants and markets.
  2. Buy locally. It sends the wrong message if you pitch shop local yet you purchase stationery online and have it delivered or if you buy your pet food online and have it delivered. Source locally as much as possible and be obvious about it.
  3. Facilitate local connections. Have a local community noticeboard in-store.
  4. Provide local receipts. Use your receipts to share local information. This could be local advice relating to what you sell or other local insights that add value to the relationship with your business.
  5. Talk local. Where you source locally, show it with products. Note that local can be a flexible term. For example, you may have a product sourced from Australia that some would consider local if the alternative is an imported product.
  6. Give locally. Five local charities priority with your time and money ahead of non-local charities.
  7. Hire locally. When you place a notice looking for a new team member, note preference given to local candidates.
  8. Share local knowledge. If you sell provides the use of which would benefit from local knowledge, have that served automatically by your POS software on shopper receipts.
  9. Share local on your Facebook page. Talk about local activities on your business Facebook, show your local connection.
  10. Explain why local matters. When you pitch on your Facebook page or noticeboard your support for a charity, explain that it is through local community support that you are able to help the local community.
  11. Offer a locals only discount.
  12. Be proud of local. Express this, often.
  13. Be seen local, shopping, walking, drinking.
  14. Talk local. Pick up on and use the lingo.

Too often small business retailers call for people to support local businesses. It can be more valuable if you show what local looks and feels like, so people in the community understand the benefit for them from supporting you.

To Tower Systems, local is small business. We only sell our software to small businesses because we believe in the importance of small business in any economy. Small businesses are our local community.

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Small business advice: how to leverage social media without being controlled by the beast

April 4, 2018
3 Min read
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Social media is vital for every retail business. It is as important as opening the front door of the shop. However, its value is determined by the content you publish, by your call out to people.

we call it a beast because it can feel like you have never satisfied it. This is because so much social media content is disposable. You only have to watch how people engage with social media to see this.

Engaging with any social media platform is like feeding a beast that is forever hungry. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, they are all hungry beasts. They can feel overwhelming, intimidating and frustrating. Too often, small business retailers give up … and when they do that they turn their back on opportunities for their businesses to be discovered.

The best way to be successful with social media is to have a plan to be efficient about how you engage.

Here is everyday advice to help you efficiently engage with social media. While the example used is Facebook, it is useful for any social media platform.

  1. Post regularly, but try and do all the posts for a week at once, in advance, scheduling them for publication on dates and at times you set. This is important as people who setup multiple posts at once tend to cut the time spent doing the posts.
  2. Keep text on posts to two sentences.
  3. If you are not sure what to write, think would I include this in a radio ad, on a flyer or yell it from the front of the shop.
  4. Give something of yourself in your posts. Your voice is important.
  5. Share knowledge and insights that reveal your expertise and add value of the interaction of followers of your Facebook page.
  6. Post with a theme in mind for a week, for example post with context to a new season, school holidays or some other timing connected to your business.
  7. Include a photo, photos or a video with posts. Photos should have real people in real situations. This personalises your business.
  8. Photos do not need to be a whole product. A close up of a small part of a product could look more interesting.
  9. Do not try and sell.
  10. Repeat your best posts. Facebook content is disposable, people scroll past quickly. Give your best content a chance to be seen by re-posting, judiciously.
  11. Do not hire someone to post for you as your voice is what matters most.

They key goal of a retail business Facebook page is increase recognition and recollection of the business. Think about this as you write each post. Make sure the post progresses on this goal.

This business management advice is another example of how Tower Systems helps its small business customers beyond our POS software.

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Small business advice: how to quit stock in a retail business

April 3, 2018
2 Min read
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This advice has been prepared by us here at Tower Systems for small business retailers, independent retailers. We have created the advice as part of our suite of business management advice for retailers.

we help small business retailers beyond our POS software. We do this with support and advice, like in this article:

If you want to quit stock, quit it, quickly. Quickly means different things to different people. We think it means 7 days … gone and out of the shop in 7 days from when you decide to quit the products.

The easiest way to quit stock is for your shoppers to understand the deal. Understanding the deal starts with how you brand the sale.

