Aussie made POS software for specialty retail
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UPDATE: 5 things every retailer should know about their retail business but are usually not told by POS software
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3 weeks ago we published this video: 5 things every retailer should know about their retail business but are usually not told by POS software. Across several platforms it’s had 1,000 views, for which we are grateful.
When our CEO made the video, it was spur of the moment, based on a comment made in a conversation at the Sydney gift fair in April. While the video was spur of the moment and not scripted, it drew on years of experience, years of service of local small business retailers.
We appreciate the feedback we have received, the appreciation.
To us, the video represents something different about Tower Systems. It presents that we want you to cultivate and harvest value from your business through the use of our POS software.
This is the difference of value.
Long after you start using our software, appreciating genuine value from its use.
Thank you for watching. Wr hope you found the video useful.
Awesome serial number tracking facilities in Aussie made POS software
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How does the Tower Systems POS software compare with Retail Express?
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The short answer is we don’t know. we have never used Retail Express in any of our software. We’ve not even looked at their software. Likewise, we are not aware of any Retail Express staff members looking at our Tower Systems POS software.
So, How does the Tower Systems POS software compare with Retail Express? … we don’t know.
This question is on our mind today because someone asked us. They had been told a view and wanted our reaction.
The best we can do is make it easy for you to see our software in a demonstration for your specific business, or across at our publicly accessible Tower Systems YouTube channel. You don’t have to give us your email address to access these videos. We believe in transparency and show it through easy access to this software we make and support.
We are even happy to arrange a personal Zoom meeting where you can see our software compared function for function with Retail Express.
What we want for every retailer we speak with is for them to find the software that best serves their needs.
If the Tower Systems POS software is not the right fit, we’ll say so and wish you all the best. We won’t pressure you or pitch to you. We let your needs guide what’s best, yes, your needs and how they match, or don’t, with our POS software.
From our sales team members to our leadership team to our help desk team members we are all about providing personal service in support of ever evolving POS software. We mention ever evolving since the Tower software today is very different to what we offers a year ago or two years ago. This continual improvement with which we engage is driven by customer suggestion, for which we are sincerely grateful.
Functionality is everything and comparing two POS software programs function buy function is useful to determine which better serves your needs. This is another reason for wanting the assessment to be done in your business, at a time of your choosing.
This is what good personal service is all about – putting the needs of your business first.
How does Tower Systems compare to Retail Express? Compare the two software programs in your business side by side and see for yourself.
Our 3,000+ local retail businesses that we serve help us create better software every day and for that we are grateful.
Charity shop software / community group software helps local groups serve the local community
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Tower Systems is grateful to serve many different community groups, offering POS software for charity shops and community run retail businesses. This is software tuned to the needs of charity shops.
Here’s a Q&A that answers common questions we are often asked by managers and committee members:
Does the software support community member pricing? Yes.
We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.
We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.
We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.
Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.
Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.
Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.
Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store? Yes.
Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.
Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.
Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.
Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.
Can the software handle tracking sales to group members to calculate a rebate for the group?Yes.
Can I include product care instructions on the receipt? Yes.
Does the software track where I have stored a box for an item? Yes.
Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.
Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.
Can I email receipts? Yes.
Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.
Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.
Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.
Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.
Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.
Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.
Charity and op. shops are unique and loved businesses, providing valuable service to the local community and to those supported by the charity. We are grateful to serve these community enterprises with our POS software:
- Easy shopper loyalty. While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
- Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
- Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
- Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
- Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
- Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.
Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.
The best loyalty solution for local small business retailers
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If your local retail business competes with big businesses and online businesses, you are likely copying them and their approach to loyalty. Points are the common approach. The world is obsessed with points, chasing them, collecting and trying to spend them.
But who knows that they are worth?
Each point is not the same whereas each dollar is a dollar everywhere.
The Tower Systems POS software offers a points based loyalty solution embedded in the POS software – for businesses that like to copy big business. The businesses that like to innovate, be different and stand out, however, use the discount vouchers facilities in our POS software. In these facilities there are no points accrued. rather, loyal shoppers accrue dollars. See how:
With hundreds of local small business retailers using the Tower Systems discount vouchers we have good data to speak to when encouraging local retailers to embrace the opportunity.
For years, retailers, especially independent and small business retailers, have been told to follow retail giants and reward loyal shoppers with points that can be redeemed for gifts and discounts.
