Helping small business retailers take the gamble out of decision making
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Small business retail advice: How to manage community group donation requests
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Requests from schools, charities, and other local community groups can be a challenging, difficult, for small business retailers. If you don’t have a structured approach, you’ll end up giving away a lot for little or no return.
Guilt is a powerful emotion, and some representing charities and community groups know this. Take a beat and think through how you want to handle such requests in advance of them coming your way. If you have a process you can deal with the requests consistently and with less stress.
Here’s our advice for local small business retailers on handling community group donation requests:
- Manage your philanthropy like any business activity. Decide how much money you’re willing to donate each year, and then stick to that budget.
- Get on the front foot. Write to community groups at the start of the year and ask them to submit a proposal if they’d like your support. This way, you can choose the groups that are a good fit for your business and your community.
- Support the groups that support you. Look for groups that have members who are also your customers. This way, you’re helping both the group and your business.
- Let your shoppers choose. If you offer discount vouchers, you could let customers donate their vouchers to a local group. This is a great way to get your customers involved in your community giving.
- Reward engagement. You could offer a discount to customers who are members of a local group. This would encourage them to shop at your business, and it would also support the group. This is critical advice. There has to be a commercial benefit for your business if you are to be able to help these community groups into the future.
- Educate groups about good engagement. Let groups know that you’re looking for ways to work together to benefit the community. You could ask them to do things like promote your business on their social media pages, or write about you in their newsletters.
- Write about your engagement. Once you’ve chosen the groups you’re going to support, write about it on your website and social media. Don’t be boastful or arrogant, be grateful. This will help to raise awareness of the groups, and it will also show your customers that you’re committed to giving back to the community.
Remember, your giving should serve both your heart and your business. By following these tips, you can make sure that your donations are a valuable investment for both you and your community.
Here are some additional tips:
- Be clear about your expectations. Let groups know what you’re looking for in a partnership, and what you expect from them in return.
- Be professional. Even if you’re dealing with a small community group, it’s important to be professional in your dealings with them.
- Be grateful. When a group partners with you, be sure to thank them for their support.
By following these tips, you can build strong relationships with community groups and make a real difference in your community.
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Why this advice from our POS software company matters.
Every day we connect with small business retailers about their businesses, through our help desk, in sales situations and elsewhere. Owning and running a local small business retail shop is challenging, time-consuming. Coming up with fresh ideas is hard. It’s necessary though. The ideas we share here are things we have tried, and found to work.
Small business retail advice: nurturing happiness in your shop
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Let’s talk about happiness in retail, in local small business retail especially.
There’s no doubt that being happy in your work makes a big difference to your overall wellbeing. And in retail, it’s especially important to be happy, because your mood can rub off on your customers and your colleagues.
But happiness isn’t something you can just decide to feel. It takes desire, planning and commitment.
Here are a few tips for finding, nurturing, and managing happiness in your local small business retail shop:
- Create a happy place. From music to scent to shop layout to lighting to things shoppers can engage with, make decisions that lean into happiness. These are physical things you can control, things that can easily tell everyone in the shop that this is a happy place. In our view, this first tip is by far the most important.
- Have good data. This might sound boring, but good data is essential for making informed decisions about your business. And when you make good decisions, you’re more likely to be happy with the results.
- Be in control. Don’t let suppliers or other people push you around. Use your data to make your own decisions, and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.
- Price for margin and turn. This means setting prices that will give you a good profit margin, but that will also sell quickly.
- Lean on others. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Build a team of happy and talented people who can help you run your business.
- Set your narrative. In your marketing and social media, be positive and optimistic. This will help to create a happy and welcoming atmosphere for your customers.
Of course, there are also some more practical things you can do to create a happy retail environment.
Happiness is good for business, and it’s good for you. So make sure you’re taking steps to find and nurture happiness in your retail shop.
Cheers! 🍻
P.S. Don’t forget to smile! 😃
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Why this advice from our POS software company matters.
Every day we connect with small business retailers about their businesses, through our help desk, in sales situations and elsewhere. Owning and running a local small business retail shop is challenging, time-consuming. Coming up with fresh ideas is hard. It’s necessary though. The ideas we share here are things we have tried, and found to work.
Small business retail advice on how to handle and leverage low margin products
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We know that low margin, high volume businesses can be tough. The traffic is good, but the profits are slim. And it can be hard to know how to make the most of those low-margin products and services.
How do we know this you ask? Here at Tower Systems we serve thousands of local small business retailers. This provides us with broad experience. It is surprising the crossover value of knowledge across retail channels. As well as helping retailers leverage our POS software we are grateful to share this business management advice.
No, back to low-margin products and how dealing with them can feel challenging for small business retailers.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a list of five must-do things to leverage your low value traffic.
- Place at least one offer or stand at the door. This is a great way to catch people’s attention as they’re leaving. Make sure the offer is clear and relevant to people walking in or walking by.
