We are grateful to help the local Aussie newsagency transform
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2 minute read: 3 free things any local retailer can do to compound profit
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3 things any retailer can do to compound profit.
Individually, these strategies work. Done together, the profit value compounds.
- Chase new customers. Serving the same customers is likely to give you the same results. Every day, do something to attract new customers through: a brilliant and different window display, engaging social media posts, a community group connection, a club member fundraiser.
- Maximise gross profit percentage. Buy at the best price you can. Be engaged in how you price what you sell. Every cent matters. Rounding up to .99 is a good start. Pricing based on the value you offer is more important than trying to compete with the cheapest. You’re worth it.
- Drive a deeper basket. Be smart about what you place where in the shop in pursuit of people buying more. At you’re counter and at the busiest points in the shop, make adding things to the purchase easy. Look at what people buy with what and use that to guide product placement. Use smart loyalty tools to disrupt shopper behaviour.
Our Aussie made and supported POS software can help with these three strategies, and more. We help our 3,000+ local retail customers run more successful, enjoyable and valuable businesses.
Find out more:
www.towersystems.com.au
1300 662 957
sales@towersystems.com.au
Tower Systems is not your usual POS software company. We own and run retail businesses where our software is used to maximise value. When we suggest ideas and opportunities too our POS software customers, we have tried them ourselves. We walk in the shoes of our customers in a way that is rare in POS software businesses.
This matters in local small business retail as practical advice matters more than theory. It’s kind of like show, don’t tell. We show how our software works in our diverse portfolio of retail businesses and have done now for more than 26 continuous years. Like we said, we are not your usual POS software company.
In addition to advice and support in how to use our POS software, we provide insights based on customer data for those customers keen for this. Our business analysis and advice services are all part of what we offer here at Tower Systems.
Tower Systems helps more local small business retailers move to scanned based trading
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The Tower Systems POS software has for many years provided a data feed to suppliers to facilitate scanned based trading in situations with which they wish to trade.
As a result of advocacy, we are grateful to offer more scanned based trading opportunities to retailers in our small business POS software community.
What is scanned based trading?
This is a commercial relationship between retailer and the supplier where the retailer pay for products when or at an agreed time in a scheduled way after they are sold.
Scanned based trading can be a game changer for local small business retailers as it frees capital for more useful purposes in their business.
It also focusses the attention of suppliers as their commercial benefits are more acutely tuned to the sales results in the business.
The retailer is no longer responsible for shopper theft in some scanned based trading relationships that we have seen.
Some scanned based trading facilitated through our Tower Systems POS software have resulted in significant growth in retail sales and local business success and, of course, the partner suppliers benefit from this too.
Accessing scanned based trading through the Tower Systems POS software is an easy step for any business. The Tower Systems POS software support team can help retailers with this and our leadership team is ready to engage in advocacy to help local small business retailers convince suppliers to engage.
Success with scanned based trading starts with accurate data shared between retail business and the supplier, and accurate trading at the sales counter. These steps are easy to achieve with the right systems and business practices. Our training and support services help retailers with this.
While scanned based training is not for everyone, we see it successfully run in a host of retail situations across a variety of retail business channels.
Our years of experience in scanned based trading through our POS software offer us a perspective that we are grateful to leverage for our small business retail customers. They are our focus.
Tower Systems is grateful to offer specialised retail POS software for garden centres, sewing shops, music shops, pool maintenance and supply businesses, produce businesses, fishing bait and tackle businesses, firearms dealers, newsagents, pet shops, adult shops, bookshops, jewellers, toy shops and more.
Our customers are local family run businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
POS software for antique stores helps handle the consignment stock and commission GST challenges
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Antique shops are unique businesses, with unique sales management and data tracking challenges.
The Antique store POS software from Tower Systems helps address these challenges while recognising that there is a diverse mix of needs in these businesses.
Take the area of handling the Get on commission earned by the Antique shop when selling an item that is offered on consignment. There is confusion baby some antique shop managers as to how to handle the GST. The advice we follow in our Antique shop POS software is that outlined by the ATO.
The handling of GST in antique shop sales relates to the commission portion.
We come across this in a number of different areas in specially in lotto sales and Jewellery. In these in the agency instances the items are set to be GST free, as the retailer is selling the item on the behalf of another party.
The GST payable on the commission which is incurred when you raise an RCTI to the supplier, not the end customer, as it is them that is paying you for the service, not the customer instore.
The ATO is instructive as to the handling of this:
Agents facilitate sales in return for an agreed amount paid through a commission or similar arrangement.
If you make taxable sales or importations through an agent, you’re responsible for the GST.
You can claim a GST credit for the amount of GST you pay as a commission to the agency. The agent must pay GST on the commission that you pay them, regardless of how the purchaser pays for the goods or services.
Either you or the agent can issue a tax invoice to the purchaser, but you can’t both issue tax invoices for the same sale.
The Antique shop POS software from Tower Systems can handle tracking this GST as well as the sale of the item. There are steps for the retailers to follow to ensure this is done accurately, with an appropriate paper train suitable to the needs of the ATO.
What Tower Systems offers here in its POS software for Antique stores is a specialty retail solution, developed over years of working with retailers.
The more any retail business is able to use its POS software top track business the better as this facilitates accurate record keeping, which sits at the heart of small business success.
Tower Systems helps NSW newsagents handle Back to School vouchers
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We love the Back to School voucher initiative by the NSW state government as it supports families of kids in school, helping them fund vital school related purchases.
Since Tower Systems serves the majority of local small business newsagents around Australia, with many hundreds in NSW, the company has ensured that its local retail newsagent customers know how to accept the NSW state government Back to School vouchers for payment through the Tower Systems newsagency software.
Newsagents have been provided advice on setup in their software to accept the vouchers as well as advice on how to handle a voucher in a customer purchase.
By making it easy for newsagents to accurately and correctly accept and process the NSW state government back to School vouchers, Tower Systems is helping its small business newsagency customers to connect with the government program.
The Tower Systems advice is also useful for shoe shops, uniform shops, bookshops and other local retail businesses eligible for accepting the vouchers as a method of payment.
Setup
You will need to create a payment type for your online vouchers.
- So to Setup –> General –> Payment Types.
- Click Add to create a new payment type
- Enter a name for the new payment type. Use a recognisable name, eg. Service NSW Vouchers
- Select the TYPE as Charge Card. Do NOT use voucher.
- Click Next and then Finish.
Processing the Sale
- Complete the sale to the point of obtaining a Total.
- Click Subtotal or press [F2].
- Access the NSW Govt app and process the voucher.
- Enter the amount of the voucher in the subtotal screen against Service NSW Vouchers.
- Enter any remaining value of the sale against the correct paytype eg. EFTPOS or Cash.
- End the sale.
Tower Systems nationally is grateful to serve close to 1,800 local small business newsagents with its newsagency software. With a national newsagency community of 3,000, Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other software companies serving that channel and while that may sound bratty, it’s not our intent. The Aussie newsagency channel is, from time to time, targeted by slick salespeople making claims. Facts matter. We share our results because they are fact based.
We will help any newsagent in our Tower Systems newsagency software community setup for the NSW state government Back to School vouchers and transact safely and properly with them.