Dutifully, many small business retailers acted on this – but without a thought-through strategy to achieve the best outcome for the business.
Without a financially rewarding outcome for a business, a loyalty program is worthless.
This is why retailers, in any retail channel and in any retail situation – high street, shopping mall, rural and or regional – need options in terms of shopper loyalty rewards.
While a points based program is useful, it could be that the business will benefit from a different approach.
Good POS software will offer flexibility. This flexibility can add thousands of dollars to the bottom line performance of a retail business each year.
Change the game: front-end loyalty
By using an approach we at Tower call front-ending loyalty, retailers can achieve more from first-time and infrequent shoppers. Front-ending loyalty brings a reward to the front in an effort to engage shoppers in additional purchases sooner.
Too often loyalty has been all about total spend over a year whereas above average spend in just one visit can be more valuable to a business.
It’s an approach that can encourage those who do not shop with you to purchase something else right away, to get the value of the cash discount offered.
Regular shoppers can spend the cash discount right away or come back within any time limit you set.
We started trialling this front-ending loyalty strategy in February 2013 in several retail businesses. We did it using the Discount Vouchers facilities in the Tower Systems software.
Building the basket
From the first day we saw shoppers changing behaviour.
One chap came in to purchase a specific item. When he was handed the receipt the voucher was pointed out to him – offering $2.00 off his next purchase. He was not a regular and so spent the $2.00, and more, right away on another item. He received another voucher and purchased a third item. In all, he spent three times as much as the original purchase – all because of the Discount Vouchers he received.
Around 33% of all vouchers redeemed are used the day they are received. This shows customers building the basket – adding to their purchase that day as a result of the voucher. This makes each visit more valuable to us.
Bringing shoppers back
Around 33% of redeemed vouchers are used within seven days of issue and the remaining 33% are redeemed up to four weeks after issue.
Here’s another real story: A month after we started trialling this new approach to loyalty, a customer came in and used a voucher she had picked up a couple of weeks earlier. She was happy to get $5.00 off a $45.00 item she wanted. This resulted in another voucher so she bought another item for $29.95.
This customer said she would be back. Two weeks later she was.
You control the business rules covering how vouchers are issued and redeemed. You control your financial exposure at all times.
Like any good loyalty program, you need good levers with which to drive shopper engagement and to deliver the benefits it needs to justify the investment.
The Discount Vouchers facilities in the Tower software have this.
POS software for firearms dealers
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Firearms dealers here in Australia operate under a regulatory framework so it’s natural that software they choose for their businesses serves the needs of this, as well as serving the management and operational needs of these local retail businesses.
Usually well connected to the community, local firearms dealers benefit from firearms retail management software that leverages community connections and engagement.
The Tower Systems firearms dealer retail POS software is made for this.
Rented for $185.00 a month. Using this firearms POS software, you can…
- Track products by serial number. From the moment items with serial numbers arrive in-store. This is vital in any firearms business.
- Easily and consistently age check. … from within the software. Knowing this is a gatekeeper function is key to demonstrating to regulators your consistent approach.
- Easily handle special customer orders including one-off orders. The software tracks the details, helping guide fewer mistakes. You can sell before you have the stock.
- Easily handle pre-orders.
- Easily manage the sale of services – i.e. things that are not inventory items.
- Track and manage repairs. from the moment an item is brought in for repair through to collection.
- Offer club pricing. Set pricing rules to drive business from rifle club members and others.
- Sell accurately by weight or measure – by whole numbers or fractions. Being able to sell by fractions has been found to be a differentiator for Tower Systems.
- Manage inventory so that you have accurate records on-hand.
- Leverage you. Your knowledge is a differentiator, leverage it. Have your knowledge about products included on receipts and more.
- Differentiate your business through smart and unique loyalty. With shoppers visiting infrequently drive more from each visit.
- Maximise the basket with easy to use one-time shopper loyalty tools.
- Load electronic invoices from suppliers.
- Easily link to Shopify, Magento and Woo including images.
Better still, this software continues to evolve, based on customer feedback. Our engagement with our customers demonstrates the value of locally made and supported software.
See it for yourself. here is a recent demonstration:
This is specialty retail management software, made for Aussie firearms dealers. Yes, made for them (you).
For the $185 a month rental of this firearms dealer POS software you get:
- Australian developed and supported firearms business POS software.