A sign with SALE on it could mean anything. We suggest you NOT use this.

A sign with, say, 50% off could be confusing as they don’t know the starting price and some may not understand percentages.

A Sign with HALF PRICE is more easily understood but they still do not know the starting price.

If you really want to quit stock, we suggest you have tables or dump bins at price points: $1, $2, $5 – or that ever is appropriate to you.

We have tested this in retail, with customers. We have tried $9.99 priced an item at 50% off, half price and $5.00. The $5.00 pricing worked the best, by far.

This is our recommendation on quickly quitting stock: get the price messaging right.

If your price messaging is hard to understand or if there are too many different price messages you could be creating a barrier and this could stop you achieving the sales outcome you want.

Also: display the product for a sale. i.e. not pretty. Reorganise it daily. Keep it separate to the premium merchandise.

Tower Systems is a full service POS software company helping small business retailers beyond what is squall for a POS software company. This article is a fractional representation of the help and support we provide beyond what is usual in the POS software space, it shows the help, care and instruction we provide small business retailers.

This is the Tower Advantage. We are proud to offer it.

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Small business advice: How to stop your business data being useless

April 2, 2018
3 Min read
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This advice has been written by us here at Tower Systems for use in businesses, particularly small businesses, where the business data has been found to be useless, faulty and / or of little value.

There is no doubt: poor business data = poor business decisions. We see this every day as to banks, accountants, business advisors and more.

If you ever hope to sell your retail business, accurate business data is vital, it will determine the price you achieve for your business.

Don’t be one of those business owners who only cares about accurate business data when you decide to sell as that could be too late.

Here is all you need to do to ensure you have accurate business data.

  1. Ensure you have a good department and category structure. This helps ensure the reports are useful. By good we suggest no more than fifteen departments and no more than fifteen categories within each department.
  2. Arrive all stock into your POS software. The best way to do this is to receive and import into your software electronic invoices from suppliers. This is done in Invoice Arrivals.

The slower way is to manually enter invoices into your software item by item. This is done in Invoice Arrivals.

If you created an order using the software and this order subsequently arrives, you can receive the order – to save time.

  1. Scan all stock you sell at the point of sale. Resist excuses like items are too small or too big or it takes too long or it is impractical. All these excuses can be countered.
  2. Scan all stock you return to suppliers. Use the Returns facility.
  3. Scan all stock you write off. Use the Write-off Stock facility.

Very simple, right?

Accurate business data is up to you. Not your software company, not your suppliers.

Accurate business data is 100% up to you.

Once you have accurate data, track business performance. Use the accurate data to see trends in your business, to guide better quality business decisions.

It is easy to create accurate business data. The operational and financial benefits are extraordinary.

How Tower Systems can help. We have articles in our knowledge base on everything discussed here. We also have training videos that show you what to do. We host weekly online training workshops, accessible from anywhere, where you can ask questions on any topic. Plus, supported customers have access to free one on one training.

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If you are a small business retailer and think retail is tough we have a question for you…

March 23, 2018
3 Min read
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Yes, retail is tough.

What are you doing about it?

I’d love a dollar for every retailer who has told me how tough it is in the last few years.  Heck, I’d retire with the money I’d have.

The thing is, retail is tough, especially small business retail like a gift shop.  It’s always been tough for the little guy. I know because I own small retail businesses myself.

I really do think we need to stop saying retail is tough and start challenging ourselves. Hence the question: What are you doing about it?  Put another way…

  1. What are you doing to attract new shoppers?
  2. What are you doing to get your existing shoppers to spend more?
  3. What are you doing to drive down your costs?
  4. What are you doing to improve margin?

These are the four most important things for a retailer to act on. They sit at the core of every retail business failure and success.

Taking small steps in each of these areas can help you weather tough times. These same small steps can help you find success with less effort.

Tower Systems is a software company for small business retailers like you. We’re retailers too. We combine retail experience with tech smarts and a passion for small business to help our colleagues to grow their businesses. We’d like to help you.

Using our Point of Sale software for gift shops like yours we can help you

  1. Attract new shoppers.
  2. Get your existing shoppers to spend more.
  3. Drive down your costs.
  4. Improve margin.

Big claims yes … we have existing customers who will tell you that we do this.

