The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

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SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS BENEFIT FROM POS SOFTWARE UPDATE

February 8, 2016
2 Min read
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POS software company Tower Systems is thrilled with the reaction to the leaves update to its POS software released on a rolling basis in recent weeks.

What a terrific start to 2016 – new software with new facilities and backed y a professional suite of training for the small business users of this software.

We are proud to kick off 2016 is such a strong way that is 100% focussed on the outcomes achievable by our customers.

Included in the update is facilities fresh for small business retailers including additional e-commerce platforms supported, offering retailers more flexibility in how they transact online compared to their high street business operation. This flexibility is a hallmark of what Tower Systems beings to the marketplace for its customers.

In addition to new facilities created by the company through its commitment to leadership based on best practice, the latest update also delivers enhancements requested by users and voted on by many publicly at the Tower Systems Software Ideas site.

With more than one hundred enhancements, this update is chunky in scope and therefore valuable to users keen to see the software continue to evolve. It reflects solid commitment from Tower Systems to continue to evolve the software and deliver good outcomes to customers committed to the company.

REPORTS

One of the most important part of any software, especially small business retail management software, is business performance reporting. the Tower software update provides access to new reports that enhance the value of the software to any user business. These new reports extend the reach of what the software delivers, they make using the POS software more valuable, they provide greater flexibility. That this is being done extends the scope of the software itself, making using it more rewarding to the small business customers.

In addition to new reports, this update delivers enhancements to some existing reports, making them more valuable. We understand the importance of professional and elegant representation of business data. good reports feed good business decisions. We are proud of what we do in this way.

RETAILER HELP

To help retailers get the most from the software the company provides access to video, text and other training resources, allowing retailers and their employees to learn at their own pace. These facilities are backed with personal one on one service.

This is the Tower AdvantageTM.

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Sunday retail management advice: use your window

February 7, 2016
1 Min read
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The front window of any retail business is one of the most important marketing statement you can make. It can attract people in who might otherwise not have shopped the shop. It can get your business talked about. It can show off the pride you have in your business.

Here is one window we saw last month in New York. It is of a tea shop – yet that retail nice is not evident on first glance at the window. The window display is a wonderful Alice in Wonderland homage. It stops people and once they stop they soon realise what is being pitched.

This window is a perfect example of small business marketing through the window.

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TOWER SYSTEMS OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE FREE ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING FOR POS SOFTWARE

February 5, 2016
1 Min read
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Small business retailers using the Tower Systems POS software are thrilled with the easy availability of free one-on-one training. All they need do is call or email and we arrange the training.

What we deliver is training attuned to the needs of the business, on a specific topic or a range of topics – as the business may need.

This free training is available long after the software is installed and setup. It is free and easily accessible … and another point of difference offered by Tower Systems for its customers.

The training is done using the data of the business – making it more meaningful for those being trained. Indeed, we have found this to help drive better outcomes from the training.

While our POS software is easy to use, training can help non technology oriented retailers get more value from their software investment. It can guide business planning and help them make decisions that guide the business to a more valuable outcome.

We are proud to serve small business retailers in this way.

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SMALL BUSINESS POS SOFTWARE ON SHOW AT TRADE SHOWS IN 2016

February 4, 2016
1 Min read
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Tower Systems is thrilled to be participating in a series of retail channel wide trade shows in the early months of 2016. The trade shows booked include:

  1. Garden and nursery industry conference.
  2. REED Gift Fair.
  3. Pet buying group Expo.
  4. National Toy Fair.

And that’s just the first three months this year.

2016 will be fantastic with new customers, software enhancements, completely new software and other advances as Tower Systems itself moves ahead of the curve to embrace new opportunities for existing customers as well as new customers.

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SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS: DON’T LET FEAR RULE YOUR POS SOFTWARE BUSINESS DECISIONS

February 3, 2016
2 Min read
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IMG_5090Too often we hear stories of POS software companies threatening small business retailers either through deliberate use of technology jargon or through threats of costs being imposed that were not part of the original contract.

As many small business retailers are not experienced when it comes to technology and not used to dealing with technology companies, they can become confused and think this is how it works, this is normal.

