The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

CategoryPOS Software

How to setup LayBys in the POS software form Tower Systems

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LayBys are popular in local small business retail and Tower Systems offers a terrific LayBy solution in its POS software for local specialty retailers.

Here is a short video from our training library showing how our retailers can set LayBys in their Tower Systems POS software,

How to convert a PDF invoice into a CSV file for easy POS software import

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Tower Systems offers help to local small business retailers to help them save time and money. We do this through training, written advice and easy to access and follow video advice.

A couple of weeks ago we shared with our small business retail POS software customers this video on how to convert a PDF file to a CSV file that can be imported to our POS software.

By converting the PDF invoice to a CSV file the retailer saves time, improves data accuracy and helps the business have a better handle on business performance.

Tower Systems is grateful for the opportunity to help retailers convert PDF invoices into CSV files foe EDI import into POS software

We also connect with many suppliers for importing electronic invoices and more, making importing invoices easy and fast. But some suppliers have challenges implementing this. hence, this solution for converting a PDF invoice into a CSV file.

This snackable video is one of many offered to all of our POS software customers. We produce the regularly and share them in our email and print newsletters, and as part of our video training curriculum.

We are grateful to local small business retailer customers for their feedback on these videos as that informs our weak developing more useful training and support solutions.

Where to buy receipt rolls, barcode labels and other stationery for retailers using POS software

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Tower Systems offers easy access to quality POS hardware suppliers, POS receipt rolls, POS labels and more through its consumables POS hardware and supplies online shop.

Anyone can shop at the online Tower Systems POS software stationery shop, regardless of the POS software you use.

Shopping for receipt rolls, barcode labels, barcode printer ribbons, barcode scanners, POS computers and more is easy at the Tower Systems online shop.

The website is totally self-serve with easy access, helping retailers stay on top of their stationery and POS consumable requirements. Each product page has good information on the product to enable you to decide if it is right for your business needs.

Online at this POS supplies, hardware and stationery shop, retailers can purchase plenty of items, including:

We know that retailers want reliable printer ribbons, barcode labels, receipt rolls and more for the safe and easy running of their business. We do our best to ensure that we have what people need, when they need it and to a quality that they can trust to provide good customer service for threat local retail businesses.

The Tower Systems POS stationery and consumables shop offers 24/7 shopping access to hardware, printers, barcode labels, receipt printers, receipt rolls POS hardware computer terminals and specialty POS stationery and other supplies.

You can pay by credit card, including American Express as well as Afterpay, Zip and more. we make it easy to choose what you need, pay and then organise shipping.

The Tower Systems POS software stationery, hardware and barcode label shop also makes it easy for retailers to purchase POS software training.

Buying receipt rolls, barcode labels, printer ribbons and other POS software consumables is easy through this Tower Systems retailer services website. We offer this as part of our one stop service for local small business retailers, to help them have the stock of what they need on time to serve that need.

We do so at a modest cost, using products and offering products that we use ourselves in our own retail businesses.

In terms of our POS software, here are the retail marketplaces we cover:

Here’s what’s included in the monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.

What is Point of Sale (POS) software and how is it useful for independent retail businesses?

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Point of Sale software is software that helps retailers transact sales, manage inventory, manage employees, manage supplier relationships, manage online sales and more.

In truth, good Point of Sale software is financially rewarding and valuable to small business retailers. This is especially true for specialty software designed to serve the needs of niche retail businesses.

Tower Systems develops specialty retail software for niche retail channels. This is all we do, serve the needs of thoughtfully selected retail channels. We dive deep into their needs, the needs of their suppliers and the needs of their customers. This is evident in our Point of Sale software for each of the specialty marketplaces in which we serve.

Developed in Australia for independent small business retailers in New Zealand and Australia, the various versions Tower Systems POS software are each specialty software for specific market niches.