Our system can cost as little as a few dollars a day. Besides great software, hardware you can trust, friendly training and software support, you have access to our business skills, acumen and passion.  We have your back, helping where we can with advice and ideas to help you grow your retail business.

We’re not your average software company.  Tower Systems is a full-service passionate and engaged software company that wants you to succeed. We firmly believe…

In business, through our own actions we make our own success.

I’m the owner and founder of Tower and am proud to work with more than 2,000 small retailers like you. I’d be honoured to help you. So would one of our amazing, skilled and passionate account managers. Call one today…

See the software live. Contact us for an obligation free demonstration: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

My name is Mark Fletcher. I am the founder of this company: 0418 321 338.

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Introducing colour, size and style to small business POS software

March 22, 2018
2 Min read
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Our Aussie developed and supported POS software is not a destination. Rather, it is an evolving solution, being enhanced to serve evolving needs.

For many years, we have resisted introducing support in the software for handling inventory items tracked and sold by colour, size and style. We resisted because this type of inventory was usually found in fashion retail, a retail segment outside the specialty retail channels in which we have been focussed.

Retail has changed. The lines between retail channels have become blurred. There are businesses in our specialty retail channels today selling inventory items they wish to manage by colour, size and style. To serve this changing need, we have developed support for handling colour, size and style within our Retailer software.

We refer to colour, size and style as variants as this is a better description for the facilities given that it can handle more than just colour, size and style.

Like any new functionality, how we handle this will evolve over time and based on user feedback.

Overview – This new function allows users to add Variants to new or existing stock items which identify variables of what are essentially the same stock item. For example – The product Sheridan Adkins 700TC Sheet Set comes in 5 different colours, with each of those colours coming in Queen, King & Super King sizes. All up, there is 15 variants of what is essentially the same item (15 barcodes, the main description, cost, sell, department and category etc are all the same, the only difference being the Colour and Size. This new feature will give users more flexibility and efficiency in areas such Arriving Stock, Creating Orders and checking Stock Levels.

Using the new variants facilities in our software now, small business retailers can track items by multiple variants, like colour, size and style, at the point of sale, returns and reordering.

You can report on inventory performance in a meaningful way to serve your business needs in this area.

The goal of the variants enhancements is to provide each user business with data necessary to better manage the inventory in the business and the business itself overall.

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POS software WooCommerce link helps small business retailer sell online

March 21, 2018
3 Min read
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Tower Systems offers a direct to WooCommerce link that enables selling from the POS software and a Woo Commerce website all from the one inventory database. Making ecommerce easy for small business retailers.

What Is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an open source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress. WooCommerce is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms because it’s free and open source. This means that there are a lot free or inexpensive extensions available to customise your site.

What Is The Retailer To WooCommerce Link?
The Retailer to WooCommerce Link uses the Tower Advantage Link platform to allow Retailer to connect directly to your WooCommerce webstore. The Tower Advantage Link platform is a subscription-based service that acts as an intermediary between Retailer and the WooCommerce API.

How Does The Link Work?
The link works by using the TALink platform to connect to the WooCommerce API and synchronise your data.

Stock
Retailer is your master stock database. You flag what stock items you want to appear on your WooCommerce store. Descriptions and extended descriptions are added as product names and descriptions in WooCommerce. Newly flagged products are automatically added and if you edit items in Retailer you have field level control over how these are handled in WooCommerce.

Department And Categories
Your Retailer Departments and Categories become categories and subcategories in WooCommerce. If you choose to synchronise departments and categories, your existing structure will be mirrored and managed in WooCommerce automatically. If, however, you decide not link your Department and Categories in WooCommerce, you can allocate categories manually to products once they are added.

Classifications
Retailer’s Classifications are treated as Attributes in WooCommerce. If you choose to link these in WooCommerce your existing Classifications will be mirrored and managed in WooCommerce automatically. If, however, you do not want this to occur you can manually manage your own WooCommerce Attributes.

