The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

ArchiveFebruary 2016

TOWER SYSTEMS HELPING NEWSAGENTS NAVIGATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE

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Today, Tower Systems is helping newsagents handle changes flowing from the closure of the Network Services magazine distribution business.

All newsagents covered by the Tower AdvantageTM software support service have access to everything necessary for free. Only the newsagents who opted to not be covered by support have a fee to pay. However, that fee is waived if they take up support.

Tower has made the change easy to navigate, saving many hours that might otherwise have been spend getting the necessary data work done.

No software change is necessary. The fee relates to a data conversion utility written o save man-hours.

On the Tower help desk today and all this week we are triaging calls to ensure the additional work for newsagents is not impacting work for all other retailers.

FISHING AND TACKLE SHOP SOFTWARE HELPS RETAILERS LEVERAGE LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES

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The fishing shop software launched by Tower Systems recently came about through the discovery that our software was already being used in fishing and tackle shops. By talking with these customers and learning more about the needs, we have been able to finesse the software and training to make it even more useful for fishing shop retailers and their employees.

At the heart of what we offer is facilities and tools that help local fishing shops serve local needs. For example, including local fishing spot information on receipts helps add value to the contact customers have with a business. Visitors can be put in the know in a consistent way without you having to be in their face.

This one step, of using receipts to share valuable information, can demonstrate an excellent point of difference for a local small business fishing shop.

Another benefit of the software is the management of items made and repaired. Tracking repairs is easy as is the management of the repairs including labour and products used in the repair. The same can be said for the manufacturing of items such as lures. Managing components and time and tracking special orders of these can help the business be more consistent and drive a better financial return. It is business after all.

Being able to do all this, and more, and connect it easily and seamlessly with an online business is important for any small business but more so for a local fishing shop where specialist knowledge could be the point of difference that brings people back into the business.

A relationship with Tower Systems can help the owner of a fishing shop reach beyond where the business is at today and propel it into growth and efficiency that combine to deliver a better bottom line and the bottom line is ultimately what drives the value of the business when it comes time to sell the business. This is the Tower AdvantageTM in action, a set of tools and services beyond the software that help you be the maximum value from the software for your business. When we say we’re here to help, we mean it … every day, in all we do for small business retailers including fishing shops.

SUNDAY RETAIL MANAGEMENT TIP: 5 WAYS TO MANAGE EMPLOYEES USING YOUR POS SOFTWARE

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Good POS software gives you a range of options for managing, tracking and engaging employees using the software itself. In the Tower Systems POS software, there are plenty of employee touch points. Here are five we want to call out today as part of our Sunday tip series.

  1. Track sales by employee code or barcode. This will cut mistakes and improve accountability.
  2. Include employee name on the receipt – to personalise the contact.
  3. Report sales by employee to compare performance.
  4. Manage your roster through your POS software, manage to a budget.
  5. Set security settings in your software to ensure people only have access to parts of the software appropriate to their level of responsibility in the business.

TOWER SYSTEMS ENHANCES HOW NEWSAGENTS PURCHASE NEWSAGENCY SOFTWARE

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Today, we launch a new option[1] acquiring newsagency software, a pay as you go model.

The time is right given changes in the channel with newsagents sourcing new products, pursuing new traffic and leveraging higher GP. Thanks to our work with gift, homewares and other specialty retail channels, Tower Systems can help you transform your business.

$220.00 a month is all it costs to access the Tower newsagency software package. The $220 is paid by credit card. Stop paying if you want to stop using the software.

We make this offer now as we think some software companies are considering quitting the newsagency channel. You can see this through their lack of engagement with newsagency specific development, non-attendance at trade shows like the Sydney and Melbourne Gift Fairs and lack of engagement in the structural changes in the channel.

Developing software and backing it with good support for newsagents is expensive. A software company with less than 500 customers will struggle to keep up.

1,755 newsagents use our software – our closest competitor has 600.

We have experience switching from POS Solutions, Computerlink and AccessPOS to Tower.

Pay as you go customers have access to weekly online training workshops, 130+ professional training videos, software updates, our friendly help desk, our after hours support team, our theft check service and our business performance assessment service … for no extra charge.

