The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Is Retail Express the only POS solution with the features and support you need to build a thriving multi-channel retail business?

February 18, 2021

3 Min read

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Australian POS software company Retail Express currently claims at their website:

Retail Express is the only POS solution with the features and support you need to build a thriving multi-channel retail business.

We do not agree with this statement by Retail Express.

We know that here at Tower Systems we have helped plenty of retail business owners to build thriving multi-channel retail businesses. We know of other POS software companies that have done this, too.

It is frustrating seeing a company claim they are the only company doing something that your own business has done and is doing.

Here at Tower Systems, we prefer to focus on what we do for our customers, we prefer to focus on that over which we have control. We don’t like getting caught in what others are doing, it can be distracting. They, after all, need to be responsible for their own action and claims.

The Retail Express claim came to our attention and we felt we had to publicly state that we disagree, to state that we have in our POS software and services features and support helping local small business retailers to build a thriving multi-channel retail business.

We understand that in sales claims can be made. Our advice to small business retailers looking at and considering POS software is – check out every claim, ask for proof. It is important that you do your due diligence on software you are considering and the POS software company you are considering. You need to satisfy yourself that what they have claimed is accurate, supported by evidence.

For what it is worth, be wary of claims of being the best or being the only. New are not sure how any company can know these things unless they have looked personally at their competition, used them and throughly researched what they do. Here at Tower Systems we do not do that. We focus on what we do and how we do it’s that is what matters most to us and to our customer community., We don’t have the time to thoroughly research our competitors to make certain claims about what they do versus what we do.

if you are considering POS software for your retail business, we would love to be considered along with other POS software companies. We will gladly show you our software, let you explore it yourself and answer all of your questions.

Are we the best for your business? Only you can tell. Are we the only one doin g what we do? No, but there is only one Tower Systems.

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Small business ideas – how local indie retailers and evolving using POS software

February 17, 2021

2 Min read

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Tower Systems is a small business ideas incubator offering help and insights to local indie small business retailers.

Through our work across ten different retail channels in which our POS software and our Shopify e-commerce sites are used we have cultivated experience and insights, which we willingly share with our community throughout our small business ideas platform.

We have helped local small business retailers to pivot into new categories, to evolve their businesses to leverage physical assets into new online businesses. We have helped local retail businesses to recalibrate their floorspace for efficiency and basket depth. We have helped local small business retailers engage with a plan b that grew into something special and valuable. We have helped small business retailers cut accounting overheads by eliminating manual work in accounting and bookkeeping. We have helped local small retail businesses to trim their roster with no negative impact on sales and a terrific benefit on business financial performance. We have helped local retail businesses to expand their product range based on data from their business and data from the world as to what their shoppers may buy.

These are all examples of small business ideas that we here at Tower Systems have engaged with, for our local retailer community. Yes, we are not an average POS software company. As retailers ourselves we understand the value that can flow from ideas shared.

Our approach to small business ideas is to listen, watch and learn … and share what we know based on the evidence. This is a good and safe place for small business ideas as we have a broad range of business types in our community, from which we can pull data and experiences.

Our approach to small business ideas is to share them, to set them free so others can consider them and make their own assessment. It is something were have done for many years. We are grateful to be able to do this for this in our small business retailer community.

Tower Systems is a POS software company first and foremost. We develop, sell and support PO software for local small business retailers. We leverage what we learn through this to engage with small business retailers behold the software, through sharing ideas and insights that can help businesses in our community flourish.

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Easy LayBy handling using smart POS software for small business retailers

February 16, 2021

2 Min read

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Tower Systems offers easy LayBy management embedded in its smart POS software. This is in addition to integrations with buy now pay later options that many shoppers prefer over traditional LayBy. However, traditional LayBy remains strong in a range of specialty retail sectors.

Recently, we shot this training video in-house for the retailers using our POS software, to train them in the use of the LayBy facilities embedded in our POS software. This video was not created for sales or marketing purposes. It was shot solely for training new and existing customers, as part of a broader suite of POS software training tools.