Tower Systems serves: garden centres, jewellers, bike shops, pet shops, fishing and outdoors shops, firearms businesses, produce and farm supply businesses, games shops, newsagents and adult shops. In each of these retail channels, Tower Systems offers Point of Sale software specific to the needs of retailers in each channel.

Just as local retail businesses promote their point of differences to local shoppers, Tower Systems promotes its points of difference, that is that we offer software specific to the needs each retailer in each channel.

Let’s look at this more deeply. Take our bike shop software. In this software we offer bike retailers facilities developed specifically for bike retailers, facilities such as retail sale, shopper loyalty engagement, management of repairs, follow-up of warranty services and the easy, safe and accurate connection with suppliers to enable more commercially astute engagement.

Each of our retail channel specific POS software packages deliver facilities finely tuned to the needs of each retail channel. The retailers in each channel have a say as to what is in software updates. This process is transparent to all Tower customers, it leads to better software for our customers and for the benefit of those who connect with their businesses.

Tower Systems is a competitive POS software company. Our competitiveness is evident in the deep and excellent facilities in Our POS software, the easily accessible and personal support we provide, the face-to-face in-store training provided and the valuable and professional documentation available to our customers online 24/67 through our customer service portal.

Considering our software starts with us understanding your needs. This is where we begin. It is important to us to understand how your business operates, what you need and what you want from a POS software investment. Our sales professionals meet with you and ask many questions, because what you need does matter to us.

Point of Sale software is an important choice for any retail business. Tower Systems has more than thirty years of service, demonstrating our respect for the importance of the choice you make.

If you think we could be of service to your business, please reach out to us so that we may together see in the Tower Systems POS software could be useful for you.

5 ways retailers can use the POS software from Tower Systems to pitch value to shoppers

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Plenty is being written about the economy at the moment and it is negatively impacting consumer confidence. There are things you can do with the Tower Systems POS software to show your business offering value to shoppers, and thereby nurturing more value for you.

And here in this post, value means the value shoppers perceive in dealing with your business. You could also use the term savings.

While value can be about price, it is often not as straightforward as that. Something could cost more but it could last longer or you might get more pieces than if you pay a lower price or there may be some other add-on that drives value.

While our POS software offers many ways retailers can pitch value to shoppers, here are 5 ways retailers can use the POS software from Tower Systems to pitch value to shoppers:

  1. Discount vouchers in Retailer are a perfect way to pitch value. A dollar amount discount is better understood than points. You can set the vouchers up in a way so costs are covered by benefits. Show your shoppers what they can save.
  2. Offer to fund raise for local charities, community groups and clubs. They could give their members a card that gets them, say, a 5% discount off purchasing from you while also earning for the charity a 5% donation. The goal here is to bring new shoppers into your business.
  3. Offering a coffee card type discount of, say, buy 9 and get your 10th free for habit-based purchases, like coffee, pet food, cards, magazines, fertilizer etc. can help nurture shopper stickiness to your business.
  4. Bundling products together into something that only your business offers can pitch a value proposition unique to your business.
  5. Volume pricing, where the cost of an item decreases as the quantity purchased increases, can help shoppers save and you sell more.

Your software offers more ways of pitching value to shoppers than these, and it helps you systemise pitching value. Being consistent about this is key to it working for you.

Consider this list of 5 a starting point, a jumping off point for exploring other ways for your business.

Tower Systems offers business management advice like this to all of its POS software customers, taking the POS software help desk experience beyond the technical and onto the shop floor, to help our local small business retailer customers to themselves get more value from their use of our POS software.

Why we don’t claim our POS software is the best POS software

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It’s funny seeing POS software companies claim their software is the best. They could not know. We for sure do not know if our Tower Systems retailer POS software is the best PSO software, and here’s why:

Only someone who has used in real life and over some time all the software to which it is compared could really know.

We have not used other POS software. We’;re sure our competitions have not used our software, or other software, too.

A retailer who has used two or three software products could not know how a product they have not used may or may not serve their business.

The thing is, when it comes to POS software marketing, there is too much hype in our view, a lot of businesses saying their software is the best.

