The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

CategoryGarden centre software

How to choose the best POS software for your shop based on business efficiency

July 26, 2018
2 Min read
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Time matters in any business but especially in small business retail and independent retail where staffing is usually tight. You want things done efficiently to benefit the business and the customers of the business.

In considering the right POS software for your business you need to consider the efficiency of each POS software package you look at as there is a vast difference in the efficiency of different systems in the marketplace.

Efficiency includes how things are done, the number of keystrokes involved, the ease of using a facility, the confidence of using a facility and more. Ultimately, efficiency is about the efficient use of labour in your business and the efficient flow of shoppers in your business.

Inefficient software will have you pressing too many keystrokes or have you process in a way that does not match best-practice workflow for a task.

Efficient software wills save time, improve shopper throughput and offer the business opportunities to cut labour costs without negatively impacting services.

Our suggestion is that you test efficiency by looking at several labour intensive parts of your business. Look at each and how you operate today. Put together several scenarios for each with real business data you use in each scenario and ask each software company you are considering to demonstrate how the software handles each. Assess each based on efficiency.

We suggest you consider looking at the efficiency of any or all of these:

  1. Over the counter sales.
  2. LayBy handling.
  3. Arriving a new supplier invoice.
  4. Undertaking a stock take.
  5. The end of shift process.
  6. Reporting on the comparison of two trading periods.

Judging efficiency requires you to look at the software. Not a consultant, not a friend, but you. You need to determine that the software is efficient to the needs of your business. Getting this right is a big win for the business operationally and financially.

Tower Systems in an Australian based POS software company serving more than 3,500 small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand and the broader pacific region. The company makes what it sells and it supports what it sells.

Tower Systems only sells to small business retailers. This ensures our focus is not drawn by the needs of one very large client over another. In our world, all our clients are equal.

Find out more about what we do: Visit www.towersystems.com.au.

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How to choose the best POS software for your shop based on integrations

July 25, 2018
2 Min read
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Integrations in POS software are the facilities to which your POS software connects. These could be web based services, suppliers, hardware and more. All good POS software packages have integrations as no one system does everything itself. Integrations offer you flexibility.

A good integration can be far better than something home grown.  For example, some POS software companies want you to connect POS software to websites based on technology they have developed. The best practice approach is to connect (integrate) your POS software with websites developed in world class platforms such as Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. Integrating to any or, preferably, all of these offer more flexibility to the retailer than an integration to a locally developed, and often little used, web solution.

Choosing POS software that is flexible with integrations and that offers a host of integrations is good for your business. Integrations such as:

  1. EFTPOS handling through Tyro.
  2. EFTPOS handing through any bank.
  3. Linking to third-party loyalty tools for marketing group members.
  4. Linking to third-party loyalty tools for broader loyalty option offerings.
  5. Easy selling of fishing licences.
  6. Easy selling of toll road access.
  7. Easy selling of mobile phone recharge.
  8. Scales, for selling by weight.
  9. Web such as Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce.
  10. Linking to multiple stock take devices.
  11. Linking to multiple scanners.
  12. Sales data feed to engaged suppliers for auto replenishment.
  13. Inbound processing of supplier invoices to eliminate manual data entry.
  14. Connecting to a business intelligence platform to facilitate officiate business performance analysis.
  15. Fuel pumps for managing fuel dispensing.

It is important you come to your consideration of POS software for your business with knowledge of the integrations that are important to you and will be valuable for your business. Talk to suppliers and others to determine this list for you. It is far better to have this information before you start considering PO software than after you have installed a system.

Tower Systems in an Australian based POS software company serving more than 3,500 small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand and the broader pacific region. The company makes what it sells and it supports what it sells.

Tower Systems only sells to small business retailers. This ensures our focus is not drawn by the needs of one very large client over another. In our world, all our clients are equal.

Find out more about what we do: Visit www.towersystems.com.au.

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How to choose the best POS software for your shop based on software services

July 24, 2018
2 Min read
H

Choosing the right POS software for your retail business involves you understanding your business needs and considering these in the context of what a software package will help with. This is a most important aspect of choosing POS software you will be happy with.

In determining your needs think not only personally, talk with others in the business, consider the software services, software facilities, which they consider important. While you are doing this, consider each need based on its importance for you will have to in some parts of the business compromise what you do to fit with what the software you choose does.

It is important you not assume anything. For example, you may have a need in your business to be able to manage a repairs facility. It would not be enough to ask if a software package handles repairs. You should take the time to assess the repairs facilities in the context of the services you provide as what the software does and what you need could be two different things.

You also need to contemplate how you work. For example, every POS software program helps you sell items at the counter. There is a considerable difference between POS software programs in terms of how they help you sell items at the counter. Some have counter services that are flexible, able to be tailored to different business needs while others are rigid in ways that could adversely impact counter workflow and thereby impact shopper satisfaction.

It is important to contemplate whether there is software already designed for your specific type of retail business. If so, this could be a better starting point.

While this process seems time-consuming, the result will be a choice for software that is better suited to the needs of your business.

What are the services you need covered in your business? Get this right early in your process and you will benefit immensely.

Tower Systems in an Australian based POS software company serving more than 3,500 small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand and the broader pacific region. The company makes what it sells and it supports what it sells.

