The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Tiger King cards tap into Netflix series popularity

July 23, 2020
2 Min read
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We have been selling a range of fun Tiger King Netflix tv series cards a couple of our shops for weeks. Customers are loving the fun of the cards and their connection to the Tiger King Netflix TV series.

From Joe Exotic to Carole Baskin and other Tiger King Netflix TV series characters, these cards are fun for today, a fun way to send someone a laugh in a time when a laugh can be just what they need.

This is another POS software connected website from the web dev team at our POS software company.

We connected with the publisher of the Tiger King Netflix TV series cards to bring them to Australian shoppers though our stores and some other retailers we partner with.

Tiger King is an awesome Tv show. Scary. Funny.Horrifying. Concerning. Addictive TV that we all watched, glued to the TV to see where it would go. Utterly fascinating. It made sense that there were cards for starts like Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin as people were fascinated by them and what they said and during the Netflix TV series.

Being on topic, on trend, like with this POS software connected website is being 100% opportunistic. This is retail today. Adopting trends early, leveraging them, making the most and, if appropriate, moving on to what’s next.

These Tiger King cards are fun. Once they are done, which will be soon, the next fun series is here ready to go, to leverage more fun as shoppers send cards to those they love and laugh with.

Being a POS software co and a retailer helps us see trends and leverage them and then share with our customers how they can do the same in their niche areas. Walking this path ourselves us guide our customers with the why and how. This separates us from the traditional POS software company. We are grateful to have the differentiation for our retail partners.

We were quick to embrace the Tiger King Netflix TV series opportunity and from there to show our retailers how they can use their POS software connected websites to embrace opportunities too. 2020 has been a year of opportunities and learning. Tons of challenges but plenty of fun too.

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How our Australian software company serves local retail businesses around the counter

July 23, 2020
2 Min read
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Tower Systems is a proud Australian software company serving in the vibrant IT sector in Australia and, in particular, in the local small business specialty retailer space.

We are a software company first and foremost. We make what we sell. We support it too, with local Australian help desk experts providing help and assistance to retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

With so much software used by businesses, including retailers, in Australia sourced from overseas software companies, we are grateful to the support that has enabled our Australian software company to be here, trading and growing since we started in February 1981. That’s right, February 1981 of continuous service to Australian small business and retailers as an Australian software company.

Our leadership team are software developers, tech experts bringing to the company fresh approaches, techniques and ideas for delivering genuine solutions to small business retailers in the POS software and business intelligence spaces. We have more recently brought web development to our suite, expanding our Australian software company offering.

Competing with overseas software companies is challenging, especially with low labour cost coders from India, China, the Ukraine, Indonesia and Pakistan. These low labour cost countries are where massive intern national software companies have development done. Our local labour cost is higher. The quality is worth it.

Australian businesses like buying from Australian businesses. However, we don’t chase pity business. Our focus is on continuous professional development, ensuring that we get better and more useful for our customers.

While not large, we are proud for the contribution that our Australian software company has made to small business retailers right around Australia and New Zealand. We have helped develop plenty of careers as well as businesses. Inside the company, the professional development of those who work for us is important to us. We think it is factor in people enjoying working with us for the long term. we sincerely appreciate commitment.

Australia needs a strong tech sector. Software development here in Australia matters to business and government. We would love to see more support for Aussie software development by government and the big end of town. No one gets Aussie needs and nuance like Aussies. Australian software companies are more likely to be good and responsible corporate citizens for the benefit of Australia too.

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Advice for retailers confronted by a COVID-19 contact in-store

July 22, 2020
3 Min read
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It can be challenging for any retailer to receive advice that a shopper who visited their shop has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The protocols in such a situation will depend on your location as each state and territory has different approaches. If you are formally notified of such contact, ask the notifying authority for recommended actions. They should have protocols for you to follow regarding cleaning and staff management.

Here is a list of state and territory helplines. This is from the the Safe Work Australia website:

  • New South Wales - 1300 066 055
  • Queensland – 13 432 584
  • Victoria – 1800 675 398
  • South Australia – 1800 253 787
  • Tasmania – 1800 671 738
  • Western Australia – 13 26843
  • Australian Capital Territory – (02) 6207 7244
  • Northern Territory – (08) 8922 8044

Here is what Safe Work Australia says about cleaning following advice that someone diagnosed was in your workplace:

There is no automatic requirement to close an entire workplace following a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19. It may be unnecessary if the person has only visited parts of your workplace or if government health officials advise you the risk of others being exposed are low.

Whether you need to suspend operations in your workplace will depend on factors such as the size of the workplace, nature of work, number of people and suspected areas of contamination in your workplace.