It is not normal.

Small business retailers deserve to be treated with respect, using terminology they understand and with business contracts that are clear and straightforward.

Any POS software company engaging in overt or covert threats ought to be ashamed of themselves. If this is what they have to do to win or keep customers then shame on them and shame on those who work for the company and support such approaches.

Tower Systems is a safe haven for small business retailers looking for an empathetic POS software company, a place where any question can be asked, where regular free training is offered, where business advice is freely available beyond what is usual for a POS software company help desk.

We go into relationships for the long-term rather than a quick sale. This is reflected in our approach to initial training and on-going training, much of which is provided to our small business retail customers for no additional cost. We make this investment knowing the value of a happy customer, especially in small business retail circles where retailers network with colleagues in their retail channel, talking about supplier experiences.

If you are experiencing fear or anything close to fear in your dealings with your POS software company, get out, quit that software as a relationship based on any such fear is an unhealthy relationship for you personally and for your business.

Seek out a professional, respected and trustworthy POS software companies where fear has no place, where small business retailers are communicated with as a peer and not as someone to mock or confuse.

We are writing about this today as we have recently seen a stream of communication between the owner one Australian POS software company and a customer. It is appalling: unprofessional and unnecessarily aggressive. No wonder the retailer experienced fear. The threats in the communication give all software companies a bad name.

Don’t let fear rule your relationship with your POS software company.

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HOW WE MAKE BETTER POS SOFTWARE FROM LEARNING FROM OUR SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS

February 2, 2016
1 Min read
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At Tower Systems we develop and support our specialist retail software through interaction with you, our customers. Independent retail businesses are our passion. We’re here to help. Interaction is key. here are some examples:

  1. Outbound calls seeking advice and guidance.
  2. A transparent approach to voting on software change requests.
  3. Group workshops hosted regularly.
  4. User meetings.
  5. Strategic management level interaction.
  6. Trade show sessions.
  7. Business conference workshops.
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POS SOFTWARE TRAINING POPULAR FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS IN 2016

February 1, 2016
2 Min read
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The comprehensive range of FREE POS software training being offered by Tower Systems this year is proving to be popular.

Covering practical business management topics through which retailers can learn more about their businesses and drive business value, each workshop is self contained, interactive, inclusive and valuable.

Tower Systems is proud to be offering these weekly free training opportunities in 2016, continuing a tradition commenced years ago. The training is a genuine point of difference for us in our specialist marketplaces – allowing us to help our customers mine a value from their software too many POS software companies ignore.

Each week we run a new live online training workshop – free to our customers. For 2016 we have added new topics and refreshed other content. This ensures relevance to the needs of small business retailers today.

Here is a note from the live training portal on our website:

We run several online training sessions each week across a wide range of subjects. These are an excellent way for you and your staff to learn in detail about specific areas of the software.

To participate in an online meeting all you need access to is a computer with a broadband internet connection and a phone to receive a call so you can hear the audio. Each session runs for approximately 45-60 minutes depending on questions.

The face to face meetings are yearly in capital cities and regional centres across Australia. These are in addition to our weekly online live sessions. We also attend more than twelve industry trade shows offering face-to-face meeting opportunities with users.

Note: we also offer access to more than 130 training videos on our self serve 24/7 training portal.

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Helping small business retailers cut labour costs

January 30, 2016
1 Min read
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Outside of inventory cost, labour is the #1 or #2 cost of business. Retailers using our smart POS software have access to a range of facilities through which to cut and manage labour costs. These facilities include:

  1. Employee roster management.
  2. Cloud based roster management – a second and unique facility.
  3. Tracking sales by employee.
  4. Tracking sales by time.
  5. Tracking basket value by time.
  6. Viewing business performance by day of week.
  7. Managing employee tasks.

These and other management tools in the software make it easier for retailers to make strategic decisions on employee management with a view to ensuring the most efficient use of this high cost labour investment in the business.

This is good POS software helping retailers run more efficient and successful businesses.

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Why local POS software matters to local retail businesses

January 29, 2016
1 Min read
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Tower Systems is a proudly Australian POS software company. We develop software in Australia for small and independent Australian retail businesses.