The last thing retailers want then they call the POS software help desk is to speak to someone in an offshore call centre
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There are POS software companies selling into Australia that support their POS software via an offshore help desk.
We think local Aussie and Kiwi retailers want locally based POS software support. Our Tower Systems POS software help desk people work from two countries: Australia and New Zealand, with the vast majority in Australia, where the vast majority of our customers are located.
Here’s why we think local retailers would not want to speak with a POS software help desk located offshore:
- They don’t understand local retail.
- They have no reference point for your type of retail.
- They are less likely to have a conversation and more likely to run you through a structured Q&A script;
- They are likely managed per call, making calls about numbers, and not about customer outcomes.
- They are disconnected from the POS software development team.
- They can’t look out the window and comment on the weather.
- What they are paid does not add to the local economy.
- Offshore help desk employees tend to not have retail experience.
Here at Tower Systems we think local support matters for locally used POS software in the indie small business retail space.
Our help desk is run by people with retail experience, Aussie retail experience. They do not operate with a script. A typical call starts with them listening to your explanation of the reason you called. Next, is two-way conversation, in pursuit of a solution for you. If need be, they will speak to people from the software development side of our business.
Good POS software support is all about understanding the query and core to this is understanding retail and in particular, the specific type of retail – because not all retail is the same.
When you call a POS software help desk, your call is about your business, it is about you. Too often, we hear that offshore POS software help desks are about the software with little consideration given to the retailer business itself.
Retail is personal. Good POS software support is personal. This is what we understand, it’s what our customers tell us matters to them.
While an offshore POS software help desk is considerably cheaper for the POS software company to run, the money saved does not translate as a better situation for the retailers who call.
Here at Tower Systems we are proud to offer a locally based help desk service for the thousands of retailers using our locally developed POS software.
7 ways small business retailers use POS software from Tower Systems to reduce labour costs
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Here are 7 valuable and easy to implement, proven and safe ways retailers are today using our Tower Systems Point of Sale software(POS software) to reduce labour costs in their local businesses:
- Sales counter workflow. In our POS software it is smart, efficient, streamlined and labour cost saving. Best practice too. A competitively run counter can drive business success.
- Match revenue and roster. Focussing on rostering to revenue and revenue opportunity is a challenge for small business retailers. Tools in the POS software from Tower Systems help indie retailers do this with ease and consistency. These are tools retailers love as they can drive revenue reduction and / or labour cost reduction.
- Smart stock control including reordering. By eliminating manual processes around placing orders for replenishment stock, retailers are able to, in one place and at one time, accurately create orders based on business performance data. By ordering based on business activity (sales) the business do working based on success rather than gut feel. A business switching to ordering from within their Point of sale system can expect to free up cash by reducing non-performing stock. This process is further improved through digitally engaged supplier relationships.
- Customer management including accounts and loyalty. Through computer-based customer accounts and loyalty management, the retail business is able to transact with customers accurately, in a timely manner and in a way which puts customers first. Generating monthly customer statements, for example, could take a few minutes whereas manual processes could take many hours and face challenges with accuracy.
- Fact assisted decision making. Too many retail businesses spend too much time spinning their wheels pursuing decisions because they are not using business facts to feed these decisions. All to often we see poor business decisions made based on emotion and or ignorance rather than historical business data. Replace the error prone and fact-less approach with a fact-based approach and a business will soon find that decisions are more right than wrong. Retail businesses can bank on the results.
- Roster integration.
- Online sales. Leveraging existing roistered hours to transact with more revenue can make it more efficient. Through a multiple website strategy, local small retail businesses can use existing space and labour, and even inventory, to drive business efficiency.
These are just 7 of the ways in which our Point of Sale software is helping more than 3,000 small business retailers across Australia to improve the management of their businesses, streamline processes and drive more efficient allocation of labour resources.
Tower Systems is not your usual POS software company. We own and run retail businesses, too. We leverage this personal experience to provide our customers with advice options that may help them get more from their POS software investment than in an average situation.
17 ways POS software from Tower Systems helps small business retailers market their businesses
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There are more than 17 ways local small business retailers can promote and market their local retail shops using the Tower Systems POS software, many more than 17 ways.
But, since we needed a catchy headline for this blog post, we figured we would list 17 for you, because 17 is authentic, and that is what we are, authentic. We are a local Aussie PSO software company that makes and supports POS software for local Aussie retailers.
Let’s get into it. Here are 17 ways local small business retailers can market their shops using POS software from Tower Systems:
- Include a promotional message on receipts. This image, or text, is auto-served, making the passive paper document a sales tool, giving you a good reason to include receipts.
- Send emails to customers based on past purchases.
- Send emails to customers based on timing indicating their next purchase is due.
- Sending emails to groups of customers with common interests inviting them to a shared event.
- Bundling and promoting BOGO, buy one get one free, or similar.
- Running a coffee cards loyalty stamp program but without the stamps. The more people buy, the closer they are to redeeming their free gift or purchase.
- Running discount vouchers that offer cash off the next purchase based on this purchase.
- Bundling kits made of individual items that then look like products unique to your business and therefore pitch you in a different light.
- Sharing product use information thereby adding value to the relationship with your business.
- Shopper loyalty. Old school. Points based. Collect points. redeem. Get stickier with a business.
- Converting loyalty points to vouchers and tending these to shoppers to encourage them to return, and spend.
- Sell online through a seamless Shopify link and through this reach people who do not shop locally near you.
- Manage tracking purchases by local club members encouraging the club and club members to support your business.
- See what sells with what and change product locations in the shop to leverage these data insights.
- Show shoppers using your software what is sourced locally, thereby encouraging local connectivity.
- Replenish so you have stock people want. Empty shelves can’t be sold. Replenishment is a marketing activity.
- Share local product use advice and insights with items you sell so people get more form their use.
We have shared this list as encouragement for any local indie small business retailer considering how they can promote their business.
Tower Systems makes POS software for local small business retailers. Our goal is to help you thrive.
More newsagents migrating to newsagency software rental model
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The newsagency software rental option launched by Tower Systems in late 2019 is now the preferred newsagency software access approach in the channel. We say this based on new rooftop acquisition compared to the old-school approach.
Under this more modern and financially appropriate model, the capital cost is spread over the years of the use of the software rather than through a bulk up-front cost.
There is no credit check and no long-term lock-in contract. Newsagents who sell their business or close can stop paying and that ends the licence. This is one aspect of what newsagents like.
The other aspect newsagents like is that of being part of a large community of newsagents. With more than 1,700 newsagents using this software it is, based on user numbers, the industry standard. Working together, Tower newsagents have been instrumental in setting standards all newsagents benefit from today.
The latest version of the Tower newsagency software was released late in October 2022. This delivered more enhancements that benefit newsagents and other retailers using the software.
Included in the $185.00 (inc. GST) a month rental fee of the Tower Systems newsagency software is:
- Software access on as many computers as you run in the business. There is no per transaction cost, no extra terminal cost and no EFTPOS fee levied by Tower Systems.
- Run in the cloud or on a desktop or tablet computer. You choose what’s right for your circumstances.
- Unlimited licences – on an many computers as you want.
- Help desk access, helping you get the most from this software.
- Software updates as released.
