Our POS software saves time for small business retailers.
22
September
Why we think small business retailers should beware POS software onboarding
21
September
Onboarding is a term some POS software companies use to describe their process of bringing on new customers.
Onboarding is a corporate term, a big business term, for detached remote setup and installation. It is not personal. It is not small business.
Small business is personal. Most small business rely on providing personal local service.
That is what we do at Tower Systems through our POS software.
We don’t onboard, not in the big business corporate sense. No, we work personally, face to face, in your business. We setup our software in your shop, leveraging installation options to provide you with as much of a tailored solution as we are able. We do this working alongside you.
Not on the phone.
Not by email.
Not via Skype.
Our service is personal, like small business retail is personal.
Of course, if you would rather we did the work remotely we will happily do this. However, this is not our recommendation.
So, here at Tower Systems, no impersonal onboarding, no distance learning. We work with you, in your business, personally and engaged with your Like a conversation. Friendships develop. Understanding of your needs develop. This makes it better for you and for us.
We are confident that the personal in-store approach to setting up your POS software provides you with a better outcome. It is calmer and more engaged. We think you will learn better by our experts working with you in your business. And isn’t learn ing better vital to you and your business? For sure!
Every time we are in a retail business we learn. This is another reason we are keen to install and train on-site, in retail businesses. Working remotely on the phone denies this learning opportunity. It means the outcomes are less appropriate and useful. This is another reason onboarding is not a smart move in our view.
Small business retail is personal. Tower Systems gets that and delivers on the through its personal POS software installation and training approach.
We are grateful to serve in excess of 3,000 small business retailers today, retailers we have learned from by being in their businesses.
Bulk image import to POS software helps retailers setup e-commerce websites
20
September
The bulk image import facilities in the Tower Systems POS software make it easy for small business retailers to update their e-commerce websites with accurate image data.
We won’t go into much detail here about the bulk image import as it is clever, fast and accurate. It is part of our intellectual property that we leverage for our small business POS software customer base.
The bulk image import tools make it easy for customers to bring in images accurately and with little time investment. It makes it easy for small business retailers to offer image ric h website experiences to customers. This is a massive difference, something that we leverage exclusively for Tower Systems customers.
We work with retailers as well as their suppliers to manger this connection work to the advantage of our customers. We have experience already with many websites where we have done this work.
Looking around at others and what they offer in this area, we are grateful to have a point of difference in our facilities that give Tower Systems customers a commercial advantage on the bulk import of images to websites through our POS software.
We reached this point because we needed it ourselves for websites we created for our own retail businesses. We knew first hand the importance of the fact and accurate bulk image import. However, we found suppliers challenged ing to deal with. Then, we developed a process. We tested this and refined it and got it to a point where it is working a treat.
We can help our customers and their suppliers work together to bring in images to the POS in bulk that are then loaded to websites according to rules established by the retail business, working with us, leveraging our experience and expertise in this field.
We make it easier for small business retailers to get images loaded onto their websites. This helps them move online and leverage the online sales opportunities.
This is another example of the whole of business solutions offered by Tower Systems from the POS to e-commerce and back again.
We are grateful to ur customers for their support and the continual improvement opportunities they present.
POS software scale integration helps small business retailers sell with accuracy
19
September
The authorised and government approved integration of scales with the Tower Systems POS software enables us to deliver a beautiful solution to small business and independent retailers in many situations.
Through the integration, our POS software talks with the scales, reducing the opportunity for data entry mistakes, making the sales process faster and delivering business outcomes that enable small business retailers to benefit.
Delivered years ago and maintained since, our POS software scale integration is a fine solution for retailers that sell products by weight: candy stores, pet stores, produce businesses, garden centres, butchers, supermarkets and more. We can connect scales to the POS and enable sales by weight. It is easy and fast.
We have structured advice and support for connecting scales to the POS software.
Any retail business selling products by weight can rely on our scales integration for fast and accurate selling at the counter or anywhere in this business.
Although there are alternatives to selling by weight such as splitting and pre-packing stock and double-typing prices at the counter, these methods waste keystrokes and time while increasing the risk of avoidable data entry mistakes that can impact a business bottom line.
