Australian based POS software integrated Shopify websites for retailers

30
April

In addition to developing and supporting awesome POS software for small business retailers, Tower Systems developed POS software integrated Shopify websites for retailers. We do this web development in Australia, using locally skilled and retail business savvy web developers.

  1. Locally based web developers understand local retail business needs.
  2. Locally based web developers are easier to speak with and even meet.
  3. Locally based web developers can more easily connect with your local suppliers.
  4. Locally based web developers speak your language and this makes communication easier and more certain.
  5. Locally based web developers want your website to work so they can use it as a calling care for more local web development work.
  6. Locally based web developers are more likely to get you and that matters in small business retail.

Tower Systems has a terrific track record working with Shopify and integrating this with our awesome specialty retail POS software. We can demonstrate plenty of live sites, taking your behind the scenes to help you understand what makes them work, what makes them awesome for the retail businesses the represent.

Our retail business website development work is fixed price, transparent, consultative, open, easily accessed and commercially focussed.

We can talk through needs, to ensure we fully understand what is required, long before any charges are incurred. We want to fully understand for our own professional needs. hence, we ask a lot of questions, which is good because you want the job done right, of course!

We want to ensure that we fully leverage the power of Shopify for your business, to deliver terrific business outcomes for your business and wonderful experiences for your customers. We do this through a comprehensive process and by only serving small business retailers. This small business focus ensures we are more focussed on you.

We urge any small business retailer in Australia to use a 100% Australian based web developer. This is an important to the local community as local shoppers are to local Aussie retailers.

For a wonderful POS software Shopify website integration solution, talk with Tower Systems and see if our services can help grow your online sales.

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POS software EOFY training has started

30
April

This week, we have started offering our personal, live, End Of Financial Year training for our small business retail POS software customers.

We are running many sessions between now and June 30 with structured training as well as open ended Q&A sessions.

This is another part of our awesome and unlimited user training services.

All of our customers have access to this training.

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Retail business advice: greeting shoppers well can drive better sales

29
April

Greeting customers and customer service is vital to business success. Do it right and you position the business for better outcomes.l Do it right and you will see a reduction in shopper theft. Dou it right, and your team will enjoy working in the business more.

Here is our advice. Yes, from a POS software company. We have many years of retail experience and one way to show this is to share insights we have nurtured o9ver the years.

  1. At busy times have a designated greeter working at the front of the shop to naturally greet while pricing or doing some other valuable work. The work can include pricing, refreshing a display, playing with (demonstrating) a product. Touching, feeling and engaging with products is key.
  2. Make eye contact with all who enter.
  3. Smile at all who enter.
  4. Cheerfully work with customers on their mobile phones rather than being rude toward them. A customer is a customer.
  5. Be age appropriate in communication. For example, older women are not guys. Gen Y does not warm to the term mate.
  6. Share product knowledge without being intrusive.
  7. Whatever you say has to be about them and not you.
  8. Do not interrupt conversations between customers.
  9. Never voice a negative thought. If people comment business is slow or retail is dead, answer with we’re in good shape, we’re loving it hereor we’re having funor similar.
  10. Don’t complain.
  11. Don’t complain about music playing, especially Christmas music – it’s for customers.
  12. Don’t say next to bring on the next customer, say hi!
  13. Thank people as they leave, smile and say something like see you soon.
  14. Don’t talk about customers to other customers.

Greeting has to be welcoming and genuinely happy. Nail this and you set the right tone for theirs visit to the shoot that day.

Take note of how other businesses nearby handle the greeting challenge. Ensure yours is different, better and more suited to your local shoppers. In small business retail there is opportunity for personalisation and this can be a a key differentiator.

Take time to settle your approach to greeting shoppers. Get it right and the business will benefit for sure.

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Small business retail advice: pricing to maximise value

26
April

Small business retailers often miss the opportunity to maximise pricing of items over which they have in–store control of pricing. There is good work that is easily accessible to help retailers better understand the opportunities.

In this posts we share information aimed at helping small business retailers make pricing decisions:

The power of the number 9.