- XchangeIT access for magazine invoices.
- Direct link to Shopify for online selling.
- Direct link to Xero for easy accounting.
Working with community groups.
Using this software, newsagents are able to work with local schools and community groups to offer fund raising opportunities that benefits people in those communities as well as the groups themselves. The approach in the software has been found to be a useful way for newsagents to address the vexed issue of community groups asking for donations.
Mitigating employee and customer theft.
The Tower newsagency software and the team at Tower have been instrumental in newsagents dealing with theft in their business. Early identification of theft is possible with the software thanks to hidden, owner accessible only, tools. These tools have been key in helping police and prosecutors deal with people who have stolen from newsagencies.
In one newsagency, $35,000 worth of theft was uncovered and recovered for the business thanks to the Theft Check service offered by Tower Systems. In another newsagency, long-term systematic theft by a manager helped remote owners confront theft that had cost the business several hundred thousand dollars.
In addition to software tools, Tower Systems offers newsagents theft mitigation advice, including a suggested Theft Policy for a business, which has been found to be key in reducing the opportunity for theft in a business.
Software rental is the future.
These facilities, theft mitigation, newsagency supplier connectivity and more are core to the $185.00 a month newsagency software rental from Tower Systems.
The rental cost is an immediately deductible expense. There is no credit check. It is easy to setup. Many newsagents have embraced it already this year.
You can find out more at www.towersystems.com.au
Helping local small business retailers sell beyond their local shops
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We continue to host regular workshops for local small business retailers on selling online and embracing the opportunity of reaching people outside their usual shopper catchment area.
Last week, our session covered plenty of the practicalities. here’s a video of the session, including the Q&A.
Here’s how we use the POS software we make in our own retail shops in pursuit of value, enjoyment and success
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Tower Systems is a rare POS software company that uses what it makes, in its own shops, to learn, and make better software, and, of course, create more valuable, enjoyable and successful local retail businesses.
late in 2021, we bought an old-school newsagency business in malvern, Victoria. It had been in the same family for 28 years. We are slowly enjoying the business, on a frugal budget, and based on where data take us. here’s a look at how September 2022 has done in this business, where we have leveraged the ideas from the newsXpress newsagency marketing group, which we also own.
While this video was made to demonstrate what newsXpress helps its partner retailers achieve, it also speaks to the value from the Tower Systems POS software.
There is a narrative put about by some POS software companies that they started because they could not find software that suited their needs. We went the other way. In 1996 we bought our first sop to learn, and walk in the shoes of our customers. In the 26 years since, every day, we have experienced value and enjoyment from owning and running retail shops.
Tower Systems is not your average POS software company. We live and breathe retail, and can engage with our customers from a position of experience, empathy.
Our owning and running retail businesses informs decisions we make about our software, how we train our customers and how we support them. It is a whole of business benefit for us and for our customers.
The last thing any retailer wants is a tech person telling them something about retail that’s out of context or disconnected from the world of retail. We make software here at Tower Systems that seeks to integrate with retail in a more meaningful and useful way, and we can do this thanks to our everyday retail experience.
Every person working in our business has retail experience. This matters because when they talk with any of our customers, they can know what it’s like in a shop. The empathy from personal experience makes for a better POS software support experience we think.
We are grateful for the people in the shops we own for their experience and advice helps us make better POS software and provide it with more valuable POS software support.
11 reasons why POS software from Tower Systems is worth considering by Aussie local retailers
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- Aussie made. We make our POS software here, in Australia, for local specialty Aussie retailers.
- Aussie supported. We support our POS software through our help desk team members, who work here in Australia. We have one in New Zealand, too. We have customers in NZ. Everyone on our help desk works for us. We don’t use an offshore help desk.
- Aussie supplier connected. Our POS software connects to many Aussie suppliers through easily loading their stock files, loading their electronic invoices and providing them with sales data for auto replenishment – with these connections all controlled by our retail business owner customers.
- Aussie accounting connected. Yes, we provide data to Xero and MYOB.
- Aussie words used. Terminology matters, especially in local retail. We’re not American software using American terms or UK software using UK terms.
- Real people serving you. Call us, a human answers. Email us, a human answers. no bots. No AI. No offshore call centre. Authentic, like local specialty retailers want.
- We’re retail experienced. We own and run shops and have done for many years. Almost everyone working in our Aussie POS software company has retail experience.
- Our software is for specialty retail, not everyone. That’s right, our software is not right for everyone. By not chasing everyone, we handle the specialist retail requirements that we do handle well, with maturity and depth of functionality.
- 100% local small business focussed. We don’t provide access to our software to mid-size or big retailers. Our focus is 100% on local small business retail. Those are the businesses that matter to us. You will never get lost in the crowd with Tower Systems
- This POS software continues to evolve. We regularly release valuable updates that enhance the capabilities of the software. his year, in 2022 so far, we have released 3 significant updates.
- It covers unique needs. Serial number tracking, dispatch management, selling by fractions, scale integration, serial number tracking, age checking, supplier integration, integrated loyalty … these specialty retail needs are more are core to our POS software.
There are more than 11 reasons to consider POS software from Tower Systems, many more, including facilities it may offer that are unique to your business. You would only know of this match or connection if you look at the software. that’s obligation free. Call 1300 662 057 or email sales@towersystems.com.au and set it up. we’d love to learn about your needs and show what we offer. Then, you can decide if we’re a match.
We will never pressure you.
Have a wonderful day …
7 free marketing tips for local indie small business retail to drive traffic and sales
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Shopping ought to be enjoyable and, preferably, fun. Often it is the experience itself which separates one retail store from another. This is why every retail business needs to devote management and front line attention to delivering a memorable and enjoyable experience.
The pandemic fundamentally changed retailing 2020. These changes prevail today. It’s time we re-awakened the inso-tore experience.
While Tower Systems its a POS software company, we offer retail management advice to our community of local indie small business retailers, advice beyond our POS software itself, advice designed to help our retailers thrive, and have fun.
One way to provide a memorable shopping experience is to have fun – among the sales team and with customers. Here are seven tips for having fun in any retail store:
- Theme days. Embrace an era which with interest your customers. For example, the 1970s. Dress the store and employees in keeping with the 1970s. Have a couple of items on sale at 1970s prices – to connect the theme with a commercial outcome. Get some stories from the 1970s related to products you sell and place these on display boards in the window. Consider a competition for the customer in the best 1970s costume. Other theme days include: school days, foreign country days where you wear traditional dress from a foreign country, crazy hair day and, of course, more theme days around key decades.
- Local sports competition. Fully embrace any major local sporting event, choose a team, dress in their colours and dress the store in their colours. Be unashamedly parochial and show your customers your local support.
- In-store buskers. Find some local musicians you enjoy and who have a repertoire which would connect with your customers and invite them in to play live for your customers. This would bring a vibrancy to the store and provide welcome entertainment for your customers as they shop. The local performers get to reach a new audience and you get to change up the feel of your business.
- Repurposing day. Host an event where customers compete for a prize for the most innovative repurposing of a product you sell. The idea would be that they take something you sell and demonstrate a use for it in a way which is completely different to what the manufacturer expected. There would need to be a rule that the new use is genuinely useful.