The scanner / scales tool that we recommend is connected to our POS software provides a range of solutions / benefits:
- All-Weighs Scale Platter with integrated Produce Lift Bar or Produce Rail™
- FirstStrike advanced decoding software delivers the best performance in reading poor quality labels
- Aggressive and ergonomic 360° 5-sided scanning
- Host Download – Lowers Service Cost and Improves Operations
- Diagnostic Reporting – For improved preventative maintenance
- Productivity Index Reporting™ – Helps identify poorly printed labels
- Cashier Training™/ Ergonomic Index – Identifies Poor Scanning/Weighing Habits
We work with each of our customers to deliver a solution tailored through settings and other opportunities to serve the needs of the business. Our experience o=ver the years from POS software scales integration has enabled us to provide a flexible and valued solution to our customers in this area.
Scales integration is another way our small business focussed POS software company serves businesses well, providing solutions that enable local family-owned small business retailers to compete against big businesses.
How poor POS software rips small business retailers off through missed revenue
18
September
We switched a small business retailer to ur POS software recently from another package that was costing their business money.
Using the other software package, the retailer could scan a series of items and there was no warning, no sound, no error message if the item scanned did not exist in the stock file. This was costing them money on a daily basis.
If a stock item is not found in the stock file, the sale should stop there until the issue is resolved. This is the only ay to stop the business from losing certain money.
Our Tower Systems POS software is strong in managing inventory and rob just in reporting data problems, such as scanning a bar code that is not recognised. An error message appears. The transaction cannot proceed until the error is resolved somehow.
Getting data right is vital in any retail business. Otherwise, what is the point.
Here at Tower System s we work with retailers to get data right, to ensure mistakes are minimised, to help make the flow of shoppers through the sales process easy, fast and accurate. If something does go wrong, we do not ignore it, as this other POS software that we recently replaced was doing.
We want small business retailers to have tools and processes that protect their businesses, which ensure good business performance. This is why we back our wonderful software with strong retail management training, that is delivered in store in a face to face situation, with business owners and team members.
This personal service that we provide from our skilled retail experts is what can make a difference for successful POS software integration.
Tower Systems is staffed by retail experienced people. For sure we are a tech company, but we are also retailers with solid retail experience and this is a big difference as we can speak to experience and leverage this for better outcomes in retail customer situations.
Our retail first approach helps small business retailers get more value from their technology investment with us. It is what makes partnering with Tower Systems different and valuable.
Small business retailers should not have to export stock data to excel spreadsheets to make changes
17
September
We were shocked to discover small business retailers using some other POS software needing to export stock data to excel for manipulation and then importing the changed data back into the POS.
We think this reflects poor design of the POS software.
Our Tower Systems small business POS software has an awesome stock manager tool that enables you to make bulk safe changes to data without the need to export. Our stock manager tools are ideal for small business retail where data changes are common, especially bulk data changes as the business moves online or deals with new suppliers.
Indeed, there are myriad reasons bulk data manipulation is needed.
Exporting data to an excel spreadsheet is nuts in our view. It is old school from twenty years ago. If POS software requires it we suggest you look elsewhere as in the export and import problems can happen, damage can be done, data integrity can be lost.
By being able to make any data change necessary from within the POS software and without having to export the data makes sense to us and to our small business customers. That this can be done with a tool that is easily and safely used by a non tech person in a retail business is key. We make sure this can happen.
With more than 3,000 customers, Tower Systems understands small business and the needs of people working in small business. We make sure you are protected while at the same time proving tools necessary to enable you to run the business how you want.
Never export data to excel from your POS software for manipulation again. If a software company rep asks you to do this, ask why? Ask why they are not providing the tools necessary for you to do the data work needed from within the POS software. If they are honest the answer will most likely be a technical restriction in their software, something that does not allow the software to serve the reasonable needs of your business.
Tower Systems can help. Our POS software is ideal for small business retailers. It is robust, l capable and safe.
Helping small business retailers move to cashless retail
14
September
Over the last ten days in the US on three occasions in different shops we had to switch from a cash purchase to using a card as they did not have enough money to make change. The change needed was $27, $16 and $32 respectively. In each case they did not have enough change in their til and, hence, asked me to pay by a card.
