The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Free POS software & e-commerce workshop for regional NSW small business retailers.

June 6, 2017
2 Min read
F

Retail is changing at a rapid rate. Changes in-store and online are making 2017 an important year.

We have see these changes first-hand at international retail conferences this year. We play with the changes in our own shops where we use our POS software and our website technology to find new customers and drive a higher average spend.

Come to one of our FREE workshops near you and find out more about how you can equip your retail business to confront the changes in retail, transact online and compete with big businesses, including Amazon.

Here are the dates for our free POS software / website workshops. Click on the city name to book your place:

  1. Coffs Harbour. June 19. 10am. Novotel.
  2. Tamworth. June 20. 10am. Leagues Club.
  3. Newcastle. June 21. 10am. Mercure.
  4. Dubbo. June 22. 10am. Quest.
  5. Wagga Wagga. June 23. 10am. International Hotel.

We will share insights on how small business retailers around the world are using website connected POS software to win online sales.

We will explain how to get to the top of Google search results.

We will demonstrate the connection between social media posts (Facebook, Twitter etc) in-store sales and online sales.

There will be no hard sell. Our goal is to share practical information to help you better plan for the future of your regional retail business.

Anyone is welcome including people on whom you rely for advice, such as accountants and mentors.

If you have sales queries prior to these events please talk with us: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

I hope to see you at one of these workshops. I am keen to share with you what I have seen and learnt in this rapidly changing space.

There will be plenty of time for questions on any topic connected with retail.

We have software for: gift shops, jewellers, bike shops, pet shops,  toy shops, fishing/outdoors, garden centres/nurseries, newsagents, produce stores and firearms retailers.

Read onRead later

Small business retail management advice: be generous with your loyalty offer

June 5, 2017
2 Min read
S

Too often small and independent retail businesses create and run shopper loyalty programs that mimic their big business competitors. They ignore that the big business loyalty programs do not have rewarding shopper loyalty as a core focus.

Big business loyalty programs are primarily about the needs and profitability of the big business running them. Too often, they do not offer a real reward for loyalty.

Our advice for small business retailers is to be generous with your loyalty program.

Offer generous rewards for loyalty. Run a loyalty program shoppers love, a program that brings shoppers back again and again.

It is called a loyalty program after all. Show your customers you appreciate their loyalty.

Being stingy will cause frustration and anger among customers, it could have them talking negatively about the business. This is not good for business.

When we look at loyalty programs that have failed to deliver good results in a small or independent retail business, the most common cause we find is that the loyalty reward is not sufficiently a reward.

This is why we encourage retailers to be generous in loyalty reward settings.

The best way to reflect generosity is through transparency of value. By this we mean making it clear what a reward is worth. This is why a dollar amount is more valuable than points. People understand dollars. It is unlikely the will easily understand the ‘value’ of points.

While the Tower Systems software offers multiple loyalty programs and options, our recommended approach is discount vouchers. It is easy to setup, easily understood by shoppers and genuine in the reward.

Showing $$ value on receipts in the form of a voucher that can be spent presents immediate in-store opportunities as well as after the visit opportunities. Our research indicates an average redemption of 20% of all vouchers issued and a total net cost to the business of around 1% of turnover for, usually, a 8% to 10% bump in sales.

For more advice and assistance on the best-practice approach to shopper loyalty, please talk with the team at Tower Systems.

Read onRead later

Helping small business retailers attract new shoppers

June 4, 2017
1 Min read
H

Every week in our customer advice and support email we also include retail management advice and visual merchandising tips. We share tips and insights we see in retail businesses in our travels in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. Here is a tip in the form of a street sign from last week:

Read onRead later

Small business retailers love optimistic message

June 3, 2017
1 Min read
S

We have received a terrific reaction to this graphic that we released a few weeks ago. Developed initially for internal use, we let it drift out with some of our communication and the response has been wonderful. Kudos to the creative folk in our company who created this message. #proud

Read onRead later

Australian based web development team developing retail business websites

June 2, 2017
1 Min read
A

Tower Systems is proud to offer access to its Melbourne based web development team for the development of websites for retail businesses.

Our service is comprehensive and engaging, with retailer to web developer access.

We do not use an overseas development business to do the work for us. All of the work is done by us in ou own office.

This is a point of difference.

Overseas web developers are much cheaper. However, there is a reason for this … it is often evident in the websites they deliver.