- The cutest baby. Invite your customers to bring in a photo of whey they were a baby, the older the better. Stick the photos on a wall and take votes on the best. You could change this up with two photos: as a baby and today and get customers to connect the two. Family members will come in to look at the photos and vote. A local store could get a real buzz with a promotion like this. While there is no obvious direct sales imperative, the traffic and word of mouth should drive good business.
- Stand up comedy in store. Invite local comedians to try out their stand up routines with your customers. While you would need to be careful about content, such an event would show the store supporting local artists and it could bring some fun to quiet retail times.
- Crazy tie day. While this has been done before plenty of times, you could kick it up with an amazing tie display – collect these from local Goodwill stores, invite customers to donate. As with the theme days idea, interact with customers and offer a prize for the best / worst. This tie day ist especially fun given that ties are a thing of the past in business today.
These seven ideas are the tip of the iceberg for in-store promotions. They are designed to kick start your own thinking on engagement ideas that could work well in your situation.
Retail is very much about the shopping experience, especially local indie small business retail. While good customer service and a friendly shopping experience are vital, sometimes it is the wonderful unexpected experience which can get people talking about a business.
Be bold and have fun.
Tower Systems makes software for local specialty retailers, software designed to help you run more successful, valuable and enjoyable businesses. Along the way, we have collected plenty of management and marketing tips. We share them here and in our customer emails from time to time. We hope you find them useful.
ANNOUNCING: Tower Systems announces new free online marketplace for local independent retailers
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Tower Systems is launching www.findit.com.au, a free marketplace for local indie retailers like you. Listing products on FindIt will be free for Tower Systems customers.
Our goal for FindIt is to help customers looking online for items you sell, to drive traffic to your shop.
All Tower Systems POS software customers have access to FindIt for free.
We have built FindIt because of the growing importance of being online to in-store retail, and because some retailers are challenged with creating and running their own website. This is a no cost / low cost solution to help you be found online.
If you do have your own website, you will still be able to list on FindIt if you wish.
Retailers can choose to sell through FindIt, or just list what they have available in-store. If they do sell through FindIt, there is a fee of 10%. This covers Tower for credit card fees and Afterpay fees once that is live. It also covers us for credit card fraud claims. Retailers choose whether to sell through FindIt or not. Again, to list products and have your shop found is free.
We are hosting the website on a large secure and fast server in a remote data centre. We are also doing the backend SEO work to raise the Google profile.
Customers will land on the website from Google. As the ranking of the site increases, products on FindIt will list in Google results. Customers will be able to add items from multiple retailers to a FindIt basket in a transaction.
The FindIt website confirms the order to the customer and provides the retailer with a recipient created tax invoice. Retailers will be able to go to their FindIt vendor panel to download a picking slip.
Retailers choose the price of what they sell – it can be their web price or their retail price. In the Tower Systems POS software, retailers choose whether a product is listed online.
The image for a product will be the first image loaded for a product. If a retailer has a better image than the first one loaded by another retailer, it would take a manual process to change it, a process not currently in place. The same applies to descriptions.
We connect products by barcode. If a retailer generates their own barcode for an item already on FindIt, it will treat that product as a new item.
The price will be the retailer’s price – yes, multiple retailers on FindIt could result in different prices for the same item.
The product description is the key. Our advice on this is to try and think about what someone is likely to type into Google.
Retailers will have the option to be either freight free or charge. If a retailer has product dimensions and have selected to charge freight, the Australia Post plug-in we have will calculate a freight charge. Retailers will also have an option, on their vendor page in FindIt to set a flat freight charge if you wish.
We currently serve over 3,000 local small business independent retailers. Across that eco system there are more than 100,000 unique products. FindIt has the potential to be an important marketplace.
We are around 3 weeks away from launch.
In terms of the launch tho, it will be soft, no major fanfare. We’re taking a Field of Dreams approach … building it in the hope they do come.
This is a new space for us and for our customers. There will be missteps along the way for sure. We will evolve the site based on what we learn from these and from your feedback.
We are excited to help local indie retailers find new shoppers for your business.
Find out more about our Tower Systems POS software at our website, www.towersystems.com.au, where you can also easily watch demonstrations of our software. We only supply independent retailers. Plus, our software is Aussie made and supported.
For a personal demonstration or to discuss your POS software needs:
- sales@towersystems.com.au
- 1300 662 957.
How well does your POS software connect to Shopify?
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We won more new retail customers this week for our POS software because of our beautiful and trustworthy Shopify link.
Our software packages for jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, gift shops, sewing shops, toy shops, pet stores, firearms dealers, newsagents, produce and farm supply businesses, knitting shops, game shops, vape shops, adult shops, music shops, antique shops and charity / op. shops like to Shopify through a direst Shopify link.
It’s a two-way link.
We are a proud Shopify partner.
Our Tower Systems POS software manages the inventory, the text, the images, the videos. Plus, in-store, it transacts the sales. Shopify manages the sales online. And, Shopify and our tower Systems POS software sync – so you always have accurate stock on hand data.
Our Shopify connected POS software is helping many local retailers safely, efficiently and accurately sell online.
We won the business this week from the new clients once they compared the operation of ur link live to what they had using other POS software. This direct comparison resulted in quick decisions given the importance of online sales for their businesses.
I can’t believe how much better this is. You are going to remove a massive pain point for us. The time it’s going to save!
We were thrilled to hear this.
Okay, we know our POS software Shopify integration is good because we use it ourself in a couple of gift / homewares related retail businesses we also own. But it is wonderfully validating when someone using other POS software, well known POS software, shows us where we shine.
We felt pretty good.
But we’re not resting on this. We continue o tune there Shopify integration, just as Shopify themselves tune their own platform. This is what good software companies do. Change is daily, and important.
If you run a physical store and you sell online, the Tower Systems POS software and Shopify integration marriage could be the productivity and performance move you have been looking. We;’d be happy to show it to you free, without obligation. You can make up your own mind.
We are a no-pressure POS software company. Ask for a demo and we’ll give it to you. We won’t call or chase you. We trust local small business retailers to make business decisions in their own time. The last thing they need or want is sales people chasing them.
Now, if you have 50 minutes or so, you could watch this video from one of our Tower Systems POS software experts and one of our own Shopify experts. It’s packed with free advice you could find useful:
Newsagency software helps Aussie small business newsagents compete in a changing retail world
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While retail continues to change apace, the scope and speed of change for retail newsagents is greater for theirs is a marketplace surrounded by change.
There is print media disruption, lottery purchase disruption driving core changes. But it’s more than that.
Tower Systems helps Aussie newsagents with the Tower Systems newsagency software packed with facilities that help newsagents navigate changes, attract new shoppers and help existing shoppers love the business even more.
If you appreciate up to date newsagency software, easy access to live software support, free training and time-saving and mistake-reducing supplier links, Tower Systems could be the software company for you.
With more than 1,700 newsagents using this newsagency POS software it is backed by the industry support and resources key to help ing it continue to evolve, and this matters in a retail channel where change is everywhere.
This locally made and supported software for newsagents offers plenty, including:
- Exclusive greeting card reporting Embedded in our software is category / segment level reporting that newsagents are using to grow card sales 25% and more. That’s money in the bank.