- Software updates as we release them.
- Unlimited computer licences for your shop. Extra licences are free.
- Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily represent your products online from your POS software.
- Direct to Xero link. Easing bookkeeping and accounting costs.
- Our OzBiz link. This helps you link to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
- Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
- PC Eftpos link. This offers easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
- Support – help desk access, unlimited training, updates and more.
- User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.
The $185.00 is charged by Tower Systems per 30 days, in advance.
Thank you to local community groups and charities for all they do
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Free workshop: helping local small business retailers sell online
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Tower systems has announced details of another free workshop that aims to provide advice, guidance and support for local retailers to sell online. Our experts and retailers will be there with free advice for anyone see to sell online from any type of retail business.
This free session is open to anyone. Get details by emailing sales@towersystems.com.au
Our how when and why to sell online workshop is Wednesday, May 11 @ 10am Melbourne time.
Tower Systems makes POS software and POS software integrated websites for specialty retailers in a range of retail niches.
Grow Your Local Toy Shop with Toy Shop Software
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Running a toy shop can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. If you’re looking for ways to make your toy shop more successful, then you should consider using toy shop software. Toy shop software like what we make and support at Tower Systems helps local toy shops grow by providing them with a variety of features and tools that they can use to improve their business. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of toy shop software and how it can help your business grow!
One of the benefits of toy shop software is that it can help you manage your inventory more effectively. With toy shop software, you can track your inventory levels and ensure that you always have the products that your customers want in stock. This will help you avoid lost sales and keep your customers happy.
Another benefit of toy shop software is that it can help you streamline your operations. toy shop software can automate many of the tasks that are necessary to run a successful toy shop, such as ordering products, tracking sales, and processing payments. This will free up your time so that you can focus on more important tasks, like running your business!
If you own and run a toy shop, this Tower Systems toy shop software is made for you and here;’s why:
- It is Australian made software, backed by Australian based support.
- You can sell from anywhere. That means … from the counter, the shop floor, a pop-up store, a market. Yes, you can sell anywhere.
- It links to Xero and MYOB – make accounting easier.
- Offer loyalty rewards that work and set you apart.
- It links to Shopify, Magento and Woo – sell online easier.
- Sell products in bundles, it makes competitor price comparison harder.
- Offer buy now pay later – where you are paid right away.
We create software for very specific retail business niches, like yours. We do the regular POS stuff, and we serve toy specific requirements.
If you compete with K-Mart, Target or any other majors oranyone online…
We offer tools specific to helping you compete, tools that you can leverage to genuinely differentiate your business …
When it comes to leveraging shopper loyalty, offering product bundling, sharing local knowledge, delivering product specific personal customer service, our Toy shop software has your back. We help you compete with big business.
We only sell to independent retail businesses. We are grateful to serve 3,500 businesses today, across nine specialty marketplaces, including Toy shops.
Our goal is to help our customers run more enjoyable, successful and valuable retail businesses – in physical shops or online or both.
- Competing with big business – we will show you tools you can use to do this, tools that are central to our software.
- Being local – Local communities benefit from local shops. We can show you how to leverage being local, to win more local business.
- Cut mistakes – They are expensive. Reduce them to save time / money.
- Catalogues are a breeze. Catalogue pricing is easily handled.
- Online selling is easier.
- Special orders are a dream.
- Handle toy supplier pricing models.
This is locally made POS software for local retail shops. It is small business focussed, because that is where we excel.
6 reasons to love the Tower Systems Pet Shop software for local Australian pet shops
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The Tower Systems pitch to local pet shops is simple: Love your shop as much as you love your pets.
We all love our pets, and we do anything for them, for their comfort and happiness fuels us, nourishes us, comforts us. So, to every pet shop owner we say – love your shop as much as you love your pets and your shop will reward you as much as your pets comfort you.
Here are 6 ways this pet shop POS software from Tower Systems helps you achieve this.
- Easy small wins. The one-percenters make a business. This pet shop software is packed with one-percenters, helping you to small wins in efficiency, add-on purchases, smarter buying and more.
- Healthier pets. Pet owners will love your reminders about a treatment that is due. They will also love that you treat their pets as a member of the family. You will love that this software makes it easy. You can embed in the software knowledge that can be served to customers, automatically.