Our local web development team has delivered many sites already – free standing as well as POS software integrated websites. We have a wonderful portfolio to share, to demonstrate the technical and design skill sets we have in-house in our Australian software company.

Australian retail businesses benefit from Australian developed websites.

WARNING: There are companies that look like Australian web development companies that actually have all the development work done offshore. Ask to meet with or talk with the tech team, ensure they are local, ensure you can easily contact them.

Sourcing a local develop0er is important if you consider your business to be local.

Read onRead later

How our POS software Xero link helps us win online sales for our own retail business

June 2, 2017
4 Min read
H

 

Online LayBy made easy.

newsXpress Southland is a card, gift and collectibles shop in the sprawling Westfield Southland shopping centre in south east Melbourne. It is our own business. We run this as a testing groups for our small business POS software.

With rent increasing faster than foot traffic to the 300+ store shopping centre, the manager of the business needed to connect with shoppers outside.

Online was the obvious choice but time was limited. The goal was to find a solution that enabled the business to get online without any additional management or accounting time involved.

Xero partner Tower Systems provided an integrated Point of Sale solution for in-store and well as online. This seamless link, coupled with complete xero integration, provided the time-saving solution the business was looking for.

“Online revenue is fantastic”, commented the manager of the store. “There is a direct bottom line benefit for the business as there is no additional labour cost and no capital expenditure.”

“We could not have done this without the xero link as that enabled us to effectively open a second outlet without what in the past was additional accounting or bookkeeping cost.”

As the business has become more familiar with the Tower Systems and xero solutions it has evolved the online offering to be more comp0etitive against big retailers in the online space.  This has seen click and collect and online LayBy launched.

It is with online LayBy where the business has benefited from the xero integration in that the shopper is able to pay over time, interest free, and the retailer is paid immediately. There is no additional accounting or bookkeeping work involved as the data flows from the website to the POS to xero without being touched by human hands.

A shopper adds items to their shopping cart, they select online LayBy, provide basic instant credit check data and fine the application approved or otherwise in seconds. The retailer is paid less a small handling fee with the finance company taking full responsibility for collecting payment.

With click and collect, the payment is handled online. This works best as to commits the shopper and turns the in-store visit to an easy collection. Experience has shown this is what shoppers prefer rather than having to worry about payment in-store. It also means one person can purchased while another can collect, with appropriate secure authority.

Doing this, flowing data from shopper through to xero in this way eliminates mistakes that can be made when data is re-keyed. It also saves considerable time and this is a tangible business benefit.

“Control and transparency of data at each step in the line is key for our business because like any small business every cent of margin is important” commented the manager. “The solution needed to be easy and neat for us and for our customers. Xero was a key part of achieving this.”

In addition to the xero integration, Tower Systems POS software integrates with Shopify, magento and WooCommerce – the three leading e-commerce platforms in the world. The web development team at Tower has enhanced these to offer a multi-store solution whereby independent retailers can trade under a single branded website rather than needing their own website.

“The xero integration is the back-office piece where real labour costs are reduced”, commented Gavin Williams, Tower Systems COO. “We only sell to independent small business retailers in selected retail niches such as bike shops, jewellers and garden centres. Having the xero integration is vital as they are all competing with big business and every saving, no matter how small, is loved.”

Tower Systems is an Australian based POS software company currently serving in excess of 3,500 small and independent business retailers. The company can be explored at www.towersystems.com.au.

Read onRead later

More retailers using our POS software integrated websites

June 1, 2017
1 Min read
M

We are thrilled to welcome more websites that are integrated with our small business POS software, offering real-time stock on hand data.

Each new site we bring on enhances the portfolio and further demonstrates our capabilities of linking online and offline retail and bringing to life facilities small business retailers look to offer from their websites:

  1. Online LayBy, interest free.
  2. Paypal payments.
  3. Click and collect.
  4. Single stock data feed, showing g real time in-store stock.

Mastering these and other facilities for single store and multi store situations is a powerful solution. Doing it also for multiple businesses to one site is stunning.

This is all part of the Tower Systems web development / POS software integrated solutions package. It is another Tower AdvantageTM.

Note, all our web development is done using e-commerce platforms that are widely used. Indeed, the three we use account for three quarters of retail e-commerce sites in the world.