- Use a portable table for pricing stock. This is a great way to keep your stock looking neat and tidy, and it also gives you a chance to upsell other products to customers as you are pricing items.
- Pitch other products to customers who are buying low-margin items. This is a great way to increase your average order value. Like, use the traffic of low-margin product to sell other things.
- Have an offer at the counter that’s unrelated to the low margin purchase. This is a great way to tempt customers into impulse buys.
- Establish a floor unit to guide counter traffic. This is a great way to showcase your products and services, and it also helps to keep your customers moving through your store.
Oh, here’s a bonus tip. Offer a sample, a taste, or a feel (if appropriate). People engaging with a product are more likely to purchase. We have seen this happen in a. range of different types of retail businesses.
We know that these tips might seem like a lot of work, but they’re worth it. By following these tips, you can increase your profits and make your low margin, high volume business more successful.
If you need any help, we’re here for you. We have awesome tools to help low margin, high volume retailers, and we’d be glad to give you some practical advice.
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Why this advice from our POS software company matters.
Every day we connect with small business retailers about their businesses, through our help desk, in sales situations and elsewhere. Owning and running a local small business retail shop is challenging, time-consuming. Coming up with fresh ideas is hard. It’s necessary though. The ideas we share here are things we have tried, and found to work.
Thanks for reading.
Small business retail advice: how to discover fresh ideas
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You know what’s important, especially in local small business retail? Coming up with fresh ideas. Big ideas, small ideas, ideas for new traffic, products, and services.
But it can be tough to come up with new ideas, right? Sometimes you feel like you’re stuck in a rut. Sometimes you feel alone. Sometimes you feel like you are growing in … stuff!
Well, we’re here at Tower Systems to help you out. We serve thousands of retailers and have experience in local small business retail ourselves.
Here are some suggestions for ways to clear that blockage, to discover fresh ideas:
- Try a sensory deprivation tank. It’s weird at first, but it’s a great way to relax and let your mind wander.
- Cook a complex meal that you’ve never cooked before. Or bake a cake. Or do a jigsaw puzzle. Or build a model. Just do something that you’re not used to doing.
- Go to a ballet or opera. Or a comedy show. Or a walk in the forest. Or sit in front of the ocean and look out to the horizon.
- Shut yourself in a dark room and put on your favourite music and sing along. Or try yoga, or meditation, or have a massage.
- Read a novel from cover to cover without interruption. Or do some gardening or other backyard work, or go for a long drive.
- Have a romantic dinner with your partner at a place you’ve never been before. Or take an unexpected day off and treat yourself to some guilty pleasures.
The point is to get lost in experiences that are unrelated to your business. By getting lost, getting truly lost, ideas have a better opportunity of surfacing.
So go out there and have some fun! The great ideas will follow.
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Why this advice from our POS software company matters.
Every day we connect with small business retailers about their businesses, through our help desk, in sales situations and elsewhere. Owning and running a local small business retail shop is challenging, time-consuming. Coming up with fresh ideas is hard. It’s necessary though. The ideas we share here are things we have tried, and found to work.
We love trying new things as we have found that in those unknown places creativity thrives.
Advice for small business retailers on the best value approach to decision making
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How decisions are made in local independent retail businesses can determine the value of those decisions, the consequences on those decisions.
Too often in our work with small business retailers we have seen decisions based on emotion rather than evidence.
The POS software we make for specialty small business retail collects and curates business data that can inform decisions. New have seen wonderful and valuable success flow in retail businesses that make decisions based on evidence is this data.
A common situation of poor decision making is buying stock. Too often we see small business retailers buying because they like a sales rep or because they like the look of something when their own business data indicate that buying that stock is not the right move for their retail business.
In our POS software we make it easy for local retailers to access this data about stock performance, we make it easy for them to have the evidence of their own data to better inform decisions they are considering. retailers who do this, who rely on the evidence in their own business data, tend to run more successful and valuable retail businesses. They tend to enjoy their businesses more too.
Buying stock has to be black and white: will this decision make money for the business in the time that the business needs? As a retail business trades using POS software like ours it builds up knowledge in its trading, knowledge that can be accessed, analysed and understood by the POS software itself to make it easy to see the right stock buying decisions to make.
We upset a retailer a while back when they happened to mention that products from a supplier were not working for them. They were unhappy when we showed them their own data that disagreed with their opinion. It turns out that their opinion was based on a dislike of the manager of the supplier business. They were letting their emotion get in the way of facts. The situation turned out well, the business made more money as a result.
If you are in retail to be successful, we urge you to make decisions based on your business evidence. Our POS software can help. We back its facilities with terrific training and customer support materials that are easily accessible.
We love helping local small business retailers make good decisions. It’s something that makes us feel good.