Click here to access the cleaning advice for any workplace where someone has been diagnosed.

Our advice re cleaning is as follows, this is the advice for our own shops too:

  1. Regularly, hourly or at least twice a day, clean all touchable surfaces (EFTPOS machine, doors, door handles, counter, newspaper stand, anywhere someone is likely to touch) with high grade anti-bacterial wipes that are known to kill germs. The major supermarket protocol in Victoria is to clean each checkout counter between each shopper. Double bag all cleaning materials and discard right away.
  2. Install and keep clean splash screens at the counter.
  3. Require all staff to wear a face mask, which you provide daily.
  4. Encourage all staff to wear gloves.
  5. Ask all customers entering the shop to hand sanitise using sanitiser you have at the entrance.

Here is what Safe Work Australia says about routine cleaning:

Workplaces should clean surfaces at least daily. Special attention should be given to frequently touched surfaces (e.g. tabletops, door handles, light switches, desks, toilets, taps, TV remotes, kitchen surfaces and cupboard handles). Ideally, once clean, surfaces should also be disinfected regularly. Alternatively, you may be able to do a 2-in-1 clean and disinfection by using a combined detergent and disinfectant.

Surfaces and fittings should be cleaned more frequently when:

  • visibly soiled
  • used repeatedly by a number of people (e.g. trolleys, checkouts, EFTPOS machines), and
  • after any spillage.

For routine cleaning, disinfectants are usually only necessary if a surface has been contaminated with potentially infectious material. For this reason, when and how often a workplace should undertake disinfection as part of routine cleaning will depend on the likelihood of contaminated material being present at the workplace. For example, in a busy retail environment with many customers and others entering a workplace each day, more frequent disinfection is recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By contrast, for a small work crew operating the same item of plant each day with little interaction with other people, routine disinfection in addition to daily cleaning may not be reasonably practicable.

We have shared this here not as experts. rather as retailers ourselves, supporting other retailers.

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Australian newsagents are the core of local Aussie towns through COVID-19

July 22, 2020
2 Min read
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Aussie newsagents have been critical in local towns and cities through COVID-19. While plenty of businesses have closed or gone into hibernation, the local newsagency, or newsagents as many call them, has been open, trading and supporting the local community.

The thing is, the newsagents is not what it used to be. News has taken a back seat in these evolving retail businesses as other products have come to the fore, making the local newsagents more valuable and useful to people in local communities, especially regional communities.

Sure, newspapers and magazines still play a role and they are the news part of the name, the reality is that in terms of overall business contribution and value, they lie outside of news, our side of that part of the newsagents name.

Many newsagency businesses have evolved deeply, into gifts, homewares, home office solutions, games, toys, jigsaws, nesting products, comfort products, art supplies and more. The local newsagency is less about the news and the agency and more about helping people enjoy themselves, helping them relax, helping them create and helping them find their voice.

The newsagents of yesterday is the place of happiness, joy and communication today.

Whether it is a greeting card, journal, art supplies, a candle, a thro rug, a scarf or local Aussie essential oils, a newsagency is a fresh and innovative business delivering local town access to a diverse range of products in service of local community needs.

Tower Systems is proud to serve more than 1,700 newsagents with its newsagency software, software used by more newsagents than all other software companies combined. We take that leadership role seriously and respectfully, helping newsagents to reach the potential of their local area opportunities.

Whether it is in-store or online, our newsagency POS software is helping newsagents to transact where there need to and when they need to, accurately, efficiently. It is also helping them to find new shoppers as new shoppers are the lifeblood of any business. Indeed, we are grateful to smart newsagents for walking this path of innovation and opportunity with us.

The 2020 of corona is challenging. For newsagents it has been a year of opportunity and it is a thrill to see so many step up to that opportunity in service of their local communities.

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With Reed Gift Fair cancelled for 2020, Tower Systems helps retailers and suppliers connect

July 21, 2020
2 Min read
W

With Reed Gift Fair being cancelled for 2020 due to the corona, Tower Systems has been helping more gift and homewares suppliers connect with gift and homewares retailers through our POS software for these and other specialty retail channels.

The Reed trade shows have been an important fixture on the calendar of suppliers and retailers for years. They are key vying opportunities as retailers evolve their product ranges. Retailers looked forward to the Reed gift fair shows to find out about new products and to place orders for existing product that has sold through. The Reed gift fairs have been historically critical.