  1. Our software focus is local.
  2. Our customer service team is local.
  3. Our installation team is local.
  4. Our business planning is focussed on local.
  5. We offer locally focussed facilities and services in our software.

Retailers wanting software to support their local focus ought to look at local POS software companies.

We have built a good strong business by being locally focussed. Yes, today we serve more than 3,500 retail businesses.

We are proud that in many of our specialty retail channels, we are the only locally developed and supported software. This makes us more fit for purpose for those businesses that care about living and supporting local.

As a famous song once goes so beautifully: we’re all in this together.

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Fresh faces on our POS software website

January 28, 2016
2 Min read
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We are thrilled to welcome more small business retail customer faces to our website as we show off businesses using our software. The delight of our customers welcoming us into their businesses for the photo shoot has been a joy. Each time we learn more about our customers and their businesses.

This photo is of pet shop software users Macarthur Pets & The Reptile Shop.

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Our POS software company proudly serves only small independently owned specialty retailers in a select group of retail niches, specialist retail channels that can benefit from th specialist nature of the POS software we sell.

Our software for each marketplace in which we serve: jewellers, bike shops, garden centres, pet shops, newsagents, toy shops and more, is unique to each marketplace, developed with and for them, to serve their unique needs. By working with retailers and their suppliers we have developed specialisation that is useful and beneficial to the specialist needs of the marketplaces.

The feedback from the businesses in the marketplaces comes prior to each sale, during the installation and as the system is used deeper and deeper within the business. In fact, years after software is installed a specialty retailer can provide advice that helps us further enhance the experience they are having with the software.

This is what good small business POS software development is all about … continual improvement based on shopper feedback.

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POS software for specialty fishing goods retailers including fishing tackle shops and sporting goods retailers

January 27, 2016
4 Min read
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POS software company Tower Systems is thrilled to be serving specialty fishing goods retailers, angling goods retailers, bait and tackle shops and more with fishing shop software. Thanks to the work already completed with several in the fishing products space including bait, tackle, clothing and services, Tower Systems is in a position to offer fishing goods retailers in Australia and New Zealand excellent software tailored to the needs of your specialty businesses.

  1. In addition to excellent POS software, the software also offers:
  2. Repairs management. Serial number tracking.
  3. Warranty support. Scale integration.
  4. Bundling of items together into a package offer.
  5. Special orders. Selling by length.
  6. Selling to fractions.
  7. Handling secondhand goods.
  8. Handling manufactured goods – such as flies and other items you might make.
  9. Age checking.
  10. Xero accounting software integration.

Plus many more features designed to serve the needs of locally owned and operated fishing retailers angling goods retailers, bait and tackle shops and more.

Already in use in businesses, Tower Systems has reference sites for its fishing shop software on which we can draw to serve the needs of our prospective customers. The generosity of existing customers has been wonderful in helping us to serve new prospects.

Typically, fishing retailers are pointed to sporting goods software. While this can be useful, their needs often go beyond sporting goods, as they do considerably more than sell sporting goods. Fishing shops are personal, selling items and offering services you do not see in sporting goods shops. This is why they require specialty software, developed for fishing shops.

Here is what is unique about what Tower Systems offers fishing and relates products retailers:

  1. We are a software company, not a consulting business using software as a mechanism for driving consulting fees.
  2. We are live. Real people you can get to know by name.
  3. We are in your business. Not a contractor we hire, not over the phone, when we install the system we do it in your business, working with you.
  4. Manufactured goods. From concept to manufacture, you can manage and track what you make for whom and when. This is a billing and management asset.
  5. Lay-by. Our Lay-by facilities have been developed in close consultation, making them unique and comprehensive.
  6. We offer more facilities than any other system. These offer you flexibility for driving purchases in the current visit and for bringing shoppers back more often.
  7. You have access to extraordinary customisation through settings, enabling you to represent your business how you want.
  8. Embedded in our software are facilities for tracking how the software is used. This enables us to help you reduce employee theft.
  9. Retail focussed. A challenge of retail is to uncover opportunities early. Smart reports in the Tower software unlock information about opportunities in your business on which you can rely for business planning.