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We are grateful to serve more than 3,000 local and independent small business retailers here at Tower Systems. Our POS software community is diverse and very much appreciated by us for their support and feedback.
The advice we share here comes from our years of engagement with them and our own experience as engaged retailers ourselves.
Candy for retailers
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Serving small business retail insights
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Tower Systems Antique Shop Software: Helping Antique Dealers Run More Enjoyable and Successful Businesses
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Running an antique shop can be a lot of work. There’s inventory to track, customers to keep happy, and payments to process. Often, depending on the type of antique business, there are many suppliers, collectors, to track and report to. Our Tower Systems Antique Shop Software helps streamline your operations and save time.
This software has sone terrific features, including:
- Inventory tracking: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software makes it easy to track your inventory, from individual items to entire collections. You can easily see what you have in stock, what you’re low on, and what you need to order. Plus, you can see the people who have provided this inventory to you, even if it is on consignment.
- Sales management: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software also makes it easy to manage your sales. You can track sales by item, by customer, or by period. This information can help you identify trends and make better decisions about your business. It’s easy to learn and therefore useful in a situation where different people work the dealership on different days.
- Customer tracking: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software helps you keep track of your customers. You can store their contact information, purchase history, and preferences. This information can help you provide better customer service and target your marketing efforts.
- Sell online: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software can also be integrated with Shopify, magenta, Woo and Big Commerce. Easily sell online.
Benefits:
- Increased efficiency: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software can help you streamline your operations and save time. You can easily process transactions, track inventory, and manage sales. This frees up your time so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
- Improved customer service: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software can help you provide better customer service. You can easily track customer orders and preferences, and you can send them reminders about upcoming appointments or events. This can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and keep them coming back.
- Increased sales: Tower Systems Antique Shop Software can help you increase your sales. You can easily sell your products online, and you can target your marketing efforts to specific demographics. This can help you reach a wider audience and boost your sales.
Our Tower Systems Antique Shop Software is easy to use, efficient, and can help improve your customer service and increase sales.
Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au for more details and to outline what it is you are looking for in Antique shop software.
Here are some additional benefits of using Tower Systems Antique Shop Software:
- Reporting: Track your sales, inventory, and customer data. This information can help you make better decisions about your business.
- Remote management: You can access your software from anywhere with an internet connection. This means you can manage your business from home or on the go.
- Helpful support: Tower Systems offers human delivered support, so you can get help you need.
If you’re looking for a powerful and easy-to-use POS software for your antique shop, then Tower Systems Antique Shop Software could be a good fit for you.
Some thoughts on news of Lightspeed charging small business retailers a ‘penalty’ if they choose to NOT use Lightspeed Payments
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Jewellery shops are unique and benefit from using software made for their needs
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Jewellers are a special breed of retailers. They need a POS software that can handle the unique needs of their business, from tracking unique types of inventory to managing repairs. The Tower Systems Jeweller Software is the perfect solution for jewellery businesses of all sizes.
Features:
- Inventory tracking: Tower Systems Jeweller Software makes it easy to track your inventory, from raw materials to finished products. You can easily see what you have in stock, what you’re low on, and what you need to order. The software even works with fluctuating raw eateries prices.
- Repairs management: Tower Systems Jeweller Software also makes it easy to manage customer repairs. You can track the status of each repair, send reminders to customers, and invoice them for the work.
- Customer relationship management (CRM): Tower Systems Jeweller Software includes a built-in CRM system (as some people call it) that helps you keep track of your customers. You can store their contact information, purchase history, and preferences. This information can help you provide better customer service and target your marketing efforts.
- E-commerce: Tower Systems Jeweller Software can also be integrated with an e-commerce platform like Shopify, Big Commerce, Magento or WooCommerce, so you can sell your products online. This can help you reach a wider audience and boost your sales.
Benefits:
- Increased efficiency: Tower Systems Jeweller Software can help you streamline operations and save time. You can easily process transactions, track inventory, and manage repairs. This frees up your time so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
- Improved customer service: Tower Systems Jeweller Software can help you provide better customer service. You can easily track customer orders and preferences, and you can send them reminders about upcoming appointments or events. This can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and keep them coming back.
- Increased sales: Tower Systems Jeweller Software can help you increase your sales. You can easily sell your products online, and you can target your marketing efforts to specific demographics. This can help you reach a wider audience and boost your sales.
We think our Jeweller Software is pretty awesome. We are truly grateful that hundreds of jewellers have chosen our software and have stayed with us for years. This year already we have welcomed a swag of new jeweller customers.
We think our Jeweller Software is terrific POS software for local independent jewellery businesses. It’s easy to use, efficient, and can help you improve your customer service and increase your sales. If you’re looking for a POS software that can help you take your jewellery business to the next level, then Tower Systems Jeweller Software is worth considering.
Tell us about your needs:
Contact us at 1300 662 957 or by email on sales@towersystems.com.au to outline your needs and explore whether what we offer could serve you.