Prices And Quantity On Hand
You have control over your webstore pricing from within the Retailer Stock Screen. Bulk updates of the webstore prices can be performed in Stock Manager. Once new prices are set, your webstore is updated automatically. Quantity on hand is also managed automatically, when your sell or arrive an item into stock these adjustments are sent directly to WooCommerce. If the quantity on hand of an item drops to 0, the item is marked as out of stock in WooCommerce.

Images
The images you set against stock items in Retailer are automatically uploaded to your website. If images change, the old one is removed and the new one is added. You can upload as many images as you like per stock item.

Customers
Customers that purchase off your webstore are added as customers in your Retailer database, allowing you to track what they buy and market to them. Existing customers with an email address will also be added to your web store to facilitate easy sales if you choose.

Sales
Sales are downloaded on a periodic basis and imported into Retailer. They are imported into our Customer Invoice Maintenance facility allowing you to place orders and print invoices if needed. Once sales are imported it reduces your quantity on hand so you maintain accurate stock control. Sales can be allocated to a specific location or merged to your main sales data, giving you excellent control over how you report on your webstore sales.

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Events facilities in POS software help small business retailers in marketing

March 19, 2018
2 Min read
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Our Tower Systems POS software is not a destination. Rather, it is an evolving solution, being enhanced to serve evolving needs.

Customer service is more vital than ever in retail. One way retailers can provide better service is through tracking customer related events. When we started to look at this, however, we found wide variation in what is tracked, how and when. In pet stores where pet details are recorded the needs are different to what we see in jewellery where more traditional anniversaries are tracked. These both different to what we see in produce where an event could relate to the timing requirement for crop support.

We have developed a broad-based set of functions and support for what we call Events in our software. We have sought to cover the above needs and considerably more, to serve the needs we have seen across multiple retail channels.

Our goal is to help high street retailers offer a deeper personal shopper experience, to support a stickiness between shopper and retailer as this stickiness helps encourage the shopper to return to the business over another one or over an online site.

In our world, how we see it, events can be anything related to a customer. There can be any number of events too. Each event has a date or at least an anniversary related to it. This is key since we know that an event is something a retailer wants to track and respond to.

Like any new functionality, how we handle this will evolve over time and based on user feedback.

This new function allows users to add Events to Identities that are connected to a Customer. The Events are based on either a specific date or the date a product or service was or was not purchased. Once this data is collated we can then easily report and market to these customers using methods such as email or SMS.

Using the new events facilities in our software track many occasions and date based customer contacts and activities. You can do this as a customer service or as a return visit generating opportunity.

The events facilities have been developed with considerable flexibility, to ensure they serve the needs

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Awesome POS software connected websites for small business retail

March 14, 2018
3 Min read
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Australia POS software company Tower Systems is proud to offer POS software connected websites developed using Shopify, magento or Woo Commerce for specialty small business retailers in the retail channels in which we serve.

We have developed plenty of websites for different types of businesses in different situations.

we ovvero a one stop shop for POS software and web development.

Not offshore. Our websites are 100% developed in Australia. This is important. There is no middle person. You deal with us before, during and after.

The websites we develop are to your needs, covering the tech, aesthetic and other attributes that are important in your business. We sit with you to learn abut your needs, to ensure we get it right.

We also promise honesty through the process – this is better than promising something that may not be able to be delivered.

We welcome the opportunity to quote on stand-alone web development, where our sole service of your business is the development of a website.

Our POS software integrated websites serve a single inventory database between physical store and online store.

The Tower Systems web development team is skilled in WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify. The company has plenty of sites it can show in a live portfolio of successful e-commerce sites, serving shoppers in Australia and internationally.

Small business retailers can benefit from the retail management experience at Tower Systems experience that helps deliver a more retail focussed solution.

The Tower web team is also skilled at SEO and SEM services that help raise the website rankings in key search engines, ensuring the site is found ahead of others.

But best of all, Tower Systems provides professional advice and guidance to small business retailers keen to build their online presence. Our commitment is honest transparent advice on which any small business retailer can rely.

The Tower Systems web development team is Australian based, working out of the company’s head office in Hawthorn. This is important as many web development businesses are overseas. While you might have a locally based contact person development too often is done overseas, leading to challenges with delivery and usefulness.