In his book Priceless, William Poundstone analyses  8 different studies on the use of charm prices (pricing that ends in a 9 or a 5 but usually a 9), and found that, on average, they increased sales by 24% versus their nearby, ’rounded’ price points.

Poundstone has a video which explains this. It’s worth watching and can be found via this link: http://youtu.be/nZqOGhWw3Q8.

For a more complete study on pricing, read The Widespread Use of Odd Pricing in the Retail Sector by Judith Holdershaw, Philip Gendall and Ron Garland. Published in 1997 in Marketing Bulletin. http://marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/V8/MB_V8_N1_Holdershaw.pdf

What to include in your calculation.

Start with the real cost price. This should be regular wholesale plus freight. Keep any supplier or other discount as a bonus for yourself. Add freight as it is a cost associated with your location. This is not yours to soak up.

Setting your price.

In considering what to sell something for, ask your colleagues in-store how much would you pay for this? Do your research, too and see what others nearby sell the item for. Finally, consider carefully your objectives for the product – is this a volume play or a margin play?

Your pricing choice may not be as clear-cut as it would seem. For example, you could set a high price knowing that with a discount voucher on purchase the item appears to cost less. You might have volume pricing: $xx.xx for one, $yy.yy for two. You could have the item bundled with another to differentiate your offer to that of a nearby competitor and thereby offering you the opportunity to break free on pricing.

Think carefully about where in a band you price an item.For example, Items priced above $7.99 could probably sell at $9.99. Items above $19.99 should either be $24.99 or $29.99 and no other number in between. Above $29.99 more often you should target $39.99.

Avoid nothing prices that can cost GP. For example: $21.95 should be $24.99; $112.50 should be $119.99; $6.50 should be $7.99; $8.75 should be $9.99; $132.50 should be $139.99; $36.50 should be $39.99..

Choose to go to a higher price point rather than lower. Independent retail businesses  are expected to be more expensive. If you counter this with a consistently offered and generous discount voucher program then erring on the higher side of pricing works for you as your voucher sets value perception for your shoppers.

Our recommendation is that you always end your prices with a .99 and price at above RRP.

Be bold on price, make more money and make your business more valuable.

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How our POS software co. helps small business retailers pitch their economic value

24
April

Through a range of assets, our POS software company helps small business retailers pitch the value of small businesses and local retail businesses in Australia.

These assets are readily available for any to use. Many are unbranded, too, making their use even easier.

We research the content we create and ensure it is accurate as well as easily understood for people in the community. We want them to pick up on the small business value narrative and through this better support small businesses, especially small business retail.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve in this way.

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Small business retail advice: leveraging school holidays through your POS software

23
April

School holidays present a terrific opportunity for small business retailers to change their pitch and connect with shoppers in a different way, using throw POS software for good POS software has hooks and facilities for exactly this type of unusual engagement.

In our own Tower Systems specialty retail POS software we have a range of tools for leveraging school holidays. We will share some here and keep others for more confidential discussion – there is no point in giving away too many commercially differentiating initiatives in our POS software.

Every retail business we see in every retail niche in which we serve, we see opportunities in school holidays ranging from traffic boosts through to changes in the product mix with which shoppers engage. Every change, no matter how small, is an opportunity for deeper shopper connection, an opportunity for an indie retail business to pitch its credentials outside of what may be expected for this type of business.

Here are some examples, a small number, some simple ideas, which you can today leverage inn our POS software during school holiday periods.

  1. TAGS. Using tags in ur software track what sells during holiday time and do more of that next holidays. tags are powerful, valuable and easy to use.
  2. Value add information. Automatically serve on your receipts information pertinent to school holidays. It could be local events, activities, locations or other things that are school holiday specific in your area or nearby that shoppers with school age kids could embrace and enjoy. make your business the one that pitches local in a raft of ways.
  3. Package and bundle. Make it easy for those caring for kids during holidays to buy suppliers to make holidays more meaningful and / or fun. Bundling can achieve this. It can also make price comparison with competitors more difficult.
  4. Reward. School holidays bring new shoppers and new shoppers can appreciate your appreciation, they can respond well to being encouraged back into the shop with a loyalty offer or deal. make it simple, easily understood and compelling. Work at getting the school holiday new traffic back in story by using the smart loyalty tools in your POS software.