- You can bank on loyalty. Our fresh and successful approach to loyalty can help you drive a deeper basket and bring people back sooner.
- Safe decisions make for a better P&L. From data feeds from suppliers through to Xero, we help you nurture data for the safe decisions.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you sell to people you will never meet. We develop websites for newsagents.
- Easily accessed personal service. A key reason 4 times more newsagents have chosen Tower than any other software is customer service. We are here for you, with you, every day.
- Current software. Current technology. Fresh, current design.
What newsagents need in their software now is fundamentally different to a year ago. You need software that is evolving from a company strong enough to support you when you need it.
We do all the important newsagency stuff in our newsagency software like XchangeIT, links with Nine (Fairfax) and News and Are Direct and XchangeIT. We have worked with TLC/Tabcorp on changes they wanted to implement as well as with GNS, ACCO, the federal government cashless card, greeting card companies and a raft of others.
We handle unique needs too such as website integration, more supplier connections and awesome marketing tools through which you can differentiate your business and attract new shoppers.
Being able to expand into new product categories can help you attract new shoppers and grow overall business GP%. Our experience in multiple specialty retail channels helps leverage opportunities.
Being able to sell from anywhere is critical. We have seen newsagents grow their businesses by engaging at local markets and on the road. Our new and exclusive Retailer Roam product is portable POS software made for this. It’s in the Apple App Store now.
Being able to get customers spending more and bringing them back sooner is also critical. Our discount voucher solution, launched in 2013, is now used in hundreds of newsagencies with many success stories. Better than points and easily understood by shoppers, this loyalty solution is next gen.
Being able to reduce dead stock is vital. This starts with buying better, which flows from fact driven conversations with suppliers.
Being able to cut labour costs without cutting revenue is essential. Our data insights help you do this with confidence. Our newsagency retail experience using our own newsagency software in our newsagency businesses offers you practical advice.
Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other POS software companies combined. It’s not a brag, even though we know it might read that way. We are sincerely grateful to the many who have switched to us already in 2022. Their faith in us is genuinely appreciated.
Even though we are big, our service is personal. Our customers get to know our team members and like that they can speak directly with us, including our leadership team.
As you work on your business to make it more valuable to you, we’d love to help. Our connections to the newsagency channel go beyond our software. We own the newsXpress newsagency marketing group and we own and run three newsagency businesses ourselves. We walk in your shoes.
The Tower Systems newsagency software costs $185.00 a month to rent. For on as many computers as you need in the business – no extra cost per computer.
Beyond the software, here are features of a relationship with Tower Systems…
- We are local. Local matters in local communities. Tower Systems is Australian owned, developed and supported. Call us and a human answers the phone.
- Our training is personal, in your business. We think people learn better from face to face training.
- Unlimited free training.Long after you install the software, ask for free top-up training and all we will organise it.
- New customer care. All new customers have a separate specialist team with which they connect, to ease settling-in.
- Customers guide our software enhancement. We offer a transparent, democratic, process for guiding software update content.
- Newsagency business specific. This software is developed for your type of business.
- In the cloud or in-store. You choose where the software runs.
- Rent or buy. You choose how to acquire and fund the software.
- We help with business performance analysis and theft checks, services where we take a deep dive into your data and provide confidential insights.
- Every customer has the direct contact details for our leadership team for easy and safe escalation of any query.
- No pressure. You buy when you are ready.
- Retail group engagement. Groups and members of groups have opportunities for group level customisation website sales and more.
- It’s personal. Retail is personal. This is why we prefer to train you in your shop. Yes, we said this above. We say it again as it is a differentiator.
Tower Systems is not an average POS software company. We are a small business, indie business, focussed POS software company developing software in Australia and New Zealand for Australian and New Zealand based specialty retailers.
Watch a free behind the scenes workshop on Shopify and the POS software data flow.
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Here at Tower Systems we make and support POS software for local indie specialty retail and we make and support POS software connected Shopify websites. Two of our Tower Systems web dev and POS software experts got together for a conversation in which they offer advice and insights to retailers keen for a Shopify site connected to our specialty retail POS software.
Tower Systems is proud to serve 1,700+ local Aussie newsagents
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Advice on connecting your POS software to Shopify and taking your indie retail business online
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Inspiring indie retail in Cold Spring, New York.
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I got back Friday last week from a leading a group of Aussie indie retailers on a retail study tour to New York and Los Angeles. We primarily focussed on local indie retail, retail relevant to our local indie retail businesses here in Australia.
We spent a day in Cold Spring, in upstate New York. Today, I shot a short video in which I share some takeaways from this visit to one of the best local retail towns in the US. Scroll down to see the video, or use this link: https://youtu.be/Gu1_W64rzCU
My name is Mark Fletcher. I own Tower Systems. We make POS software for local specialty retail. We also run and operate 4 shops in Melbourne in the gift / homewares / collectibles spaces as well as 7 online shops. We understand the challenges of being small and local, and we have built into our software tools to help you thrive.
Cheers,
Mark Fletcher
M | 0418 321 338 E | mark@towersystems.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
Australian cloud based POS software helps Aussie retailers thrive
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The Tower Systems cloud based POS software is helping local Aussie retailers be more competitive, efficient and happy. This is what smart technology does for retailers: improves the bottom line, the workplace and the value of the business to all involved.
Tower Systems has offered cloud based POS software for more than 10 years now. The software has continued to evolve as tech has evolved, to make its cloud based POS software current standard tech for local small business retailers.
From a fully hosted solution through to a self hosted cloud POS software solution, what Tower Systems offers retailers is choice. This gives small business retailers the ability to be flexible in terms of their approach to cloud hosted POS software.
With our full service cloud hosted option we cover everything, shielding retailers from the tech, updates and more. They can concentrate on making the software sing for their businesses and their customers.
We have single local shops using our cloud hosted POS software solution and groups with 5, 10 and even more shops using our cloud hosted POS. We are happy to share these details so that you can see if being cloud hosted is the right choice for you.
Our POS software can be run on a local PC or in the cloud. You can choose the right approach for your business.
With the cloud based option, you can choose to be hosted anywhere you prefer or you can go with our full-service hosted option.
We have plenty of customers in each scenario – running locally, self hosted for multiple locations or hosted by us in a full service model.
Big tech companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing the term cloud. They have done this because they know buzzwords sell. The reality is, your software has to run somewhere. It has to be maintained. Whether it is running on computers in your business or in the cloud, the costs are not that different. The key difference is one approach feels sexier than the other, because of the marketing.
Tower systems offers local retailers choice when it comes to where and how our POS software is run. Do your homework and work out which of the options best serves your situation.
Newsagency software link to The Lott for lottery sales data saves time and cuts mistakes
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Since Tower Systems launched its link to lottery ticket sales from terminals by TheLott in newsagencies to its 1,700+ newsagency software customers, the uptake has been terrific.
Newsagents love this integration and here’s why, here are the best fits newsagents love:
- Saves time.
- Eliminates manual processes.
- Reduces mistakes.
- helps the business make more money.
- makes balancing the register at the end of the day easier.
- Reduces stress.
The Tower Systems newsagency software is the industry standard software for newsagents with more newsagents using this than all other newsagency software combines. Were are proud and humbled to be in the position and to have held it in service of newsagents for many years.
