The POS Software Blog

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

Categorynewsagency software

Sunday retail management advice: leverage shop local

August 16, 2015

1 Min read

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The shop local movement has a good profile. Locals do tend to prefer to shop local. Retailers need to actively and consistently leverage this through a regular reminder but such a reminder is hollow unless you offer local benefits such as community engagement, hiring locally and sourcing locally made products. Actively engaging in the business through locally focussed decisions helps any retailer bring power and strength to their calls for people to shop local.

This is our advice today – if you pitch shop local, live in in your shop every day and show you yourselves believe in it.

Tower Systems helps retailers actively pitch and live the shop local mantra through its POS software and through the business support the company provides in its training and on its website.

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Helping newsagents leverage the Ladbrokes opportunity

August 14, 2015

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Tower Systems has been helping newsagents embrace the Ladbrokes opportunity in-store with support for facilitating a technology solution for selling recharge of Ladbrokes accounts.

While we do not have a commercial relationship with Ladbrokes or Blueshyft, the platform through which the Ladbrokes service is offered, we have been active in helping newsagents embrace the opportunity and undertake appropriate tracking through their Tower newsagency software.

Tower Systems actively supports newsagents across a range of new business growth opportunities.

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Software support matters to small business retailers

August 12, 2015

2 Min read

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How the Tower Advantage^TM helps businesses like yours

The support offered by Tower Systems to small businesses is different to what is usual. Customers love it and they tell others. This is one reason we have more than 3,000 customers using our POS software including more than 1,900 newsagents using our newsagency software.

From offering faster processing of returns to returns accuracy you can trust, our newsagency software is the genuine industry leader thanks to the votes on 1,900 newsagents.

Support is where we help business owners and employees. Support includes:

Rapid response to support calls.
A professional escalation process should you be unhappy with any response.
FREE weekly live online training workshops.
A weekly email with tips and advice to help you get more form the software.
User meetings in city and regional centres where we can meet face to face for training.
A transparent user-driven process called Software Ideas for considering software enhancements.
More than 130 professional training videos.
FREE bonus one on one training every year – no matter how long you have used the software for.
More than 600 Knowledge Base articles.
Reliable best-practice cloud based backup.
Links to Xero, MYOB and Quicken.
FREE Theft Check service.
FREE Business Performance Analysis service.

You control when new software updates are loaded.

We also offer free marketing resources any retailer can use to market their business.

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POS Software Xero link saves time and money for small business retailers

August 11, 2015

1 Min read

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As an authorised software partner of Xero cloud based accounting, Tower Systems is delivering time and money saving benefits to retailers using its POS software.

We link to Xero ourselves in our own retail businesses using our POS software. This provides us with accountant level experience, experience we are happy to share as part of the support services we provide to help retailers get more value from our software.

Jewellers, bike retailers, gift shop owners, pet shop owners, newsagents, firearms retailers, discount variety store owners and garden centre owners cal all benefit from the Tower Systems POS software / Xero link facility as it is available in channel specific software.

While we do link to MYOB and Quicken, the Xero link is our favourite because of the way Xero operates and how the company itself serves partnerships like ours.

Being able to draw on personal experiences makes a difference in POS software company support.

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Sunday retail management advice: live and be local

August 9, 2015

1 Min read

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Thanks to smart tools in the Tower Systems POS software, our small business retail partners are able to connect with, promote and support local engagement in a variety of valuable and sustainable ways.

We are grateful for the opportunities to help small business retailers engage locally in this way.

From actively supporting local community groups to promoting local events to supporting local suppliers, the Tower Systems POS software is ideal for small and independent retailers who want to pitch a genuine local message.

A successful local connection requires strategic planning and consistent execution. This is where the various facilities in our software can help retailers – we offer multiple touch points and the certainty of consistency. It is a valuable offering on which our retail partners can count.

As part of the Tower Advantage^TM our local credential

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POS software helps small business retailers grow sales

August 8, 2015

2 Min read

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Our sales are up by 15% year on year and I put much of that down to your loyalty software.

This is a real retailer sharing their results for the 2014/15 financial year.