- Hands off. Every keyboard click has a cost and could be a mistake. Look at your last Kongs invoice and reflect on the time it took to process. Imagine importing an accurate electronic version in seconds.
- Standing out from the crowd. While dog breeds are judged to a set of strict standards, in retail being different matters. When it comes to loyalty, we help you stand out, be noticed and be loved.
- You are the difference. When it comes to pet food and other items that make up the bulk of your revenue, standing out from the crowd can be a challenge. The thing is, you and your people are the difference. This software helps you shine a light on that. Sell you and leverage you as the point of difference.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A smart and seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you easily and with low overhead sell to people you will never meet. Points are so yesterday, shoppers love and understand value, especially when it respects them.
Our Pet Shop Software costs $155.00 for each 30 days. The $155.00 is for access from as many computers as you have in the business.
There is no long-term contract. You can cancel at any time. There is no finance application, no on-going finance obligation.
Our pet shop software offers many benefits, including:
- Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
- 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.
- Easy record keeping: microchip tracking.
- Business differentiating loyalty. Stand out from the crowd. Drive sales.
- Differentiate with bundles. Make price comparison hard.
- Say goodbye to LayBy – with integrated buy now pay later options.
- Market to customers based on past purchases.
- Cut accounting and bookkeeping fees with integration to Xero and others.
- Easily sell online with a direct to Shopify link from your POS software.
This is pet shop software to love, like your shop, like your pets.
Bike shop POS software enhancements a game changer for indie bike retailers
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The bike specialist team at Tower Systems is well aware that the market they operate in is changing rapidly. The new Bike shop POS software from Tower systems was designed to meet their needs for functionality, ease-of use and design so it can be used by retailers across all levels of operation – not just those with large engineering teams at hand!
In addition each update after launch has come about thanks not only because owners wanted features added but also advice on how best present these updates within an increasingly competitive economic climate where consumer spending remains high but in which competition from online and gig type use is driving change.
The Australian-made bike shop software has been designed to streamline operations and make life easier for retailers. The robust features offered by the program ensure that managers can keep track of their part spending, labor hours spent on jobs like servicing or repairing bikes (without using external systems), as well as important information such serial number tracking tools which helps with insurance claims when needed!
Bike shops can now use their intellectual property to create a competitive advantage and develop new customer relationships, thanks to the Tower Systems bike shop software.
Tower Systems has created an innovative software system that gives them insight into how valuable each of their customers is, as well as facilities for leveraging this information through different channels like online platforms or email marketing lists so they are always in touch with potential buyers who may have been overlooked before now!
The Tower Systems Bike shop software costs $185.00 a month, for access on as many computers as a business runs in a location. The $185.00 capped pricing approach makes accessing the software cost effective for bike retailers.
There is no credit check and no long-term contract to sign.
Already in use in 350+ bike shops in Australia and New Zealand, the latest update is set to expand this.
Using this software, bike shop staff can also manage online sales, colour / size / style, insurance claims, warranty tracking, marketing, linking to Xero, links to suppliers and selling online and through Bike Exchange.
This software provides genuinely different loyalty tools that are tuned to the needs of bike shops and shopper engagement patterns in bike shops.
Bike retailers can share knowledge through the software, too, better connecting their business with local riders, demonstrating the value of shopping local.
Linked to Shopify and Magento, selling online is easy, too.
$300 reward.
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$300 reward. At the end of this financial year, make sure you have the right EFTPOS partner.
We’ve partnered up with Tyro for this special offer when you apply for a Tyro EFTPOS machine by 30 June 2022. Enquire with us now. For T&Cs see here: https://www.tyro.com/300-reward-2022-terms/
5 ways to make your local retail business more competitive
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Every day can feel like a grind in local small business retail. A grind competing with big businesses, a grind competing with online businesses. It can wear people down if they let it.
The key is to not let it wear you down.
It starts with loving your business, believing in it, respecting it and making it stronger at the core. That’s what this advice from Tower Systems is about today, making your business stronger at the core, by making the business more competitive.
5 ways to make your local retail business more competitive
Now, before we get into them they will feel easy, even lame. The thing is, these are deliberately everyday things you can do without a budget, just with a small time investment.
These are all things your POS software, like the Tower Systems POS software, can help with if you wish.