Tower Systems only sells to small business retailers. This ensures our focus is not drawn by the needs of one very large client over another. In our world, all our clients are equal.

Find out more about what we do: Visit www.towersystems.com.au.

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How to choose the best POS software for your shop based on support services

July 23, 2018
3 Min read
H

POS software support will often determine if you like the POS software you choose for your retail business or not. By support, we mean help desk services, additional training access, software updates and more.

Brilliant software backed by poor support can make that software worth considerably less in your business.

Brilliant support for average software can make that software more valuable in your business.

Brilliant software for excellent software can create a perfect situation for your business.

Here are just some of the factors where we think good support matters most for small business retailers:

  1. Easy access to good help desk services. When you call, you want to speak to someone, not a computer. You want to speak to someone who knows the software., not a not taker working in an offshore call centre. You want to be able to call when you need help, not when an office here is open. Tower Systems offers a fully staffed help desk with IT professionals knowledgeable in the software, IT professionals who listen and engage with you without following a limiting script.
  2. Easy access to personal training long after the software is setup. When you first install any POS software you don’t know what you don’t know. It is only after you use the software for a while that you discover needs, usually in areas in which you have not been trained. Tower Systems offers users of its POS software free access to one-on-one training long after the software us up and running in a business. A year, two years, three years down the track, Tower Systems customers love easy access to free training.
  3. Regular group training. Learning from other retailers and how they use software is a valuable way to learn. Tower Systems facilitates this through free weekly online training workshops that connect retailers from anywhere in the world to learn about and discuss a specific part of the software. These sessions encourage retailers to talk with each other and learn through peer support.
  4. Being human. It is important to know the people you deal with at a POS software company. We think it is reasonable to be suspicious of businesses that do not personalise contact points. Every Tower Systems customer has the direct contact phone number and email address for the leadership team of the company, every help desk team member uses their real name, all contact is thoroughly human and personal.

Tower Systems in an Australian based POS software company serving more than 3,500 small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand and the broader pacific region. The company makes what it sells and it supports what it sells.

Tower Systems only sells to small business retailers. This ensures our focus is not drawn by the needs of one very large client over another. In our world, all our clients are equal.

Find out more about what we do: Visit www.towersystems.com.au.

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Free retail business management workshop

July 16, 2018
2 Min read
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FREE POS SOFTWARE WORKSHOP from Tower Systems.

Win new customers and increase revenue with a POS software connected website.

Join us for a practical, jargon-free, workshop where we show the value of our Aussie developed and supported POS software and website solutions. See awesome POS software and successful websites for your type of business.

  1. Perth – August 20.  10am. Click here to book.
  2. Sydney – August 21. 8am. Click here to book.
  3. Brisbane – August 22.  8am. Click here to book.
  4. Adelaide – August 23. 9am. Click here to book.
  5. Canberra – August 24. 9am. Click here to book.
  6. Hobart – August 27. 10am. Click here to book.
  7. Melbourne – August 28.  10am. Click here to book.
  8. Newcastle – August 29. 9am. Click here to book.

At this free workshop we will…

  1. Show how a good website / POS solution can land more shoppers in your physical shop, more than you think, and help you sell 24/7.·
  2. Explain how to get to the top Google results, and stay there.·
  3. Show how to use Facebook to drive online and in-store sales. We will share invaluable free social media advice.
  4. Talk you through key steps to website success through live examples.
  5. Share practical experience on order fulfilment using Australia Post and others and how to handle freight costs.
  6. Explain payment options and how to leverage them for more sales.
  7. Work through the commercial implications.
  8. Explain photos, descriptions and things web experts often miss.·
  9. Answer all your questions.

We promise a valuable and insightful workshop.  Book now.

  1. Perth – August 20.  10am. Click here to book.
  2. Sydney – August 21. 8am. Click here to book.
  3. Brisbane – August 22.  8am. Click here to book.
  4. Adelaide – August 23. 9am. Click here to book.
  5. Canberra – August 24. 9am. Click here to book.
  6. Hobart – August 27. 10am. Click here to book.
  7. Melbourne – August 28.  10am. Click here to book.
  8. Newcastle – August 29. 9am. Click here to book.

We offer solutions for retailers in these channels: gifts, jewellers, bikes, toys, fishing/outdoors, garden centres, pet shops, produce, firearms, adult shops and newsagents.

Call now if you have questions, the account manager for your state / territory can help: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

In addition to owning Tower Systems, we also own and operate retail businesses and through these seven different public-facing websites.

This session leverages our personal web connected retailer experience to help you navigate in-store and online opportunities.

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Our POS software co. advice for the new financial year for small business retailers

July 10, 2018
3 Min read
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IT’S A NEW FINANCIAL YEAR.

New years provide an opportunity for a new start, a reset. As the 2018/19 financial year kicks off we want to help you reset your business. Here are our tips for an awesome start to 2018/19 using our POS software.

THE CASE FOR CHANGE. If you are not happy with sales revenue in your business change is the only option for doing the same this financial year will maintain your business performance trajectory from the last financial year. The advice below is all about change, for the better.