If you have current hardware, the only up-front cost is for installation and training. This new pricing option saves capital, it eliminates the need for a lease or bank financing.

You will see from the simple agreement that you can turn it off at any time and not pay a cent more. You are in control.

Talk to one of our experts today: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

Come and see the software and meet our team at our user meetings – details enclosed.

THE TOWER NEWSAGENCY SOFTWARE

For $220.00 a month you can use our newsagency software covering:

  1. Point of Sale, tailored specifically for newsagency business use.
  2. Magazine Management, scanned returns, early returns prompting.
  3. Stock control including stock take, reordering and supplier links.
  4. Customer accounts including Lay-By, book-up and statements.
  5. Home delivery including run list management, subscriptions and more.
  6. Loyalty including points accrual, discount vouchers and other facilities.
  7. Business performance reporting – printed reports you can rely on.
  8. XchangeIT support: electronic invoices and returns.
  9. Support for supplier EDI files including Sands, Hallmark and more.
  10. Theft mitigation. Tools to help you detect and stop theft.

SUPPORT AND TRAINING.

Included in the low monthly fee is access to the extraordinary Tower AdvantageTM service:

  1. Live, Australian based, help desk support with newsagency experienced help.
  2. After hours support access through an extensive mobile phone network.
  3. Software updates as released.
  4. Access to more than 130 software training videos.
  5. Access to more than 600 Knowledge Base articles with step by step instructions on how to use the software. This is better than a manual.
  6. User meetings around the country with free training and management help.
  7. Weekly online, live, training workshops.
  8. Weekly user support email with tips and advice.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT HELP.

Tower Systems is there when you need, helping with advice, insights and guidance as much or as little as you want. These services include at no extra cost:

  1. Theft Check. A professional, police investigation quality, check of your business data to uncover potential employee fraud.
  2. Business check. An analysis of business performance as reflected in your business data – looking for growth and other opportunities for the business, helping you see what you may be missing in your business.

The time is right to make this offer as only Tower Systems has the capacity, commitment and vision to help newsagents leverage best-practice technology in a valuable and unifying way. Let us help you.

NOTE: Here is our response to any competitor who comments that this offer sounds desperate: – it would if it was coming from a company with 500 or fewer customers that is not growing. Tower Systems is strong and growing. We serve 1,755 newsagency businesses. We are making the offer because we have the capacity to and because we have a vision for a bright future.

[1] All existing purchase options remain available for newsagents installing our software.

TOWER SYSTEMS HELPS SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS WITH LEASE NEGOTIATIONS

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Outside of the usual POS software help desk support, Tower Systems helps small business retailers navigate lease negotiations by providing accurate sales and traffic data that can help landlords approach negotiations more fairly.

Serving many retailers in many lease situations, we are able to drawn on excellent experience and through this help retailers approach the challenges with care and a broader view than is often the case. This helps the retailers to look at lease negotiation and renewal from a broader perspective.

The work we do in this area is pro-bono, another service we offer small business retailers to help them run businesses with greater financial viability.

HELPING NEWSAGENTS WITH THE TRANSITION TO ONE MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTOR

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With only a couple of days to go, the Tower Systems team is all hands helping newsagents ensure a smooth transition from to major magazine distributors to one. The data shift is considerable as is the reconfiguring of back end processes. Tower Systems has made this easy for customers, to provide small business newsagents with certainty.

Our communication has been consistent in the lead up to the change and the next couple of days it comes to a head. We are excited for the results.

FIREARMS SOFTWARE HELPS FIREARMS RETAILERS FULFILL LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

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Firearms retailers can rely on our Firearms retail software to continually improve to better serve their businesses.

Thanks to advice from several firearms retailers and state based regulators we have created firearm permit to acquire (PTA) tracking facility.

Firearms retailers and their staff have directly guided this software development project.

Coupled with our advanced serial number tracking tools, you will be able to track a specific firearm back to a permit.

Where regulators permit, our software will create a file you can upload to meet regulatory reporting requirements.