What you do in the school holidays, what you achieve, the value you cultivate is a function of your POS software and how you leverage it. Tower Systems can help.

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Appreciating appreciation

22
April

We received a terrific email of appreciation from a customer for help through the Easter break:

Mark, a personal note of thanks for your after hours support team. I had a major hardware crash and, of course, my hardware person was away. Your guys were terrific even though I didn’t buy the hardware from you. The help during Easter was truly above and beyond. Please thank the Tower Systems team.

As our motto says: we’re here to help…

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Rural and regional small business retailers benefit from Tower Systems

18
April

We are proud to support rural and regional small business retailers with our POS software. Our service is personal and in-store, placing ourselves where our customers are, to help them get the most from their investment in smart Point of Sale technology.

The personal service we provide to regional and rural retailers includes:

  1. In-store demonstration of the software.
  2. In-store personal experience in the business to fully understand business needs.
  3. In-store personal one one one training in the use of the software.
  4. Personal customer service, by humans who are based in Melbourne Australia and not an offshore help desk.
  5. Virtual location in the business to help fine tune the system to maximise opportunity. We can log in, with customer permission, and make any necessary changes.
  6. Regional user meetings.
  7. Unlimited personal training.
  8. Unlimited access to live weekly training seminars – accessible from anywhere.

These are some examples of personal services we provide that help regional and rural retailers leverage POS software for their commercial advantage.

One of the most crucial benefits delivered by Tower Systems is the offer to visit a business considering POS software. In that first visit we ask plenty of questions and we watch how the business operates, what happens in the business, how business is done … for watching and learning can help us understand if the opportunity is one for us or not. We know we are not a good software fit for every business we look at. We have found it valuable to us and prospective business customers to wish them best and walk away so they can fine more appropriate software for their needs.

Being in-store, being local with them enables us to ensure that businesses we work with are a good fit, that we can serve them well with software that is fit for purpose.

The initial visit is by one of our retail experts. They listen, learn and ask plenty of questions. This helps us. We have found regional and rural retailers appreciate this approach to the consideration of the POS software that is right for their business.

Tower Systems is not your usual POS software company. We are proud of this.

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How our POS software company helps small business retailers set their businesses for sale

17
April

Selling an independent retail business is like selling a house, you need to prepare it so that it looks appealing to prospective purchasers.

The process of preparing a retail business for sale can take time, depending on the state of the business. The earlier you start the better.

The keys are too leave yourself plenty of time and have a plan. The advice we provide here is based on years of service to small business retailers across many different retail channels.

In our work with small business retailers we have been able to build knowledge assets in many areas, including how to set a business up for sale, how too make the offer compelling and the business manageable and enticing. We share a glimpse here into some of our knowledge assets in this area.

Here is our overview advice of what you need to do to prepare your independent retail business for sale.

  1. Maximise profit. What anyone will pay will depend on the profitability of the business. While you should be on this every day, if it is a new project for you, start six months prior to putting the business on the market.
  2. Eliminate dead stock. It looks bad on the shelves and looks bad on the books. Purchasers should not pay full wholesale for inventory more than six months old as your poor buying or management is not their obligation.
  3. Streamline operations. Make the business look easy to run by ensuring it is easy to run for you. The easier it looks to run the more interesting to people who don’t understand the business.
  4. Make the business look appealing. Ensure displays are stunning, the shelves full and every pitch the very best you can make. You want them to want your business because they like it.
  5. Be happy. Owners who talk their business down will find it harder to sell the business. If you are complainer, keep it to yourself or in the family.
  6. Keep your social media presence up to date. Today, many people check out a business online prior to looking at it in-store. Maintain up to date Facebook and other
  7. Get your paperwork in order. Early on, get business documents together and check:
    1. Premises lease.
    2. Equipment lease documents.
    3. Franchise document.
    4. Supplier agreements.
    5. Details of any forward orders.
    6. Any other documents relating to the operation of the business including manuals for any equipment items.
  8. Choose your business broker carefully.

Success at selling your business depends in part on the work you do to prepare it for sale. Extra focus now can help you get timely price satisfaction.