Using the LayBy tools in the Tower Systems POS software, small business retailers can offer professional management of LayBys including:

Structured terms and conditions.
Collecting a deposit every time.
Managing payments.
Handling the adjustment of what is in a LayBy.
Managing the collection of the LayBy.
Understanding the total LayBy situation of a business.
Knowing the location of a LayBy.
Feeding LayBy data through to any connected accounting software.
Giving even casual employees a structured process through which they can be certain with LayBys.

Best of all, the LayBy facilities in the tower Systems POS software help a retail business to bring structure, certainty, to the LayBy offer in a business and this leads to good business, efficient business, profitable LayBy business.

For many small businesses, offering LayBy can be a grind, problematic to manage. Using our LayBy tools we offer structure. many retail businesses in our POS software community find this useful to LayBy being a more enjoyable part of their businesses. We like this. One of our goals is to help small business retailers enjoy their business more.

Gone are the days of paper based LayBys. using this POS software integrated LayBy solution, small business retailers can be confident to promote LayBys, to offer them as a safe and certain pathway to purchase of items in the store.

Even in these days of the buy now pay later schemes, the LayBy solution from Tower Systems has a strong place in service of local small business retail. We continue to evolve our LayBy facilities, to deliver to retailers and their customers a LayBy platform they can trust and enjoy.

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The inspiring paperweight and out local small business focussed POS software company

February 15, 2021

1 Min read

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If you have a spare 6 minutes, here is a new video we shot in house a few days ago …

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A software co. with heart …

February 14, 2021

1 Min read

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Diamond merchants recommend Tower Systems jewellery software

February 13, 2021

2 Min read

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We were so grateful this week to be recommended by two different diamond merchants to jewellers looking for jeweller business POS software.

Unsolicited word of mouth recommendations mean a lot. This is why we are sincerely grateful.

In addition to serving the needs of jewellers with our jeweller POS software, we also help diamond merchants through accurate record keeping at the retail store level, record keeping that is fine tuned to the needs of recording diamond details in a way that serves the specialty needs of these businesses – retailers as well as diamond merchants.

We have invested considerably in our specialty jeweller POS software to ensure that it is leading edge when it comes to diamond and other gemstone data management and care at the retailer jeweller business level. This is a differentiating factor for our business. managing this data in such a granular way helps specialty jewellers manage inventory in a way that plays to their level of specialisation.

In a retail world where mass is everything and businesses can look and feel the same, specialty jeweller POS software like what we offer can help local specialty jeweller businesses to genuinely differentiate. we like that. We like that we are helping specialty jewellers in this way, to differentiate. This is good local business focus.

Here are some of the other, broader business, benefits leveraged through this specialty jeweller POS software that we develop and support:

Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members.
Repairs: Track & manage repairs & communicate with customers.
BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
Colour, size and style: Easily track sales at a granular level.
Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
Bring them back: Market for birthdays, anniversaries and more.
Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer Roam™ sell anywhere app.
Sell anytime: With our Shopify / Magento / Woo integrations.
Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders.
Awesome loyalty: Encourage them to spend more.
Seasonal reordering: Reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

Better still, here is a video where we explore some of the jeweller specific facilities in this software made for this vital retail channel:

Tower Systems is grateful to jewellers and diamond merchants and others who recommended our company and the software we make and support. This word of mouth support means a lot to us and all who rely on our business.

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Saturday POS software support for small business retailers

February 13, 2021

1 Min read

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In addition to excellent after hours coverage by mobile phone, Tower Systems today, and for many years past, offers office based help desk POS software support. We have done this for many years – offering office based POS software help on Saturdays.

The Saturday support is full service, practical and engaged.

We are proud to continue to offer this service in support of our 3,500+ small business customers.

We’re open for business.

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Covid one year on in our POS software company

February 12, 2021

3 Min read

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It is a year since Covid started to impact Australia and New Zealand, a year since we started to see an impact within business we serve with our locally made POS software.

What a year it has been.

We have been busier than ever, welcoming plenty of new customers, delivering many new websites for customers, helping our customers pivot ins response to Covid and helping retailers challenged by extraordinary unexpected growth.

We have dealt with all of this in an environment of change. Most of our team members continue to work from home. Zoom continues to be a key too for us in business. Thankfully, we have a commercial account.