Tower Systems helps gift and homewares suppliers as well as gift and homewares retailers to connect electronically through:

  • Ordering based on sales.
  • Comparing supplier performance easily.
  • Identifying fast and slow moving stock.
  • Understanding category opportunities that could support additional product.
  • Learning about range gaps and using this data for targeted work on expansion.
  • Supplier stock file integration.
  • Supplier image integration.
  • Sales data feed to suppliers for auto replenishment.

These are just some of the opportunities for retailers and suppliers to work together to deal with this 2020 of the Reed gift fairs being cancelled.

What matters most to retailers is that inventory sells through. This is where our POS software shines, it provides the evidence of inventory performance. Good suppliers want this data, they want to help retailers make fact based, data based, decisions. By connecting the two as we can through our gift and homewares POS software we can help small business retailers thrive in this year with our the Reed gift fairs.

Through our allied work of hosting secure Zoom meetings, preparing collateral and other resources, we are able to help retailers make strategic and appreciated moves that can deliver wonderful benefits to suppliers and retailers. This tighter digital connection can eliminate the mistakes of manual connection. This can fuel certainty and other benefits to both businesses.

While the cancellation of the Reed gift fairs is a challenge, using tech retailers and suppliers can bridge this to mutual benefit. Some will be left behind on both side but that is what it is.

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Why we switched to Xero for our retail businesses

July 20, 2020
2 Min read
W

We switched to Xero for our 3 retail businesses and connected it to our POS software. This Xero connected POS software solution is a time saver, mistake eliminator and business planning aid all wrapped into one.

But let’s take a step back and consider why we switched to Xero for our retail business accounting needs.

  • Xero is easy to use.
  • Xero is integrated with our POS software.
  • Xero saves time managing the accounting side of the business.
  • Xero fits retail businesses like a comfortable glove.
  • Xero support is easy to access.
  • Xero continues to evolve.
  • And we will say again, Xero is integrated with our POS software.

We have had experience with Quicken as well as with MYOB. Considering all three, we prefer Xero. Our accountant prefers Xero too as does our in-house accounting team, which includes a CPA.

It is for these reasons that we chose to switch to Xero.

The process itself was straight forward. We were nervous, did a trial run, checked the data and then did it again, this time live. We have never looked back, never worried that we missed out. It was the right move for us in a back office sense and in terms of overall business management. Xero, connected with our POS software, is a good small business retail solution. We like it and thanks too our own experience in our three shops we can recommend it based in. genuinely personal experience.

We have nothing against MYOB or Quicken. Our Xero choice is based on our own evidence, based on our own experiences. We think this matters if we are asked for a recommendation by a retailer. If we are asked, it is Xero. If no one asks, we do not interfere in that our POS software can be connected to Xero directly and MYOB through a third party that keeps up to date with MYOB changes.

Tower Systems is not your usual POS software company. We are retailers too, using our software in our own shops, providing us and our team members with experiences that are truly valuable to what we do and how we do it with and for our customers every day. We walk in your shoes.

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The POS system helping small business retailers through corona

July 19, 2020
2 Min read
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There was a time when talking about a POS system was enough to put someone to sleep. It was a snooze that only techies and their ilk would talk about. Now, in this corona world, the POS system has come into its own. It is central to any business that is trading well through corona.

A good POS system is a system in the true sense of the word. It is more than software, more than most would expect. It is a system for doing business, and in this corona world it is a system for doing business in-store on the high street as well as online. It is holistic in approach … this is in the form of the software, training, advice, processes and more packaged by the supplier to help small business retailers leverage the POS system to full advantage.

So, a good POS system is a good whole of business solution. It is about more than learning which button to push to do what. It is about learning the systems and processes to facilitate maximum benefit of the POS system for the retail business.

Here at Tower Systems, see the system in our name, we are focussed on delivering a systematic solution. Our approach is whole of business from in-store to online, from sales counter to back office, from the register to the supplier relationships, from product to how the products are used by customers.

We understand the value of systems and have embedded in our software, our training, our support and our additional materials information that is all about the system, the POS software, in service of successful, enjoyable and efficient retail business.

In the corona world of 2020, our POS system is helping retailers by supporting contactless retail, easy curbside pickup, more efficient home delivery, easy integration with Shopify and Magento for online sale, easy links to accounting software and suppliers to reduce even digital contact points.

And, like any good system, a good POS system evolves to the needs of the marketplace, it evolves to better serve as the needs themselves evolve. This is critical, that your POS system evolves with needs as they do evolve.

Seeing POS software as being about more than the software itself is a good and helpful thing.

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Why you will not see our POS software listed on on top lists

July 18, 2020
2 Min read
W

There is a scam in the software business space where software companies are invited to pay to be put on lists of the top software.