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Newsagency of the future workshops to help newsagents transform their businesses

16
April

Tower Systems is supporting this valuable free workshop series for Aussie small business newsagents as they confront disruption in several categories and through the disruption find opportunity.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW SHOPPER TRAFFIC, HIGHER GP% AND GREATER PER VISIT VALUE.

I invite you to a new free business management workshop for newsagents where I will share an insight into trends in current trading data, trends for core categories overseas and opportunities for growth as we all recast our businesses.

I will ask some tough questions and through these navigate to challenges that sit at the root of some newsagency channel core categories and work through, with you, several opportunities growth in these.

What we explore together will be relevant to any newsagent in any situation, large or small, city or country. The sole focus will be on creating a brighter future, even if that means for you your own business exit strategy.

You will receive valuable takeaways you will be able to use right away as well as thought-provoking questions each of us in retail will have to answer.

While some examples will be newsXpress related, this is not a newsXpress sales event. It is a continuation of my Newsagency of the Further Workshops, which I first ran in 2004 and have evolved ever since.

I will also share newsXpress case studies where business owners have recast their businesses through change. These will include city and country businesses. Large and small.

Please, join me as we invest in a stronger newsagency channel.

  1. May 6. 9am Melbourne. Book now.
  2. May 7. 10am Sydney. Book now.
  3. May 8. 10am Brisbane. Book now.
  4. May 9. 10am Hobart. Book now.
  5. May 10. 10am Adelaide. Book now.

These are the only dates, because of commitments for the next few months. Tower systems CEO Mark Fletcher will host each event.

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Small business retailer POS software advice: see how the software company spends your money

15
April

There are plenty of hip work practices in software companies: massive fully stocked kitchens, pool tables, table tennis tables, scooters to get around the office on, a fully stocked bar, massages for employees, free gym membership, outdoor basketball courts, and more.

Every one of these comes at a cost, in fact, multiple costs. There is the capital expense as well as the time cost as employees engage in these playthings.

We think small business retailers prefer to see their software companies running with work environments and work practices that respect small business customers.

At Tower Systems, we respect our POS software development and support team members with good pay, good coffee, fresh fruit, healthy snacks and cakes once a month. Oh, and the odd beer on a Friday arvo. We live within our means preferring our customers to see value in our products and services rather than in personal relaxation and benefits elsewhere.

We run a lean, respectful and enjoyable workplace. It is a place where people learn heaps and can get ahead. We don’t need a pool table, table tennis table, masseurs and more to make this a better workplace as those things could distract us from serving our customers and serving our customers is the most important thing we can do.

A hip workplace is not a bankable future as it is not a workplace with small business retailers as the core focus. We think this in an important point.

Small business retailers want to do business with suppliers who are efficient t, who get them and who get how they do business. We do. We are connected and in-touch. That is why we think it is important to share with you the trimmings that we do not have in our offices, so you can trust our focus is on what really matters.

You are welcome to visit our offices at any time, to see where we make 0ur investment, to meet the people who provide awesome customer service for brilliant specialty retail small business POS software. Come and see first have how we do things differently in service of our customers, putting them ahead of playing games and drinking on the job.

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How Tower Systems helps garden centres with awesome garden centre software

13
April

Winter is coming.

The massively successful Game of Thrones TV series has brought the phrase Winter is cominginto focus with it issued as a warning, a call to be vigilant.

In garden centre circles, Winter is an interesting season. For some, it is an opportunity to plan, to be ready for Spring and Summer. For others, Winter is a busy time with unique local needs.

Using our awesome Aussie developed and supported Garden Centre Software you can leverageWinter, you can reflect a level of support and local connection that shows your business at an advantageto competitors.

Your receipts could include Winter care instructions. Product notes could include product specific advice for the season. You can ‘tag’ Winter products to see the value of niche marketing. You can easily offer Winter themed product bundles, helping shoppers care for their garden in this season.

Call one of our Garden Centre Software experts today for an obligation-freediscussion about your business needs, or a first-hand look at what is genuinely unique about our Garden Centre Software:

  1. VIC/SA/WA– Tim Batt 0401 833 917;
  2. QLD /NT– Justin Randall 0434 365 789;
  3. NSW/ACT/TAS – Nathan Morrison 0417 568 148.