It’s why we don’t say our Tower Systems POS software is the best and the same reason we do not say it is perfect for you.

Only you can know what POS software is right for your business.

Here’s what we do know though, as retailers ourselves (currently 3 physical shops and 4 online retail businesses), we know that our POS software is a good fit for our needs, and they are complex needs. As retailers ourselves we use our software every day, at volume, in several specialty niche retail areas.

So, we can certainly speak to our own experience, about how our POS software is serving our needs, and we can show prospective retailers how our POS software works, we can show them in any of our shops. We welcome people to work in the shops and use the software first hand before they make a decision if they want.

We’re not aware of any other Australia POS software companies in our specialty retail; channels who own and run retail. businesses as live labs for testing and enhancing their software and for offering prospective customers a live business in which they can experience the software first hand.

We reckon our Tower Systems Retailer POS software is good. It’s up to you to see if it right for you. We are happy for it to be compared to anything. We welcome such comparison and with co-operate in any way we can to help you do this.

Comparing Lightspeed POS, Vend POS, Square POS and Eposnow with Tower Systems POS software

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Lightspeed, Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, Square and Eposnow are all overseas POS software companies spending up big to try and attract Aussie retailers to their POS software.

Whether deliberate or not, we often see Lightspeed, Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, Square and Eposnow competing with us in Google search results, often through ads they pay for to get ahead of us in search results.

Hey, it’s okay, competition is good for all of us in business.

The thing is, though, we cannot compete with Lightspeed, ]Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, Square and Eposnow on advertising spend.

Where we can compete with them is value, functionality and service. We think we compete well with each of Lightspeed, Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, Square and Eposnow on these important points.

Our service is Australian based. we are an Australian company after all, building and supporting here the software we offer. There is no offshore call centre, no contractors helping you out. Call us and it’s us you speak with.

Good service starts with local knowledge and marketplace specific knowledge.

Our price is a per month price. It’s not a price pitched that requires you to pay for a full year up front to get. Also, our price is all inclusive. There is no extra cost for more registers or for functions like advanced reporting, loyalty or some integrations. We know that price transparency is important. There is no lock in contract.

What our software does, its functionality, is considerable, deep, and regularly evolving. Serving 3,000+ retailers in a diverse mix of specialty retail marketplaces has seen us develop functionality that is comprehensive and useful in many different business sectors. This depth sees us stand up well in comparison to other products.

We make specialty retail POS software for specialty retailers. While we cannot match the advertising spend of Lightspeed, Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, Square and Eposnow, we think we do match where it matters.

Choosing Tower Systems POS software, for the monthly rental cost, you have access to:

  • Unlimited registers. No extra cost.
  • Integrated accounting link.
  • Integrated e-commerce links.
  • Integrated payments.
  • Loyalty programs.
  • Advanced reporting.
  • Customer marketing.
  • Visual analytics dashboard.
  • Special customer orders.
  • Sell by fractions, sell by weight.
  • Integrated LayBys.
  • Customer gift vouchers.
  • Customised onboarding.
  • 24/7 support.

To go further, here’s what’s included in the monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.

We are proud of this list, and our POS software, and our customer service. We are grateful to our customers who enable us to do this. They make us better at what we do.

Advice on choosing the right POS software for your retail business

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Running a successful retail business involves many challenges, one of which is choosing the right Point of Sale (POS) software. With so many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming for small business owners to choose the one that best fits their needs. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips on how to choose the right POS software for your retail business.