1. Offer something unique that your competitors don’t. This could be a unique product, service, or even just a specific focus or niche that you cater to. have a point of different. This matters a lot. Create it, embrace it, leverage it. This point of difference is you, it is your reason, your go to, your 7 second pitch.
2. Make sure your prices are competitive. This doesn’t mean always having the lowest prices, but rather offering a good value for what you’re selling. Value is something you create based on how you bundle items, how you source to differentiate, how you make raw price comparisons hard.
3. Offer excellent customer service. This could be something as simple as providing a great experience in your store, or going above and beyond to help your customers. make it personal, different and valuable. At each contact point provide that extra bit that helps people make better use of what you sell.
4. Use marketing and advertising wisely. Make sure you’re targeting your ideal customer, and using the most effective channels to reach them. When you market, market you, your point of difference – always ahead off price as price based shoppers are not loyal.
5. Stay up to date on industry trends. This will help you anticipate changes and stay ahead of your competitors. It will also help your business be a resource, and that will bring people back.
Being more competitive in local retail is all about you and the core of your business. get this right and worries about competitors out there, real or imagined, will fade away.
Tower Systems through its POS software helps with this and more. We have embedded in our software opportunities for you showing your competitive advantages, giving shoppers lived experiences they will love.
4 things any local retailer can do to immediately improve cash flow
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Talk to any retailer and they will tell you cash flow is tight.
In this short video we leverage our experience helping many different local retailers on ways to improve cash flow.
It’s free advice from our POS software company, Tower Systems, part of a broader kit of free advice all Tower Systems customers can access to broaden the appeal of their businesses.
5 steps to cutting shopper theft in any retail business
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We are often asked for advice on reducing shopper theft in retail, because of experience advising on this in the past and because off our service as expert witnesses working with police, prosecutors, insurance companies and retailers.
We are an engages POS software company, offering services beyond the POS software itself, helping local small business retailers to reduce overheads, lift shopper theft overheads.
So, with that in mind, here are: 5 steps to cutting shopper theft in any retail business
1. Understand why shopper theft happens
Retail businesses are often targeted by thieves because they offer merchandise that is easily portable and typically not well secured. To reduce shopper theft, it’s important to understand why people steal from retail stores in the first place. Common motives include financial need, opportunity, and addiction. Understanding comes from knowing for sure what is being stolen and, as much as possible, when.
2. Improve store security
One of the best ways to reduce shopper theft is to improve store security. This can be done in a number of ways, including increasing the visibility of employees, installing surveillance cameras, and using security tags on merchandise. One good step to security is where you place often stolen items.
3. Train employees
Employees are often the first line of defence against shopper theft. By training employees to be aware of potential theft and how to prevent it, you can reduce the chances of theft occurring in your store. Training should start with transparency as to what is being stolen. This can create a goal for the team, to reduce it.
4. Use technology
There are a number of technological solutions, like POS software from Tower Systems, that can help reduce shopper theft, including retail security systems and loss prevention software. These solutions can help to deter thieves and make it easier to catch them if they do steal. It starts with understanding, and the Tower Systems POS software solution can provide this.
5. Be proactive
The best way to reduce shopper theft is to be proactive about it. This means being aware of the signs of theft and taking steps to prevent it from happening in your store. By taking these steps, you can keep your retail business safe from shopper theft.
If you follow these tips, you can cut shopper theft in your retail business and keep your store safe. Remember, the best way to reduce shopper theft is to be proactive and take steps to prevent it from happening in the first place.
While complaining can make you feel better about a situation of shopper theft, actions are what matter. Tower Systems offers its POS software customers a structured approach to reducing shopper theft. It’s part of the comprehensive site local retail POS software support services provided by the company.
8 ways any local small retail business can improve cash flow and thrive
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Cash flow is on the minds of many local small business retailers right now.
But before we get into providing advice, let’s agree a definition. Cash flow is the flow of money in and out of your business, real cash, in your account, or in your safe. Cash in comes from sales or products and assets and other payments from customers and suppliers. Cash flowing out is for bills, inventory purchases, labour and rent, typically.
Any business wants to be in a positive cash flow situation, because negative cash flow needs more capital inflow to support, and that can come at a cost.
Now, to our advice.
8 ways any local small retail business can improve cash flow and thrive.