Tower Systems is committed to local development for local businesses. Our developers understand retail in Australia and New Zealand. We leverage that to deliver practical and valuable business outcomes.

From simple websites to complex multi business solutions, the Tower Systems web development team for retailers is skilled and capable of delivering valuable solutions.

To find our more about our web development services, speak with a local Tower Systems sales person. They can point you to successful sites from us that are live and transacting today.

Here are some of the store linked websites we have developed:

  1. www.beanieboosaustralia.com
  2. www.popvinylsinaustralia.com
  3. www.willowbears.com.au
  4. www.willowbearsworldwide.com
  5. www.ittybittysinaustralia.com
  6. www.charliebearsinaustralia.com
  7. www.ezitask.com
  8. www.sendmytask.com

This is a selection of sites created by Tower Systems. Our web development skills are diverse. Our SEO and SEM skills are fine-tuned, to help you get the notice for your website.

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Finding optimism in small business retail

February 25, 2018
3 Min read
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Every day can be tough in small business. You can feel like the big competitors are winning and that you can’t climb the mountain to compete. You may not know where to start.

There are green shoots of good news and opportunities in every small and independent retail business. The key is to find these and to leverage them for more success.

A green shoot is a product or a category of products or a supplier performing above average in the business. Often, these successes have gone unnoticed.

We were working with a retailer recently who said business was down by 20% and they did not know what to do. It turned out that the best performing product category in their business was ‘failing’ for six months because they had not replenished stock.

They invested, instead, on new lines that had not gone as well as the successful product.

They, in part, created their own downward spiral and had not looked at their business data to understand that contributed to the problems they were confronting.

Once they realised the situation, they re-stocked the successful range of products and numbers started to improve. More important, their confidence level grew and with this their business decisions improved.

There are opportunities for optimism in every business.

Finding optimism is like mining, you have to look for it, sometimes for a long time. It is there, though, in every retail business.

As soon as you hear yourself talking your business down, STOP. Look at your data, look for the good news. That is what you need to think and talk about.

By looking at your data, we mean looking at year on year, quarter on quarter or month on month comparison data for departments, categories, suppliers or even individual products. Look for growth and once you see growth, think about what you can do with and around the products achieving growth so that you can achieve other growth.

Any product achieving year on year increases in unit sales is a product to be appreciated, nurtured and used to help grow other products that can sell to the same customer.

This is how you grow optimism. Find those small green shoots, leverage them with some small steps and, over time, build more success for your business.

While overall revenue, traffic count and profitability may be down, growth even at the smallest data point, such as for one or two products, could be enough to get you looking at your business differently.

In the Tower Systems POS software, the best initial reports for good news are: Monthly Sales Comparison (department level, category level and / or supplier level), the 10×10 Report, Ranked Sales Report (by units) for one period and then for the comparative period.

We’re here to help you find the good news in your business. Your business data is the key.

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How one Australian retail business added $25,000 in revenue in six months, from customers they never met

February 20, 2018
2 Min read
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Tower Systems helped one small Australian business add $25,000 in revenue in the back half of 2017 through online sales to shoppers who ever set foot in the business.

The business was already using the Tower Systems POS software. They hooked up to one of our pub lic websites, which took seconds. Pretty soon the sales started rolling in.

$25,000 in incremental business at 50% GP. Some of those shoppers have developed a relationship with the business for on-going purchases.

Yes, any business can increase online sales, especially in the hours the business is closed.

  1. Transacting is easy.
  2. Handling freight is simple.
  3. Paperwork is a breeze.
  4. Maintaining a single and accurate inventory record is a dream.
  5. Fulfilment is structured, accurate and takes no time.
  6. Increasing the return on inventory investment is loved.
  7. It makes the business more valuable.

As retailers ourselves we understand the value of a POS software connected website. We bring this knowledge from our retail experience to play in our POS software development work. This is another way we are different to other POS software companies.

Turning on retailers to web offerings is easy for us as we are a one stop shop in this area. It is part of a suite of in-store and online solutions we offer retailers to help them achieve greater business success.

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