Some lists are application specific like POS software while others are retail channel specific like gift shops, jewellers and similar. There is another list going around for top inventory management software and another for top retail software linking to accounting software.

Tower Systems has been approached five times in recent months to pay to be listed on such lists. In one case, the amount you paid determined your position on the list. The fee sought to be on such a faux list of the best has ranged from $2,500 to $15,000.  With between 8 and 15 companies on such a list and the promoters often creating 10+ lists every few months you can get a sense of the financial value, to them, of the scam.

In each case the invitation said they had assessed us and our POS software as being worthy. We checked them out and there had been no assessment whatsoever. Each approach was, in our view, a scam, a commercial operation designed to drive revenue for the business in control of the like by providing a fake ranking that the software companies listed could point to in their marketing – further promoting the fake.

We have never participated in these scams at Tower Systems. We have not and will not pay to have our POS software listed in a list that says we are one of the best.

The only assessment we trust is that of each of our POS software user small business retail customers. The toy shop owners, farm supply business owners, jewellers, garden centre owners, landscapers, pool repairers, newsagents, bike shop owners … these small business owners matter to us.

Paying to be on a list reflects poorly on the software companies on the list in our view. It demonstrates that the software and services provided by any company on such a list were not a factor in determining place.

The next time you see a software company promoting that they are on a list, ask them how they got there, ask them if they paid anything to the creators or promoters of the list. You will not see our Tower Systems POS software there, and for that we are grateful.

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The covid pivot that is helping small business retailers in 2020

July 17, 2020
2 Min read
T

What a thrill it is when a retailer calls and says I got my first online sale … when your POS software co created the POS software connected website just for them.

This is happening here at Tower Systems with more and more small retailers embracing our covid pivot encouragement, attracting new shoppers from out of state and even sometimes overseas as they expand their shopper reach and, in some cases, expand their product offering reach.

The covid pivot is about making a move in your business to find new customers and to do this using smart POS software usually connected to a beautiful Shopify website.

The covid pivot is not reactionary. No, it is thoughtful, opportunistic, leveraging existing infrastructure, doing it with the least investment possible, chasing a brighter and more valuable future for the business.

The covid pivot is smart small business retail.

Our web development team is busy developing Shopify and Magento websites for our POS software customers. Building them, fashioning them to attract new shoppers in local, out of state and other areas. Through our research we understand keyword and SEO opportunities that can leverage data sent from the POS software to the online Shopify or other site and to do this in a labour effective way.

Having an in-house web development team as well as a POS software development team as well as retail businesses with websites of our own – we are conditioned and positioned to be able to help our customers to embrace this opportunity, to embrace what we call the covid pivot opportunity.

The covid pivot is something we first discussed here back in March this year, once were understand what corona was and games out how this could play out for small business retail. We worked it into our own business strategy, to help small business retailers to make the most of the opportunity in their businesses.

We did not want to wallow and think oh, poor us with all this stuff going on. In our marketplaces, bike shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, toy shops, newsagents and more have bene growing through corona and in plenty of cases this is because of covid pivot engagement, being opportunistic themselves in making the most of today not knowing what tomorrow may bring.

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The covid pivot opportunity for specialty retailers that attracts new shoppers

July 16, 2020
2 Min read
T

Specialty retailers are specialty for a reason, they go deep into a product category, as you would expect from a specialist.

The challenge for specialty retailers is that their specialisation attracts shoppers interested in and buying for their specialty product category. This is good in the usual world. In this corona world with movement challenged, specialisation can be challenging for local businesses.

This is why we think the covid pivot opportunity for specialty retailers can be helpful. We are not suggesting retailers seek to profit from corona or that they are profiteering. Rather, through a covid pivot, we are encouraging small business retailers to broaden the appeal of their businesses, to make their businesses more attractive beyond the community they currently serve.

A covid pivot could see a business remain the same to shoppers who visit and that it uses the back office infrastructure to serve an online only operation in their covid pivot strategy. This can see the business leverage existing overhead of space, labour and accounting infrastructure to effectively open a new business and through this to find new shoppers.

This type of covid pivot move can make the business more resilient through a time of change or challenge, like corona.

We think a covid pivot is a smart move for specialty retail as it spreads the risk, strengthens the foundations of the business and provides learning opportunities that themselves could help the business further evolve.

Using business data, smart tech and POS software connected websites, a specialty retail business can find, through a covid pivot, new customers, new efficiencies and new energy for forward momentum and this is the core goal … taking those steps ahead.