We started using discount vouchers a year and a half ago and in the last twelve months we have seen the biggest sales surge in our history.

A deep analysis of sales and other data shows the valuable extent to which Discount Vouchers are changing shopper behaviour and attracting new shoppers.

We have a point of difference nearby competitors don’t have. We love it.

In this business they call the Discount Voucher a Thank You Voucher. This is one of many benefits in our POS software – retailers can call the vouchers what they want. They also set how the voucher is calculated and the products it can be redeemed for.

Retailers from many channels are growing their businesses thanks to our unique Discount Voucher facilities. retailers implementing them following our advice can do so at no cost to the business. They can bank on a commercial result that will deliver excellent bottom line results.

The Discount Voucher facilities live up to our promise: we’re here to help.

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Supplier relationships strengthened at the Gift Fair

August 3, 2015

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Tower Systems has been using its time at the Melbourne Gift Fairs, at the Showgrounds and the MCEC to strengthen supplier relationships. Over the last three days we have visited with many suppliers discussing even stronger links between them and the retail businesses we serve. The result will time saves for suppliers and retailers, improved business data accuracy and greater mutual support.

Trade shows provide a valuable platform for exploring supplier relationships through which we can better serve our customers. While we are happy to be the leader here, we are surprised other software companies are not participating.

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Listening to POS software customers on the trade show floor

August 2, 2015

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One of the most important activities for service business is listening our customers. This is what we have been doing this weekend at the Melbourne Gift Fair. We have caught up with plenty of users of our POS software. We have been actively listening to feedback on what they love about us and our software and what we can improve.

It is important for any business to put itself in front of customers for this type of interaction. Hiding from them is not good customer service and will multi,lately see more of them flee from you. We do this regularly at trade shows – sixteen this year. We appreciate the opportunity.

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Sunday retail management tip: leverage a point of difference on loyalty

August 2, 2015

1 Min read

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More and more retailers are switching from the old school points based loyalty programs to our discount vouchers. They are finding the vouchers are driving more immediate and more valuable outcomes for retailers – they are driving a better bottom line. We are hearing new success stories daily.

It is thrilling hearing success stories of how businesses have switched from points to $$ loyalty offers. It’s exciting and invigorating hearing of small and independent retailers achieving excellent outcomes for their businesses and knowing that we have played a role in this.

This is our retail management tip today – chase a point of difference, leverage new age discount vouchers and stop using the old points based loyalty offers.

Retailers can call the vouchers what they like. They can also choose how the value on a voucher is calculated and what it can be redeemed for.

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Gift shop software all set for Reed Gift Fair Melbourne

August 1, 2015

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Tower Systems all set to go for the Reed Gif Fair that starts today in Melbourne.

We will have our latest Gift Shop Software on show – packed with business building initiatives and opportunities.

We appreciate this opportunity to help retailers of gifts to grow their businesses.

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Support for #smallbusiness #retail is vital for our POS software company

July 25, 2015

1 Min read

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At Tower Systems we live our support for small business retailers every day from practical help we provide through our POS software to the business management assistance we provide through a host of free resources any small business retailer can access.

The new free small business retail marketing collateral we sent out last week has been a hit with businesses contacting us appreciative of these local targeted resources they can use to promote their businesses.

What does this have to do with POS software? Plenty we say as our POS software helps make retail businesses more efficient and smarter. The marketing resources help them spread their message wider than they otherwise might. The two work hand in hand.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve small business retailers in a variety of ways.

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Why our newsagency software is the best

July 22, 2015

1 Min read

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What makes the newsagency software from Tower Systems the best? Here is our answer:

This is one of our own newsagencies. It is a valuable point of difference.

We have owned and operated newsagencies since February 1996. This has provided us with a live testing ground for innovation not only for newsagents but all retailers.

A software company walking in the shoes of its customers is better resourced to serve those customers than any other software company.

Today, more than 1,900 newsagents use our software. We think this is three times any other.