Are you ready?! This advice is based on our years of service of thousands of local small business retailers across a range of specialty retail channels. It also comes from many years of us owning and running our own local retail shops.
- Free dead stock. In our experiences this releases the most cash flow value, but it is the option most often rejected for often silly reasons. dead stock is stock that is not selling, not moving. It is often stock you have long since paid for. This means that any money you get for it is positive cash flow right now. The loss from paying for the stock has already been realised – many retailers forget that. So, idea tidy what’s not selling, and quit it creatively, with urgency. Cheer every dollar this brings.
- Trim where you can without impacting sales. The most beneficial move here is typically a cut in the roster, a cut in labour cost. Save a few dollars with no sales revenue impact and you are ahead cash flow wise.
- Get shoppers to spend more in a visit. Smart loyalty software will do this. Points loyalty systems are unlikely to do this. There are better loyalty options designed to help encourage shoppers to spend more in a visit. Our POS software helps nurture this.
- Charge more. Yes, we understand this can be scary. The thing is, if you do this carefully, thoughtfully, and offer a good loyalty incentive and bundle items together, a modest price rise is less likely to be noticed and more likely to have a positive impact on cash flow. Think about it. Plan for it. Take small steps. A 1% rise across your top 200 inventory items could be the small step that delivers the cash flow boost you need.
- Find more customers. The more new customers you have shopping with you the more you will sell, obviously. It can feel easier said than done to attract new customers. In our experience, most local retail businesses do not have a new customer attraction plan. Do you? It does not need to be complex. Even a simple social media pitch honouring a new product, reflecting your gratefulness to have it could be enough. One the post is up, pay for a boost in your area. An $8 spend over 4 days is all you may need to get in front of a few hundred prospective new customers … and that gets you on the path, that could be your new customer attraction plan.
- Trim overheads. Look through your business overheads and look for an opportunity to trim.
- Look at your sales counter. With most purchases being completed at the sales counter, look at it from the perspective of your shoppers and see what you could do to encourage them to add items at the last minute. The counter is a valuable place of influence. Use it. Make sure it is driving deeper purchase baskets, and adding to cash flow.
- Spend less on inventory. Look for suppliers with good inventory holdings that allow you to use them, rather than your shop floor or store room, to hold stock you may not sell right away.
This list is a start, a small start, a modest start, it offers practical advice you can follow, practical steps you can take in any local small business retail setting to improve cash flow.
Using the Tower Systems POS software you can engage with any of these and other ideas for improving cash flow in your retail business.
Beyond POS software, Tower Systems will help, because we want local retailers to thrive. You are our customers, our focus.
Footnote. Many retail business owners get in their head about cash flow, they look for big moves and end up spinning their wheels, going nowhere. In reality, the most beneficial cash flow improvement moves you can make are those that are simple, easy ti implement, immediate to implement and, most important, that work with other moves … for it is the compounding benefit of a series of small steps that can deliver excellent cash flow improvement benefits to local small business retail.
5 things every retailer should know about their business but are usually not told by POS software
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Good POS software offer these 5 benefits. Tower Systems does.
- What’s not selling = cut dead stock waste.
- What you’re missing out on = stop selling out.
- What’s sells with what = selling more.
- Theft under your nose = save thousands.
- Know when you’re busy and quiet = reduce labour costs.
Of course, thanks to the Tower Systems POS software, there are many more benefits than these. Now, here’s a new video from us about these 5 benefits from the Tower Systems POS software.
Tower Systems helps local small business retailers deal with rising interest rates
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Rising interest rates are on the mind of everyone in Australia right now it seems. News stories appear daily about the impact of rising interest rates … for homeowners, for businesses. Everywhere we turn there is a ‘take’ on rising interests rates.
In local small business retail we can see the impact of higher interest rates through several lenses: consumer confidence, actual sales and business costs – for businesses with loan funds in place to support the business.
Our Tower Systems POS software company helps local small business retailers deal with rising interest rates in a range of ways …
We help retailers track trends on their shops. This is vital because while there is news out there and plenty of speculation, a retailer can only rely on what they bank through their register and our POS software is that register. we can help them access facts as they pertain to their business as opposed to feelings based on news and other stories. Facts matter. One retailer told us last week that rising interests rates were impacting their business through less sales. While their transaction count was down, revenue was up in higher margin areas meaning the business was banking more profit. facts matter.