Our situation has increased through 2022 with close t0o 40 newsagents installing our software. This is some number. We are so grateful.
Here is a small glimpse into what the Tower Systems newsagency software offers newsagents:
- Exclusive smart card reporting Embedded in our software is category / segment level reporting that newsagents are using to grow card sales 25% and more. That’s money in the bank.
- You can bank on loyalty. Our fresh and successful approach to loyalty can help you drive a deeper basket and bring people back sooner.
- Safe decisions make for a better P&L. From data feeds from suppliers through to Xero, we help you nurture data for the safe decisions.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you sell to people you will never meet. We develop websites for newsagents.
- Easily accessed personal service. A key reason 4 times more newsagents have chosen Tower than any other software is customer service. We are here for you, with you, every day.
- Current software. Current technology. Fresh, current design.
But, this barely scratches the surface. This is newsagency software that does so much more.
We are grateful to be able to offer a rental pricing option that makes our newsagency software available for $185.00 a month. For this you get…
- Australian developed and supported newsagency business software.
- Software updates as we release them.
- Unlimited licences for your retail location. If you need an extra computer, there is no extra software cost.
- Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software.
- Xero link. Easing bookkeeping costs and streamlining accounting.
- Our OzBiz link. This helps you link to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
- Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
- PC Eftpos link. This offers easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
- Easy buy now pay later thanks to Zip Pay and Humm – that Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X and others are using more and more.
- Support – help desk access, unlimited training, updates and more.
- User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.
Tower Systems serves newsagents in every state and territory of Australia.
Small business retail advice: make every day your pay day
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This is advice we first shared many years ago. We have updated it, made it more 2022 and beyond relevant.
Not wanting to be too proud, we think this is the best advice we could give any local small business retailer as it focuses you on what matters most – nurturing daily value from your business for today, and for when you decide to sell the business.
Everyday in local retail it can feel challenging, busy, attention distracting and demanding. Local small business retail is tough, competitive and consuming.
Our advice for local small business retailers in this article is practice, everyday, straightforward. It is advice any local small business retailer could follow without needing a business degree, bags of spare capital or a huge team to manage execution in-store.
This is fundamental advice, code advice. It’s like getting out of bed in the morning, showering, brushing your teeth, getting dressed. this advice is as basic and fundamental as eating and treating. And, while that sounds dramatic, it is what it is, good advice that every local small business retailer could benefit from.
So, here it is:
Retail business advice: make every day your pay day.
There was a time when small business retailers could rely on selling their business for a handsome increase on the price they paid thereby providing a good pay day, when businesses sold for a good multiple of net earnings. This was a time when retailers would focus on the sale of their business being their payday.
No more. Today, the best way to extract value from local retail businesses is to make every day your pay day, to not rely on your pay day being the day you sell the business.
By this we mean make the most you can today, so that tomorrow is valuable. It’s a small target approach. A narrow approach. That’s at the heart of this … that today is what matters most to you today. In every decision, every action. It’s why this is about making every day you payday. because it is an every day thing. Like we said at the start, like eating and breathing.
The challenge is how do you do this?
It starts with the mindset of every day being your pay day. Every decision needs to be considered in this context.
Here are some suggestions for making every day your pay day:
- Find new customers. New customers are the future lifeblood of any retail business. if you are not attracting new shoppers, you are treading water. Every day there should be an action designed to reach people who do not currently shop with you. It could be a social media post, a stunning front window display or engagement with a local event. Do something, have it planned as part of a regular action. Always, every day, chase new customers.
- Charge more every time you can. Look at what you see and your approach to mark-up. Consider why people buy from you, and not somewhere else. If there is a factor, such as convenience, that enables you to charge a little more. Considering what you charge is not a blanket approach, not something you rush at. Take your time. Look at part of the business in fine detail and consider whether a small increase could help you achieve more. Also, loyalty programs such as discount vouchers, bundling into hampers, multi buys such as 2 for 3 and other opportunities enable you to do this by blocking price comparison. You can stop price being a consideration.
- Get people buying more each visit. What you place with what can encourage people to buy more than what they intended. Unpacking and pricing new goods on the shop floor can get people noticing and buying things they did not visit today to buy. Look in your data at what sells with what. Often that can reveal opportunities. Too often, retailers think placing things at the counter drives a deeper basket and while it does, there are other things you can do in-store to drive this.
- Run with the leanest roster possible. Just about every retail business we review has capacity to lower labour costs. Trimming the roster can come at a cost for the owners – putting in more hours. There are other ways to enable trimming the roster. Be smarter. If there are things you can cost-effectively automate, do that. If you can adjust opening hours to better fit when sales occur, and same some labour costs, do that. If you can save an hour a day with owner time on the shop floor, do that.
- Stock what sells. This may sound obvious, because it is. But, in many retail businesses we look at, they do not stock what sells. Analyse your business data. Know not only the products that sells, but the types of products. If you think something is a success, go to the evidence to see if it is. Too often we can’t find evidence supporting a feeling that something is successful. Your data can guide your buying so that you stock more of what sells.
- Bring people back sooner with a thoughtfully calibrated loyalty offer that funds itself, and drives value. Every retail business needs a core action designed to bring people back. A timed loyalty offer, which expires, is a good way to do this.
- Have your best people working the floor, helping customers spend more. Today, retail is not about may I help you. Rather, it is about engaging with the products and subtly showing them off, like theatre.
- Have stunning displays that attract people from outside the shop. Stunning displays are the unexpected, the must-see, the magnets that people notice and stop. Anyone can create these. It starts with thinking about what could be unexpected and then being bold with that seed of an idea.
- Have compelling displays in-store that encourage people to browse beyond their destination purchase. In-store displays need to be about showing people what they can engage with. these displays are for people to see themselves or those they are buying for.
- Always have impulse offers at high traffic locations.
- Buy as best you can. Take settlement discounts where possible. Pick up supplier offers. never pass on your better buying to customers, unless it suits for some event you are running. Oh, and with this advice about buying – only do it for items you know you will sell for buying product at a discount and having it on the shelves too long is too much of a cost for the business.
- De-clutter. Sometimes the best way to be able to see your business and what it can do is for you to have less to look at. This means getting rid of dead stock, dead fixtures, dead corners of the shop. Always be trimming, cleaning and looking.
- Change. Every day in your shop change something. Get known as the shop that is never the same. This can be a reason to visit for some shoppers. If you run a set-and-forget business that rarely changes, you give people a reason to walk on by. So, everyday, make a change or two. Encourage your team members to suggest changes. By moving a small stand from one part of the business to another could get it noticed and boost sales.
- Stop all busy work. It is easy in a local small business retail setting to get caught up in back office work and while some office work is vital, too often it can be work for the same of work. For example, one retailer used ton take their daily numbers and enter them in a spreadsheet for analysis when, in fact, their POS software provided even better reporting than the spreadsheet offered – they have never thought to use that. In another case, the business owner banked everyday as they liked the walk. but, it took an hour by they time they chatted to people and while sometimes it was good for them to do it, doing it every day, 5 hours a week, came at a cost to the business.