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Another POS software training video from Tower Systems

July 22, 2015

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We have launched another training video for retailers using our POS software. This new video is not your usual training – no, it highlights a new feature of the software, something fresh for all users. It provides a high level introduction from one of the architects of the new facility. All customers have been provided free access to the video and plenty have viewed it already. We are thrilled for such terrific engagement.

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POS software to shine at Reed Melbourne Gift Fair

July 21, 2015

1 Min read

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POS software company Tower Systems will be showing off its latest gift shop software at the Reed Melbourne Gift Fair in two weeks.

Our involvement is already being promoted in the thick catalogue promoting the fair – sent to all gift shops, suppliers and other retailers in the gift space.

We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this fair again this year. We anticipate learning plenty as well as making connections with many possible new customers as we show off what we do pitch the Tower Advantage^TM.

We are especially excited about some surprises we have to share at this marquee event.

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Helping newsagents grow stronger and healthier businesses

July 15, 2015

1 Min read

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Newsagency software company Tower Systems helps Australian newsagents grow relevant businesses. We do this by helping newsagents use data curated by our software to uncover opportunities.

Our help goes beyond traditional POS software help desk support. We extract data, analyse business performance, look for green shoots and explore with the business owners ideas for leveraging these green shoots for a brighter future.

The help provided to newsagents is specific to each business, based on the evidence we see in the data. It can vary from suggestions through to detailed co-operative business planning.

Many newsagencies today are very different to the businesses of a few years ago. Change is good and necessary and we are grateful for the opportunity to help.

Through our work we are seeing newsagents enjoying 10%, 15% and more year on year growth.

The Australian newsagency lives in a new form.

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Smart POS software helps small business retailers sell Spiderman

July 8, 2015

1 Min read

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Spiderman is a superhero loved by generations. He is more popular today than decades ago thanks to a reinvigorating of the franchise by Marvel.

Retailers using our POS software can track the success of superheroes in their retail businesses. They can do this through a range of views, providing insights beyond what is common in POS software.

The insights can help retailers undertake more finely tuned marketing.

Spiderman, for example, can appeal to a young kid discovering their first superhero as much as he can appeal to a baby-boomer reliving memories of their first Spiderman comic back in the day.

These different customers engage with their fan driven interests in different ways. Thanks to a clever approach to viewing data, retailers are able to treat both interests differently and the same as may be needed from time to time.

This is another smart approach to inventory management from the smart software development team at Tower Systems.

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More POS software training for the new financial year

July 2, 2015

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Tower Systems has kicked off the New Financial Year with the launch of fresh POS software user training opportunities for retailers who partner with us.

The free online new training is genuinely new: fresh, new topics … designed to help retailers get more from their Tower Systems relationship.

Our customers can book in for the free training now from our website. We send an email with instructions on how to get online.

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June quarter newsagency sales benchmark study launched

July 1, 2015

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Tower Systems has invited its newsagency software customers to provide sales data for the June quarter to participate in a comprehensive sales benchmark study on behalf of the entire newsagency channel.

This is another small business service from the company – helping newsagents navigate and enjoy change.

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Helping newsagents deal with News Corp. bundled offers

June 29, 2015

1 Min read

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Tower Systems has been helping newsagents using its newsagency software deal with the new bundled over the counter offers from News Corp.

Our support has included an email to all customers, comprehensive freely available advice on our Knowledge Base, one on one phone calls and individual business email engagement.

Thanks to early warning ages ago from News Corp. about the promotion we were able to fully prepare ourselves and our customer base of close to 2,000 newsagents.

This is the Tower Advantage^TM in action.

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Best practice stocktake advice for small business POS software users

June 25, 2015

2 Min read

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This advice is about the best business approach to undertaking a stocktake. Please refer to other Knowledge base articles on how to actually use the software. All retailers using our POS software have access to our knowledge base.

Please ensure you have the latest version of the Tower Systems Retailer POS software installed prior to undertaking a stocktake.

For the process to be as easy as possible you will need a wireless network – vital for OH&S reasons.

The best way to do a stocktake in your business is by using a laptop (or laptops) or tablet computer with a scanner attached. This enables you to do the stocktake live with no impact on sales and absolute integrity of your stock on hand data.