Near our office in Melbourne, Cannings the butcher switched to cashless trading three or four years ago,
Recently, we were offered a tenancy at Malvern Central shopping centre in Victoria for retail businesses I own and had decided if we went ahead with the planned gift and collectibles shop we would do so as a cashless business.
Being cashless can cut time spent banking, reduce employee theft opportunity and reduce the cost of change mistakes. While there are downsides for sure, that more and more businesses are switching indicates valuable upsides.
We mention this in our email today so it is on your mind and part of consideration for your own shop. Not because we think you should go cashless, but because we with it could be useful to be aware of the trend.
Going cashless needs planning from an operational perspective as well from a shopper communication perspective. While not for everyone, it is proving to be successful for plenty.
We think governments will embrace cashless as it benefits the tax take, for the same reason it reduces employee theft.
What do we think? We don’t know for sure if cashless will take off. What we do know is that there is nothing to lose from contemplating this, gaming it out, to see how your business might look.
In the meantime in our specialty POS software, we have tools to make cashless easier. For example, ur direct link to Oxipay (like Afterpay) helps you eliminate LayBy. Our direct link to Xero makes record-keeping easier.
Our goal at Tower Systems is to help independent small business retailers be aware of rends and to work with them figure out implications for them.
Our specialty POS software is an awesome platform on which you can rely to serve your needs to day and to evolve for what may happen tomorrow.
We offer solutions for: gifts, jewellers, bikes, toys, fishing/outdoors, garden centres, pet shops, produce, firearms, adult shops and newsagents.
Call if you have questions, the account manager for your state / territory can help:
- WA / SA/ VIC: Tim Batt. 0401 833 917.
- NSW / ACT / TAS: Nathan Morrison. 0417 568 148.
- QLD / NT: Justin Randall. 0434 365 789.
Australian POS software helps specialty small business retailers compete
13
September
The most effective ways small business retailers can compete with big businesses and online is through efficient operation, accurate data and customer service touch-points that add appreciated value.
Tower Systems only sells its POS software to small business retailers. We help our customers achieve efficient operation, accurate data and customer service touch-points that add appreciated value. we do this every day in many different ways, tailored to the business niches we serve.
We believe in small businesses, their importance to local communities and their broader economic value.
Through our software, our personal in-store training, 24/7 human and locally based help desk service, regional user meetings, weekly online workshops and other touch-points we help small business retailers beyond what is usual for POS software companies.
Our company motto is we’re here to help. We take this seriously. Everyday, out motto challenges us to help our customers in ways they do not expect, ways beyond the software itself.
Founded in 1981, Tower Systems has evolved as technology has evolved. The software we sell today is generations away from where we started. We are proud to have served some of our customers for decades.
More than 3,500 specialty small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand use our specialty POS software.
To us, a specialty retailer is one that offers services unique to the channel, services that define the business. We embed in our software for each retail channel facilities that serve needs unique to that channel. We take pride in doing this and enhancing these channel-specific facilities as the needs evolve.
PERSONAL SERVICE MATTERS.
The Tower training is personal, one-on-one. It is delivered in-store, by someone with extensive retail experience.
The help desk help desk is based in Hawthorn victoria. When people call, the call is answered by a human and not a computerised phone system. We believe in personal service.
The company also offers free online training workshops where retailers can learn more and talk to each other about how they use the software.
Every customer has access to free one-on-one training year after year.
There are also user meetings around the country where people can meet the management and technical team in an open group setting for more free training and free assistance.
It is illegal for your POS software to offer tools to avoid tax
12
September
The federal government passed ;legislation a while back making it illegal for POS software companies to offer tools that facilitate the hiding of business income for the purpose of reducing your taxation obligation.
Here at Tower Systems we have never offered such tools.
We think it is wrong for any business to hide income for purposes of reducing taxation obligation.
We have participated in several panels with the Australian Taxation Office on matters related to POS software including this area of software compliance so as to not facilitate tax avoidance. We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of the conversation that led to tighter rules in this area.
Years ago, we had a competitor that did this, a competitor that facilitated the avoidance of tax by retailers using their software. They promoted it. It was common knowledge in retailer circles at the time. We saw live how a secret facility in their POS software was used to avoid tax. Once we saw it ourselves, we reported the matter to the Australian Federal Police and other authorities. The tax avoidance tools in the software were demonstrated too the authorities.