Through the year we have added many new POS software user training videos, many new POS software user advice sheets and more. Plus, we have delivered more than 100 live online workshops – each a fresh learning opportunity for our customers. Access to these wonderful online workshops was provided free with them often filmed for later easy access by those unable to make it live.

Our sales team members have been off the road, hauling in an awesome bag of business through remote demonstrations and prospect meetings … learning new ways to do business remotely.

Also, in the last year, we have fundamentally restructured how we do business at its very core.

Thankfully, not one team member has been diagnosed with Covid … for which we are sincerely grateful.

So, yes, it has been a year. We do understand and appreciate that we have not been alone in having such a year. That’s the thing about the pandemic, we are all in this, as cliché as that sounds. We have sought to make the last year our own, listening to our heart, following our own path, pursuing what we think is our to the needs of our small business retail customers for it is what matters to them that matters to us.

If anything, the last year has given us an opportunity to re-focus and renew our attention on our local small business retail community. We think this has been a factor in the wonderful and truly appreciated growth that we have banked.

Covid is a once in a lifetime experience. We have sought, without being too cocky, to ensure that it plays as an opportunity for us and for all who rely on Tower Systems for POS software, for income and for career fulfilment.

Thank you for being on this journey with us. We’re far from done. Look over the horizon – the sun is rising on a new day.

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Retail advice for newsagents – taking your business online

February 12, 2021

2 Min read

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Taking your newsagency online: a dive into newsXpress national and local store websites.
Tuesday, Feb. 16 @ 2pm Melbourne time.

Tuesday next week, at 2pm, we are hosting a new free workshop for any newsagent interested in taking their newsagency business online.

We will leverage our newsagency software experience as well as our newsagency management experience to provide current best practice advice and insights for Aussie newsagents looking to take their business online.

This session will look at this topic from the context of what newsXpress does and has done for 5+ years. We will look at the national sites and the local store sites:

How to generate online traffic for national and local store websites.
The cost of fulfilling sales.
How local stores setup for efficient fulfilment.
Managing freight in terms of lowest cost to execute as well as decision making around the free freight question.
What being online has meant for in-store purchases.
Repeat business prospects.
How to use online for first to market opportunities.
How to be sure quantity on hand data is accurate.
This will be a genuine behind the scenes look.

We are doing this new session using newsXpress national website and local store website examples because we have good data and personal experiences we can speak to. You can rely on this information to make more informed decisions yourselves at the local store level as well in the context of any group you are part of.

newsXpress was the first marketing group in any retail channel in Australia to deliver local store connected websites with a live quantity on hand data feed. The learnings have helped other groups step into this. lucrative space.

This will be an online session, which you can access from anywhere with this link:

https://zoom.us/j/97889421359?pwd=R2puem9RWUVFS1lFTStXMjNHMzRIdz09
Meeting ID: 978 8942 1359 Passcode: 791972

We won’t be trying to sell you anything in the session. Rather, we will share experience insights, lay out the steps involved, discuss online platform options and answer all questions. This is a practical advice session that any retail newsagent could benefit from.

And, if the 2pm timing does not work, let me know and I will do my best to schedule another session at a time that suits.

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Beware POS software comparison websites as they are unlikely to have compared the software they pitch to you

February 11, 2021

3 Min read

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There are websites that claim to be software comparison websites. They claim to have done the work for you, comparing software. They offer to suggest several vetted software companies for your consideration.

In our experience it is unlikely the comparison websites will have compared the software they pitch to you.

It’s our opinion that software comparison websites are purely an ad platform for the businesses that pay to have their software pitched as worthy of consideration by prospective customers.

There is no comparison. We say this based on our own first-hand experience. Our software was not looked or assessed. They wanted money from us per lead. That was it. This makes the comparison website an ad platform plain and simple.

Online they pitch as offering a service, something of value, to the software shopper. The reality is the comparison website businesses offer a commercial service to the software companies – the software companies are their customer.

We dug deeper, presenting as a business looking for software. Sure, they pitched us to three software companies. There was little in the way of filtering. Knowing what we know from when we assessed them as a software business, they charge 3 businesses $100 each for the leads. That’s an easy $300 made for having a slick website that looks like they have done the assessment fork for you when they have not.

Our advice, based on our experience is do not use a comparison website to consider software.