While using a laptop (or laptops) or tablet computer may seem cumbersome, it is our best practice advice for speed, data integrity and the ability to address data issues you may encounter on the shop floor. It enables you to do management work to ensure completely accurate data.

The alternative is to use a PDE. The challenges with this are the many different PDEs and it is challenging to be expert in all plus the PDE counts at that time and you load the data at a later time – meaning a gap in time in which sales could have been done. While PDE software is available for live to data updates, we have seen this be problematic and so we do not use it.

Given the advances in technology, our best practice recommendation is either a laptop of tablet computer as either offers a better solution than a PDE.

We suggest you setup a Laptop or tablet and use Team Viewer or the like to connect in and count this way. This approach means you do not need to purchase an additional software licence for the laptop. Team Viewer is easy to setup.

For the physical stocktake, we suggest you approach the business aisle by aisle, counting and rearranging stock as you go.

Once you have completed your first full stocktake, our advice is you engage in a rolling stocktake, doing parts of the business, through the year. The Tax Office does not require businesses with full sock control implemented to do a stocktake at the end of the financial year. They will accept data from your system if you manage stock through the year.

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Newsagency software on show at Vic. Lottery Agents Conference

June 21, 2015

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The latest Tower Systems Newsagency Software is on show today at the Lottery Agents Association of Victoria conference in Melbourne. We appreciate the opportunity to be here.

We are thrilled to not only pitch terrific industry-standard software used by three times more newsagents than any other, we are proud to show off a strong and consistent corporate image.

Image is important to lottery agents and to their suppliers. Our software supports the corporate image pitch through a range of customer touch points.

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Sunday retail management advice: use your POS software well

June 21, 2015

1 Min read

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This advice seems simple, obvious – yet it is advice that must good POS software companies repeat daily. Here at Tower Systems we take this seriously we offer advice on how to use the software well, how to run a better business with the support of the software

Going beyond what is traditional in POS software support, Tower Systems helps its customers get more. Here are some of the ways retailers can use their POS software well:

To track everything sold by item detail.
To track all products returned.
To manage gift vouchers.
To run your Lay-By program.
To create order for replenishment stock.
To manage the employee roster.
To track inventory theft.
To track all sales.
To stop employee theft.

This list is just a start on how to use your POS software well. Too many retailers use their software as a glorified cash register and we don’t like that. There are plenty more ways retailers can use their POS software to run more efficient and valuable businesses.

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Small business retailers love the time saved with POS software cloud backup service

June 19, 2015

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The cloud backup service launched last year by Tower Systems is popular with retailers using our POS software. Backups are seamless, not taking any noticeable time thanks to the smart technology. The result is welcome double protection.

While Tower Systems has supported external and automated backup services for years, this new cloud-based service that offers excellent protection to users of our POS software.

Run on a subscription basis and backing up to the cloud real-time through the day, this is a comprehensive replacement of the old end of shift backup approach for small and independent retailers.

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Xero cloud based accounting promotes the Tower Systems POS software

June 18, 2015

1 Min read

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Cloud accounting software company Xero features Tower Systems and its retail management software on the Xero website. This privilege is for software companies which have met compliance requirements set by Xero. Tower Systems achieved this status last year. Since then, we have worked with Xero on communication with small business retailers about the benefits of our Xero integrated POS software solution.

We have plenty of retailers using our software and our automated link to Xero … saving them time and money in the management of their financial records.

We use the Xero live and automated link for our own retail businesses and can speak to the benefits ourselves.

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Good news from a retailer switching to our POS software

June 15, 2015

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Thank you for helping us switch to your software. I had no idea we could do what we are already doing with your software. For years I thought I had a good software program. The time saving alone pays for itself. Thank you.

We love feedback from retailers who switch to us as it encourages us to work even harder at leveraging our point of difference. This latest retailer to switch provided us with comprehensive insights into the weaknesses of the software they have switched from, insights we can leverage in our communication with other retailers in the channel.

Making good POS software is one thing. Guiding retailers to get the maximum commercial value from the software is something else. This is where Tower Systems excels.

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