The whole corona situation is challenging. It would be easy to sit and wallow., and we get that for some that is what they choose. In covid pivot our focus is on pursuing forward momentum and doing this through a data driven and tech implemented pivot for the business for a better back half of 2020 and a solid 2021.

Bottom line: there is good news out there for specialty retailers who are making these opportunities for themselves through a covid pivot. We are sincerely grateful to have seen plenty do this, plenty find new shoppers and plenty learn new skills and categories through to expand what are effectively new start up businesses within their specialty businesses.

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Helping small business retailers embrace the covid pivot opportunity

July 15, 2020
2 Min read
H

Every day we are engaging with new opportunities to embrace the covid pivot opportunity with small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

The covid pivot is where a business embraces a change outside of what has been usual for the business – new products, new services, new business methods – in pursuit of new shoppers and that it does this in response to the covid challenge and opportunity of 2020. Hence, the term the covid pivot. It is real.

It is important to understand what the covid pivot it not. It is not made out of fear or desperation. It is not a last stand. It is not a retreat. No, the covid pivot is a confident move a business makes to pursue new opportunities, new customers, to expand the reach of the business. This is the pivot part. the covid part is that the virus provides opportunity, encouragement and cover, if necessary.

We are grateful to serve more than 3,000 small business retailers in our POS software community, and to be growing this daily as more join with us. Within our current community and without we are helping retailers in their covid pivot journey to find new shoppers, to expand their reach and to being new life and opportunity to their businesses.

While we get that 2020 is challenging, early on, back in march tis year, we decided to focus on walking  forward, turning here and there, expanding the business and the businesses of our customers. We think it is too easy to get caught up ion the doom and gloom of some in the media, the negativity. That’s not for us. It’s a mug’s game. That’s not us.

Opportunities abound for finding new customers in retail as well as in our space of being a small business POS software company.

In our focus on the covid pivot opportunity we are doing this here ourselves, in retail businesses we own and with plenty of our partner retailers. This is a 2020 good new story. We call it the covid pivot as something to celebrate, while not forgetting the health and personal harm and suffering that covid itself ha=s brought to so many.

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Financial help for small business retailers

July 14, 2020
1 Min read
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This is an up to date (as at July 13, 2020) list of state and territory government Covid related grants. There are some new opportunities in this mix. Click on the state / territory name for their landing page. Then, where possible, I have links to specific current grants.

Do your research as to eligibility. If you are eligible, do it now as waiting could see you miss out and there will be no point complaining then.

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Helping Aussie newsagents embrace the covid pivot

July 14, 2020
3 Min read
H

The covid pivot is no more real that what we are seeing in Aussie newsagency businesses this year as they embrace change and adjust their businesses to attract new shoppers.

What is the covid pivot you say? It is that move by a business into new products, new services or onto a new platform through which they seek to attract shoppers who would otherwise not shop with the business. That is why it is a pivot. the covid part is that it provides the need, encouragement and / or cover for the change.

The covid pivot moves we are seeing newsagents make include:

  • Moving online with POS software connected Shopify websites. We have seen newsagents open up online baby shops, food service businesses, homewares businesses, made in Australia offers, fashion, services, high end collectibles and more.
  • Bringing in new product categories. This being done in-store to turn the business s90 degrees and more in pursuit of shoppers who might otherwise not have shopped the shop.
  • Offering new services. We have seen newsagents move into screen printing, office services, hot dusking and more as they serve the needs of more people working locally.
  • Location flexibility. We have seen newsagents take their businesses on the road, to shoppers who cannot get out safely because of the corona. By selling from the car or van, safely, distanced, but with full POS software access for accurate transacting.
  • Doing the Marie Kondo. Cutting back, removing products and services that do not sign joy. these moves are a pinot, too, as the business de-clutters, freeing space and capital for other operations and opportunities.
  • Re-casting. This piece of the covid pivot is the business re-positioning what it sells and how it sells. Taking singles and bundling. Reimagining loyalty. And similar moves to take what you have and freshen it so it is noticed by more people.

These are some of the examples we have seen of newsagents engaging in the covid pivot opportunities. Covid pivot is a term we started using months ago to describe this action, this movement of adjustment in a business to seek opportunities through with to broaden the appeal of the business.

More newsagents are embracing the covid pivot to change their businesses and to set them for an even brighter future outside of corona. Opportunities are endless.

We are grateful to the 1,700+ newsagents in our user community who embrace our software and services. Thank you for your business and thank you for being with us on this crazy 2020 journey.