Read onRead later

Amazing free POS software training for small business retailers for June

May 29, 2017
2 Min read
A

We are grateful for the support from our customers for our free online POS software training. Here is the June schedule. All free. All available to any of our customers. We do so many sessions because of all our customers. Even with this list we are sure to add more closer to the time.

  1. Getting Ready for EOFY Thursday 1st June 2:00pm Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
  2. Stocktaking for EOFY Wednesday 7th June 2:00pm Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.
  3. Getting Ready for EOFY Thursday 8th June 2:00pm Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
  4. Getting Ready for EOFY Wednesday 14th June 2:00pm Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
  5. Stocktaking for EOFY Thursday 15th June 2:00pm Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.
  6. Stocktaking for EOFY Wednesday 21st June 2:00pm Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.
  7. Getting Ready for EOFY Thursday 22nd June 2:00pm Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
  8. Getting Ready for EOFY Wednesday 28th June 2:00pm Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
  9. Stocktaking for EOFY Thursday 29th June 2:00pm Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.
Read onRead later

Why newsagents switch to Tower Systems newsagency software

May 27, 2017
3 Min read
W

As the newsagency channel undergoes extraordinary change in 2017, Tower Systems remains a constant support through its best-practice newsagency management software, newsagent support and newsagent marketing help.

With more than 1,800 newsagent customers, Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other software companies combined.

Switching is not expensive. If you have current hardware, the cost can be as low as $2,200 a year for three years after which there is no mandatory cost.

Included in the low cost is:

  1. The Tower Systems newsagency software.
  2. On site installation and training.
  3. Data conversion, converting as much data from your current system that we can access.
  4. Software support for the first three years.
  5. Software updates for the first three years.
  6. Unlimited over the phone follow up training for the first three years.
  7. Access to an online knowledge base with articles and advice on the software.
  8. Access to weekly group line online training workshops.

Alternatively, you can pay up front and not pay anything for three years.

We offer this in response to the consolidation occurring in the newsagency channel. It is our opinion that not all current newsagency software companies will remain in the channel.

As the largest we are well resourced to help you navigate change not only in your software but in your business too.

  1. Tower Systems will not leave the newsagency channel.
  2. We will fight for you. Beyond our software, outside of support, we will help with supplier issues, business strategy and other challenges you confront.
  3. Our software continues to evolve. We release two to three major updates each you. You choose when to load them. Each update is thoroughly tested in a comprehensive beta program.
  4. We own newsagencies. Yes, we walk in your shoes.
  5. No locked-in support fee. Taking support coverage once the three year period ends is optional.
  6. Lower support costs. Also, transparent. No mates rates for a select few.
  7. Fast support. Most calls are handled when you call. If not, we call back fast.
  8. Easy management access. The leadership team of Tower Systems is available if you need them. We take customer service seriously and personally.
  9. Updates when you choose. You are in control of when you load updates.
  10. You are listened to. We offer the only transparent, user driven, software enhancement suggestion service. All our customers are listened to.
  11. Free training. Long after you install our software you have access to free personal training to refresh knowledge or provide training on new facilities.
  12. More integrations. Our direct links to Xero, Magento, Shopify and more mean you have more direct link options to help you grow your business.
  13. Business management insights. We can look at your business performance data and provide a personal analysis of what we see
  14. Owner access. Our owner, Mark Fletcher, is easily accessible: 0418 321 338 or by email on mark@towersystems.com.au.
Read onRead later

Office based POS software help desk open

May 27, 2017
1 Min read
O

It’s just gone 7:30am and our office based POS software help desk is open for business. Being office based enables the level of service to be more comprehensive as they have access to the full suite of tools.

Customers love our office based Saturday support.

This service is in addition to our easily accessed multiple mobile phone based after hours support.

Read onRead later

Tower Systems helps small business retailers fine Xero skilled accountants

May 26, 2017
1 Min read
T

As a side benefit of our work providing a beautiful small business POS software Xero link, we continue to expand our list of Xero skilled accountants. Retailers and accountants love this free service we provide. It speaks to the mutual respect and support of all of us in the growing worldwide Xero community have for each other.

In our opinion, based on years of experience with several accounting software packages for small retail businesses, xero is the best.

Our POS software xero integration is a joy to use … yes, we use it ourselves for our own retail businesses. This is the opinion of our in-house CPA.