We help retailers cap costs. The rental / subscription cost of our POS software has not changes since mid 2019. We have no plans to change it. Our customers know this. We are iota adding to their costs. We also help them require the cost of labour in their businesses and this can save money and free cash for other, more productive, uses in the business.
We help retailers free up cash in their businesses. And, this can help reduce their reliance on loan funds, which means a lower impact of rising interest rates. now, how do we help retailers free up cash. We do this in a range of ways, through smart tools in our POS software. We helped one business release more than $20,000 of hitherto dead money. The released funds helped them reduce their overdraft and that reduced the amount of interest the business was paying. It all comes back to using business data.
Rising interest rates are a thing. Rather than getting caught in the quicksand over them, our focus is on helping local small business retailers develop and walk through a plan for dealing with rising interest rates so that their businesses are not as impacted as they might otherwise have been.
The news out there on rising interest rates can be scary, and distracting. Our advice is to focus on that over which you have control, to understand, seek out a pathway through and to step thoughtfully along that path.
Tower Systems helps local small business retailers deal with rising freight costs
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The cost of freight is increasing. Freight into Australia costs more. Freight around Australia costs more. Freight locally costs more.
Small business retailers can feel challenged as to how to deal with this, now to manage the cost of freight, how to protect their business against the cost of freight.
Tower Systems helps local small business retailers deal with the cost of freight by providing in the software the ability to easily spread the freight cost of a package containing a range of goods across the sale provide of all the goods received. This allows the business to pass on the cost, spread the cost, reflect the cost fo freight across all items brought into the business.
Too many small business retailers stress about then high cost fo freight and what to do about it. the thing is, freight is. cost everyone has. There is no such thing as free freight.
Trucks cost money. Truck drivers cost money. Warehouses cost money. Fork lift drivers cost money.
Every item in every shop in town has a freight cost associated with getting it on the shelf. There is no point complaining. It is a real cost, a universal cost, one that is best managed efficiently, and spread across the sale price of every inventory item that you have in the shop.
Use your POS software to do this. Tower Systems helps local small business retailers deal with the cost of freight. We do this through software facilities in the POS software as well and through advice on how to use the POS software and business management advice. This is where we leverage our experience as retailers to provide practical advice ion the test way to deal with the rising cost of freight in small business retail.
Once you discover that it is easy when receiving new inventory into your business to spread the cost of freight, you can systemise the process, structure it, make it part of your operational processes. This takes the emotion out of the situation. It stops you having tom micro manage it. You benefit and the business benefits.
Freight is a cost all businesses confront. There are myriad ways to deal with it, manage it and leverage it sol that it is not as problematic for the business as it may seem.
Tower Systems is a full service POS software company focussed on local specialty retailers in selected retail channels.
Linkly EFTPOS integration with Tower Systems POS software helps local retailers
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The Tower Systems POS software integrates with the Linkly EFTPOS platform to make it easier for local retailers to take credit and debit cards for over the counter purchase payment.
The Linkly POS software integration has been part of the Tower Systems software for many years.
There is no additional cost for retailers to use the Linkly POS software integration from Tower Systems.
Using the Linkly POS software integration, retailers can take payment without re-entering same amount details. There is an integration between the Tower POS software and the credit card terminal and through the Linkly connection, processing of the sale is accurate, fast and easy … providing for a smooth transaction flow at any sales counter or elsewhere bin the business.
Tower Systems first worked with the Linkly business many years ago when it was called PC Eftpos. That work continues through their transition to the rebrand as Linkly.
We don’t force our POS software customers to use Linkly. It is 100% optional, like any of our EFTPOS handling integrations. We create the solutions and let our customers choose those that work best for them in their circumstances. Customers like this, that we do not require them to use one company or another. They like the purity if us focussing on what we make rather than forcing them down a payments path that is not ideal for them but which may enrich the POS company – yes, we have seen that happen.
The integration in our POS software with Linkly is in all options of our software, for all marketplaces. This means our customers across a diverse mix of specialty retail situations can rely on the POS software tinkly integration to provide a stable and secure solution for handling the processing of credit can debit card payments in the business.
We have no commercial terms with Linlky. The relationship is purely Technical ical, in service of our POS software customers, local retailers serving local communities. we will continue to support the Linkly POS software integration since so many of our customers rely on this. It is important to them, which makes it important to us.
in addition to the link itself, we provide advice, help and support for our customers, to make using it easy and certain. This is what good POS software customer service looks like.