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Adding to our help desk team

July 13, 2020
1 Min read
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Today, we welcomed a new help desk team member to our business to fill an additional role. It feels odd to be expanding our workforce while many businesses are contracting theirs. To be cliché, it is what it is.

Here at Tower Systems, the is is that we are grateful to service a diverse and strong mix of marketplaces that are essential every day. Produce, farm, pet, garden, fitness cycling, news … these are all sectors people rely on every day, pandemic or not.

So, today, we welcomes Matt to our help desk team in a new role. He’ll be off the grid for a couple of months learning the software and our processes.

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What the second Victorian corona lockdown is showing small business retailers

July 13, 2020
2 Min read
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We are grateful to see sales data from a range of different Victorian retail businesses using our POS software. Here are trends from the latest Victorian lockdown:

  • Relaxing products. The jigsaw surge from March and April is back but in an expanded form – adult colouring, art and craft, journaling, cross-stitch, knitting, games and art. Smart retailers are selling these items as well as offering customers opportunities to connect with others doing this.
  • Nesting. This category is surging not only in Victoria but nationally. Nesting includes candles, diffusers, essential oils, rugs, cushions, homewares, pets, cooking and related.
  • Tactile products. We have seen a surge in cuddleable (not a word I know but it best describes it) products. This segment includes plush and other soft toys, pets, rugs, blankets, pillows and similar. With touching and hugging discouraged, it stands to reason that people seek out alternatives.
  • Easy shopping. We have seen retailers gain sales by making shopping easier through packaging items often bought together and having these placed front of store and at the counter.
  • Postable gifts. People are loving that they can easily send a gift to people they are unable to see.
  • Working from home. For some, this is now a permanent arrangement. Many retail channels have offers they can make to those working from home and businesses with employees working from home. The opportunities are usually broader than retailers think.
  • Contactless retail. Having the EFTPOS machine shopper facing and situated for easy tap and having in place arrangements for the lowest cost possible to the business for EFTPOS.
  • Online. Having an online offer matters. While people like the safety of having goods shipped, they also like click and collect and they like to use the website to ensure you have something in stock before they visit the shop.
  • Online events. More retailers are hosting events to show off new products and offer education –  Zoom, Facebook live and similar events. Unboxings, educating on new products meet the maker and more.
  • Christmas has started early. Yes, we are seeing Christmas purchases already in businesses that are offering Christmas stock.

While the pandemic has disrupted business, in that disruption are opportunities. The Victorian situation is a reminder that disruption is not temporary. We think history will show that winners will be those businesses that adapted early and were able to finesse their offering and processes as the market demanded.

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Helping jewellers embrace the covid pivot

July 13, 2020
4 Min read
H

Here at Tower Systems we are all about small business retail. Through our POS software and our beautiful Shopify and Magento websites we help small business retailers enjoy their businesses more and better serve their communities local and afar.

Right now, we are helping many with a covid pivot … funding new shoppers through innovative approaches to business in-store and online, including through new product categories. The covid pivot is the pivot of opportunity and optimism.

Special offer for jewellers: Australian made and Australian supported software for jewellers: R3 … just released.

Covid has been particularly challenging for jewellers. We have an offer designed to help you grow a more valuable and enjoyable business.

We are making our Australian made jeweller specific POS software available at half price for the next 3 months, until September 30, 2020. We have developed this in consultation with jewellers, to serve the needs they have explained to us, to address their specific circumstances.

  • Monthly rental goes from $199.00 to $99.50.
  • Onboarding – setup and training – goes from $2,750.00 to $1,375.00.

This is for unlimited licences per location. Software support is included. Software updates are included. Once installed, unlimited training is included.

Last week, we released R3, fresh new software for Jewellers. This is a major technical refresh including a complete visual refresh.

If shopping local matters to you, consider our software. Contact a specialist: please call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

Our comprehensive jeweller POS software offers many benefits embedded in the software without needing to rent third-party tools, including:

  1. Colour, size and style: Easily track sales at a granular level.
  2. Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members.
  3. Repairs: Easily track & manage repairs & communicate with customers.
  4. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  5. Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
  6. Bring them back: Target market for birthdays, anniversaries and more.
  7. Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer RoamTM sell anywhere app.
  8. Sell anytime: With our Shopify / Magento / Woo integrations.
  9. Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders.
  10. Awesome loyalty: Guide one-time and regular shoppers to spend more.
  11. Seasonal reordering: Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

You can rent our software for $99.50 a month, giving you:

  1. Australian developed and supported jeweller business POS software.
  2. Unlimited computer licences for your location.
  3. Software updates as we release them.
  4. Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software.
  5. Xero link. Easing bookkeeping costs and streamlining accounting.
  6. Our OzBiz link. This helps you link to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
  7. Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
  8. PC Eftpos link. This offers easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
  9. Easy buy now pay later options with Zip Pay and Humm.
  10. Support – help desk access.
  11. Training – unlimited one-on-one training over the phone.
  12. User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.