It’s worse than this though and here’s why …

Having considered a comparison website, trying them for a couple of weeks and then saying no thanks, they started paying Google for our business name as an ad keyword. You search for us and their ad comes up. They then contacted us and said he you should do business with us because we have leads for you. These are leads they got by paying Google money to run ads when people type Tower Systems into Google.

Our company lists first in the natural results. The software comparison company and several other similar companies come up ahead us, with ads.

Software comparison website ads claim to offer quotes from leading companies, trusted companies, the most reliable companies. How can they make these claims when they have not themselves assessed the companies? They cannot.

One company claims we compare all the big brands and more. No, they do not.

One company claims that by using them they can provide access to 20-40% saving. No, they cannot as they do not negotiate on price.

One company claims that they let you compare the best-suited products. No, they do not. They don’t look at the software. They have no experience to make an assessment as to what is best.

The only service the comparison website businesses offer from our experience and research is to advertise on Google and provide their partner software companies with leads if a query falls into an area directly or vaguely covered by the software company.

Buyer beware. Comparison websites we have looked at do not compare. They act as a front for ad dollars, being paid for leads they give to partner software companies, that may not offer the best software in their field.

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Vape store POS software helps Australian vape shops run better businesses

February 11, 2021

2 Min read

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Local POS software co. Tower Systems offers POS software for vape shops. This fit for purpose software serves needs unique to vape shops, helping them meet regulations and serve their community safely.

Our Vape Shop POS Software offers a range of facilities vape shop owners tell us they love. These are tools built to serve their needs and needs of businesses similar to their requirements.

Using our locally made and supported Vape Shop POS Software you can benefit from …

Systematically managing an age check at the transaction point. Being able to demonstrate that you do this in a strutted way in your Vape Shop POS Software can help when checked by regulators.
Providing product use and other important notice information on receipts to ensure customers are fully informed.
Customising product labels with information you want on there.
Tracking the tastes of customers so that you can market to them if a new product emerges that may satisfy their interests, needs or tastes.
Selling by fractions. With some products sold in less than whole number units of measure, our Vape Shop POS Software allows inventory tracking at the fractional level.
Selling online through our Shopify link through which products managed in the POS software can be easily offered online through a beautiful website that is seamlessly connected to the Vape Shop POS Software for product details and images and with online sales details flowing back to the software.
Tracking who sold what and when.
Strong remote management tools for owners of businesses run under management.
Strong audit tools through which we respect the importance of accurate business data and the need to track behaviour that may compromise the integrity of the business.
Loading electronic invoices from suppliers.
Structure. Ultimately, that’s what this software is about – structure, business structure through which the business can safely and consistently operate to the benefit of the business and those who work in it.

The Tower Systems Vape Shop POS Software is made for vape shops, built on already successful locally made small business retail POS software used in retail channels where regulation and adherence to regulation is key for the retail business owner, retail business staff and the regulators themselves.

This Vape Shop POS Software is software worth considering for any vape shop.

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More retailers engaged in cashless welfare card trial backed by the Australian government

February 11, 2021

2 Min read

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Tower Systems has been engaged in the cashless welfare card project since its inception. We have done this in service of the small business retailers in our POS software community who serve customers locally who are likely to need to use the federal government backed card.

We have met all the required technical design and software development standards, passed proof of concept and rolled out access to retailers who have been early adopters.

Our focus has been on the service of our retail business owner customers, offering them support for a federal government backed payment platform that they think will be of value in their local communities. We have seen this through the proof of concept and trial phases of the project. Indeed, it has been fascinating to be actively involved through these early phases.

This is our approach on most integration opportunities – provide our POS software community customers the connections they want so they can make decisions themselves as to what they use.

Our work on the federal government cashless card project has been long-term, confidential and technically fascinating as we have brought to local independent small business retailers facilities that enable them to compete with much bigger, national often, businesses that are offering access to the card through their systems.

Interestingly, our work on this project has opened other opportunities of value for our retailer community members.

Since we make our own POS software, we have the ability to engage with projects like this at a code level. We are not reliant on other parties to do the work, we do it ourselves.