  1. DECLUTTER.
    1. Stand out the front of your shop. consider reducing the messages you pitch to people who walk past. Fewer signs and promotions could increase the attention you get. Less can be more. We have retail specialists who can help. Send photos and we will provide feedback.
    2. Quit dead stock. Stock that is not selling has no value in your business. In fact, it is likely holding you back as it takes space and reminds you, your team and shoppers that you are a harder and have out of date stock. We have a report that can tell you what is dead.
    3. Change your counter. Your counter should be about easy and valuable impulse purchases. Clear it off and rebuild with fresh offers.
  2. RESET LOYALTY. Think carefully about your loyalty offer. If it is not encouraging the level of loyalty you want, consider changes. In our POS software we have multiple types of loyalty for different situations. These can be used individually or mixed together. Right now could be a good time to reset your loyalty offer.
  3. ORDER WHAT WORKS. Too often we see retailers buy what they like or from people they like ahead of what business data indicate they should buy. We can help you use data in your software to buy more of what works.
  4. CHECK FOR THEFT. We can do a deep dive in your data, looking for data patterns that could indicate theft. This is a confidential owner-only service.
  5. DISRUPT YOURSELF. While there is great comfort in consistently following business processes, it could be that they are a barrier to you finding new shoppers and a nice revenue bump. Sometimes, you have to shake yourself up and take a left turn when you would usually take a right turn to find growth. In our POS software there are opportunities for self-disruption. We’d love to help you leverage these.
  6. BE LOCAL AND ON MESSAGE.  Our POS software has facilities through which you can pitch your local credentials. On receipts. Even with individual items you can include local specific care instructions. This personal information  from you can separate your business from local and online competitors. We can show you how to use these facilities.

We are keen to help you grow your business in 2018/19, to make it more enjoyable and valuable. Our motto is We’re here to help. We are serious about this and appreciate opportunities to do this with and for you.

For the best small business POS software solution, check out Tower Systems.

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Win new customers and increase revenue with a POS software connected website

July 9, 2018
2 Min read
W

FREE POS SOFTWARE WORKSHOP from Tower Systems.

Join us for a practical, jargon-free, workshop where we show the value of our Aussie developed and supported POS software and website solutions. See awesome POS software and successful websites for your type of business.

  1. Perth – August 20.  10am. Click here to book.
  2. Sydney – August 21. 8am. Click here to book.
  3. Brisbane – August 22.  8am. Click here to book.
  4. Adelaide – August 23. 9am. Click here to book.
  5. Canberra – August 24. 9am. Click here to book.
  6. Hobart – August 27. 10am. Click here to book.
  7. Melbourne – August 28.  10am. Click here to book.
  8. Newcastle – August 29. 9am. Click here to book.

At this free workshop we will…

  1. Show how a good website / POS solution can land more shoppers in your physical shop, more than you think, and help you sell 24/7.·
  2. Explain how to get to the top Google results, and stay there.·
  3. Show how to use Facebook to drive online and in-store sales. We will share invaluable free social media advice.
  4. Talk you through key steps to website success through live examples.
  5. Share practical experience on order fulfilment using Australia Post and others and how to handle freight costs.
  6. Explain payment options and how to leverage them for more sales.
  7. Work through the commercial implications.
  8. Explain photos, descriptions and things web experts often miss.·
  9. Answer all your questions.

We promise a valuable and insightful workshop.  Book now.

  1. Perth – August 20.  10am. Click here to book.
  2. Sydney – August 21. 8am. Click here to book.
  3. Brisbane – August 22.  8am. Click here to book.
  4. Adelaide – August 23. 9am. Click here to book.
  5. Canberra – August 24. 9am. Click here to book.
  6. Hobart – August 27. 10am. Click here to book.
  7. Melbourne – August 28.  10am. Click here to book.
  8. Newcastle – August 29. 9am. Click here to book.

We offer solutions for retailers in these channels: gifts, jewellers, bikes, toys, fishing/outdoors, garden centres, pet shops, produce, firearms, adult shops and newsagents.

Call now if you have questions, the account manager for your state / territory can help: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

In addition to owning Tower Systems, we also own and operate retail businesses and through these seven different public-facing websites.

This session leverages our personal web connected retailer experience to help you navigate in-store and online opportunities.

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Small business retailers love our business intelligence reporting platform

July 7, 2018
2 Min read
S

vdeckOver two years ago we announced the launch of the Visual Deck, a cloud based business intelligence platform we developed here at Tower Systems for small business retailers. The visual deck gives small business retailers a visual insight into business performance and from this flows a brighter future based on data evidence from the business itself.

The visual deck is a game changer in the small business POS space as it delivers to small business retailers a set of tools that provide easy access from anywhere to elegant representation of business performance data.

This business intelligence platform leverages data cultivated by the Tower Point of Sale software and makes it available anywhere, in a stimulating visual form and in a way than encourages the discovery of business performance insights.

Introducing the Retailer Visual Deck.

Retail business performance, seen differently.

The Visual Deck is a platform through which you can see the performance of your business, visually. Graphs replace reports, making trends obvious and a path ahead clearer to follow. Graphs that change with time and through which you can dive deeper into what is happening in your business.