Tower Systems at the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne
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We are excited to share that we will be at the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne next month at stand K34.
On our stand we will be showing the latest POS software for gift shops as well as the latest truly portent POS software for on the road, at markets, in a pop up shop and more. Both these products are fresh, Aussie made and Aussie supported.
We are grateful to so many gift shops for their support. The growth of new customers in this vibrant channel already this year is wonderful.
We will also be showing off our latest integrations and innovations for retailers more broadly. It will be an exciting few days in Melbourne, and on the back of some other terrific trade shows already this year.
How does our Aussie POS software for gift shops compare?
- Awesome software made for gift shops.
- Rent for $165.00 a month (inc. GST). That’s the real monthly price, not an annual price quoted for monthly.
- No lock in contract.
- Cancel at any time without penalty.
- You’re not required to use a specific EFTPOS provider.
- No extra cost to use on as many terminals in your shop as you want.
- Personal training included – half a day of personal, live, training.
- Training videos included. Learn anytime, at your own pace.
- Melbourne-based, human support by our own team.
- Awesome loyalty tools that offer you differentiation shoppers love.
- Included integrations: Xero, Shopify, Big Commerce, Zip, Humm & more.
- Using this software supports local Aussie jobs.
Rent our Aussie made gift shop software for $159.00 a month (inc. GST).
This $165.00 a month cost includes the software, support (Melbourne based), half a day of training, access to training videos and a knowledge base of advice.
Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/gift.
Watch a demonstration: https://youtu.be/0kArDkAKE4E
We are grateful to already serve 3,000+ local retailers. We’d love to serve you if our software does what you need. Call us on 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.
From sales to special orders to pre-orders, from Xero integration to digital receipt integration, from loyalty that works to easy shopper postcode tracking, from smart ways to pitch shop local to featuring locally made products … our gift shop software is made for gift retailers, made to help you thrive.
For EFTPOS, link to Tyro, the major banks, as well as SmartPay.
For selling online, link to Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and Woo.
Our software does smart things, too, like making it fast and easy to remove the background of photos you take of products.
Advice for local small business retailers: how to enhance your local credentials
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In 2023, embodying the essence of local in the retail become more vital than ever. Big businesses are engaged in local, but they are using systems, processes and tech. The conundrum for genuinely local small business retailers lies in authentically cultivating a local identity.
The term local means different things to different people. It isn’t restricted to geographic proximity. Local can be perceived as the degree of personalised care you offer to your customers, the supplementary advice you give, living within the locality yourself, sourcing products locally, or serving the community on a personal level. It may also be linked to the availability of locally sourced products.
For instance, a product produced anywhere within Australia could be deemed as locally sourced. Narrating the story of where a product originates, along with the family involved in its creation, can add a local touch to it, distinguishing it from similar overseas products. This narrative is crucial because it underlines the local aspect.
Small retail businesses can leverage Tower Systems’ retail POS software to effectively promote their local attributes in various ways:
- Enhance your receipts: Use receipts to provide product care instructions, usage guidelines, or other beneficial information automatically, turning your receipts into a valuable information source.
- Disclose product origins: If a product is made by a small business or family within Australia, include this detail on the receipt. Highlight the local product, giving customers additional information to foster a local connection.
- Advocate for local shopping: Attach an image or poster promoting the advantages of shopping local to every receipt. Tower Systems offers free images for this purpose, available in the downloads section on their website.
- Show customer appreciation: Personalise a thank-you message to customers shopping with you. Sign off with your name and contact number. This personal touch is typically absent in larger businesses.
- Monitor local product sales: Keep track of local suppliers’ product performance using various reporting tools.
- Reward local shopping: Implement discount vouchers named “Thanks for shopping local” or “Local shopping reward” to emphasise the benefits of supporting local businesses. You can establish rules to offer discounts off the next purchase.
- Merely advocating for local shopping isn’t enough; you must showcase its value and integrate it into your retail business operations. The most effective approach to accomplish this is by incorporating suitable systems and procedures into your POS software.
There are plenty of ways local small business retailers can authentically pitch local. In this post we have covered just some of them. We are a local POS software company ready to help you pitch local.
How Garden Centres use our POS software in their businesses
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We are so grateful to all the garden centres that have installed our garden centre software in the last year, and there have been plenty. The last 12 months have been busy in this space.
While how the garden centre software is used in nursery and garden centre businesses varies between businesses, there are plenty of core uses that our customers enjoy.
- Quote and invoice management. Strong, flexible, fit for purpose.
- Trade pricing profiles supporting pricing flexibility for your customers.
- Customer account management: Professional and accurate control.
- Pricing profiles. You can set pricing rules based on types of customers.
- Easier deliveries. Packing slips and delivery notes.
- Sell by weight or measure, including fractions.
- Bag your own products. Bag bulk to smaller and to your own brand.