We are ensuring that through this software we help you meet all published regulatory standards in anywhere in Australia.

here are the facilities firearms shop owners and staff like are in our software:

  1. Age check. Bringing certainty to your sales process to ensure processes are followed. This helps if you are every audited.
  2. Permit to acquire. Comprehensive facilities developed with guidance from authorities – supporting your retail specialisation.
  3. Serial number tracking. Track everything from the moment it arrives in your business. Demonstrates professional control over all you sell.
  4. Special customer orders. These are a breeze. Bringing structure to your processes. Text your customers when their order comes in.
  5. Professional, structured and operating to your rules.
  6. Webstore Integration. With flexibility people like.
  7. Gift vouchers.
  8. Loyalty options from points through to $$ off vouchers to help encourage people to spend more in a visit.
  9. Intelligent receipts with product care information.
  10. Easy handling of bundled offers.
  11. Supplier performance
  12. Employee performance management and rewards.
  13. Importing electronic invoices from suppliers. We work with for you.
  14. Inventory management to guide you to a more efficient inventory level.
  15. Theft reduction tools to reduce the opportunity of employee theft.
  16. It’s easy to use.
  17. It’s regularly updated based on user suggestions.

Using the Tower Systems Firearms Shop software would help a firearms retailer to:

  1. Guide shoppers to spend more in a visit.
  2. Attract shoppers to return to the business more often.
  3. Reduce dead stock.
  4. Reduce theft.
  5. Streamline selling.
  6. Reduce mistakes in sales processing by eliminating double handling.
  7. Better manage employee time.
  8. Manage supplier relationships through buying on facts and not emotion.
  9. More effectively plan for the future thanks to access to accurate data.
  10. See things in your business that you may miss today.
  11. Offer professional experience with personalised attractive receipts, gift certificates, structured Lay-By and a data driven approach to ordering.
  12. We bring structure and ease to the end of shift balancing process.
  13. You can easily manage catalogue and promotional pricing and bundled deals.
  14. There are 100+ reports on which you can rely to assess the business. The reality is you will fall in love with two or three reports and rely on these.

FOR SMALL BUSINESS WHO FIND RETAIL IS TOUGH

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Yes, retail can be tough.

What are you doing about it?

Here is a letter we sent to retailers recently who have said it is tough. It is part of a confronting education campaign based on a truth that even in the toughest of circumstances, retailers can grow their businesses – yes, even small business retailers who are facing tough competition from big businesses.

We have used this letter to try and jog people to see their businesses differently…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our system can cost as little as $7 day. Besides great software, hardware you can trust, friendly training and software support, you have access to our business skills, acumen and passion. We have your back, helping where we can with advice and ideas to help you grow your retail business.

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

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

TOY SHOP SOFTWARE HELPS TOY RETAILERS GROW SALES ONLINE AND OFFLINE

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Using the latest Toy Shop software from Tower Systems, small and independent toy retailers are able to grow online and offline sales – grow sales in store and grow sales through a smart magento webstore interface.

The Magento interface available to Toy retailers, and other retailers, is elegant, direct and fast. With users already it is working a treat, offering independent toy retailers an easy path to online retail.

This is smart, very smart. better than a webstore link, better than what many software companies offer – as it is direct, using  Magento itself for a direct to the POS software link.

Toy retailers can easily have a common stock file for their store and their webstore, they can sell in the shop or online and not have to worry about syncing files or keeping both up today.

This is just one of the ways the Tower Systems toy shop software is helping small business retailers like toy shop owners to drive better business outcomes for their independent businesses.

Competing with big retailers can be tough. But it can be done. This is where Tower Systems helps – by enabling small business retailers to be smart, to make fact-based decisions for the better of their businesses.

With more toy shops switching to the Tower software we are able to bring opportunities to the table such as supplier links, benchmarking, electronic ordering and other benefits.

Using the Tower you shop software is about much more than the software itself, thanks to the whole of business support approach delivered by Tower through what it does in its work not only with toy retailers but with other specialty retailers the company serves.

GIFT SHOP SOFTWARE A HIT AT REED SYDNEY GIFT FAIR

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Being the only software company exhibiting at the Sydney Gift Fair has been terrific for tower Systems and we have two days to go. Already the company many new prospective customers looking at the software and even better connections with many existing customers.

The experience over the first three days is a reminder of the value of being at trade shows such as this to help small business retailers learn more abut the software and improve the returns they achieve from their IT investment.