Rent for $99.50 each 30 days, in advance. It can be cancelled at any time.

We have a structured and personalised on-boarding process, done in your business. The up-front on-boarding fee is $1,375.00 (inc. GST). This includes:

  1. A pre-installation training and information pack.
  2. Pre-installation planning assistance.
  3. Installation and training. Delivered remotely. On-site is more.
  4. Data conversion. Conversion of all data possible (within reasonable time constraints). This is a two-step process:
    1. Pre-conversion. We extract and check your data.
    2. The conversion itself. This is done as part of software installation.
  5. Personal priority support.
  6. Personal, post-installation follow-up.

We are local. Tower Systems is an Aussie POS software co. serving 3,500+ specialty businesses. If you think we could help you, please call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

We are grateful to business owners and staff in your channel who guide our software development. Their advice helps us make more useful software.

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Tower Systems helps small business retailers pivot to online with POS software connected Shopify sites

July 11, 2020
2 Min read
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More and more small business retailers are embracing the pivot to online as covid continues to impact in-store traffic. The covid pivot is more about getting online, for sure. It is about small business retailers finding new category opportunities to serve through their existing business operation.

That is the covid pivot, a turn for the business to attract new shoppers and to do this through an online model that leverages existing physical store infrastructure.

Tower Systems is grateful to serve small business retailers in making this covid Pivot, helping them to connect their POS software to a beautiful Shopify site created by our web developers.

Our suggestions cover the technical, operational and the creative. Our customers choose what they want for their businesses. All we can do is speak to our experiences and the experiences of others in making these moves. New are especially attuned to helping small business retailers looking for pivot opportunities as that is net new benefit for them, helping to drive efficiency of their overall business operation.

The covid pivot is real in business, especially small business and even more especially small business retail. covid pivot is a term we have been using since March to describe advice we have provided to small business retailers to encourage and guide their actions to attract new shoppers.

As developers of small business focussed POS software and as web developers of Shopify and Magento websites we are well positioned from these two parts of our company to deliver the tech infrastructure ideal for helping retailers make the most of a covid pivot move.

Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, fishing and outdoors businesses, toy shops, pet shops, homewares businesses, newsagents and more are all benefiting from the advice and encouragement we offer in this model of the covid pivot to find new shopper traffic for any retail business. Guiding these businesses to make an online move is key and beneficial.  It is timely because of covid even though the need and opportunity were always there.

The covid pivot is defined as the move you make in business in response to, because of and / or thanks to covid to help strengthen the business in an area not historically familiar to you. It is smart, opportunistic and timely. New customers are out there for businesses that pivot to find them.

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POS software update set for release next week

July 10, 2020
1 Min read
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It’s business as usual at our Aussie POS software co with another software update set for release next week.

Next week’s update will be the first for our R3 product. We will deliver access to enhancements that extend the reach and appeal of the Point of Sale software.

Some enhancements have come from our democratic user votes Software Ideas platform while others have come from our internal team.

There are some security enhancements too based on updated security advice to tech companies.

The release of this update, as with the release of R3 itself weeks ago is another example of us delivering a business as usual experience for our treasured small business retailer customers.

R3 is a technically advanced and relevant to today Point of Sale software solution for specialty retailers. We are proud to make this software locally for Australian and New Zealand retail businesses. It is the support of these local businesses that encourages us daily and for that we are sincerely grateful.

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What is the best POS system for your retail business?

July 10, 2020
2 Min read
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  • How do you choose POS software for your business?
  • What is the best POS system?
  • What is the right POS system for your business?
  • What makes a POS soften better than another?

These are all valid questions. The answers are subjective. That is, the answers depend first on your business needs. Choosing the right POS system for your business is all about your business. It starts with you and your business needs because the best POS system for your business is the one that best serves your business needs.

No one can tell you this but you.

All POS software company sales people can do is to show you what their software does, to answer your questions, to listen to your needs and to use their POS software to show you how their software serves your needs.

The best POS software for your business is the software you consider to be the best based on your experience seeing the software and assessing it for yourself.

It’s a journey, challenging, hard work. But it is worth it. It is worth you actively choosing a POS system based on your needs. The key is being clear about your business needs and pursuing them as this is what really matters about the business, what really matters about achieving what is best for your business.