- Colour / size / style. Track what you sell at a granular level.
- Product care receipts. You control design and detail.
- Re-potting. As plants grow, charge accordingly.
- Pre-orders – pre-sell stock and be ahead of the game.
- Special orders – easily manage special customer orders.
- Awesome loyalty through which you can easily differentiate.
- Seasonal reordering. Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.
- Weatherproof labels.
- Greenlife integration.
- Electronic supplier invoice support – cut mistakes and save time.
- Easy Shopify integration.
Using this retail channel specific garden centre POS software, garden centres can provide personal service for their local community. They can encode their knowledge and guide that this be served to customers based on their purchases. Through these facilities garden centres can differentiate their businesses.
Unlike traditional everyday POS software, this garden centre POS software from Tower Systems is rich in features for garden centres, loaded with tools and reports that can help garden centre owners and staff run a more efficient and successful business.
The software evolves through regular updates. Many of the changes delivered in the updates are suggested direct to our development team by our users. It’s a transparent and democratic process.
And here are some questions we get asked about our garden centre software, and our answers:
Does the software handle garden club member pricing? Yes, this can be a great marketing tool, getting local community group members support the business and fundraising at the same time.
Does the software track frequent shopper purchases, like what you see in coffee shops buy 9 and get your 10th free? Yes.
Can the software report on frequent shopper purchase items we give away, to get a supplier rebate? Yes.
Does the software have a loyalty facility? Yes, there are several options – you can choose the one that works best for your needs.
Does the software let me manage my own time-based catalogue pricing? Yes.
Can I sell gift cards for my business? Yes.
I buy products in bulk and re-bag them to retail size. Can the software handle this? Yes.
I buy several products in bulk to mix to create my own brand of feed. can the software handle this? Yes.
We are thankful to our garden centre customer community for their support and encouragement.
We help local retailers find local opportunities
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What Tower Systems looks for in local small business retail POS software customers
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Tower Systems offers retailers an alternative to the new costs for Lightspeed POS users following Lightspeed Payments changes
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We have been told by Lightspeed POS customers they have received an email advising higher costs if they do not wish to use the Lightspeed Payment platform.
Tower Systems does not retailer its POS software customers to use specific payment processing, EFTPOS processing platforms. There are no charges with any platform chosen.
Here is what one Lightspeed POS customer in Australia said a few days ago:
We have just spoken with LS regarding their new, unfair charges if you opt out of their payment platform, and when we asked what they were offering for this $240 fee, they could not actually provide an answer….despite the disruption it will cause, we will probably move to another POS system. We have also taken this to the ACCC here in Australia as I’m sure they will see this as the simple money grab that it is.
Here is another example from a Lightspeed POS customer in Australia:
The customer received an email from Lightspeed noting that the terms of the contract have changed. They’ll now be paying $700 per month extra if they continue using Tyro (and don’t switch to LS payment).
Retailers are unhappy with the email from Lightspeed outlining new charges should the retailer choose to NOT use the Lightspeed Payments platform.
Tower Systems stands ready to help retailers if they want to partner with a POS software company that does not force such a move.
Of course, it is critical retailers ensure they choose the right software for their business in terms of functionality. we are happy to demonstrate this, answer questions, learn more about your business and demonstrate the functions that are critical to you.
If, based on the information you share, we feel our POS software is not a good fit for you, we will say so.
Lightspeed has to own the decision they have made about Lightspeed Payments. We do wonder if the decision is a representation of what they look for in customers. Their May earnings presentation outlined for about what the ideal Lightspeed POS customer looks like.
Here at Tower Systems we love service locally owned independent small retail businesses in a variety of specialty retail markets.
Here are our POS software marketplaces:
- Bike shops. $195/month.
- Fashion retail. $195/month.
- Gift shops. $165/month.
- Garden centres. $165/month.
- Produce / farm supply businesses. $210/month.
- Fishing and outdoors businesses. $165/month.
- Jewellers. $165/month.
- Pet shops. $165/month.
- Toy shops. $165/month.
- Health Food shops. $165/month.
- Newsagents. $195/month.
- Firearms dealers. $195/month.
- Game shops. $165/month.
- Sewing shops. $195/month.
- Pool Supplies and Maintenance. $195/month.
- Charity / op. shops. $105/month. (Giving back)
- Doll / Bear / Collector shops. $165/month.
- Antique Dealers. $195/month.
- Music shops. $165/month.
- Mobility Scooter businesses. $195/month.
- Computer Shop / repair businesses. $195/month.
Here’s what’s included: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (phone or email) 6 days a week (incl Saturday), access to a knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent support, Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.
Again, there is no payments related cost – we encourage retailers to choose the payments solution that is best for their needs.