  1. Determine your business needs before selecting a POS software, it is essential to determine your business needs. What kind of products do you sell? What are your sales volumes? Do you need to track inventory levels? Do you sell by weight or length? Do you need to integrate with other systems such as accounting software or e-commerce platforms? Understanding your business needs will help you narrow down your options and choose the right software that meets your requirements.
  2. Look for essential features when selecting a POS software, it is crucial to look for essential features that will help you run your business efficiently. Some of the basic features to look for include smart loyalty, inventory management, sales tracking, customer management, and reporting. However, you may also need additional features such as e-commerce integration, loyalty program options, community group support, and appointment scheduling, depending on your business needs.
  3. Consider the ease of use. It is essential to choose a POS software that is easy to use and requires minimal training. Complicated software can lead to errors and delays, which can negatively impact your business operations. Look for a software that has a user-friendly interface and offers training and support to help you get started.
  4. Choose cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based solutions are parts of the software that run in the cloud – the parts you need, without compromising your security or the security of your business data. Such solutions can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, allowing you to manage your business on-the-go. Cloud-based solutions offers automatic software updates, which means you always have the latest features and security patches.
  5. Check for integrations. Integrations with other systems can help streamline your business operations and save you time. Look for a POS software that integrates with your accounting software, e-commerce platform, or other systems that you use to manage your business. This will allow you to automate tasks such as inventory management, order fulfillment, and financial reporting. And, ask about integration plans into the future.
  6. Consider the cost of ownership. The cost of POS software can and does vary significantly depending on the features, integrations, and support options. While it is essential to choose software that meets your business needs, it is also important to consider the cost and the return on investment. Look for a software that offers a transparent pricing model and allows you to scale up or down as your business grows. One POS software products claimed a low rental cost but once you add the cost of the locked-in EFTPOS fees, the total cost of ownership over a year put it at the highest solution being considered.

By considering your business needs, essential features, ease of use, cloud-based software, integrations, and cost, you can choose the POS software solution that best fits your requirements and helps you run your business efficiently.

How jewellers, computer shops, bike shops and others retailers can use POS software manage the goods they make for sale

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Here is a new short video in which one of our software experts previews one part of the the Manufactured Goods part of our POS software.

There is much more to this Manufactured Goods facility than covered. The goal of the video is to open the door in a power function to see if it might be worth looking at in more detail as to suitability.

POS software for chandlery shops and businesses

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Tower Systems offers POS software that chandlery business owners and staff tell us suits their business needs.

We were skeptical so we did a deep dive, finding out about their needs and demonstrating how our software serves each area of need.

It turns out that our POS software suits the needs of chandlery businesses.

There is variety in what chandlery shops offer from traditional retail to services. Common in all businesses is the knowledge they have about what they offer and sell. This is one of the ways our POS software suits chandlery businesses.

Here are other facilities in our software that chandlery shop experts tell us is useful for their needs:

  1. Quote and invoice management. Strong, flexible, fit for purpose.
  2. Customer delivery management options.
  3. Sell from anywhere, anytime option through Retailer RoamTM.
  4. Trade pricing profiles supporting pricing flexibility for your customers.
  5. Customer account management: Professional and accurate control.
  6. Sell by weight or fractions.
  7. Create your own bundles / products. You can package items together into a single item more useful to your customers.
  8. Pre-orders – pre-sell stock and be ahead of the game.
  9. Special orders – easily manage special customer orders.
  10. Genuinely informative receipts. You control design and detail.
  11. Awesome loyalty that works for unique chandlery shopper traffic.
  12. Seasonal reordering. Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.
  13. Weatherproof labels.
  14. Product use notes. served on receipts.
  15. Electronic supplier invoice support – cut mistakes and save time.
  16. Easy Shopify website integration.

Rent our produce business software for $199.00 a month. Here’s what’s included in the monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.

Our chandlery business software continues to evolve thanks to the generous advice and guidance from our customer community.

If you own or work in a chandlery business and are looking for software suitable, we can connect you with others in your retail channel using our software. We’d also love to find out about your specific needs and organise a demonstration to see if our POS software can be of service.

POS software update helps small business retailers with efficiency improvements

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Tower Systems launched updated POS software recently that offers a ChatGPT AI integration through which the software generates a product description based on minimal information provided by you.

The goal is to offer a product description that helps drive your sales.

This is one of several carefully planned and researched AI enhancements from us to help independent retailers be more efficient and successful.