Why did we call it the Visual deck? It is visual because, well, your business data is presented in a visual way. It is a deck because it is a platform off of which you can see far and wide. It is a perfect place to see what you cannot see when you are on the ground.

Retailers can access the Visual deck from anywhere, anytime, and through this access their business data in a way not previously accessible ninth small business retail world. You can compare periods, graph using a broad selection of formats, dive deep into the data as well as focus on data points that matter including transactions, revenue, grow profit and more.

Better still, the visual insights can easily be shared with colleagues.

The Retail Visual Deck is a fresh approach to sharing business intelligence and business performance insights with small business retailers. It is mass retailer computing in a small business retailer’s hands. This is the tool join which you can rely to grow your business.

This is 100% Tower Systems innovation.

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POS software scale integration helps small business retailers

July 5, 2018
2 Min read
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Tower Systems launched scale integration for its POS software more than two years ago. Today, it is widely and successfully used to help small business retailers sell more accurately and confidently.

Our POS software scale integration helps small business retailers better serve their customers.

Developed in close consultation with retailers, these tools are established, proven and stable.

The integration with scales for the Tower Systems POS software provides retailers with options for how they sell. While selling packaged goods is no doubt faster at the sales counter, offering ‘bulk’ prices can change the pitch of the business.

  1. Confectionery shops.
  2. Produce stores.
  3. Fishing and outdoors stores.
  4. Hardware stores
  5. Fruit shops.
  6. Supermarkets.
  7. Pet food shops.
  8. Garden centres.

In each case while the business may be significantly different, the principle is the same – the software handles the sale of items based on weight and this is a terrific differentiator for plenty of businesses that want to sell items by weight and thereby offer a volume type of pricing.

The POS software scale integration completed by Tower Systems has gone through the processes required for authentication and certification. This enables us to sell it to small business retailers with confidence and certainty. This is vital to their leveraging the facilities for their business.

Scale integration is one of a range of specialty integrations in the Tower Systems software to help small business retailers drive better business outcomes. We are experts at delivering seamless trusted integrations that serve the needs of our large small business retail community.

The powerful POS scanner/scales hybrid that we recommend installs directly into your counter top and provides:

  1. All-Weighs Scale Platter with integrated Produce Lift Bar or Produce Rail™
  2. FirstStrike advanced decoding software delivers the best performance in reading poor quality labels
  3. Aggressive and ergonomic 360° 5-sided scanning
  4. Host Download – Lowers Service Cost and Improves Operations
  5. Diagnostic Reporting – For improved preventative maintenance
  6. Productivity Index Reporting™ – Helps identify poorly printed labels
  7. Cashier Training™/ Ergonomic Index – Identifies Poor Scanning/Weighing Habits

Our expert POS software staff can install and activate the scales integration module into your Tower Systems retail software remotely. We can do this in any of the specialty retail businesses that we serve.

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How to choose the right POS software for your retail business

July 3, 2018
4 Min read
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The POS software you choose for your business is an important decision. Get it right and the business could prosper and become considerably more valuable. Get it wrong and it could cost you plenty.

In thinking about the software you want, think about your business. Here are some headline level thoughts and suggestions.

  1. If you see your business as specialist in nature, the software you choose should be specialist.
  2. If part of your business pitch is to shop local, choosing locally made and supported software supports your pitch. Local software is software made and supported in Australia.
  3. If you want to be known as the local specialist, you need software that helps you do this consistently and effectively.
  4. If you do repairs or maintenance of any sort, you need software that can handle this.
  5. If you sell items bundled, you need software that can handle this.
  6. If you are in a tourist area and sell to people once, or once a year, you need software with loyalty facilities to maximise their rare visits to your shop.
  7. If you sell products by weight, you need software that can do this.

Think about these things and think about what you want in software in your business to help you stand out.

There are many generic and cheap point of sale systems in the marketplace. Price does matter. You would know that in your business. Think about the shopper who wants a full kit but says they want the cheapest. Think about your advice to them. If you say price does matter and that you get what you pay for, the same is true with retail business software.

A small higher price today for the right software could save many times the gap between it and cheap generic software.

So, work out what you want. This must come first, ahead of any budget.

Given that you can lease or even rent software, the capital cost is best assessed as a weekly cost on the business. This makes comparing systems easier. Once you work out the weekly cost and tote up what you get for this in terms of support serves and software functionality you can reasonable compare the different systems.

If you are not sure whether a software package will serve your needs, don’t choose it. You are better off saying no than fighting with the software and the supplier to get it working exactly as you want. However, it is likely that you will need to change some business processes to suit the software you do ultimately choose.

Be flexible. Once you have chosen software, follow the advice provided by the software company and the expert they send to your business to train you. If they suggest changes to your business processes, embrace them. While changing what you do can be frustrating, software designed specifically for retailers specialist in nature and it does what it does based on years of development and feedback from many customers.

Be disciplined. Software is like a machine. It needs the right fuel. For software, that fuel is data. Ensure everyone in your business is disciplined in how the software is used. From the moment stock comes into the business to when it is sold. Track it. This will help you make better business decisions.

Be engaged. Your software company will want a two-way relationship If you have suggestions, share them Play a role in the continued evolution of the software. This helps you and other businesses in your channel.