Advice for any local small business retailer who thinks closing their shop may be the only option
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As small business retailers, we understand the overwhelming obstacles and uncertainty that can cloud our vision of the future. When faced with the prospect that closing our doors may be the only option, it’s essential to pause, gather data, and separate fact from emotion. In this article, we offer a beacon of hope by exploring the opportunities hidden within the evidence and guide you towards finding a path forward for your business.
Let’s start with pause. While the situation may feel hopeless, go for a walk outside, regardless of the weather. Walk, walk and walk. Look around. Breathe. Sit. Take a moment. Clear your head.
Unveiling the Opportunities Data as a Compass: Amidst the chaos, it’s crucial to gather and analyse data—the backbone of informed decision-making. Dive into your sales records, financial situation, and local economic circumstances. Focus on the facts, not the emotions or hearsay. Within the evidence lies potential opportunities obscured by obstacles and uncertainty.
Breaking free from the “end is near” mindset requires a strategic shift. Instead, concentrate on four key areas that can turn the tide:
- Attracting new shoppers
- Increasing the purchasing power of existing shoppers
- Maximising revenue from your current offerings
- Reducing costs without compromising quality
Seizing the Opportunities Attracting New Shoppers: In the realm of local retail, attracting new customers can be challenging. However, introducing a completely new product category can be a game-changer. Choose something captivating and unique that aligns with your interests and appeals to the local community. To succeed, position the new category well in-store and leverage social media to create buzz. Look beyond your existing network for advice and be the local expert in your chosen category.
Encouraging Increased Spending: To encourage existing customers to spend more, implement a smart loyalty program and create a welcoming store environment. By offering incentives and personalised experiences, you can build stronger relationships with your customers, boosting their loyalty and spending. Our discount vouchers are fast and easy to implement. Customers love them.
Optimising Profitability: Increasing your profit margins can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Explore opportunities to charge slightly higher prices or find ways to improve your sourcing and procurement processes. Even small improvements in gross profit percentage can yield substantial benefits.
Navigating the Journey Embracing Proactive Planning: The key to a successful turnaround lies in early action. Instead of waiting for obstacles and uncertainty to block your path, anticipate change and cultivate assets that can be deployed when needed. Look beyond the immediate horizon and be proactive in your planning, ensuring you’re prepared to adapt and thrive.
Cost Reduction as a Piece of the Puzzle: While reducing costs can be a viable strategy, it’s rarely the sole solution. In well-managed businesses, costs are often already optimised. Although cost reduction can play a role in the overall strategy, it’s important to focus on holistic approaches that address revenue growth and customer engagement.
Reaching Out for Support: If the thought of closing your shop becomes overwhelming, remember that you are not alone. Reach out to fellow retailers retailers who are willing to listen and offer advice. Reach out to us. Together, we can navigate these challenging times and discover new avenues for success.
In local small business retail, challenges and uncertainty are inevitable.
By approaching these obstacles with data-driven decision-making, a proactive mindset, and a focus on attracting new shoppers, maximising customer spending, and optimising profitability, a brighter path forward can emerge.
Remember, you have a community of fellow retailers ready to lend a helping hand. Together, let’s build resilient and thriving businesses.
Unlocking the Power of AI: Transforming Local Retail Businesses for the Future
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Embracing cutting-edge technology is no longer just a choice; it’s a necessity for businesses to thrive. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised numerous industries, and local small business retail is no exception. By harnessing the power of AI tools, local retailers, small business retailers, can save time, gain a competitive advantage, and provide exceptional service to their customers.
Crafting compelling product descriptions can be a time-consuming task for retailers. However, with the integration of ChatGPT AI into Tower Systems POS software, this process has become a breeze. Simply input a few keywords, and within seconds, you’ll have ready-to-review description texts. This AI-powered tool not only saves time but also allows for creativity and customisation, enabling retailers to present their products in a unique and engaging manner.
Managing customer queries on a shop’s website can be a resource-intensive endeavor. Enter AI-powered chatbots, which can handle simple to moderate customer inquiries without incurring additional labor costs. These chatbots provide quick and accurate responses, ensuring customers receive prompt assistance while freeing up staff to focus on more complex tasks. There are already good examples of this in big and small retail businesses.
Composing effective emails or letters is an essential aspect of running any shop. AI can generate well-structured emails or letters for various purposes. From requesting refunds for underperforming products to negotiating rent reductions, AI platforms like ChatGPT can create compelling content by leveraging contextual prompts and relevant business information. With AI-generated drafts in hand, newsagents can swiftly review, edit, and send them, saving valuable time in the process.
Writing disposable social media content. If you have a product image and some keywords, AI could generate cohesive sentences for you in seconds.
Giving employees broader experiences and thereby making working in the shop more interesting. Let them show you what could be possible.
Finding new product category opportunities. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial. AI can be an invaluable tool for discovering untapped product categories and identifying trends. By leveraging AI algorithms, retailers can uncover hidden opportunities and expand their product offerings, catering to evolving customer demands.