That experience is not the only time we have seen this. It frustrated us that tax avoidance facilities were being promoted as a differentiator to our software. For sure, it cost us revenue. I sucked then and still sucks today. Those perpetrating the tax avoidance scheme within the software company should have been jailed in our view.
However, we move on.
Today, the message for retailers is that the ATO has a range of tools, benchmarks and more at their disposal that enable the discovery of tax avoidance. Trying to avoid tax is a mugs game.
Retailers are better served focussing on smart engagement and operation, using their software to builds stronger and more successful businesses. This can be done if you use smart software that focusses on new traffic and new opportunities for a brighter future. that is, software that is backed by business advice and professionalism to help retailers achieve excellent results.
Tower Systems helps small business retailers beyond the software to ethically build stronger and more successful businesses. As retailers ourselves it is what we do, with pride and pleasure.
Web connected POS software for small business retailers
11
September
Thanks to our POS software integrations with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce we offer independent small business retailers flexibility in connecting their physical stores with online stores.
We make it easy for small business retailers to get online, from their current database of inventory. We do this through the POS software and by developing beautiful websites for our customers.
This makes Tower Systems an established and proven one stop shop for web connected POS software.
POS software users of our software for gift shops garden centres, jewellers, bike retailers, toy shops, newsagents, gift shops, fishing shops, outdoors shops, produce stores and more can rely on the connection for two-way comms between shop and website. It is easy, fast and seamless.
We made the decision years ago to integrate with the best of the best rather than by developing our own web tools. That decision is proven to be the right one since we leverage our POS expertise and web platforms we integrate with are experts in their respective fields.
There is no sense in a retailer having a website developed outside of Shopify, Magento or WooCommerce. Every need we have seen in retail is served from within these three awesome and proves products.
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, which develops POS software connected websites using Shopify, magento and WooCommerce 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.
A mental health plan for small business retailers
10
September
As employers, retailers and small business owners, mental health challenges are often not far away.
Sometimes, we don’t know we are experiencing a mental health challenge while other times it’s obvious and on show for all to see. The same is true of any individual in the business.
At Tower Systems through our work with many retail businesses over many years we have been able to see first-hand business situations lead to mental health situations. the advice we share here has evolved over these years and based on advice of professionals in the mental health area.
How we respond to mental health challenges in business is important for for the business, those who rely on it and those it serves.
While we are not trained professionals in the area, our years of working with small business owners confronted by challenges to their mental health have helped us develop some guiding principles.
- Mental health is not easily measured or understood. One’s health is not outwardly obvious.
- Judgement cannot be part of how mental health is viewed or dealt with.
- Action is essential to improve your situation for doing nothing will achieve nothing.
- While taking the first step to confront mental health challenges can be difficult, it is relieving and rewarding.
Your GP is an excellent person to speak with. Our advice is that if you suspect there is a mental health challenge, contacting the GP is an important and immediate step.
A GP may suggest preparing a Mental Health Treatment Plan. This is a government recognised and Medicare funded plan for professional help. It can usually be prepared in a single double visit to the GP. This plan is the trigger to you gaining Medicare supported access to a psychologist for an initial number of visits, which can be extended depending on your situation.
Some people can feel a visit to a GP or psychologist is not warranted in their situation. While the medical professionals are the best to determine this, there are other resources you could explore:
Beyond Blue has published Business In Mind, a useful resource for small businesses on issues relating to mental health in the workplace. This is a good starting point for learning more. In the resource there are links to other resources that can help.
Finding mental health resources for small business owners dealing with mental health issues is not as easy as it is finding resources for managing the workplace for better mental health. It’s tough running any business and sometimes things can feel overwhelming. This is where networking can help as a first step, talking with others.
Small business owners feeling challenges within themselves need to treat themselves as employees and use the resources available such as:
- beyondbluesupport line – 1300 22 4636
- SANE Australia Helpline – 1800 187 263
- Mensline Australia – 1300 789 978
In our day to day work with small business retailers, especially though contact o the health desk, we can ourselves encounter people under considerable stress and, sometimes, experiencing a mental health challenge. We provide training to our team to deal with this in a way that is respectful and does not cross personal boundaries.
If you feel we can help in any way, please reach out directly to anyone on ur team including our leadership team.