- Be cleverly frugal. When you are considering spending money, think on it, think about the value for the business from the spend. The money you spend has a cost. today and in the future. Think about the return you could get and the speed of the return. Have some checks and balances in spending decisions to slow them down.
Be responsible for the profitability of your business. Don’t blame your suppliers, your landlord, your employees or some other external factor … it all comes down to you – the decisions you make and the actions you take.
By making every day your payday you bring focus on what matters today and whatwnll matter when you’d decide to sell your business.
If you relentlessly pursue profit with a clear focus you are likely to see profit grow. That’s better than waiting to make money when you sell because that’s less likely to happen in this market.
Doing all this relies on your measuring the performance of your business. The Tower Systems POS software helps with this. It is easy.
My name is Mark Fletcher. I am the owner of Tower Systems. I also own 4 retail shops and several online businesses. Every day here at Tower Systems we live what we say, in our software company and in our shops. We make mistakes, and learn from them. It’s some of those mistakes that got us thinking about this, about the approach of making every day your payday.
While our core mission is to grow the customer base for Tower Systems, we know that key to achieving this helping retailers. Plenty of the help we provide is not software related. While, for sure, our software can play a role, the real focus is on how, when and where local retail; business decisions are made, and that is a reason we share this and other advice at this POS Software News Blog.
In sharing this advice we demonstrate a care for local small business retail and a transparency as to the advice and help we provide.
Today is August 1. It’s a new month. A good day to start on this mission of making every day your payday.
Easy and fast setup POS software for Australian retailers
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Retailers who want to get up and running with good POS software quickly have a solution in Tower Systems.
We help retailers get live with smart POS software quickly in their businesses.
You can sign up today and be transacting today, that to our smooth, fast and professionally supported POS software ramp-up opportunity.
We help retailers across a range of retail channels with awesome POS software. Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, sewing shops, pet shops, newsagents, gift shops, fishing and outdoors shops, produce businesses, firearms dealers, antique shops, charity shops, bookshops … and more.
The easy POS software setup road is smooth, safe and ready for local small businesses to get live with awesome Aussie made and supported POS software.
Our installation, training and setup professionals are in-house, they work for us, helping you. We don’t use third party companies. We don’t tell you to find someone for yourself to setup the software and train you.
Good POS software companies do do this themselves, working with you, helping you, encouraging you and guiding you to get live with the new POS software as quickly as you want. Yes, you can work at the pace that best serves your needs.
The fast setup and go-live pathway for the Tower Systems POS software helps businesses that need it now, need to be live today, need to be transacting sales right away. All of us here at Tower Systems will do our best to make this happen for you, to satisfy your needs and make what you ant and need a reality in the way you want.
While our POS software is off the shelf, and available to rent for a few dollars a day, it is very flexible. This is why we guide you in terms of systems settings and setup, to help you make sure the software is tuned to meet the needs of your business. Yes, the off the shelf software can work differently in different retail businesses.
If you need good POS software up and running in your shop quickly, talk to the team at Tower Systems and find out if this software serves your business needs. You can see demonstrations of the software at our POS software YouTube channel. You can call our sales team on 1300 662 957. or, you can email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.
We won’t chase you or push you or drive you to make a decision. What you decide, when you decide it and what happens from there is 100% up to you. This is how Tower Systems operates. We offer a smooth and certain road towards getting live with our POS software – if that’s the software you choose for your local retail business.
The software itself is comprehensive and tailored for each of the marketplaces in which it serves. But, at its core, this POS software offers access to a range of loved benefits, including:
- Say goodbye to LayBy With our buy now pay later options.
- Customers will love your product use and care instructions on receipts.
- Make more money offering special orders that you can easily track from the counter and notify shoppers by email or text when the goods arrive.
- Get one-time-only shoppers spending more with an awesome and differentiating loyalty facility.
- Sell online easily, direct from your POS software.
- Bring customers back with reminders on dates important to them.
- Save money on bookkeeping by integrating with accounting software.
- Make more money from the one time only shoppers.
- Save time, load electronic invoices from suppliers.
- Cut mistakes with integrated EFTPOS.
This is software that handles, easily and if you need:
- Selling by touch button, barcode scanning or product code entry.
- Selling by fractions.
- Selling by weight – this software is government approved for scale integration.
- Creating barcodes for items that don’t have a barcode.
- Tracking the location of a box for an item.
- Tracking products baby serial number if they have them.
- Tracking customer details when appropriate and if you want.
- Comparing supplier performance.
- Seeing what’s not working in the shop.
- seeing opportunities for growth in the shop.
There are so many options in this POS software, ways you can make selections in the software to do more, as the business needs. here is a Q&A covering some of these specialty needs.
Can you pass on hazardous good information? Yes, you can load files, images, documents or PDFs for products (information sheets, advice, notices) and have them automatically included in emailed receipts.
We sell on the road, is there a mobile version? Yes, our Retailer RoamTM option is perfect for selling from anywhere.
Does the software work with and easily load supplier provided electronic invoices? Yes, many across a range of specialty retail channels.
Can you manage breaking up bulk product and selling at smaller quantities? Yes, you can receive product in bulk and break it into smaller selling packs.
Can you manage creating your own custom products using multiple products whilst keeping track of qty on hand figures? Yes, you can take a number of items, mix them and then bag up your own product made from them.
Can you set specific pricing for special groups of customers ie trade customers? Yes.
Can you manage quotes? Yes, you can create quotes and then turn them into sales if they proceed.
Can you manage deliveries? Yes, the software has a couple of ways of doing this.
Will the system print picking slips for local deliveries? Yes.
Are the stock labels the system produces weatherproof? Yes, as long as you purchase our weatherproof label stock.
Can you handle repairs and servicing of machinery like mowers etc? Yes, repairs facilities included with the software track repairs, parts used, labour used and advising the customer the item is ready to collect.
Can you reach back out to customers you remind them of previous seasons they purchased in?Yes, you can select customers for marketing past on a range of criteria, including past purchases.
Does the system handle account customers? Yes, you can setup and manage customer accounts.
Does the system produce invoicing and statements? Yes, these can be printed or emailed.
Can I offer a special price to members of a club? Yes.
Can I share local information such as local or seasonal information? Yes, on receipts.
Can I remind customers about equipment servicing? Yes.
The Tower Systems POS software is mature yet fresh. The visual appeal of the software is loved by many thanks to the design refresh just rolled out. This, along with significant under the hood enhancement, provides access to software that goes much further than you may see in other POS solutions.
The challenge, though, is how do you choose the POS software that is right for your business. Our advice is take your time, do your homework, know your needs before you talk to any software companies. What you need is what you need. It is vital that you know what you will compromise on, and what you will not.
Choosing the right software for your jewellery shop can be easy if you follow some simple steps: be sure of what your business needs; understand the value of this to your business; and, remain focused on the business outcomes important to you.
It is easy for professional software sales people to confuse you along the way. This can be avoided is you stick to the three simple steps. Some sales people need to be reminded that this is your choice and that you will choose the system which is right for your business.
While we could write thousands of words on how to go about determining your needs and preparing an appropriate specification document, the reality for many independent jewellery retailers is that this is not appropriate. Instead, we recommend a single sheet of paper approach. Yes, old-school. It’s easy and achievable by business people of all skill sets.