Another timely feature is our loyalty solution. Customers are responding well to the $$$ reward offered. This makes sense given the negative economic news out there. Shoppers appreciate value and you can show this to them.

Here are the retail marketplaces we cover:

Here’s what’s included in the monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.

  • Aussie customer service, in Hawthorn, VIC. No call centre.
  • Call us, and a human answers.
  • Email us and a retail knowledgable human responds.
  • Our office is open Monday through Saturday.
  • Month to month rental – no lock in contract.
  • No lock-in EFTPOS contract. You choose the EFTPOS that’s right for your business.
  • Self serve training videos and knowledge base.
  • Low cost training for those who want it.
  • The listed prices include GST and are genuinely monthly – not annual paid up front.

Tower Systems currently serves more than 3,000 local small business Aussie retailers.

It may be that our software is not right for you. The best way to find out is through a personal live demonstration by Zoom. We can organise this for you, record it with you and give you a copy so you can show colleagues and others you’d like to consult.

If we think we are not a good fit for your business we will say so and wish you all the best.

Email us: sales@towersystems.com.au.

Call us: 1300 662 957.

An alternative to Epos Now software from Tower Systems

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Tower Systems is an Aussie POS software company that offers a POS software alternative to the Epos Now POS software.

If you are looking for an alternative to Epos Now software, take a moment to consider the Tower Systems alternative. We do not know Epos Now software and have not used it ourselves in our own shops. But we do know our Tower Systems POS software and we have used that in our own shops.

Tower Systems today serves more than 3,000 retailers with POS software and, yes, some of those have switched from Epos Now after looking for an Epos Now alternative.

If you are looking for an alternative to Epos Now, take the time to note down what you want and what you do not want. Do this before you look at any alternative./ be sure of these things and firm in lines you will not cross. It is an important decision and it is better for you and your business if you are truly sure about what you want and do not want.

Switching software is time consuming in terms of the data and the learning. You want to be sure it is right. We will not pressure you at all. We want you to make any decision to switch from Epos Now to be what you want and in the timing of your choice.

Here’s a bit about Tower Systems, our software and how we do business.

  • We’re an Aussie POS company offering support from our own help desk team here in Australia.
  • The terms used in our software are Aussie terms.
  • There is no lock-in contract. It’s month to month. You can cancel at any time.
  • Cancelling is very easy. No fine print. No hoops to jump through.
  • For support you can call our office, email us or use the services accessible through our website.
  • Our POS software is updated regularly, usually at least 3 times a year. You can choose whether to update or not.
  • Plenty of POS software update content is drawn from user suggestions.
  • You have access to free training videos.
  • You have access to an awesome knowledgeable with up to date training and advice on how to use the software
  • Our live human based help desk operates 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 7:30am to 3pm Saturday.
  • You can use your own hardware.
  • There is no extra cost for extra terminals.
  • There is no extra cost to link to Shopify, Big Commerce, WooCommerce or Magento.
  • There is no extra cost to link to Xero.
  • There is lobo lock-in requirement for integrated EFTPOS service. Choose what’s best for you.

It is important to us that retailers choose the POS software that best serves their needs as that choice is the one that will benefit them the most in the long term. The cheapest POS software may not benefit them the most in the long term, it may cost them more.

If these things matter to you, it may be that Tower Systems is a good alternative to Epos Now. Take your time, check us out.

Now, in terms of our software itself …

  1. Easy stock management, including stone details.
  2. Awesome loyalty tools.
  3. Wonderful business insights.
  4. Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members.
  5. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  6. Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
  7. Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer RoamTM sell anywhere app.
  8. Seasonal reordering: Reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

Using this software, you have access to:

  • Sell by fractions.
  • Sell online, easily. Our Shopify integration is seamless, official and easy to use and manage.
  • Special orders: sell in advance of having physical stock to sell.
  • Repair facilities through which you can track and manage repairs.
  • Secondhand goods. Easy accurate record keeping.
  • Colour / size / style: smart and efficient inventory tracking.
  • Event marketing through which you can create contact lists of customers based on anniversary, birthday and other life event dates.