Save time. The right software will help you eliminate manual processes. Embrace these opportunities as much as possible. Time saved is time you can invest in yourself or in the business. Seek time saving opportunities out.

Be realistic. Any new software will be a challenge. Know that you will have some rough days learning the new things. Accept these by focussing on the main goal of enjoyment and efficiency once you know the software well.

The software you choose reflects your business. Take your time. Be certain about what you want. Invest well and the right software will easily pay for itself.

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More POS software companies link to Shopify

July 1, 2018
3 Min read
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We integrated our POS software with Shopify more than two years ago. We have many websites directly connected with terrific online sales success.

One of our competitors bagged Shopify publicly. It is hilarious that they have quietly announced a Shopify integration. It had to happen. They had no choice. They lost two years in the meantime.

Our POS software Shopify integration is beautiful, direct and beneficial for our small business retailer customers. We now have years of experience demonstrating what we can do, how it can benefit our customers. Plus, as retailers ourselves who use Shopify we can speak to experience in a way that is practical and under the hood. We walk in your shoes every day.

Shopify is an easy to use e-commerce platform. We think anyone can setup a Shopify site for themselves. Linking the site to our retailer software is also easy. Shopify is a great place for a business to start on their online journey. You can control pages, products, look and plenty more. Shopify is not as complex as Magento and other more comprehensive website platforms.

Our approach to Shopify / POS software integration is holistic and can include graphic design, content writing and site structure. Our customers choose the services they use of ours. We can offer the full one stock shop when it comes to web development. We have built these skills here in Australia based on years go work, years of successful website implementation for our customers.

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.

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How webstore connected POS software helps retailers in a group and independent retailers win more sales

June 27, 2018
4 Min read
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For several years Tower Systems has been a trailblazer in connecting independently owned stores into single brand websites, thereby enabling hundreds of small business retailers to trade as one big business. It is an approach that has enabled independent small businesses to beat big businesses through the power of many being better than the power of one.

What we pitch here is not new for us. We have had websites achieving this for years, making money for small business retailers for years.

As well as offering POS software designed for your specific type of business, Tower Systems provides websites seamlessly connected to the shop floor, giving you a single management view.

We develop websites for our customers, in Magento, Shopify or WooCommerce.

Our websites are POS software connected, offering 24/7 selling with payments through PayPal, Oxipay (interest free buy now pay later) and credit cards.

Our websites leverage online purchases as well as click and collect. They also drive basket depth with up-sell options and handling coupons for special deals.

If you are in a banner group or a marketing group, we can provide a single website to represent all stores in the group. We do this today for one group, through five websites we created – each easily found through Google thanks to our SEO work.

Each store in a banner or marketing group gets their own page, which they can easily promote. For a single business, the POS connected website promotes their business.

We know from experience that:

  1. In some businesses, around 75% of key in-store purchases have an online search component. POS connected websites are important for winning online sales and even more important for driving in-store purchases.
  2. 45% of purchases in many categories are when retail shops are closed.
  3. 10% of purchases are click and collect in higher-end product categories.
  4. 14% of purchases are done with buy now pay later financing.
  5. Shoppers like certainty that a store will have in stock they want to purchase – stock on hand by item can be viewable for each store.

We can network stores from a banner or marketing group into a single website. Thereby leveraging the power of the group of independently owned small businesses to be stronger and more useful than a big business competitor. This is how small businesses can win online.

Let us show you how together we can do this, how we can bring single stores online as well as whole groups online … through webstore connected POS software.

Not only do we create the website and the POS software, we ensure they can be found. This is key as a website that cannot be easily found through Google is a waste of money.

We would love to show individuals privately or members of your group, if you are in a group, the POS software connected websites we have created. We would take you behind the curtain, showing not only the tech. but explaining the business approach, outlining what we have done to create successful online businesses.

Fulfilment can be a challenge. We can help here too thanks to our integration work with Australia Post, Sendle and others. We can help you reduce friction with fulfilment and see you benefit from incremental online business.

Online is about a race to the cash. By this we mean that an online shopper is more likely to be ready to purchase. The first business to take their cash wins. This is where POS integrated websites can win. We can show you how.

The latest release of our POS software introduces a web dashboard to help in-store online sales fulfilment. This, coupled with inventory integration, accurate stock on hand data, professional image handling and smart SEO work helps you create and run an efficient, integrated physical and online business.

Whether you run a single store or operate as part of a marketing or banner group, Tower Systems has a track record of success you can leverage for your success. Let us show you how.

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Free small business POS software training for July 2018

June 26, 2018
2 Min read
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Tower Systems continues its commitment for accessible free POS software training for small business retailers with new training opportunities launched for July 2018.

We have been running free training for years and continue to do so because our small business retailer customers love it. They especially love the open ended Q&A available at the end of each session.

These sessions are live, online and fully interactive. There is no cost for participation. We fund the call and the tech at our end to make all this happen for you.