Tower Systems helps Australian local small business retailers reduce EFTPOS fees
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EFTPOS fees are a pain point for local small business retailers. They are a cost of business, eating into already tight margin. Talk to any local small business retailer and it is likely they ill complain about high EFTPOS fees.
In some cases, it is EFTPOS fees that are tied to other services that can negatively impact them the most.
In the POS software marketplace, for example, there are POS software companies that offer their software at a reduced price if you sign up for their integrated EFTPOS solution. In two instances we have seen this week, the EFTPOS fees in these situations are higher than the usual market price – making more money for the POSt software company and costing the local retail business more.
How can I cut EFTPOS fees is a common question from retailers. It is a question that comes with urgency, need and emotion. It is a question we understand we own shops as weak, 4 shops in fact where more than half our revenue is settled by way of EFTPOS. We understand the challenge of high EFTPOS fees and have found ways to satisfactorily address this in our shops.
We have found a way to cut the cost of EFTPOS fees for our local retail businesses.
If you want to cut EFTPOS fees for your shop, it starts with understanding more about how the fees accrue. This is where Tower Systems can help.
Oh, and by the way, we do not require you to sign up for a specific EFTPOS provider. Our advice is neutral, balanced and focussed 100% on your needs. Sure, we have relationships that could save you money too, but there is no requirement. All Tower Systems customers have free access to our advice and assistance to cut EFTPOS fees in retail. We know the more we help our retailer business customers do this the more we are able to deliver practical benefits that will encourage our customers to stay with us.
If you think EFTPOS fees in your shop are too high, consider how Tower Systems might be able to help you. Our POS software is awesome. Our retail business management advice and support is valuable. Everyday we leverage our retail business experience beyond the POS software itself. This helps our customers save money and make their businesses more valuable.
Can I cut EFTPOS fees in my shop? Yes, we think you can. Let us help. sales@towersystems.com.au
Oh, and if you signed up for EFTPOS services in return for a lower subscription or rental cost of your software, check to see what your EFTPOS fees are, compare them against the marketplace. If you are like the two businesses we were contacted by this week it could be you signed up for a higher transactional cost in return for a small discount off the software cost … resulting in higher costs for you. yes, that is what happened.
Sell by weight, measure, fractions … all are easy with Tower Systems POS software
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You know you are being stalked by a competitor when they copy your 5-step initiative, step by step. We appreciate the recognition.
More retailers switch from MYOB Retail Manager to Tower Systems POS software
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We are grateful to have welcomed more retailers to the Tower Systems POS software community from the MYOB Retail Manager software.
With MYOB making their intentions re the future of Retail Manager clear, retailers, community groups, clubs and others using the software are looking for alternatives, solutions o9n which they can rely into the future.
Tower Systems has helped many businesses and groups move from MYOB Retail Manager to the Tower Systems POS software. We do this in a structured and methodical way, working with our customers to bring across what they trust and helping them setup in a new world with fresh data fresh settings and, best of all, comprehensive training and one-on-one support.
We have many customers in many different retail settings who have made the switch from MYOB Retail Manager before. They can speak to the software as well as our support processes that have helped them land where they are. People switching from MYOB Retail Manager today can rely on the experiences of others. They can also trust the Tower Systems commitment to continual evolution of its POS software in service o0f the needs of specialty retail.
Like any new installation of our POS software, we start the relationship wanting to ensure we understand the needs of a business. This actually starts before prospective customers even sign up with us. We want to make sure we can meet their needs. So, we start a discovery process before anything else. If our software does meet their needs, then it’s full steam ahead with comprehensive training in how to use the software and easy to access customer service for any query customers may have once the training is completed. We make it easy to learn and easy to continue to learn long after the software is being used in a business.
We differ from the old MYOB approach in that we provide all our own training, we are very accessible – through to our leadership team, our software is regularly enhanced, documentation is regularly updated, and, support access is easy and direct … by phone, email in person, text message or through social media. We make it easy for you to reach us when you need us.
If you are using MYOB Retail Manager in your business and you want to consider an alternative, Tower Systems is here for you. We’d love to find out more about your needs: 1 300 662 957 or sales@towersystems.com.au.
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