The rental can be cancelled at any time. There is no annual payment.

Our service is personal. Call us, and a human answers. Visit our head office, and we’ll welcome you in for a chat. Email us, and we will respond.

Check us out:

  • Website: www.towersystems.com.au
  • Sales team: sales@towersystems.com.au or 1300 662 957
  • Our Managing Director: 0418 321 338

Thanks for reading. Have an awesome Sunday!

PS. We only engage with local small business retailers. That is our area of specialisation. This ensures we are committed to serving local business needs and not the needs if a large corporate customer over the needs of a local small business retailer.

Alternative to Lightspeed POS software

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If you are looking for an alternative to Lightspeed POS software, Tower Systems may be worth considering.

We serve 3,000+ local small business retailers in a variety of specialty retail channels. We only serve local small business retailers. Every one of our customers is as important as the other.

There is no big business dominating what we do.

Also, being locally owned, decisions we make serve our customers as we know that serving them helps us grow. We are not serving share price growth for a large corporation.

But back to considering an alternative to Lightspeed POS, the best way is to be sure of what you want first. Why are you looking for an alternative to Lightspeed POS. When you look at other POS solutions, start there, start with what you want that is different to Lightspeed POS.

Having welcomed businesses looking for an alternative to Lightspeed POS software we have some headline notes about Tower Systems that may be of interest:

  • We’re human. Contact us by phone, email or in person (yes, come visit us in Hawthorn Victoria) and a human responds, and we use our real names.
  • We don’t outsource our help desk. They are all our people, serving only local small business retailers.
  • Our POS software integrates with all the banks including CBA – Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB – National Australia Bank, ANZ, Tyro, Suncorp, Bendigo Bank and more.
  • Link direct to Zero for no extra cost. We are a Xero partner.
  • Link direct to Shopify, Big Commerce, WooCommerce, Magento for online sales. For no extra cost.
  • No extra cost for additional POS terminals.
  • No extra cost for marketing and loyalty tools.
  • No extra cost for business performance insights.
  • Direct human contact for support.
  • You control when your POS software is updated.
  • Easy access to free training.

if you are looking for a Lightspeed POS software alternative, the team at Tower Systems will be keen to learn of what matters to you and to show what Tower Systems offers.

Here are some other benefits of the Tower Systems POS software:

  1. Comprehensive stock management, including unique details.
  2. Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members.
  3. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  4. Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
  5. Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer RoamTM sell anywhere app.
  6. Seasonal reordering: Reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

Using this software for local small business retailers have access to:

  • Loyalty facilities through which you can genuinely differentiate your business, … shoppers respond to the levers you can pull.
  • Sell online, easily. Our Shopify, Big Commerce, Magento and WooCommerce integrations are seamless, official and easy to use and manage.
  • Special orders: sell in advance of having physical stock to sell.
  • Repair facilities through which you can track and manage repairs.
  • Secondhand goods. Easy accurate record keeping.
  • Colour / size / style: smart and efficient inventory tracking.
  • Event marketing through which you can create contact lists of customers based on anniversary, birthday and other life event dates.

The rental can be cancelled at any time. There is no annual payment.

Is Tower Systems a good alternative to Lightspeed POS software? We don’t know. Only you can know that for your business. We will show you everything you want. But the decision is yours to make, in your own time.

Here at Tower Systems we’re a no pressure POS software company. We’d love to find out about your needs, show you our software and leave you be while you consider. take your time. When you need us we will be here, in person, ourselves – and not through an offshore call centre.

Our service is personal. Call us, and a human answers. Visit our head office, and we’ll welcome you in for a chat. Email us, and we will respond.

Check us out:

  • Website: www.towersystems.com.au
  • Sales team: sales@towersystems.com.au or 1300 662 957
  • Our Managing Director: 0418 321 338

Thanks for reading. Have an awesome Saturday!

The POS Software Blog

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