Our Garden Centre Software helps beyond tracking sales … with marketing, improvingcashflow, encouraging shopper loyalty, competingwith big business, selling online, cuttingbookkeeping costs, improving decision speedandqualityand taking payment in many ways including buy now pay later.

Here is what we think really matters about what we do and what we offer Australian garden centres like yours:

  1. This awesome Garden Centre Software is developed in Australia.
  2. Garden Centre owners and staff have a direct say in software enhancements.
  3. It has been designedspecificallyfor garden centres.
  4. Our customer service team is Australian based. If you call, email, text, Facebook message or visit us, a human, with a real name, responds.
  5. Our software is regularly enhanced, based on user suggestions.
  6. You have access to unlimited one-on-one training.
  7. We offer business growth training, providing business context for cool things you can do with the software.
  8. Easy access to a fantastic knowledge base– like a searchable manual.
  9. Easily link with your website to sell online.
  10. Easily link to Xero– save time, cut mistakes and cut accounting costs.

You can rent, lease or buy the software.

In our unlimited one-on-one training, we can show you how to pitch local, how to differentiate your businessto any big competitor, how to stand out, how to provide leverage your knowledgeto build customer appreciation.

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Website development for Australian small business retailers – POS software connected

12
April

POS software company Tower Systems offers POS software connected websites to its customers. The e-commerce development is available to be sone in Shopify, magento and WooCommerce.

The company has experience in multiple platforms, especially Magento and Shopify. Tower also operates multiple consumer facing websites itself that are Shopify and Magento based and connected back it its own retail business POS software.

Our recommended solution for independent and small business retailers is Shopify. It offers the best solution, the easiest to engage with, the fastest to engage with and the most flexible at a local store level. We say this based on our own experiences in establishing and running sites.

Online is about a race to the cash. By this we mean that an online shopper is more likely to be ready to purchase. The first business to take their cash wins. This is where POS integrated websites can win. We can show you how.

The latest release of our POS software introduces a new style web dashboard to help in-store online sales fulfilment. This, coupled with inventory integration, accurate stock on hand data, professional image handling and smart SEO work helps you create and run an efficient, integrated physical and online business.

Whether you run a single store or operate as part of a marketing or banner group, Tower Systems has a track record of success you can leverage for your success. Let us show you how.

Fulfilment can be a challenge. We can help here too thanks to our integration work with Australia Post, Sendle and others. We can help you reduce friction with fulfilment and see you benefit from incremental online business.

What we bring to the website / POS software solution integration is experience as retailers. beyond 0ur awesome technology and our experience with Shopify and others, it really is our retail experience in-store and online that makes a difference for Tower Systems customers. We can help with the glue that makes having a cool website work for a business. This is an important factor, especially to small business retailers.

Tower Systems understates all web development, locally, in its Hawthorn Victoria office. We do not offshore tis work.

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POS software alternative to MYOB Retail Manager

11
April

Plenty of retailers looking for an alternative to the MYOB Retail Manger POS software are finding a good fit in the Tower Systems Point of Sale software. 

Connected to the MYOB accounting software, the Tower solution offers MYOB Retail Manager customers a familiarity with back office accounting in its POS software integrated solution.

Retailers looking for a complete change to the accounting and retail business management solution cold consider the Tower Systems Xero POS software integration. Tower directly integrates with the Xero cloud based accounting solution.

The Tower Systems installation and training team members are skilled at managing the process of transitioning a retail business from Retail Manager to the Tower Systems POS software. Our training covered differences as well as data export and import – as much as is possible and as much as a business wants … because sometimes a business likes to start again with a clean slate and with a clean dataset.

We have been told that Retail Manager by MYOB is approaching end of life – that is, no future development enhancement planned. If this is the case, the Tower POS software solution is an alternative that we would submit for consideration in any of the specialty retail channels in which we are well established.

Offering robust and constantly evolving POS software, Tower Systems offers MYOB Retail Manager users a path with a solid future from a technical and a business perspective. This peace of mind is something on which Tower Systems customers can bank as they plan their IT investment.