Our focus is on small independent retailers. We serve these businesses best as ours is a local business offering local service. We don’t deal with the big chains with head offices as we have found them to be less concerned about customers. By specialising in small local independent specialty retail businesses we have been able to better serve business needs.

We would welcome an opportunity meet with you in your shop to learn about your needs. We have a professionally skilled team who can meet with you at a time to suit. This could be during the day or after hours.

We are also happy to meet online via Skype, WebEx or some other platform. We often do this in remote situations. Remote meetings like this only allow us to demonstrate our ability to support businesses in remote situations.

Consider calling or emailing the Tower Team member nearest you: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Open today

January 25, 2016
1 Min read
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Unlike many businesses, we are open today, the day before Australia Day. Some of us are already in and hard at it.

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Helping small business retailers leverage POS software through professional communication

January 24, 2016
4 Min read
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Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 10.15.47 amSmall business retailers fall in love with POS software companies for a range of reasons, often layered upon each other to provide a comprehensive view of the software supplier business.

We know from years of experience at Tower Systems what many factors play into the small business retailer relationships on which we rely and that we cherish so dearly. The software is a factor, as is the software support. There are other factors too, such as customer communication.

Our small business retail customers love that we communicate with them across a range of platforms and at different times of the day and days of the week. From the reliable weekly email, pictured, to print newsletters, to training videos, to outbound calls to drop-ins to their businesses to user meetings, we offer touch points of a wide variety and through which our customers can connect with us and what we do, touch points on which small business retailers can rely to leverage their POS software to achieve better business outcomes.

Take the weekend email – pictured – this is sent each Sunday. Our weekly email contains news about the POS software, update information, business management advice and business management training. The weekly email from Tower Systems goes way beyond what retailers are used to from their POS software company. It is a professionally presented email. Brief yet complete, providing links to more information for those who want to explore a topic further. Most important is the contact points we publish in the email – we don’t leave small business retailers with vague information. No, we are specific in our contact points, specific with advice on the names of people they can speak with about software and general business management questions and issues.

We know from customer feedback and engagement that the email is used, shared and relied upon. It is a key differentiator for Tower Systems as we demonstrate personal and committed support for small business retailers across a range of retail channels.

Whereas some software companies rely on customers contacting them for and business to business communication, here at Tower Systems we understand the importance of professional business outcome focussed outbound contact. Our goal is to provide our customers with useful information prior to them needing it. Timely information appropriate to retail seasons. Helping information attuned to changing economic conditions. Target information specific to specialty retail channels in which we serve.

Through decade of service to small business retailers we have learned the value of this timely and professional communication. feedback from our small business retailers encourages us to continue our approach and to maintain our commitment to professional outbound contact and support.

We are careful in our communication to ensure it is not geek-talk. No, we prefer plain English help, aimed at supporting those using computers in business because they know they have to rather than because they love technology. This is where our business management advice is particularly useful – we show how our retailer customers can leverage the technology for practical business outcomes in their business. We do this weekly in the email and daily on the phone through our accessible and friendly help desk support.

We back our communication strategy with engagement on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. We are where our customers want us online as well as off line. This is why mail, email, web, social media and other platforms are engaged with by Tower Systems – to reach our customers where they are and not only where it suits us. Sure, it is hard work, relentless work. However, it is rewarding work when we receive feedback fro customers thrilled with outcomes they have achieved as a result of the engagement we have driven through our communications strategy.

The consistency of our communication is a key factor in the bond of trust between Tower Systems and its customers. It drives loyalty on both sides and demonstrates an understanding of customer businesses – as the communication is more than lip-service, more than spin, it is real life action, seeking to genuinely make a difference for the positive in the small business retail businesses in which we proudly serve in Australia and New Zealand.

This is the Tower AdvantageTM. A suite of tools, software, strategies and platforms through which we serve specialty retailers, helping them create better, more enjoyable and more valuable businesses. We trade-marked the Tower AdvantageTM because it deserves it. It is unique to us, unique for our customers. The trademark represents our pride in what we do and those who we serve. It represents the difference we make in the world.

