The number of clicks and the amount of information you have to provide in order to watch a POS software demonstration says something about the ease of access to help with that software
At our website, www.towersystems.com.au, once you choose your marketplace, you can watch a recent software demonstration immediately, without providing any of your details.
Alternatively, you can, with one click request a personal demonstration lead by the needs of your business.
We believe in easy to access customer service, pre sales, and post sales.
Just as retail is personal, POS software support is personal.
The number of clicks and the amount of information you have to provide in order to watch a POS software demonstration says something about the ease of access to help with that software. See for yourself.
We’re mighty proud of our local retailer insights dashboard
The POS system loved by local small business retailers in Australia
Not all POS systems are the same.
The POS system from Tower Systems is Australian made for Australian retailers. It is backed by local support, delivered by humans who don’t push you through a rigid script.
This POS system is small business friendly. It is local business friendly.
Better still, the POS system from Tower Systems does not lock you into a payments platform, it does not require you to use specific EFTPOS. There is no fee relating to payments.
Tower Systems believes retailers should profit from their sales, not software companies. This is why the POS system from Tower Systems is unencumbered with fees and charged you see from other POS software companies.
The Tower Systems POS software pricing is transparent and small business friendly.
There is no extra charge for extra terminal or computer licences. Nor is there an extra charge for advanced reporting or loyalty facilities.
The modest monthly software rental cost includes software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (incl. 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.
Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
Differentiate with you. Share your product use and care information.
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.
Ensure compliance when required with structured age checking.
Then, there are the awesome loyalty tools in this POS software. With many retail businesses running points based loyalty programs, differentiating is key for businesses that want to stand out. This is why our discount voucher loyalty program is loved by plenty of our POS software customers.
First up, while we call them discount vouchers, you can call them whatever you like. We have customers who call these receipt-based vouchers Our Thank You Gift or Bonus Bucks or Customer Reward..
Discount vouchers have been shown to deliver terrific sales boosts. Comparing sales over Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020, we have seen businesses achieve 12% sales growth through the active use of discount vouchers.
Typically, guys will want to spend the vouchers right away while girls keep them and often use them before they automatically expire.
Discount vouchers are easy to setup and run. Our support team can help with this. You can be live in minutes. You can easily change the settings too. The control you have is terrific and the shopper engagement reporting excellent.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers.
Retailers beware: transaction fees by POS software companies increase the price of your POS software
Transaction fees make POS software more expensive for retailers. They are a hidden cost of ownership of POS software.
Tower Systems does not charge a transaction fee. Tower Systems does not force you to use any specific payments platform. We think this is what makes the total cost of ownership(TCO) of the Tower Systems POS software so low, and so loved by retailers.
The total cost of ownership (TCO) of POS software is the sum of all direct and indirect costs associated with the purchase, implementation, maintenance, and support of the software over its entire lifespan. This includes:
- Initial purchase price or the monthly rental cost summed over time: The cost of the software license and any associated hardware costs. Tower Systems has a simple monthly rental cost with no requirement to pay a year in advance.
- Implementation costs: The cost of installing and configuring the software, as well as training staff on how to use it. Tower Systems offers optional training (onboarding).
- Maintenance and support costs: The cost of ongoing maintenance and support, such as software updates, security patches, and technical support. The cost of support for the Tower Systems POS software is included in the monthly rental price.
- Other costs: Other costs that may be associated with POS software include credit card processing fees, integration costs with other systems, and downtime costs. Tower Systems does not charge any processing fees or any payments fees.
The TCO of POS software can vary depending on the size and complexity of the business, as well as the features and functionality of the software. For example, a small business with a single retail location may have a TCO of a few thousand dollars per year, while a large enterprise with multiple locations may have a TCO of millions of dollars per year.
Tower Systems keeps the cost of the software simple, easy to understand and manageable for the local specialty retailers on which it focuses.
Here are some tips for reducing the TCO of POS software:
- Choose a software solution that does not charge transaction fees.
- Choose a software solution that does not lock you into a specific payments platform.
- Take advantage of free training and resources offered by the software provider. Tower Systems offers plenty of these.
- Use the full features of the software to maximise financial return for the business.
By carefully considering all of the costs associated with POS software, you can choose a solution that is right for your business and your budget.
A message for local retailers
$0 transaction fee POS software
Savvy retailers are price comparing POS software and gaining a better understanding of the cost of ownership of the software as the cost of ownership includes monthly rental cost as well as fees imposed on transactions and costs associated with any required payments platform.
Here at Tower Systems you can choose the payments platform you prefer, for no cost.
Our POS software connects with Tyro, Linkly, Linkly Cloud, MX51, CentrePay, SmartPay, Quest and others. These are integrations, saving time, cutting mistakes and offering seamless engagement.
There is no payments charge when you use our POS software. Tower Systems has a $0.00 transaction fee cost.
There is no payments platform requirement when you use our POS software.