So, take out a sheet of paper rule a line down the middle. On the left hand side, note down the requirements of a computer system which you consider will be unique to your business. What is it you do which you feel not many other jewellery retailers would require? Do you put extra emphasis on ease of use? Will your business need comprehensive support? How important is securing your database and business information? Do you operate off a non standard markup policy? Do you handle repairs internally, externally, or both?
Most good Point of Sale systems have common functionality in the traditional areas of selling, printing receipts, handling customer accounts, managing discounting and reporting on sales. It is in the ‘fringe’ and use of use where you will find differences and these often are differences in businesses as well.
In creating this list of functions and facilities which are unique to your business consider these questions:
- How computer literate are your people?
- How do you handle Lay Bys? Is your approach common?
- Do you have a loyalty program and if so is it unique to your business?
- What needs do you have that you think may be unique?
- Do you sell by fractions?
- Do you need a seamless and direct link to selling online?
- Do you have a need to compare the performance of multiple suppliers in a specific department?
- Do you wish to compare staff sales results and process commissions accordingly?
- How do you market to existing customers and would use your software to help?
Next to each of your requirements, and they have to be your requirements and not a cut and paste of the list above, be sure to note the amount of time you spend with current systems and processes. This could be the amount of time you save by purchasing another system.
There are many other business specific questions and requirements you could consider. The list above is provided to stimulate your thoughts about the specific needs you have in your jewellery shop.
It may be that your needs are not covered in any existing system. This is when you need to decide on whether the cost of NOT having access to these needs being covered is worth the considerable saving of going with an off the shelf system.
On the right hand side of the paper, note down what is important to you in the software company from which you purchase your software. These points ought to be the must haves without which you will knock out a business. For what it’s worth and based on many years serving small businesses similar to yours, here are my suggestions for this list:
- They own the software. That is, you are purchasing from the company which develops the software. There is nothing worse than buying through an agent who does not have easy direct access to the software developers.
- The software is regularly updated.
- Training. The system is provided with training by the company itself. Too many software companies nowadays contract training out or do not provide training. This provides an opportunity for them to point the finger if there are later support issues.
- Easy support access. They support your business by investing seriously in their support. 24/7 telephone software support is available.
- User meetings. Make sure there are opportunities for you to meet , probably online via Zoom, with the leadership team of the POS software company. Have them show you how the voices of their customers are heard and responded to.
- Enhancement suggestions. Make sure that the software company has a mechanism for you making your enhancement suggestions known to them. This demonstrates that your opinions really do matter.
Once you have this sheet of paper you are almost ready to start looking at software systems.
Take some time to get together copies of all the key documents you use. You will need to compare these with what any POS system you consider offers. This includes receipts, orders, reports and especially any spreadsheets you work on to manage the business.
You are almost ready to look at possible systems. First up, compare the websites of the companies you are considering. Be sure to assess the ease of navigation of the websites, the professionalism and speed. These are all indicators of the software the companies sell.
When you are ready, arrange the demonstrations. Book these for your shop so that the sales people can see your business first hand. If they offer you a demonstration copy of the software say no as this is a lazy way to sell, leaving you to do all the work.
If you are looking for POS software for your business, take your time, do your research, choose software that serves your needs.
Tower Systems is a full service POS software company. We make what we sell. We support it. Our software is regularly enhanced – and we rely on suggestions from our customers for plenty of enhancements. We are specialist, too. Take a look, for example, at what we offer pet shops in our pet shop software:
- Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
- Easy special customer orders. Smart tracking and customer notification.
- Make money from pre-orders – Easily pre-sell before release.
- Community group pricing. Set pricing rules based on customer type.
- Easy record keeping: pet microchip tracking.
- Recall customers based on worming and other needs.
- Business differentiating loyalty. Stand out from the crowd. Drive sales.
- Differentiate with bundles. Make price comparison hard.
- Say goodbye to LayBy – with integrated buy now pay later options.
- Market to customers based on past purchases.
- Cut accounting and bookkeeping fees with integration to Xero and others.
- Easily sell online with a direct to Shopify link from your POS software.
We tell retailers to love their shop as much as their customers love yotheirr pets. Here are 6 ways this pet shop software helps achieve this.
- Easy small wins. The one-percenters make a business. This pet shop software is packed with one-percenters, helping you to small wins in efficiency, add-on purchases, smarter buying and more.
- Healthier pets. Pet owners will love your reminders about a treatment that is due. They will also love that you treat their pets as a member of the family. You will love that this software makes it easy.
- Hands off. Every keyboard click has a cost and could be a mistake. Look at your last Kongs invoice and reflect on the time it took to process. Imagine importing an accurate electronic version in seconds.
- Standing out from the crowd. While dog breeds are judged to a set of strict standards, in retail being different matters. When it comes to loyalty, we help you stand out, be noticed and be loved.
- You are the difference. When it comes to pet food and other items that make up the bulk of your revenue, standing out from the crowd can be a challenge. The thing is, you and your people are the difference. This software helps you shine a light on that.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A smart and seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you easily and with low overhead sell to people you will never meet.
This is an example for the pet shop software from Tower Systems. Each marketplace is as fine-tuned and targeted in terms of software function as this.
Tower systems is here to help local specialty retailers achieve more with their POS software, and we can do this with our fast go-live approach, if that is what you want.
Grateful for editorial coverage in The Channel
G
The latest issue of The Channel magazine features Tower Systems and our newsagency software again. This article talks about how newsagents are embracing the rental of newsagency software.
While we have offered rental in specialty retail marketplaces since mid 2019, newsagents have been slow, preferring to purchase the software. But all that changed just over a year ago with all since renting the software, and loving it.
This is software made specifically for newsagents, connected to newsagent suppliers and leveraging newsagency specific facilities.
This newsagency software comes with awesome loyalty facilities made for local small business retail settings, made for you. Plus …
- Exclusive smart card reporting Embedded in our software is category / segment level reporting that newsagents are using to grow card sales 25% and more. That’s money in the bank.
- You can bank on loyalty. Our fresh and successful approach to loyalty can help you drive a deeper basket and bring people back sooner.
- Safe decisions make for a better P&L. From data feeds from suppliers through to Xero, we help you nurture data for the safe decisions.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you sell to people you will never meet. We develop websites for newsagents.
- Easily accessed personal service. A key reason 4 times more newsagents have chosen Tower than any other software is customer service. We are here for you, with you, every day.
- Current software. Current technology. Fresh, current design.
Our newsagency software costs $185.00 a month to rent. For on as many computers as you need in the business – no extra cost per computer.
There is no extra charge for support or updates. It’s all included.
We are a well-resourced company:
- Newsagency specific. Our software is made by us for newsagencies.
- Our software can help you evolve your business.
- We fight for you. Beyond our software, we help every day.
- Our software evolves. We update regularly. You choose when to load.
- We own newsagencies. Yes, we walk in your shoes.
- Easy access support. Personally, on the phone, from Australia.
- You are listened to. We are grateful for software change suggestions.
- Free training. Long after you install our software.
- Business management insights. Helping you get more from your data.
- Tower Systems will not leave the newsagency channel.
In addition to newsagency software, we also develop websites in Australia for Australian newsagency businesses, helping you get online.
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