We hope this information has been useful. It reflects concern, care and advice we offer beyond our small business POS software.
Australian POS software helps specialty small business retailers compete
7
September
The most effective ways small business retailers can compete with big businesses and online is through efficient operation, accurate data and customer service touch-points that add appreciated value.
Tower Systems only sells its POS software to small business retailers.
We believe in small businesses, their importance to local communities and their broader economic value.
Through our software, our personal in-store training, 24/7 human and locally based help desk service, regional user meetings, weekly online workshops and other touch-points we help small business retailers beyond what is usual for POS software companies.
Our company motto is we’re here to help. We take this seriously. Everyday, out motto challenges us to help our customers in ways they do not expect, ways beyond the software itself.
Founded in 1981, Tower Systems has evolved as technology has evolved. The software we sell today is generations away from where we started. We are proud to have served some of our customers for decades.
More than 3,500 specialty small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand use our specialty POS software.
To us, a specialty retailer is one that offers services unique to the channel, services that define the business. We embed in our software for each retail channel facilities that serve needs unique to that channel. We take pride in doing this and enhancing these channel-specific facilities as the needs evolve.
RETAIL MARKETS
There are versions of the software serving the business specific needs of: Jewellers, Bike shops, Garden Centres, Book shops, Gift Shops, Homewares Shops, Produce businesses, Fishing and Outdoors shops, Newsagents, Toy Shops, Confectionery Retail, Stationery retail, Pet Shops, Pet Grooming, Whole Foods Grocers, Swimming Pool Supplies, Firearms Retail and Adult Shops.
Linking directly to Xero enhances the time-saving gained through the software as well as facilitating the accuracy of data managed by the software.
Our Xero link provides for a data feed of sales as well as purchases.
With a CPA working full time in our business we are configured to provide a technical solution that has been overseen by our own Accountant, to ensure it is a viable solution for the small business retailers we serve.
INTEGRATIONS
Our Xero integration is one of many approved integrations provided by the software to serve the needs of retailers. Other integrations include:
- Tyro broadband EFTPOS.
- Links to all major banks through PC-EFTPOS.
- Magento e-commerce.
- Shopify e-commerce.
- WooCommerce / Word Press.
- FlyBys in New Zealand.
- Transactor loyalty in New Zealand.
- Scale integration for selling by weight.
- Touch networks for vending event tickets, phone recharge, fishing licences and more.
CLOUD OR NOT
The Tower software can run on the desktop or in the cloud. Retailers decide what they prefer.
In its cloud offer, Tower offers a 100% hosted solution running in a secure purpose-build location with high-level security and backup. This solution is offered on a SAAS (Software As A services) model with minimal on-boarding costs and a single monthly fee.
Retailers who prefer local control can purchase or lease-finance the software. Once acquired, there are no mandatory annual access fees.
This flexible approach to pricing provides retailers the maximum flexibility in acquisition model.
WHAT THE SOFTWARE OFFERS.
This is a comprehensive and flexible Point of Sale software package offering facilities in many areas of retail business operation including facilities that help small business retailers to run more competitive and valuable businesses. The Tower website provides comprehensive information on software facilities.
PERSONAL SERVICE MATTERS.
The Tower training is personal, one-on-one. It is delivered in-store, by someone with extensive retail experience.
The help desk help desk is based in Hawthorn victoria. When people call, the call is answered by a human and not a computerised phone system. We believe in personal service.
The company also offers free online training workshops where retailers can learn more and talk to each other about how they use the software.
Every customer has access to free one-on-one training year after year.
There are also user meetings around the country where people can meet the management and technical team in an open group setting for more free training and free assistance.
WE ARE RETAILERS TOO.
We own and operate several retail businesses, providing us with experience every day that enables us to walk in the shoes of our customers. We also use these shops as test sites for early releases of software updates plus we are happy for customers and prospects to visit the shops and learn from what we do ourselves in leveraging the software.
THE CUSTOMERS ARE IN CONTROL.
At the Tower Systems website, click on Software Ideas to see our transparent approach to customer engagement on software enhancements. This is world-class. Customers can make suggestions. These are assessed to ensure they will work. All customers are then invited to vote on the suggestions. The more votes the faster we bring the suggestion to reality.