Here are the July sessions available for booking now:

  1. Whats new in 2.7.4. Date: Wednesday 4th July. Time: 2pm Description: Find out all the great new features in our latest version of the Tower systems Retailer POs software.
  2. Variants. Take a peek at this new and truly awesome facility in the Tower software. Date: Wednesday 11th July. Time: 2pm. Description: Get a glimpse of this great new feature in 2018 and see if is right for your business. Improve handling of your stock’s colour, size and style.
  3. How discount vouchers work. Date: Wednesday 18th July. Time: 2pm. Description: Come with us on a deep dive into discount vouchers and assess whether this fresh approach to loyalty is right for you. They can help you make more money.
  4. Events. Take a look at this new facility and learn how you can use it to bring shoppers back into your business. Date: Wednesday 25th July. Time: 2pm. Description: Delve into this great new feature in the Tower POS software. Get a glimpse of this great new feature coming in 2018 and see if is right for your business.

Free training is a hallmark of the Tower Systems small business POS software offer. These group sessions are only part of the story. Every Tower Systems customer has access to free one on one training with our customers as and when they want. Booking is easy. This one on one training is on any topic to do with using the Tower POS software.

Tower Systems serves in excess of 3,500 small business retailers in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and elsewhere. We are grateful to our customers for their support and engagement.

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Avoid POS software confusion, Tower Systems is not POS Solutions

June 22, 2018
3 Min read
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When you do a Google search for our company, Tower Systems, POS Solutions comes up high in the results. This is unfortunate as it misrepresents our company.

We have nothing to do with POS Solutions. They are a different company with different owners, thankfully, in our opinion.

Tower Systems has a proud tradition of serving small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand with awesome POS software that we have 100% developed. yes, this is local POS software for local retail business needs.

Our support is local too. The support is provided by humans working in our Melbourne head office, in the inner suburb of Hawthorn. You can come visit us and see for yourself the wonderful team we have here providing human based support for small business retailers.

We are proud of our software and our support and grateful that is is very different to what POS Solutions sells. This is why we say be careful when you do a Google search for us and see POS Solutions in the result. They are not us.

Our POS software serves a bunch of different retail businesses. We have different versions for each type of retail business. We dive deep into the needs of each retail business as we try and make sure that our specialty software is genuinely special for the needs of our customers.

Here are some of the things that matter to us and through which we serve the needs of our customers:

  1. Our software continues to evolve. We release two to three major updates each year. You choose when to load them. Each update is thoroughly tested in a comprehensive beta program.
  2. We own retail businesses. Yes, we walk in your shoes.
  3. No locked-in support fee. Taking up support coverage once the three-year period ends is optional.
  4. Lower support costs. Also, transparent. No mates’ rates for a select few.
  5. Fast support. Most calls are handled when you call. If not, we call back.
  6. Transparency. At any time, you can see live how many help desk calls we are working on and how many we have closed that day.
  7. Support escalation. We have a structured escalation process should you be unhappy with a support call.
  8. Easy management access. The leadership team of Tower Systems is available to you. We take customer service seriously and personally.
  9. Updates when you You are in control of when you load updates.
  10. You are listened to. We offer the only transparent, user driven, software enhancement suggestion service. All our customers are listened to.
  11. Free training. Long after you install our software you have access to free personal training to refresh knowledge or cover new facilities.
  12. More integrations. Our direct links to Xero, Magento, Shopify and more mean you have more direct link options to help you grow your business.
  13. Business management insights. We can look at your business performance data and provide a personal analysis of what we see
  14. Owner access. Call Tower owner, Mark Fletcher, on 0418 321 338 or email mark@towersystems.com.au.
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Advice for small business retailers on how to reduce retail tenancy occupancy cost

June 13, 2018
3 Min read
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Since we own and run retail businesses where our POS software is in use we have access to a well of experience and knowledge on which we can draw to craft practical advice for our customer community. Here is advice on reducing occupancy costs that we shared recently. We share it here for the broader community to consider.

REDUCING RETAIL OCCUPANCY COST: ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS.

The usual go-to place for any discussion about reducing occupancy costs is the landlord. Retailers tend to blame landlords for high occupancy costs.

The thing is, we all sign our leases. We all agree the terms of our leases. While leases from years ago can be problematic today, the challenges of our channel were obvious ten and more years ago.

Here is a list of things retailers could action to improve the occupancy cost situation where occupancy cost is the ratio of all lease related costs to revenue for products (and commission from any agency lines). You should also assess it as a ratio of GP.

There are many steps one can take to improve the occupancy cost situation:

  1. Negotiate with the landlord. We place this first as it is the usual go-to place for retailers. If you plan to seek a better deal, make sure you have a strong commercial case, a case backed by evidence. However, also know that a rent reduction does not provide long-term, growth like, benefit.
  2. Grow your overall GP%. Do this through broadening your product mix with a focus on sought-after higher than average GP% for your business items. It depends on the suppliers from whom you purchase and the extent of point of difference you leverage in what you sell.
  3. Increase foot traffic. Do this through ranging more diverse products and promoting your business outside the business. Success with this depends on the range of inventory you offer and how this is promoted outside the business. It depends on the reasons why you attract people to your business.
  4. Increase basket depth per transaction. Do this through shop floor engagement, sales counter product placement, key traffic freeway disruption and your business format.
  5. Increase GP for everyday items over which you have pricing control. Plain and simple – increases your prices. Success with this depends on thoughtful adjustment where you know it can be done without reducing unit sales volume.
  6. Broaden the appeal of your business. This idea picks up on some thoughts above but adds more. Here is what I mean – your business up to today attracts shoppers for a set range of reasons / purposes. Note those down. Now, contemplate adding sought-after considerably higher than average GP for your business products and / or services that are genuinely new for your business and that are not satisfied by a nearby business. Each new product / service reason, if successful, improves your occupancy cost situation.