This is why the total cost of ownership of the Tower Systems POS software is less than plenty of comparable products.
If you are looking for POS software for your business, do your homework, check out pricing, all the pricing, compare and decide what is functionally and financially right for your business.
When you compare our POS software to others, ask the question about payments fee or transaction fee or any percentage surcharge on transactions.
We think software companies should make money from software and not from each transaction a retailer makes in their business.
We also think that transaction fees and payment fees are like a tax, an awful tax, and impost on your business for making sales. It’s why we have taken the approach we have and why we are so transparent about it.
We don’t have the marketing funds to match the POS software companies that do charge a transaction fee. We rely on word of mount and other grass roots marketing. we’re doing okay, too, for which we are sincerely grateful.
Now, to be very clear, Tower Systems does not charge any fee whatsoever for transactions or payments. Nothing fee for debit cards. No fee for credit cards. Tower Systems has no fee whatsoever for any form of payments put through its POS software.
Ultimately, the best POS software for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget. Be sure to compare the features and pricing of different POS systems before making a decision.
Aussie news outlets publish nonsense about work from home
There is so much nonsense in the media at the moment about work from home and the push to get back to the office 5 days a week. Just today there was a story reporting that CEOs claim work from home will be history in 2 years. We think (hope) they are wrong.
Here at Tower Systems, we are grateful for a terrific team creating and supporting our software for local retailers. They are welcome to work where it suits them. We trust them. Always have. More than two thirds of our team have worked from home since March 2020 and there is no pressure on them to return to the office.
We think the media stories about people getting back to the office are likely from landlords who want to fill offices and businesses that rely on office workers for food, clothing and other sales. These sales are still occurring, but closer to home, for which local retailers are grateful.
We have work colleagues who have 15+ hours a week for personal and family time that they did not have prior to opening up to working from home. That’s 720 bonus family time hours in a working year. The value of that for individuals and families is extraordinary.
The whole community benefits from this. This is even more true in regional communities.
Innovative retail: Heath Newsstand, San Francisco
People are at the heart of local retail
We are grateful to be able to share this …
Innovative retail at San Francisco Ferry Terminal
Is Arielle Executive right when it promotes 7 Best POS Systems In Australia For 2023?
Arielle Executive claims to list 7 Best POS Systems In Australia For 2023.
We think what they actually promote is software companies that pay them to be on the list. We think theirs is an ad platform.
Why do we say this? Because they’ve not assessed our software. Okay, we’re a small company. But we do have 3,500+ local Aussie business customers.
We think that if you are going to pay Google to rank well for listing the best POS systems in Australia you should have at the very lease actually looked at POS systems made for retailers in Australia. Like, you should have done the work to enable you to make the claim.
Oh, and by looking at POS systems we mean looking at the actual software, comparing functions, getting into the total cost of ownership and understanding each product before making an assessment leading to the claim you promote.
We are suspicious about comparison websites like that offered by Arielle Executive because in our experience they are ad platforms you pay to list your product to be considered ‘best’, when really the ranking comes down to an amount of money you spend.
Arielle Executive is a commercial business that offers a range of services. None of the services listed at the Arielle Executive claim expertise in assessing the best software of any kind.
We get that Arielle Executive is running a business and has to make money. We wish they were clearer about what they were doing with the ads they are running on Google claiming to list the 7 Best POS Systems In Australia For 2023. And while they products they list are well known and loved by many, whether they are the best comes down to much more than whether they have paid money to be on the marketing list promoted by by Arielle Executive.
Here at Tower Systems we are a transparent company, clear in what we offer. People considering us can see demonstrations of our software on our website and on our Google channel. We’re not pushy either. Folks who enquire about our software are respected. We are keen to understand their needs. If we think we are good fit we will say so, and show how.
If you are considering POS software for your business, take your time, do your homework, trust what you discover and not a marketing lost others have paid to be on.
Local, and proud
Purpose
How our POS software integrated international barcode lookup saves retailers time and improves new product data
It’s all shown in this short video:
Retail business advice: leverage smart loyalty in your POS software to differentiate your local shop
There are loyalty offers from big retailers that are supported with expensive attractive marketing and then there are loyalty offers from local businesses that deliver real value, appreciated value.
While the big business loyalty program gets media attention, it is usually the local business loyalty program that delivers what customers love most.
With many retail businesses running points based loyalty programs, differentiating is key for businesses that want to stand out. This is why our Tower Systems discount voucher loyalty program is loved by plenty of our POS software customers.
Oh, and you can actually call it whatever you like. We have customers who call these receipt-based vouchers Our Thank You Gift or Bonus Bucks or Customer Reward..
Discount vouchers genuinely differentiate your business.
- You name the voucher anything you like and can change this at any time.
- You set the rules on how the value of the voucher is calculated.
- You set the rules on what the voucher can be redeemed for.
- You set the rules on expiry dates.