Read onRead later

New Pet shop software features offer independent pet products retailers a competitive advantage

May 26, 2017
1 Min read
N

The latest version of the pet shop software rolling out now from Tower Systems is delivering a suite of enhanced solutions.

Working closely with suppliers and small business retailers we have developed new facilities to take our software beyond where it was at last year. This latest evolution is part of our commitment to continual improvement in offering specialty software for specialty pet products businesses.

The new software moves Monday from beta release to full commercial release, meaning it will be available for all in our pet retailer community.

Here’s a video from us that reinforces our commitment to pet retailers through our best practice software. The video is another point of evidence of why we do what we do.

Read onRead later

Small business retailers love transparent POS software beta release program

May 25, 2017
1 Min read
S

We are well into the beta release of a new version of our small business POS software for specialty retail channels.

The beta release program we follow is structured and transparent with customers able to nominate to be part of the program.

Here is the invitation email we sent a few weeks ago seeking beta release participants.

We are committed to regularly changing our beta customer team. They play an important role in determining if a new release of software is ready for our 3,500+ small business retail users.

The latest beta release if travelling well. We have terrific feedback that is guiding tweaking the latest release as we step closer to wide commercial release.

Read onRead later

Best practice software for retail jewellers

May 23, 2017
3 Min read
B

The Tower Systems software for jewellers continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of independent jeweller businesses.

The latest release off the software delivers a suite of enhancements, extending the reach of the software into jeweller businesses as they transact today.

You can’s stand still in this marketplace, not in retail, not in software. This is why Tower Systems actively works with small business retailers to drive business through enhanced software.

Indeed, we are grateful to our jeweller customers who give so generously of their time to guide us to better understand their needs.

The latest Tower Systems jeweller software is backed by our live personal training commitment. Our jeweller customers have access to unlimited one on one training, like all of our customers.

Facilities in our jeweller software include: webstore integration, xero integration, Shopify integration, Magento integration, WooCommerce integration, easy and accurate sales, customer loyalty, integrated eftpos, repairs management, special orders, gift cards, employee tracking, inventory management, specials / catalogues / offers, web-store interface, Xero interface, product care instructions, customer follow-up marketing, performance reporting, theft management, second-hand goods management, bundling pricing, servicing assistance / management, employee rostering and plenty more.

In addition to traditional inventory data points such as item name, description, barcode, supplier stock code, images etc, you can record stone specific qualities such as shape, weight, anatomy, cut, colour, clarity  & metal specific qualities such as carat, colour, weight etc.  In fact, an unlimited number of classifications can be applied to different stock items making the software extremely flexible.

For each item in inventory you are able to record a serial number. Serial number tracking provides a level of control essential for those items with unique serial numbers – for your records, for the customer documents and for supplier reference should this ever be needed.

A comprehensive Lay-by facility is integrated with the inventory management tools, ensuring complete management of inventory assets even those held in Lay-by. Jewellers can set Lay-by terms and have these printed on customer Lay-by documents.

The valuations facility includes customer documentation necessary to serve a variety of valuation needs. The valuations facility has been developed closely with a variety of jewellers and their employees.

The Tower Systems Jeweller software also offers comprehensive manufactured goods, repairs and second-hand goods facilities – all of which have been developed with jewellers in a variety of situations from single operator to multi store group – in Australia, New Zealand and several overseas countries. Each of these three areas of the software – manufactured goods, repairs and second-hand goods facilities – is specific to the needs of jewellers.

Read onRead later

Why our POS software help desk is open at 7am

May 18, 2017
1 Min read
W

Our office based POS software help desk is open from 7am every day so we can help our customers with start of the day queries.

While we have a mobile phone based 24/7 help desk service run by our professionals, the office based help desk is where the heavy lifting is done.

We have opened at 7am for office based calls for as long as we can remember. Customers rely on it.

Frankly, we don’t understand how POS software companies can justify opening later or closing at a regular 5pm time.

We do the hours we do here in the office because we think it is the best way to serve the needs of our 3,500+ small business POS software customers.

The 7am calls are terrific as we have customers starting their day and we can usually help them with something that was bothersome and get it resolved quickly.

Good customer service is a thrill to provide. We appreciate our customers reaching out early in the day for our help.

Some days, like today, we are in even earlier enjoying quiet time to get some other tasks of our own done/

Read onRead later
The POS Software Blog

Categories

Categories

Categories

Recent Comments

Monthly Archives