In terms of accounting solution choice, the company walks an agnostic path, leaving that choice to retail business owners and those who advise them on accounting software requirements. That said, in our own shops, we use Xero. Our fully staffed professional accounts office, where we have a CPA providing full time oversight of our retail accounting processes. Access to our accounting professionals is available to our POS software customers and their accountants who may have accounting related questions.

Tower Systems offers stable, proven and respected POS software solutions for small business retailers. Stability is at the heart of 9ur offer and ay to day operation.

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Tower Systems offers more free POS software training for small business retailers

10
April

Here we are in April 2019 and our free online POS software training workshops continue to draw good small business retailer engagement.

Each workshop is live, with plenty of time for questions one the topic covered as well as on any other topic.

Here are the remaining April 2019 sessions:

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.

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Tower Systems helps small business retailers embrace cashless trading

9
April

Thanks to smart integrations in our small business POS software, Tower Systems is at the forefront of cashless trading opportunities for indie retailers.

Cashless trading is there a retail business preferences non cash payment from shoppers. This could be by credit card, debit card or some other cashless payment method.

In the Tower Systems Point of Sale software there are plenty of opportunities for receiving payment in forms other than cash. All of these options provide small business retailers with flexibility on payments. This matters as it can go to the heart of business transactional accuracy and business efficiency. It can help make these indie businesses more competitive.

Here are some of the benefits of a retail business trading cashless:

  1. Less time at the bank.
  2. Reduced theft risk of cash.
  3. Reduced employee theft risk.
  4. Less double handling of data.
  5. Better business data – leading to better business decisions.
  6. Faster transaction time at the counter in many situations.
  7. Streamlined counter operation.
  8. Less data to day management time required.
  9. Better management of business cashflow.

While the benefits will vary by business, they can be considerable. We have seen businesses make the transition and benefit in ways of more value than they expected. For example, in one business they did not consider the handling of cash to be a cost to the business. It was only after they eliminated the process that they saw the cost – not only of the work but the lag time that surrounds the work.

We are not advocating going cashless to all small business retailers. rather, this post acknowledges our experience in the area, our credentials on which our customers can rely should they feel they wish to explore the cashless opportunity for their business.

This is how Tower Systems works. We develop expertise and make it available to those small business retailers who feel they would like to engage with the expertise for their local and often unique situation.

Cashless can be a game changer for some businesses. All we suggest is you consider it for your situation. If you decide to move ahead, trial it and make the long-term decision based on the evidence.

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More POS software connected websites launched

8
April

We are grateful to be able to share the launch of more Tower Systems POS software connected websites. These are websites developed by our Melbourne Australia based web development team.

Facilitating the flow of product data to consumer-facing websites, the Tower website / POS software integration provides indie small business retailers tools they need and can use to find new shoppers for products and services they sell.

Our latest sites include one for a butcher, another for a niche gift shop and another for a collectibles business.

With development options including Shopify and Magento, our web team is able to serve broad needs from the simple to the complex, the easy to the comprehensive that serve not only selling but other services online as well, representing the business across their range.

In our suite of website connected POS software solutions we have jewellers, newsagents, gift shops, homewares shops, fishing / outdoors businesses, produce businesses, pet stores and more. The diversity in our specialty portfolio is terrific and beneficial to all of our customers.

Being the one-step shop for POS software and for retail business website development means we can streamline development, data flow and commercial outcome access. This is where we can deliver terrifically for our customers were think.

Developing locally matters in that we help the local economy and we leverage local business knowledge. We think this is even more important as when you look at it, all retail is local. People want local knowledge and local service. Local businesses can deliver – if their web front door is sensitive to local needs and practices.

Thanks to our partnerships with Shopify and Magento, we are able to leverage worldwide tech best practice with a local business practices overlay. We actively participate in training from Shopify and Magento at their international developer conferences and enhance what we have learned with our deep local business knowledge. This helps us bring home solutions that are commercially astute and valuable for our customers.

The Tower Systems POS software ecommerce solution portfolio is well established. It is delivering terrific benefits to our customers as they seek new customers in a competitive commercial environment.

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