These are items you can action right away, regardless of your occupancy cost situation. Items 2 through 6 and tasks that should be core business activities you pursue relentlessly.

The cost of retail space is Australia is higher than most countries in the world. It needs to reset. However, the level of reset necessary will not happen as long as people keep signing leases that are not viable.

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Oxipay POS software integration helps small business retailers win more sales

June 7, 2018
2 Min read
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Oxipay works just like AfterPay. It is a buy now pay later offer. Interest free. Hassle free. Easy for you. easy for the customer. You are paid right away. You carry no obligation if the shopper does not pay off the debt.

Oxipay is integrated with our POS software. We were the first in the world to do this.

Your customer can pay over eight weekly payments. Here is how it works on a $160.00 purchase: they pay $20.00 on purchase and seven payments of $20.00 each. You are paid right away for the full purchase price, into your bank account.

What you pitch in-store is $20 today and 7 payments of $20.00 interest free. People can see this as achievable whereas they could baulk at a $160.00 purchase. This option to pay small weekly amounts is loved by Oxipay shoppers -= this brings them back to Oxipay shops.

Oxipay is integrated with the latest release of Retailer. We were the first POS software company in the world to to do this. Our software treats Oxipay as another payment method.

The shopper is already registered for Oxipay prior to the transaction or they can quickly sign up in-store. They can do this on their phone. It is easy.

The beauty of Oxipay is that it can reduce your LayBy commitment. This can save you space. It can also save you the cost of dealing with a situation where a customer cancels a LayBy prior to collection. In fact, Oxipay is loved by shoppers for the LayBy alternative it offers them too given the structure for payments.

We use Oxipay in our own shops and on consumer websites. Oxipay is currently being used for 14% of transactions on one site that does over $500,000 in sales in a year. This site has an average transaction value of $75.00.

The way to make the most of Oxipay is for you to ensure all staff are trained to pitch it to shoppers considering items they may not have the ready cash for today. They may be able to handle fortnightly payments and this could see you win business today that otherwise might have gone elsewhere.

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New, free, events tools help small business retailers grow their businesses

May 30, 2018
2 Min read
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The events facilities released in the latest Tower Systems POS software update, Retailer version 2.7.4, are proving to be popular. They are comprehensive, of use to any retail business that wants to invite shoppers back into their businesses.

Events was expensive for us to develop. The software is broad in scope, comprehensive, and valuable to us and to our customers. We have made these facilities available to supported users at no cost. We have done this because we see them as a valuable core facility in good POS software.

Think of the Events facilities as marketing tools for growing revenue and making your business more valuable. You can market to people based on birthdays or anniversaries, when they last bought something, or other criteria appropriate to your business.

Comprehensive in scope and created following extensive customer consultation, the Events facilities add extraordinary value to your investment in the Tower Systems software.

For your own free training delivered with context to your business, please email bookings@towersystems.com.au. Every Tower Systems customer has access to unlimited one on one training, at no cost.

We also have excellent knowledge base advice on Events. Type events into the search bar and you will find them. Our knowledge base, with up to date advice, is accessible to our customers 24/7.

Events is helping retailers in a range of retail channels to grow their businesses, to bring shoppers back and to make the experience more complete, more whole of business. It is a shining light of new feels in software too help retailers grow.

To get access to Events, please email support@towersystems.com.au  asking us to turn it on. There is no cost for supported customers.

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How webstore connected POS software helps retailers in a group and independent retailers win more sales.

May 28, 2018
4 Min read
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As well as offering POS software designed for your specific type of business, Tower Systems provides websites seamlessly connected to the shop floor, giving you a single management view.

We develop websites for our customers, in Magento, Shopify or WooCommerce.

Our websites are POS software connected, offering 24/7 selling with payments through PayPal, Oxipay (interest free buy now pay later) and credit cards.

Our websites leverage online purchases as well as click and collect. They also drive basket depth with up-sell options and handling coupons for special deals.

If you are in a banner group or a marketing group, we can provide a single website to represent all stores in the group. We do this today for one group, through five websites we created – each easily found through Google thanks to our SEO work.

Each store in a banner or marketing group gets their own page, which they can easily promote. For a single business, the POS connected website promotes their business.

We know from experience that:

  1. In some businesses, around 75% of key in-store purchases have an online search component. POS connected websites are important for winning online sales and even more important for driving in-store purchases.
  2. 45% of purchases in many categories are when retail shops are closed.
  3. 10% of purchases are click and collect in higher-end product categories.
  4. 14% of purchases are done with buy now pay later financing.
  5. Shoppers like certainty that a store will have in stock they want to purchase – stock on hand by item can be viewable for each store.

We can network stores from a banner or marketing group into a single website. Thereby leveraging the power of the group of independently owned small businesses to be stronger and more useful than a big business competitor. This is how small businesses can win online.