Tower Systems has developed myriad integrations with external platforms for retailers, groups of retailers and specific retail channels. Each integration is approached in a fresh way, based on the retailer needs, understanding the needs of other parties and working through how best to deliver on the needs expressed through the thorough research process.

As a local POS software company that focusses only on the needs of local small business retailers, we are grateful for every opportunity that supports the commercial viability of these local retail businesses as they are the lifeblood of local communities.

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EPOS now – British software in Australia and New Zealand

February 11, 2021

2 Min read

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EPOS is the term the Brits use for POS software. We’re not sure why they have the e in EPOS. If you see a company using EPOS in their name or for the name of their software or the type of software they sell, it could be they are not making software locally or may not be a local company.

This may seem like a trivial point, writing about EPOS now, talking about the term EPOS. The thing is, we have been asked the question as if we are missing something because we don’t have the e in our description that we are a POS software company, that we are not an EPOS software company.

The only difference is we develop software locally for local marketplaces using local terminology. This local focus matters to local businesses. You can see our local roots and focus in our software and documentation. It’s 100% local, made for local businesses. We are not using terms that are not local, we are not using a software label that makes sense overseas but not so much here.

This is why we are writing about EPOS now, because there is software being pitched in Australia and New Zealand that emanates from Britain yet it is being pitched as being local. It’s not. It was developed in the UK, which is okay in that the UK has some fine programmers. But, there are fine programmers in Australia and New Zealand who live locally, who shop locally, and who speak using local terms. We think these are factors that matter.

Local software development matters. Think of it as local film and TV making in that they tell local stories. Locally made POS software tells local stories too. We know that in our POS software we have ways you can shine a light on local, we have ways you can use your local voice in support of your business. That we have included such tools is part of a suite of ways we represent local with and for you, in ways we think you won’t find in EPOS software.

Tower Systems makes POS software, without the e, for specialty local retailers. Local retail businesses matter, especially to local communities. We are grateful for the thousands of local businesses that have supported and continue to support our locally focussed business.

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Retail business advice: If you are considering new POS software for your business

February 10, 2021

2 Min read

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Here is some advice for your consideration if you are thinking about new POS software for your retail business.

For any demonstration of potential POS software, come to the demonstration fully prepared.

Make a list of what you want to see. Remember, you are in charge.
Have the right people there from your business. The decision makes. Those most knowledgable. Anyone who will have a say in the decision you make.
Make sure you are not interrupted. We know retail can be busy. If it works better for you, we can schedule the demonstration outside trading hours.
Please speak up during the demonstration if anything said does not make sense.
Ask questions. Keep asking questions. Ask questions until you have no more questions.
Ask for another demonstration for any follow-ups.

Ask for the demonstration to be recorded and for a copy to be provided . We will happily do this for you here at Tower Systems.

Once you have had a demonstration, if you have questions or are not sure of anything, ask for another demonstration. Take your time. be sure. Look at the software as much as you want.

This is an important decision, a big decision, one you want and need to get right.

Remember, you are in control. The moment you no longer feel in control of the decision or its timing is the moment you need to pause.

Take your time.

Choosing POS software and a POS software company for your business is an important decision. It can have a significant impact on business performance and your enjoyment, and the enjoyment of others, of the business.

The right POS software is a valuable tool for any retail business. The right POS software company is a valuable partner for any business. We understand these things.

Thank you for considering Tower Systems, we sincerely appreciate it.

We won’t pressure you. Nor, will we offer an inflated price so we can discount.

You are welcome to see our software as much as you want as you evaluate it and us.

Let us know your timing needs and we will do our best to respect these.

Thank you for considering Tower Systems.

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How to choose the right POS Systems for your retail business

February 9, 2021

3 Min read

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Choosing the right POS System for your retail business takes time. There is no short cut, no easy way to do it. Take your time and get it right.

Choosing the right POS System for your business is 100% up to you. It’s your business. You will use this tool every day. it needs to feel comfortable and be genuinely useful., Relying on someonee not in the business to tell you what is right could lead to a wrong choice being made.

Choosing the right POS System for your business needs to be based on your experience not only with the software but with the people who work for the business that makes the software. That’s right, buy from them, buy direct as they are the folks responsible for supporting and enhancing this software on which you will rely.