Where more benefits will flow is in areas like buying where, too often, emotion gets in the way of good business decisions.
While there will be some in local small business retail who resist a greater reach of AI, soon enough it will be like the fax machine was a year or so after launch, an everyday part of business.
While, for sure, there is plenty to worry about with AI, especially in military and policing settings, there are so many other uses, like in local retail businesses, where we can benefit and improve what we offer our customers.
Tower Systems offers an alternative to Vend POS and Lightspeed POS for local independent retailers
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Lightspeed Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, is an overseas POS software product. They are spending up big to try and attract Aussie retailers to their POS software.
Their focus is on revenue from transactions. They want retailers to use their EFTPOS payment gateway.
Tower Systems does not preference any EFTPOS payment gateway nor do we charge fees associated with this.
We are focussed on making our money from POS software rental. W are a software company after all, not a bank.
So, when it comes to EFTPOS fees and payment gateway requirements and preferences we think your ill see a difference between Tower Systems and Lightspeed Vend and Lightspeed themselves.
We also compete with them is value, functionality and service. We think we compete well with each of Lightspeed and Vend which is owned by Lightspeed. on these important points.
Our service is Australian based, building and supporting here the software we offer. There is no offshore call centre, no contractors helping you out. Call us and it’s us you speak with.
Good service starts with local knowledge and marketplace specific knowledge.
Our price is a per month price. It’s not a price pitched that requires you to pay for a full year up front to get. Also, our price is all inclusive. There is no extra cost for more registers or for functions like advanced reporting, loyalty or some integrations. We know that price transparency is important. There is no lock in contract.
What our software does, its functionality, is considerable, deep, and regularly evolving. Serving 3,000+ retailers in a diverse mix of specialty retail marketplaces has seen us develop functionality that is comprehensive and useful in many different business sectors. This depth sees us stand up well in comparison to other products.
We make specialty retail POS software for specialty retailers. While we cannot match the advertising spend of Lightspeed and Vend which is owned by Lightspeed, we think we do match where it matters.
Choosing Tower Systems POS software, for the monthly rental cost, you have access to:
- Unlimited registers. No extra cost.
- Integrated accounting link. No extra cost.
- Integrated e-commerce links. No extra cost.
- Integrated payments. No extra cost.
- Loyalty programs. No extra cost.
- Advanced reporting. No extra cost.
- Customer marketing tools. No extra cost.
- Visual analytics dashboard. No extra cost.
- Special customer orders. No extra cost.
- Sell by fractions, sell by weight. No extra cost.
- Integrated LayBys. No extra cost.
- Customer gift vouchers. No extra cost.
- Customised onboarding.
- 24/7 support.
To go further, here’s what’s included in the monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.
We are proud of this list, and our POS software, and our customer service. We are grateful to our customers who enable us to do this. They make us better at what we do.
What’s the best POS software for Shopify?
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Shopify is a terrific e-commerce platform that is made better for retail businesses thanks to an integration with smart POS software.
While we don’t know the best POS software for Shopify, we do know that our Tower Systems POS software is used by many local independent retailers who also run Shopify websites.
Our POS software is integrated with Shopify. we are Shopify partner.
The best POS software for Shopify is the POS software that best serves your specific business needs. This is what matters most – that the POS software serves the needs you have in your retail business.
Not all POS software integrates with Shopify. Some connect, but not direct.
Using the Tower Systems POS software you manage your inventory through our software and this inventory data, including images, flows to Shopify, and sales achieved through Shopify flow back to the Tower Systems POS software.
This is what good integration looks like: efficient, clean, stable and reliable.
We suspect that businesses that claim to offer the best POS software for Shopify do so as a marketing pitch only, and not with any evidence as to whether it is the best. How can they know? have they tested everything? Probably not. We haven’t. But, we are invested in delivering a good Shopify POS software solution integration.
Not all POS software Shopify integrations are the same. This is why we advise customers to be careful, to research thoroughly and to see first hand how it works.
Shopify is the website platform we recommend to most retailers we develop websites for as it is a platform anyone can manage after the new website is handed over. It is attractive, smart, intuitive and easily managed.
Tower Systems develops beautiful Shopify websites for small business retailers. As the web developer and the POS software maker we can provide a solution tailored to your needs.
Our Shopify websites are developed to your needs, following a structured process, focussed on an outcome for you and your business.
All of our web development is done by our own team members, working in Melbourne, Australia. Being local web developers matters as they understand local retail better than offshore developers working through an Australian agent as if often the case.
If you are looking for the best Shopify POS software solution, take your time. Making the right decision is worth it.
Christmas in July is an excellent opportunity for local retailers to attract new shoppers
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Thanks to marketing tools in our POS software, it is easy for local retailers to pitch Christmas in July, track performance and learn from the value of the opportunity.