Here at Tower Systems we serve all small business retailers
6
September
At our POS software company we serve a diverse mix of customers with joy and pride…
Advice for small business retailers on how to quit dead stock
5
September
Beyond being a POS software company, Tower Systems often provides business management advice to small business retailers.
How do you identify product that is not working? When do you quit a product that is not working? Why should you quit stock? How do you quit the stock? How long should quitting stock take? What if the item does not sell no matter what you do?
These are all questions we will answer here for you in the form of suggestions. What you ultimately do is 100% up to you. Your choices need to reflect your own situation and circumstances.
Identifying product that is not working.
Product is not working if it is not paying its way – paying for the floor space it takes and the time you spend on it. Check your sales, rank all your stock based on sales – look at the bottom performing stock. Your software should have a ranked Sales Report that lets you list all your stock ranked by unit or $$ sales. Use this to create your list of items to consider.
The other way to identify stock that’s not working for you is to check your back room or other storage facility. Stock that is not generating cash regularly has to be considered dead in our view.
When do you quit a product?
You quit, exit, products when they are not paying their way, when a season is done or when you want to exit that category for some other reason.
Let’s say your rent is $1,250 per square metre per year. If your gross profit averages, say, 50%, you will need to sell $2,500 worth of product to pay for a metre of space. However, this is not the complete consideration as you have labour, power and other costs to cover. The suggested rule of thumb is that your retail sales need to be at least three times that necessary to cover the cost of the space. In the scenario covered here, you should be earning at least $7,500 from a square metre of space. If stock is not delivering this, quitting it could be necessary.
Why quit stock?
To keep your shop fresh, to not be weighed down by dead stock to make your shop look more relevant, to stop hoarding.
How to quit stock.
Here is how we quit stock in retail businesses we operate. These businesses are in shopping centres where retail space is limited and expensive. We are necessarily aggressive.
- Set a deadline. We’d suggest two weeks for quitting a product or range of products.
- Choose your timing. The best time to quit stock quickly is on your busiest trading days. For many this will be the weekend. Consider structuring your quitting program to run from Thursday through Sunday.
- Set your initial price. The discount must be compelling. We’d suggest 50% off. A smaller discount in this marketplace will not get noticed. Think about your discount words: in some areas, HALF PRICE works better than 50% OFF. Sometimes, 2 FOR 1 can be even more effective. A $$ price can work better – for example a dump bin with everything priced at $1. People then don’t have to work anything out.
- Move the product to a high traffic location. Display it as a line you are quitting – in a dump bin or in open boxes. This must be in a location away from where the product is usually located. Do not make an attractive display. Consider placing the stock somewhere that people almost stumble over it.
- Put up a sign that is either black on white or white on read. Nothing fancy. Even a hand written sign is good. Do not make a complex or attractive sign.
- Adjust your price. If sales are not strong enough, go harder with your discount. From 50% off we suggest a drop to a $$ price point. It can be challenging selling something you would have sold for $20.00 at $1 but that $1 is better than getting nothing for the product at all.
- Give it away. If the products are not selling, consider giving the stock away to a local charity. Getting it out of your shop for no compensation can be better than it taking space and giving off the wrong message about your business.
- Keep track of time. If you decide to be out of the stock within two weeks, stick to that and make it happen with your pricing and placement decisions.
- Use the bin. If you can’t sell the item and you can’t give it away, use the bin.
- An alternative: If you have a large amount of stock to quit, consider hiring a local hall and running an off site sale. Talk to your suppliers about getting extra stock in for this. You could even plan to do this as an annual event. Consider, too, linking with a local charity to drive interest and create a fund raising opportunity for them.
Quitting stock takes strength and commitment. We urge you to do it to keep your business fresh. Product not selling gives shoppers a bad impression of your business.
Take a look at your shop floor and in your back room. Look at what you can get rid of right away to reduce the anchor of dead stock on your business.
Too many retail businesses have old stock gathering dust. One of the best ways to separate your business is to regularly quit stock that is not performing as it should.
How the Tower Systems POS software helps small business retailers compete
4
September
Here at Tower Systems, we help businesses using our small business POS software compete with big businesses.
Helping small business retailers compete is important to us and to all who rely on each of our small business retail customers. It is also important to regional and rural towns around Australia, New Zealand and other locations where we serve.