Choosing the right POS System for your business starts first with your needs. Any system you look at that does not serve your needs may not be a good solution for your business. This really is your decision. You have to choose what is right for your business and for you. Take your time. be sure of your needs. test, test and test – until you feel comfortable.

Choosing the right POS System for your business is also about understanding the cost of the system. The cost can be in the software costs, support costs, training costs and transactional costs. Weigh them all up to see if they are right for you and your needs.

There are plenty of POS Systems out there claiming to be the best. here at Tower Systems we know that only you can know what is best for your business, because it really does start with you, what you need, what you want. We rely on you knowing these things and being focussed on them as you consider POS Systems to work in serving your needs. We would be grateful to show you what our POS System can do. However, in terms of decision making, that is 100% your choice. We will not pressure you or push … we will answer all your questions and let you play as much as you like, so you can assess whether our POS System fits as comfortably as you hope for.

Choosing the right POS System for your business is an important decision. Take your time. It’s a long-term relationship worth getting right.

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Online workshop for newsagents tomorrow @ 2pm

February 8, 2021

1 Min read

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Tomorrow, at 2pm, we are hosting a free workshop for any newsagent interested in taking their newsagency business online.

This, itself, will be an online session, which you can access from anywhere with this link:

https://zoom.us/j/91031390280?pwd=LzFKYXFqdVJueS9iNWhNbWRJUndBUT09

Meeting ID: 910 3139 0280 Passcode: 323615

We won’t be trying to sell you anything in the session. Rather, we will share experience insights, lay out the steps involved, discuss online platform options and answer all questions.

Being online is critical to every retail business. We saw that last year and already see value from that this year. Business experts, accountants, mentors … everyone agree that being online is critical.

The hope we have for this session is that it offers a useful learning opportunity for newsagents, to encourage them to get online and to lay out several pathways through which they can achieve this.

And, if the 2pm timing does not work, let me know and we will do my best to schedule another session at a time that suits.

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POS software for fishing and outdoor businesses

February 8, 2021

2 Min read

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A couple of weeks ago we shot a short video in which a couple of us talked about our POS software for fishing and outdoor retailers. The goal of the video is to touch on some of the specialty facilities in our software for this locally vital retail channel.

Here’s the video we made …

Local fishing outdoors businesses, often called bait and tackle businesses and also called fishing and camping businesses … they are all important for the folks who love the outdoors, who love fishing and who love cam ping.

These businesses have specialty management needs as they serve the specialty needs of their customers. That is where our locally made POS software fits. It serves these specialty needs.

Using our Fishing shop POS software, local fishing and outdoor shops can serve local with confidence. By this, we mean they can share local knowledge and information during the sales process without any extra work. Our software helps them do this with accuracy and confidence, adding value to each transaction and thereby showing the difference their shop provides.

Our specialty Fishing shop POS software offers many benefits including:

Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members. This can be an appeal for out of town fishing groups to visit.
Catalogues: Setup and manage date-based specials and offers. This is ideal for season and event type offers.
Repairs: Easily track & manage repairs & communicate with customers – even if you do not do the repairs yourself.
BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
Customised product labels: Include store name and contact details.
Sell by weight: Including fractions. Ideal for bait.
Colour / size / style: Track what you sell at a helpful granular level.
Genuinely informative receipts: Include information they’ll appreciate.
Pre-orders: Pre-sell stock and be ahead of the game.
Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders.
Awesome loyalty: Guide one-time and regular shoppers to spend more.
Seasonal reordering: Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

We are grateful to business owners and staff in the fishing and outdoors retail channel who guide our POS software development. Their advice helps us make more useful POS software. Their advice helps us provide more finely tuned customer service.

What we offer is specialty POS software for this specialty retail channel. It continues to evolve, along with the evolution of the retail channel itself.

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Small business retail advice: finding your own margin story

February 7, 2021

3 Min read

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Here at Tower Systems, we help small business retailers get more from our specialty retail POS software. One way we do this is through sharing business insights and opportunities, like this about product margin setting.

What you charge for what you sell, what margin you set needs to be carefully considered. Price is all about customer perception of value. Value is based in a range of criteria including:

Convenience.
Added value – from purchasing from this business.
Perceived value – how you package a product compared to how others package the same product can lead to a different price.