We first wrote about Christmas in July more than 10 years ago. What was a good season then is even better now.
Here’s is some of the advice we have shared with our local retailer POS software user community about Christmas in July.
- Run the Christmas in July campaign over no more than two weeks in July. One week could be enough.
- Choose dates which are away from any other promotion – it works best with little competition.
- Get all team members engaged.
- Set aside space at the front of store, in their face.
- Use your window – go BIG.
- Dress the team and the store to suit the Christmas theme.
- Display any spare Christmas stock from last year.
- Play Christmas music.
- Choose a day for an extra special celebration and make this an all-out focus.
- Have a competition for the kids around the theme.
- Create a giant Christmas stocking which one lucky customer can win.
- Use the event to discount any slow moving items. It its a perfect opportunity to quit stock.
- Promote on social media.
- Ideally, connect with your online store as planned of shopping today is done outside usual hours.
Christmas in July is an excellent opportunity to get suppliers on board too. Maybe they could provide products for you to give away as gifts – I.E. every shopper gets spending over $10 a ‘Christmas’ gift. Suppliers could use your promotion as an ideal time for trialling products and getting your customers engaged.
The key here is to create some excitement in the middle of winter, to make visiting your shop more appealing, to get your shop noticed. This is what disruptive marketing has to be about – getting noticed, causing people to stop what they were doing, to turn and see your business. That has to be the first goal, for them to stop, and notice. If you can do that you are part way there. This is why going BIG is important.
Christmas in July is a terrific opportunity in local retail and our POS software can help you track this.
Having the right address is critical
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Thanks to an integration in the Tower Systems POS software, our retail partners are able to enter correct and verified street addresses for customers. It’s easy, and accurate, as we have shown our customers:
Our approach in providing advice to customers is show, don’t tell.
How to handle consignment stock using POS software from Tower Systems
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Consignment stock is growing in popularity in retail, especially local small business retail. Here is advice from our POS software company on handling consignment stock.
We have developed this advice following work with gifts shops, antique shops and other businesses offering consignment stock and using our POS software.
Retailers who sell consignment stock, or commissioned goods (typically from a local supplier or artisan) and want to keep track of the products through sales and potentially receiving/returning stock. There are a few ways to handle this in the Retailer POS software from Tower Systems, using different setups, with their own benefits and limitations.
Three of the ways for handling Consignment stock in the Tower POS software are covered here, and since they are not mutually exclusive, you could mix them together to get something that works for your business. For all three methods, you can also arrive/receive stock through Invoice Arrivals, and Returns of the item can be done through Invoice Arrivals, without much change.
When doing arrivals and returns of consignment products, consider the following. If you need to see quantities on hand of the product in the system when you sell, you will need to arrive, or manually adjust the product quantities. Then, process returns on the products later. Alternatively, you can sell into negatives, and only arrive the final quantities of product later.
Using Supplier
A particular supplier can be assigned as a consignment supplier (or multiple suppliers). You can differentiate them simply by adding ‘Consignment’ to their names (or in any other effective manner).
Many reports in Retailer (such as Supplier Sales Analysis and Stock Listing Report) can be set to run for and exclude certain suppliers. The same can be done in stock ordering so this may be the easiest one to implement.
The limitation is that certain reports like the Detailed Takings report cannot be told to include/exclude particular suppliers.
The benefit is you can continue organising stock in Departments and Categories that are mixed with other, non-consignment stock. Carrying a larger amount of consignment products is also fine with Department names and stock tags on reports still meaningful and descriptive of the product itself.
Using Department
A particular department can be setup as a Consignment department, specifically used for holding items on consignment. This department could be named to include the word ‘Consignment’ to differentiate it, and can also be marked as an Agency Department. Agency Departments have the added feature of being able to be excluded as a tickbox option on many reports (e.g. Detailed Takings Report).
This can mean that the Department name is not as meaningful or descriptive of the products, which should be fine for small numbers of consignment products that are quite similar.
Many reports can be run to exclude Agency Departments (if used here) which can be very helpful. This includes the very useful Stock Listing report, which gives you a total stock value on hand.
Using Stock Tags
Stock tags can be created to track products on consignment, and you can have as many as is meaningful to your business without impacting or bloating reports and information.
E.g. Kitchenware Consignment tag, Foodstuff Consignment tag, Fashionwear Consignment tag.
These will need to be assigned to the relevant products.
The main drawback with this is that reports are only going to be able to include these products based on tags. The reports cannot exclude items based on these tags so if you need to run particular reports and easily exclude consignment products, this method may not be suitable.
The big advantage in using tags is allowing your products to be assigned to meaningful Departments together with other product. Any reports that use tags (e.g. Stock Listing report, Detailed Takings report) will also find it easy to list these products, and potentially show subgroups of the consignment products (if more tags were added) or include other products that have similar tags.
As school holidays come to an end …
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