Let us show you how together we can do this, how we can bring single stores online as well as whole groups online … through webstore connected POS software.

Not only do we create the website and the POS software, we ensure they can be found. This is key as a website that cannot be easily found through Google is a waste of money.

We would love to show individuals privately or members of your group, if you are in a group, the POS software connected websites we have created. We would take you behind the curtain, showing not only the tech. but explaining the business approach, outlining what we have done to create successful online businesses.

Fulfilment can be a challenge. We can help here too thanks to our integration work with Australia Post, Sendle and others. We can help you reduce friction with fulfilment and see you benefit from incremental online business.

Online is about a race to the cash. By this we mean that an online shopper is more likely to be ready to purchase. The first business to take their cash wins. This is where POS integrated websites can win. We can show you how.

The latest release of our POS software introduces a web dashboard to help in-store online sales fulfilment. This, coupled with inventory integration, accurate stock on hand data, professional image handling and smart SEO work helps you create and run an efficient, integrated physical and online business.

Whether you run a single store or operate as part of a marketing or banner group, Tower Systems has a track record of success you can leverage for your success. Let us show you how.

How to contact us.
Website: www.towersystems.com.au.
Sales email address: sales@towersystems.com.au.
National sales phone line:  1300 662 957.
CEO: Mark Fletcher. mark@towersystems.com.au 0418 321 338.
COO: Gavin Williams. gavin@towersystems.com.au 0418 554 759.

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Repairs and manufacturing software help jewellers, bike shops and others better manage their businesses

May 25, 2018
2 Min read
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repairs management and manufacturing management are important functions in retail businesses offering these services. Run without professional management tools, the businesses can lose business and find costs blowing out of control.

Good software is the key to efficient management.

Tower Systems serve a number of specialist retail channels with repairs management software appropriate to the needs of businesses in those channels. Initially developed in response to the needs of our jeweller customers, these features are now utilised by clients in a number of different retail markets.

Some of the functions our specialist retail software’s repair features are being used for:

  1. In Jewellers: Jewellery and watch workshop repairs, dated manufacturing.
  2. In Bike Shops: Bicycle and tricycle repairs, warranty returns.
  3. In Garden Centres: Landscaping services management.
  4. In Firearms Stores: Gunsmithy and equipment repairs, warranty returns.
  5. In Pet Shops: Aquarium installations.

Repairs management software is flexible, serving a range of needs outside managing the actual repairs themselves. The flexibility in the software enables it to be used in different businesses for different purposes – from job management, to workshop management and traditional repairs management.

The software tracks the labour and resources used from a billing and inventory management perspective. It also handles allocation of repairs or parts of a repair to venues outside the business (for contracting and supplier exchanges or repairs for warranty issues, for example) and tracks repair staff and couriers used in shipping repairs. Once the repair is ready for pick-up by the customer, the software finalises the billing and advises the customer by SMS or another preferred method. Payments are processed with the usual depth of our retail software’s point of sale functionality – customers can make multiple payments against a repair or a specialist manufacturing, pay through cash, EFTPOS, PayPal or other methods.

Tower Systems streamlines the repairs process, facilitates good communication and helps bring management certainty to the overall repairs process in your business. It helps local independent businesses provide the kind of professional, personal and efficient repairs services that major corporate stores and online-only offerings can only dream of.

Serving a number of specialist retail channels gives Tower Systems the opportunity to provide more comprehensive and flexible repairs/job/manufacturing management software. Our customers continue to provide feedback and influence the development and support of this software feature, from firearms stores to bike shops and more.

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Cloud backup helps small business retailers deal with crypto lockers and other cyber attacks

May 24, 2018
2 Min read
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Cyber attacks are on the increase. Their impact is serious. They are becoming more sophisticated and this increases the harm.

The best way to any business, especially any small business, to be prepared for an attack, beyond firewall and other force-field protection is to have easy and fast access to up to date backup data, of whole of systems backup data.

The Tower Systems cloud backup service is safe, secure, offsite and on site and updated regularly as each day transacts.

Were developed the service in response to the call from ur small business retailer customers who were keen for protection beyond the old approach to backups. They wanted something that was seamless, fast and always on. This is where our service and our installation and monitoring support ensure that the appropriate coverage is in place, protecting small business retailers.

Our cloud backup service for small business retailers has professional redundancy built in. We will not provide details here as to do so could compromise the security. 

There have been instances recently where after a crypto lock attack on a client we have had them up and running, fully restored, within the hour.

This is what professional backup looks like. It is insurance for getting over the attack quickly and professionally. Without a hefty price tag.

The Safe Backup service is a cloud-based incremental backup service to help you store your valuable data more efficiently and with greater security. Using the specialist backup software created by Storagecraft, our service allows you to perform live backups of your entire MAIN computer to your in-store NAS. These backups are then uploaded to the internet so you have a second copy stored securely in the cloud for hassle-free, total backup security with no further need for USB sticks.

We monitor the backups. This is bonus coverage beyond the notifications on your local computer about backup status.

The peace of mind is valuable and appreciated by small business retailers. It frees them to focus on other requirements, other parts of their business.

Cloud back is, in our view, the only safe backup for small business retailers. It is what we recommend. It is what we use ourselves in our own retail businesses.

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