How we help small business retailers compete with big business is a secret as there are things we do in our software, tools we offer, processes we follow, opportunities that we provide that are proprietary. They make our software different, better, stronger and more useful to small business retailers.
It’s like a secret sauce if you will. A secret recipe of software and facilities on which ur small business retailer customers can rely to leverage a points of difference over big business retail competitors.
Since we only sell our POS software to small business retailers, this is 100% our focus, to deliver for this group of retailers so they can have a valuable point of difference over big businesses.
From the way we manage inventory to the marketing tools we provide to the front-end loyalty we offer to the management insights we share, our small business retail software helps provide a competitive advantage.
Take our front-end loyalty. It is unique, valuable and proven to help small business retailers win business they might otherwise not win. These are facilities big business retailers do not offer. They are differentiating and valuable.
We are grateful to the support of our small business customers for trusting us to provide these and other tools in our POS software.
Beyond smart loyalty, our POS software helps small business retailers compete with big businesses by helping them to leverage what is unique about their businesses. We help them leverage local knowledge and experience and to encode this in a way that is useful and easily served to customers consistently and with pride buy the business.
By giving small local retail business tools that compare favourably with the tools of big business retailers we help small business retailers win moire business, every day.
At our POS software company we take customer training seriously
3
September
Small business POS software customers can rely on us having their back…
Aussie POS software for rural supplies businesses helps better serve rural communities.
1
September
This POS software from Tower Systems has been developed specifically for rural supplies businesses.
Using it can save time, improve the speed and quality of business decisions, cut mistakes and help you make the business more valuable.
From selling by weight to offering buy-now-pay-later to website integration to including product care and use instructions on receipts, this software serve rural supply businesses well.
It software offers seamless supplier integrations for things like electronic invoices and stock files.
Order management is a breeze with picking slips, order editing ability and automatic invoice emailing to customers.
Developed in Australia for Australian businesses and supported by our local Melbourne-based support team, this software helps you leverage being local. It helps rural supplies businesses to connect, serve and promote local. It is the quintessential local software for rural supplies businesses and produce businesses.
Our rural supplies / produce software also offers:
- Advising on product use to local conditions.
- Sharing reminders based on product purchases.
- Including product use and care instructions.
- Adding value beyond what big competitors might offer.
- Quotation facility where you quote ahead of winning business.
- Selling by weight.
- Tagging hazardous goods.
- Group discounts, where members of a local group loyal to you save money.
- Easy loading of electronic invoices from your suppliers.
- Linking to a website for online sales.
- Handling special orders, where you order items in for a specific customer.
- Linking to Xero to cut bookkeeping and external accounting costs.
- Rewarding loyal shoppers with points and / or cash off their next purchase.
This is specialty software for locally owned and family run specialty rural supplies businesses. It is mature, robust and fit for purpose for these businesses. Ideal thanks to input from people already using the software, for which we are most grateful.
How our Shopify connected POS software helps small business retailers sell online
31
August
Tower Systems launched its POS software – Shopify interface more than two years ago. Back at the time a competitor mocked the move, which we thought was ignorant of them. We have the last laugh with them recently completing their Shopify interface
What we offered then and continue to offer today is direct integration between our small business POS software and Shopify.
It is beautiful, fast, easy to use, accurate and two-way. This is an integration that helps small business retailers compete online. We are proud of what we launched in 2016 and proud of what it has evolved to become and the businesses we help every day.
Here is information abut the Tower Systems POS software Shopify link:
What is Shopify?
Shopify is one of the easiest ways to setup and run an ecommerce store. We think it provides you with the ideal place to create you first website and gain experience in the world of ecommerce. You have complete control over the look and feel of your online store and can instant access fantastic look themes to reflect the personality of your business. For more information visit www.shopify.com.au.
What is the Retailer to Shopify Link?
The Tower Systems Retailer POS software to Shopify Link uses the Tower Advantage Link platform to allow Retailer to connect directly to your Shopify store. The Tower Advantage Link platform is a subscription-based service that acts as an intermediary between Retailer and the Shopify API.
How does the link work?
The link works by using the TALink platform platform to connect to the shopify API and synchronise your data.