See, margin is about more than margin from each item, it is equally about margin dollars, gross profits from each sale, eased basket.

To create the best margin narrative for your business, we suggest you …

Manage labour to focus on products with the best return to the business. This is a balance between overall gross profit dollars and margin percentage.
Look at items with a customer service component, where your expertise is required to make the sale or make good use of the products or where there is a reasonable after sales service component. These can usually carry a higher margin.
Look at the items which are unique to your business in your location or nearby. If you are the only store serving the local community then you do have a pricing opportunity. These items can usually carry a higher margin.
Assess why people shop at your shop. If they are shopping because of convenience then you have the capacity to charge more for this. This is why convenience stores charge more for items which you can buy elsewhere for considerably less.
Involve others in setting sale price. Ask your team what you can charge for an item. Assess what they think you can “get away with”. By polling team members, you may find that your perception on price is lower than what others expect.

You can build a stronger business by taking small steps each day which focus on new traffic, better margin and improved sales efficiency. No grand plan, no expert strategy – just small steps which leverage opportunities which exist in your retail business.

By paying closer attention to the margin you can achieve, you strengthen the financial foundation of the business and ensure that your return on inventory investment is more helpful to the bigger business plan.

What you do in your business is 100% up to you. Our advice here is for your information, your consideration. By sharing it here our goal is too give you more information to consider, so you can determine the path most appropriate to your own needs.

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Locally made POS software for local retailers

February 6, 2021

1 Min read

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Comparing Tower Systems POS software to Lightspeed

February 5, 2021

2 Min read

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We do not like to do this, compare our POS software to any other POS software. So, despite the headline for this blog post, we will not compare our POS software to the Lightspeed software.

We do not use Lightspeed in our own shops. We have never used Lightspeed. So, we have no ability to reasonably compare our POS software to Lightspeed.

However, we have customers using our Tower Systems POS software who have switched from Lightspeed POS software to our POS software. Here’s what they tell us they like about Tower Systems, our POS software and our people.

Easy access to customer service. When you call for POS software support a human answers the phone, listens to your description of the question or issue and then helps.

Having a say in software enhancement. We have a structured and transparent process through which our customers suggest software enhancement ideas, many of which make it into the software.

Easy access to more training. Tower Systems offers several options for top-up training long after the POS software is first used. This training can be free or for a small cost depending coin the need and situation. the key is that extra training is easily accessible.

Being local. We are a local POS software company serving local small businesses. That places our experiences closer to yours, more relevant to your situation.

We serve small indie retail businesses. We do not sell to large corporations, large businesses. This means each customer matters as much as the others. Our customers are equal, with equal voices and equal importance. Small business retailers tell us they love this.

Leadership team access. Every one of our customers has easy access to our leadership team by email and mobile phone. yes, we are that accessible.

Update timing. Our customers choose when to update their Tower Systems POS software. They appreciate this control.

Local. being developed local matters to local retailers. It’s a difference Tower Systems leverages for its customers, understanding local needs and the opportunities local retailers themselves seek to leverage.

We are grateful to any small indie retail business considering our POS software and commit to serving the local needs of these businesses to the best of our ability.

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POS software for health food shops and POS software for whole foods shops

February 5, 2021

3 Min read

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The Tower Systems POS software for health foods shops and wholefoods shops is locally made, to serve local business needs. This is software tuned to the needs of these businesses, software that helps them shine a light on what is different about these businesses that makes them appeal.

Here is a new video from us where we talk through some of the facilities in this POS software for health food shops and whole foods businesses, and in which we show some of the unique facilities of the software. Best of all, in this video you see the Tower Systems authenticity in action. We are real people offering real POS software for real businesses. Our whole company is like this, authentic and at your service.

This video touches on just some of the features and benefits of this POS software for health food shops and whole foods businesses. An obligation-free demonstration is the best way to see if this software could serve the needs of your business.