Tower Systems will work with you. Our people will demonstrate our POS software as much as you want, as often as you want and in as much detail as you want. It is important to us that you make an informed business decision. We are there to help you do this, at your pace and at your preferred level of technical engagement.

So, what is the best POS system for your business? It is up to us. It could be Tower Systems or it could be another POS software product. What we hope is that you do find what you are looking for. We will respect your decisions and encourage you to be independent in making these.

Things change and over time, the decision you make may need to be revised. We will be here when you need us, when you think we could be the best POS software for your business.

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UPDATED: state and territory covid grants for small businesses

July 9, 2020
1 Min read
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This is an up to date (as at July 8, 2020) list of state and territory government Covid related grants. There are some new opportunities in this mix compared to what we have shared previously.

Click on the state / territory name for their landing page. Then, where possible, I have links to specific current grants.

Do your research as to eligibility. If you are eligible, do it now as waiting could see you miss out and there will be no point complaining then.

We have sourced this list ourselves, by researching the online information for each state and territory. We help retailers applying if their application relates to anything they may wish to purchase through us.

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Cloud based Point of Sale software for small business retailers

July 9, 2020
2 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems we think retailers should have a choice between cloud based POS software or desktop POS software.

We offer both solutions: cloud based POS software and desktop POS software.

retailers can use our POS software in the cloud. They can also use it on a desktop, laptop, iPad or other tablet computer.

We are comfortable with cloud based POS software and we are comfortable with the locally run desktop POS software.

Yes, we believe choice matters for small business retailers.

Our cloud based software runs in the cloud, on a server of your choice, with us hosting or you hosting, with secure backup and insulation from the need to update the software.

Our customers choose from a menu of options as to the best cloud based POS solution for their particular business needs. We talk with customers, understand their needs and make recommendations to serve their needs.

We think flexibility is key to small business retailers, the opportunity for them to choose what is right for their businesses now and into the future. We say this because situations can change, just as tech can change. This is the issue, this is is what small business retailers are experiencing … change … this is the model of 2020 and beyond.

Cloud based POS software works well in this situation as it does offer the opportunity of scaling, of growing ads the business grows and of contracting as the business contracts. The Tower Systems cloud hosting infrastructure, which is off-site, secure and scaleable, is able to service small business retailers with surety and safety as they navigate the cloud based world of doing business.

Cloud based POS software can be misunderstood. This is why Tower is flexible and accommodating of the varying needs of small business retailers. Our advice and support seeks to offer help so that small business retailers are able to make certain decisions for surety through change economically and in individual businesses.

Tower Systems serves specialty retailers with specialty POS software (cloud based or desktop) tailored to the needs of these businesses, to serve them and support them as they evolve. We are an Aussie POS software co serving Aussie and NZ retail businesses. We are grateful to serve thousands of retailers.

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Click frenzy for Tower Systems POS software small business retailers

July 8, 2020
3 Min read
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Tower Systems is grateful to have customers using websites created by us for B2C activity that they are turning into B2B for a private Click Frenzy opportunity.

We have customers offering other customers discounts off terrific products that they sell direct to consumers.

This click frenzy promotion for 3,000+ retailers in the Tower community offers them the opportunity to purchase gifts at a discount off retail and through this to experience another POS software connected website created by us.

So, our customers save money, they can themselves win new customers too. This is a beautiful win win. That is that the Tower Systems small business click frenzy is all about – helping small business retailers to encourage small business retailers.

We launched the opportunity with an announcement to our customers weeks ago:

Tower customer click frenzy opportunity.
If you have a website, come and join our small business to small business promotion. To promote the websites of Tower customers to other Tower customers, we invite you to set up an offer code – TOWER – in your website to run from July 6 to July 31, giving those who use the code a discount, which you set.

…..

To ensure consistency of information in the list I will share with our customers, please follow this standard.

Our goal here is to help you show off your website and to, hopefully, get more small business retailers buying from small business retailers.

Ours is a diverse small business community. We’d love to see this diversity reflected in the range of websites that join this promotion.

We will only promote it to Tower Systems customers. That is to 3,000+ small business retailers.

Plus…

We will include a list of all Tower POS software connected retailers who send us the above information on our own website. This will be a new page we create: Retail Businesses We Love. That listing will have your business name and web address. We will not publicly share the discount code. The goal of the listing is to give you another backlink.

The idea of the small business click frenzy experience is to shine a light on website marketing and to provide an opportunity for small business retailers new to online to leverage this into what they might do when promoting their businesses outside.

This is another way Tower Systems is guiding retailers with practical help and advice in improving their businesses and finding new shoppers.

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