Stock. Retailer is your master stock database. You flag what stock items you want to appear on your shopify store. Descriptions and extended descriptions are added as your titles and descriptions in Shopify. Newly flagged products are automatically added and if you edit items in Retailer you have field level control over how these are handled in Shopify.
Department and Categories. Your Retailer Departments and Categories become collections in Shopify. You can have a chose of either Department level collections or category level, but not both. If you choose to synchronise either a department or category, your existing structure will be mirrored and managed in Shopify automatically. If, however, you decide not link your Department and Categories in Shopify, you can allocate collections manually to products once they are added.
Classifications. Shopify does not have a mechanism to manage classifications.
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 web store 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 Shopify. If the quantity on hand of an items drops to 0, the item is marked as out of stock in Shopify.
Images. The images you set against stock items in Retailer are automatically uploaded to your website. If images change, then 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 if you desire. 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 you main sales data, giving you excellent control over how you report on your webstore sales.
I don’t have a website but want one. Can Tower help?
Yes! We are expert in POS software and web store development and deployment.
Help for drought affected small businesses
30
August
Tower Systems has several businesses in our client base that have been drought affected. We have reached out with help and resources to assist. We have also spoked with government agencies to understand the resources available so that we can connect our customers with these as appropriate.
One such resource for drought affected small businesses is through the ATO, the Australian Taxation Office. Here are some details of their drought assistance eligibility criteria:
To work out if you are eligible for small business entity concessions, you first need to work out if you are a ‘small business entity’ in an income year. You must review your eligibility each year to check if you are able or required to use a particular concession.
From 1 July 2016, you are a small business entity if you are a sole trader, partnership, company or trust that:
- operates a business for all or part of the income year, and
- has an aggregated turnover less than $10 million (the turnover threshold).
From here on, when we say:
- ‘small business’, we mean ‘small business entity’
- ‘turnover’, we mean ‘aggregated turnover’.
From 1 April 2017, the turnover threshold for fringe benefits tax (FBT) concessions increased to $10 million.
The $10 million turnover threshold applies to most concessions, except for:
- the small business income tax offset, which has a $5 million turnover threshold
- the capital gains tax (CGT) concessions, which continue to have a $2 million turnover threshold.
For previous income years, you are a small business if your turnover is less than $2 million.
Find out about:
- Work out if you’re a small business for the income year
- Aggregation – for more on aggregated turnover
- Definitions – the terms used to explain small business entity concessions
See also:
-
Are you in business? – determine the differences between a hobby and a business for tax purposes
Our Tower Systems POS software company helps small business retailers in a range of practical ways from direct assistance to operational assistance. We do this because we believe in small business and because we are grateful to be in a position where we can help. Gratefulness is best expressed through practical help in our view.
POS software small business retailers love
29
August
The POS software from Tower Systems is valuable for indie small business retailers as it provides tools through which these businesses can compete, grow and become more valuable.
This is POS software with a proven track record, heritage and value embedded for small business retailers in a range of specialty retail channels. Software already used by thousands of small business retailers. Software technically rich and functionally smooth – ready for enjoyment at all levels of any independent retail business.
Retailers love our POS software and the support that backs the use of the POS software because of our accessibility, focus on small business, commitment to channel specialisation and the regular updating of our POS software. Each year our skill set improves and with this our ability to serve niche retail businesses.
While Tower Systems offers POS services for all retailers, our core business is the provision of specialist software packages for gift shops, newsagents, jewellers, pet shops, garden centres, firearms shops, adult shops, bike shops and toy shops. We are the leading Australian company supporting these markets and our software is directly developed for their unique needs.
Tower Systems understands these needs because it owns and manages its own thriving retail businesses. Our staff have retail experience and our software is informed by what happens in real world business – not from what happens behind a desk.
The company’s strong management infrastructure champions the small business, independent culture of Tower Systems.
Here are practical ways we help small business retailers in and beyond our POS software:
Software enhanced by user suggestion and direction.
- Easy access to training.
- Easy access to support.
- Regular free training.
- Regular user meetings.
- Easy access to business management advice, beyond the software.
Tower Systems is accessible to every one of our customers. We stand by our promises and deliver not only in terms of software but also in terms of training and advice. For us, it is personal. It is why every customer has easy access to the leadership team of the company, why every customer can self escalate any issue they want right through to the ownership of the company if there need arises.