‘Embedded in this POS software for wholefoods businesses and health foods shops are benefits aimed at sustaining these businesses, making them stronger and of more service to their customers. Benefits include:

Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
Leverage you. If you believe your knowledge is a differentiator, offer it through structured opportunities in the software.
Use tags to get a fresh perspective, side-view, on stock performance.
Offer differentiating personal care through customer details.
Easily handle special customer orders. Bring product in for a specific customer and have them notified automatically by email or text when the goods are in and ready.
Business differentiating loyalty. Stand out from the crowd. Have customers coming back to you for this.
Maximise the basket with easy to use one-time shopper loyalty tools.
Trade and club pricing profiles. Set pricing rules based on customer type.
Make money from pre-orders – Easily pre-sell a delivery so that when the stock arrives you can manage distribution and billing efficiently.
Differentiate with informative receipts. These can include product care, use and safety information based on what customers buy.
Market to customers based on past purchases.
Save time by importing electronic invoices.
Sell more with a direct connect to buy now pay later services.
Cut mistakes with integrated EFTPOS.
Cut accounting and bookkeeping fees with integration to Xero and others.
Easily sell online with a direct to Shopify / Magento or WooCommerce link from your POS software.

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Tower Systems helps more small business retailers tap into government grants

February 4, 2021

2 Min read

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With more grants available for digital innovation, business efficiency and business transformation as local communities evolve from Covid challenges, Tower Systems has been on the forefront of advice for small business retailers as to grants available.

Already this year we have shared information on a range of new financial grant initiatives that serves small and independent retail businesses that are the heart of our local POS software community.

In 2020, Tower Systems provided its customers with a list of financial grant opportunities from federal, state and local governments. We have continued this service into 2021, helping our small business retailer community to tap into Covid related recovery grants where applicable.

Of the current grants available, there are several that fit with what we do and through this we can hell our customers to apply and make the most of the government grant opportunities.

The work we do in this space is without expectation, it is part of mates helping mates, the personal service that we provide at Tower Systems to our community of small business retailers, to our mates.

In addition to helping small business retailers tap into government support grants, we offered in 2020 a range of direct action benefits from our own kit. We have continued with this type of practical and bunnies nourishing support in 2021.

Our goal is to help small business retailers run more successful, more enjoyable and more valuable retail businesses. We do this through our POS software, our support, our business advice and more.

Helping businesses in these ways through the pandemic is core to our company’s DNA, core to us as people who work here. We know that a stronger small business retail sector the stronger our company. So, for sure there is a commercial benefit for us. However, it is the emotional benefit of helping another that pays off. It makes us feel good, feel like we are making an appreciated contribution. That matters to us.

We keep an eye on state and federal government grant opportunities, Ovid and non Covid related, so that we can help our retail customers to embrace any that may be appropriate to their situation.

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POS software for music shops helps them serve their community

February 3, 2021

2 Min read

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Tower Systems is grateful to be growing its community of music shops using the Tower POS software to run their businesses.

Our POS software for music shops offers tools they love, delivering tangible benefits they need and use in the management of music shop businesses.

Club / school / music teacher grouping pricing: Helps you attract community group members. The better your connection with these communities, the more business.
Repairs: Easily track & manage repairs & communicate with customers. This works whether you repair the instruments in-store or not.
Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders for musical instruments and other items that you bring in especially for them.
Pre-orders: Pre-sell stock and be ahead of the game.
Serial number tracking. Track for absolutely sure what you sell if it has a serial number.
Product servicing and check-up reminders.
Genuinely informative receipts: Include information they’ll appreciate, like how to care for a musical instrument purchased.
Catalogues: Setup and manage date-based specials and offers.
BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling. For consumables like regularly purchased items this can work a treat.
Customised product labels: Include store name and contact details.
Awesome loyalty: Guide one-time and regular shoppers to spend more.
Seasonal reordering: Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

You can rent this software without a lock-in contract. A few dollars a day gives you access to:

Specialty music shop POS software developed in Australia.
Software updates as we release them.
Unlimited licences for your retail location. If you need an extra computer, there is no extra software cost.
Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software.
Xero link. Easing bookkeeping costs and streamlining accounting.
Our OzBiz link – connect to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
PC Eftpos link – easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
Easy buy now pay later thanks to Zip Pay and Humm – that Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X and others are using more and more.
Support – help desk access, unlimited training, updates and more.
User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.

This locally made and supported music shop POS software continues to evolve to meed evolving marketplace and broader business needs. It helps local music shops serve and compete in-store and more easily online.

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