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Sunday retail management advice: use a museum piece to drive traffic

January 24, 2016
1 Min read
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IMG_4574A trend in specialty retail overseas is to have a locked and secure cabinet housing a product people may not purchase but will come in to look at and photograph and salivate over.

The photo shows a runner designed by some famous guy. The pair sells for US$9,000. The manager of the store told us they have at least 50 people a day come in a look at the boot and take photos and that enough purchase other items to make the investment in the stock worth it.

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WE REFUSE TO USE FAKE PHOTOS IN OUR ADS AND ON OUR WEBSITE

January 23, 2016
1 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems we serve real people working in real businesses. They are the heroes, small business owners and team members, working to build local communities and make a stronger economy. This is why we use real people on our website and in our marketing collateral. It is easy to buy photos of pretty models placed in retail situations. We don’t do that. This helps build trust with our customers and those contemplating becoming our customers using our smart POS software.

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XERO GROWING MARKET SHARE WITH SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS IN AUSTRALIA

January 23, 2016
1 Min read
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IMG_3466We are thrilled to be a long term development partner with the Xero cloud based accounting software and listed as this on their website.

The Australian Financial Review recently published a terrific article about Xero, reporting how the company is primed for growth in Australia. We have seen this for some time through our work with Xero and retailers using Xero and their accountants. It is excellent accounting software.

Our experience is Xero is on the move. We are grateful to be part a small of the Xero story.

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HOW TO BE MORE ‘LOCAL’ IN YOUR SMALL RETAIL BUSINESS

January 22, 2016
2 Min read
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Being local in retail is more important than ever.

Local can mean different things to different people – it does not necessarily mean proximity. Being local could be about the level of care and attention you provide customers, the additional advice you provide, that you live locally, that you source locally or that you serve the local community personally.

Locally sourced products could be products made in Australia. For example, detailing where a product is made and the family behind it pitches local compared to a similar product imported from overseas.

You can use your Tower Systems POS software to pitch local in a range of ways:

  1. Include notes on receipts. Add product care instructions, use instructions or other useful information automatically on receipts – making your receipt a useful information platform.
  2. Tell people where you source products. For a product made by a family or small business in Australia, include details on the receipt. Shine a light on this local product – provide extra information so your shoppers can feel more locally connected.
  3. Include a SHOP LOCAL pitch. Add an image of a poster or some other promotion of the benefits of shop local to every receipt, reinforcing the value of shopping local. Tower Systems has images you can use for free – in the downloads section of our website.
  4. Thank your customers. Include text personally thanking customers shopping with you. Put our name to the message. Include your mobile. Big businesses do not do this.
  5. Track local product sales. Be aware of suppliers of locally made products and report on the performance of these through various reporting tools.
  6. Thanks for shopping local vouchers. You can use the discount voucher facilities in the software and call them Thanks for shopping local or Local shopping reward. This reinforces a value for shopping with a local business – offering $$ discount off the next purchase based on rules you establish.

It is not enough to tell people to shop local, you need to demonstrate the value of this, you need to live it transactionally in your retail business. The best way to do this is through systems and processes in your Tower Systems POS software.

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SMALL BUSINESS POS SOFTWARE UPDATE RELEASED

January 21, 2016
1 Min read
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Tower Systems has released the latest update to its popular POS software. This commercial release followed a comprehensive in-0house quality assurance process and then an extended beta release process.

Our customers can know that the commercial release now announced is at the end of a thorough development, testing and documentation process – resulting in excellent quality software packed with enhancements suggested and voted on by users as well as enhancements developed by us as a result of what we have learned by looking at retail trends overseas.

Tower Systems customers were advised about the commercial release of the software last week – in a formal and thorough announcement with details of the enhancements.

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Value from the HP partnership for Tower Systems and our POS software customers

January 20, 2016
1 Min read
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IMG_4686Tower Systems is the only POS software company in each of its marketplaces to attend and meet with senior HP executives at the NRF Big Show in New York this week. The opportunities flowing from the attendance and discussions are valuable to Tower and our customers as we gain even more comprehensive insights we can leverage for our customers.

The value of overseas travel to seek out the best for our customers is evident.

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