Male shoppers are more likely to spend the voucher immediately and many customers use the voucher to purchase items more expensive than the items in the initial purchase made. Customers see the voucher as cash, often commenting that they like the direct approach better than a points-based system. They like the transparency and simplicity.
In our own retail experience, shoppers tell us they prefer discount vouchers, they like how easily they are understood, they like the saving.
To us, shopper loyalty programs should reward loyalty with a genuine reward, and they should do this in a way that nurtures more engagement with the business.
The relationship between shopper, business and loyalty program is circular, mutually beneficial, appreciated and valuable. This is how our program works.
Now, for retailers who like to copy big business with a traditional points based program, we offer that. It’s easy to setup and run. You control how points are accrued and redeemed. We have this in the software because we do not want to restrict what our retailers can offer in terms of loyalty.
We are grateful to serve thousands of retailers with loyalty offerings that help local retailers thrive.
Chat helps retailers get quick and easy access to POS software help desk queries
While we love talking with our POS software customers and take hundreds of calls for advice, training and support every day, plenty of our customers are loving the enhanced self-serve facilities through our website where many day-to-day queries are answered instantly, without the need to call or email.
The advanced tech behind this innovating is delivering terrific POS software support content to our customers, helping them to get more from our software instantly, when they need it.
Customers using this self-serve access to help desk advice free our people to handle more complex queries on how yo use our POS software.
Our help desk team members don’t follow a script. Each call is a conversation, free flowing, in pursuit of valuable and appreciate answers for our POS software customers.
Helping retailers quickly and easily load product images to their online store
The free web app we created for retailers to facilitate fast and easy loading of product photos to our POS software and feeding these to Shopify, magenta, Woo and Big Commerce websites is being loved by our customers.
Using this free tool our customers open their phone, take a photo, check that it looks okay and click to share it. The back end software does the rest, including removing the background of the image if you like.
This is another time saving tool created by Tower Systems to help local retailers more easily get new products online.
The photo management and upload app is 100% our tech, designed to serve our 3,000+ local retail customers. we created it once we understood the frustration of retailers at how long it took to take photos, remove the background and upload them to the software. Removing plan ty of steps and making it a 2 or 3 click quick process is helping local retailers get more products online in a time efficient way.
Small business retail advice: trust your data
Purpose
Walk your own path
See our Aussie made and supported POS software for local indie clothing and fashion shops
We are proud to serve local clothing and washing shops with our clothing shop POS software, and here’s an easy to watch demo:
Epos Now compared to Tower Systems POS software for small business retailers
Epos Now is a UK based software company that has a track record of spending big on Google to come up in search results when local small business retailers are looking for software.
We are grateful to have welcomed Epos Now customers over to our Tower Systems POS software platform.
We’re different to Epos Now. We encourage retailers to compare – but before do that, be sure of what matters most to you.
Here’s a video a couple of our team members made talking about Epos Now and Tower Systems.
If you’re happy using Epos Now, we encourage you to continue to do so. This post and the video are for local small business retailers looking for an alternative.
Video: how pet groomers can use our POS software to manage grooming customers and services in their businesses
We are grateful to the pet groomers who showed us how to use our POS software for a different type of business to work for their business. We made a quick video to show this functionality off:
What is the best POS system for small retail business?
It’s an interesting question, What is the best POS system for small retail business?, one plenty of local small business retailers ask.
We are Tower Systems We only make POS software for small business retail. We are not chasing big business. We are not chasing franchises with hundreds of shops.
Our focus is on local small business retail, local shops, specialty shops, small business shops.
So when you ask, What is the best POS system for small retail business?, we think a good response has to be – software from a company that makes software for small retail businesses, software from a company that only makes software for small retail businesses.
This is important because if you are a small retail business and you go with software from a company that serves plenty of big chains and big groups, your small business could get lost in the mix, not listened to, forgotten. While their marketing will likely pitch that your business will matter and that you will get personal service, one way big, massive, software companies serve their customers is through offshore services centres and automation.
Retail is personal, local retail especially.
Here at Tower Systems we provide personal service. You see this reflected in our POS software and in the support services to local retailers we provide for our POS software.
Each POS software update includes enhancements suggested directly by our customers. We discuss these with them, and let them know when and how they are proceeding. This direct contact between our software development team and our customers is unique as is the direct, easy and personal contact between our POS software customers and our help desk team – all of whom work for us and are local in Australia and New Zealand.
Okay, well, all of what we have shared so far here is about choosing the best POS software company for a small retail business. In terms of the software itself, it’s easy …
Be sure of what you need and what you want, and know the why s to each of these.
When looking at software, ask them to show you, using their software, how each of your needs is met. Don’t just take their word.
If they say sign up and test it for yourself rather than taking the time to understand your needs and wants and showing you this reflects on the personal service they will, or will not provide.
The best POS system for a local small retail business is the one that serves the needs of the retail at a price that works for the retail business.
Take your time, do your research. Get everything in writing.
This is a long-term decision, one worth taking time over.
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