While we are happy to have the show to ourselves, any POS software company serious about newsagents, gift shops, garden centres, pet shops or jewellers ought to be at this show given the mix of retailers we have already seen. It is good customer service to do so.

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TOWER SYSTEMS LAUNCHES NEW SMALL BUSINESS INSIGHTS SOFTWARE

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IMG_6811POS software company Tower Systems is proud to announce the release last week of a new software platform for small business retailers.

This new platform is a completely new product from the Tower development team. It leveraged 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 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.

Having been tested with data from a range of businesses and trialled for months on many different platforms, the Visual deck is ready for small business retailers to engage, to use it to better manage and grow their businesses.

Footnote: If things go as usual, at least on competitor will claim they had this before us and that we copied them. Such a claim is not true. Prior to our launched last week we checked all our competitors in each specialty marketplace in which we live and not one has a product like this.

SUNDAY RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: SIX THINGS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS RETAILER SHOULD DO EVERY WEEK

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Beyond ensuring the shop is well stocked, clean and pitching appropriate offers to customers, here are tasks you must act at least weekly on to offer a fresh and relevant pitch to customers:

  1. Change your window displays.
  2. Change the product pitch / display / offer in the first third of the shop.
  3. Reset the counter offers shoppers see.
  4. Host an inclusive and interactive team meeting to seek out ideas for improving the business.
  5. Share at least one story, insight or idea about your business and what it stands for … on social media, in a post aimed to reach beyond those who know about your business. Tell a story that humanises the business beyond overtly pitching product.
  6. Get something done that has been on a long-term list of things you want to get to for your business. No excuses, get it done.

It is important to finish a week more ahead than where you started. This is only achieved if you make it so, if you do it.

Tower Systems helps small business retailers with smart POS software. We back this with friendly live support based on your needs. We are an engaged software company, not working from overseas call centres, not focussed only on winning the next customer. We have customers for the long term, customers who love what we do and the relationships we share. This is what being an engaged POS software company is all about.

POS SOFTWARE COMPANY ADDS MORE USER MEETINGS

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Tower Systems is thrilled to add more dates and capacity to the national POS software user meeting tour that is ti kick off in the next few weeks. With strong demand for these free training sessions, the event management team at Tower has found rooms with more capacity.

Offering a free breakfast to make the early start more enjoyable, the Tower sessions are set to be satisfying in ways more than software knowledge. Providing training, support, business insights and more, these free sessions are POS software customer service at its best. It is another feature of the Tower AdvantageTM that thousands of small business retailers love.

Ready for the Sydney Gift Fair

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Tower Systems is exhibiting its gift shop software at the Reed Gift Fair starting tomorrow morning. What is especially exciting is the launch of new software, never seen before, developed from scratch by Tower for the service of small and independent retailers like gift shops, newsagents, garden centres, toy shops and jewellers.

This new software is unlike anything in the Australian marketplace.

To see the new software, come visit the Tower Stand at the gift on stand: SS61. There, you will also be able to see our latest gift shop software. If you are a newsagent we will have our latest newsagency software.

We are very excited for the opportunities we will discover at the Gift Fair.

HELPING NEWSAGENTS WITH THE CLOSURE OF NETWORK SERVICES

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The newsagents using the Tower Systems newsagency software are receiving best-practice help to navigate the business changes following from the closure of magazine distributor Network Services at the end of this month.

Being briefed last year on the coming changes, the Tower Systems leadership team has been able to guide decisions made by Network and others involved in these significant and structural changes.

Confidentiality was maintained until the public announcement some weeks ago. The early heads-up helped Tower Systems make full and proper preparations to help all of its newsagency customers and to do so in a structured and fully tested way.

The company has been advising newsagents on appropriate steps to undertake so they actual move at the end of the month is stress free.

This is another way Tower Systems helps small business newsagents to confidently navigate structural change.

BIGGER SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HELPS TOWER SYSTEMS DELIVER MORE

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Early in 2016 Tower Systems added two new developers to its software development team. This has enhanced our capacity and our skill base and this is being reflected in what we are delivering for our customers.

This weekend at the Reed Gift Fair in Sydney we will be showing off new software, outside of the traditional POS software space, software that dramatically enhances the value small business retailers can harvest from their businesses.

This new software is a game changer. If you are attending the Reed Gift Fair, ask to see the new software we are launching.

HOW TOWER SYSTEMS HELPED PLANTS PLUS RETAILERS WITH LOYALTY FACILITIES

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Plants Plus withdrew from the marketplace starting late in 2015. Tower Systems partnered with the group and members of the group to help migrate from the Plants Plus loyalty program to the Tower Systems POS software loyalty program. Here is one of the resources we created to help Plants Plus members. We share it today to offer another example of the extent to which we go using our in-house video and other resources to help small business retailers confront technology changes and challenges. This video from last year is our actions speaking louder than our words.

POS SOFTWARE UPDATE OFFERS MAGENTO LINK FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL

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While POS software co Tower Systems has offered web store access through its smart POS software, the new direct Magento link takes the web store facilities to a new level.

The Tower link with Magento is direct, through a partnership link between the Tower software and Magento. 

Prior to releasing the POS software / magento link on the market, Tower Systems created several-commerce sites using the Magento link and these have been running for more than six months. Today the company and has supports live direct link e-commerce sites in a range of retail channels covering a range of products and services. These sites are live commerce sites the company can take prospective clients to, to show the link live in action, so people can see this smart software working for themselves.

The link is powerful yet easy to setup and maintain. The Tower development team has ensured this as the focus user is the typical small business retailer with little resource or appetite to become an IT expert.

Retailers including garden centres, jewellers, bike shops, newsagents, gift shops, homewares shops, book shops, toy shops and produce stores can use this link to help their businesses transact accurately and professionally online. Tower Systems helps with terrific software for the brick and mortar retail business as well as the link to the website. The company can facilitate the whole of business service, as far as the retail customer may want.

It is our contact with Magento in the US well over a year ago that set the path for what we offer small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand today. By going our and undertaking research into best practice overseas, Tower Systems made itself aware of what retailers liked and what they wanted from website links from their POS software, the company then set about developing, testing and delivering this into the marketplace.

With plenty of reference sites now for the Magento link and even more for our mature web store facilities, Tower Systems is well positioned to help small business retailers establish professional and commercially valuable links with one or more inline presences.

Magento is owned by eBay, it is a worldwide popular webstore platform.

SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: HOW TO CUT EMPLOYEE THEFT

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Okay so we have shared advice on cutting employee theft before, many times in fact. The things is – employee theft continues in small business retail, too often. It can be reduced in any retail business if you follow this simple advice:

  1. Use stock control. Enter new stock as it comes in, scan all sales and only reorder based on what you software says. Every month do a stock take. Popular item stock discrepancies are an indicator of theft.
  2. Scan everything you sell. Do not use department keys as this makes it easier for employees to steal since they know there is no trackback to stock on hand.
  3. Do your end of shift through your software and have a zero-tolerance policy on being over or under. Reconcile banking to your computer software end of shift.
  4. Do spot cash balancing. Unexpected checks can uncover surprises.
  5. Change your roster. Sometimes people work together to steal. One retailer found a family friend senior and their teenage daughter stealing consistently.
  6. Check your Audit Log. Look at cancelled sales, deleted sales and items deleted from a sale.
  7. Check GP by department. If GP is falling outside what you expect, research it further.
  8. Setup a theft policy. Put this on a noticeboard in the back room. Get staff to read it and sign up to it. See the last page of this advice.
  9. Keep the counter clean. A better organised counter reduces the opportunity for theft as it makes detection easier.
  10. Have a no employee bags at the counter policy. This makes it harder for them to hide your cash.
  11. Beware employees who carry folded paper or small notepads. These can be used for them to keep track of how much cash is in the register that is theirs – i.e. not rung up in the software.
  12. Beware of calculators with memories at the counter.
  13. Do not let employees sell to themselves. If they want to purchase something make them purchase it from the other side of the counter.
  14. Be professional in your management of the business. The more professional your approach they less likely your employees will steal as they will see the risk of being caught as high.
  15. Advise all job applicants that you will require their permission for a police check.
  16. Do not take cash out for your own use in front of employees. If they see you take cash for a coffee or lunch some will see this as an invitation.
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