The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Business as usual for our Victorian based POS software co in lockdown 2.0

July 8, 2020
2 Min read
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As Victoria heads into lockdown, again, tonight, here at Tower Systems it will be business as usual.

While our head office is in Melbourne and most of our team live in Victoria, we have been operating remotely since March this year. So, in short, no change for us from the start of lockdown.

At our office we have a skeleton team because there are some things that can only be done at the office in a business like ours. Those here all live close to the office.

The office itself is safe and secure. We have not accepted visitors since March.

Our new VoIP phone system has been terrific. It has given is seamless flexibility. Our commercial Zoom account has been terrific too as it offers secure access for video calls. Our regular customer Zoom meetings are working a treat.

Internally, Microsoft Teams helps us keep connected with each other as well as other platforms we are using in different parts of the business for specialty needs.

From a business perspective, we have a full schedule of new customers to bring on as plenty of business are joining our user community, for which we are sincerely grateful. Our installation specialists started doing remote installations, installations where they work from home and customer businesses could be in another state or country, over a year ago. The process has been finessed and is working well.

In lockdown, retailers seek to pivot. We are well placed to help with this – by helping businesses get online, helping them to make data based decisions into allied product categories, by stopping doing what is not working and by backing more certain winners.

At the start of Covid we told our customers that some things that had a charge previously would now be free, that a any price increases planned for 2020 would not proceed and that some products would be free – to help people have a more flexible approach to doing business.

We are energised and well-resourced to help small business retailers in this unusual 2020. While a second lockdown is frustrating and disappointing, it is what it is and we are help to help small business retailers take steps forward … a step at a time, a day at a time.

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Why Tower Systems POS software is a good alternative to MYOB Retail Manager

July 8, 2020
3 Min read
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We are grateful to have switched more MYOB Retail Manager customers to our POS software. Through this latest round of work we have learned more about how our software is a good alternative to MYOB Retail Manager.

Each time we bring convert someone from MYOB Retail Manager we learn more about our MYOB Retail Manager alternative, how we can specifically help and guide retailers to walk that path with us.

We respect the place MYOB Retail Manager has played in serving small business retailers. As the alternative to MYOB Retail Manager, Tower Systems seeks to help those retailers move beyond where they sat, to lean into opportunities of change in physical retail as well as online.

So, here is feedback from folks who have embraced our MYOB Retail Manager alternative.

  • We loved that we could start again with our data. We have used MYOB Retail Manager for many years and had not been ideal in our management of the data. The stock was right but the stock on hand was wrong. So switching allowed us to clean the data.
  • Tower were great. They took our MYOB Retail Manager, looked at how we used it and provided advice on how to take that generational leap we needed to shift our business up a notch or two, to make it more viable and competitive.
  • We loved that even though we moved on from MYOB Retail Manager we could keep using MYOB for our account ting software. That was important to us. Tower were great in respecting this.
  • Our data was a mess. We had used MYOB Retail Manager for many years over many different staff. The Tower people helped us get completely clean and accurate data and that has made a huge difference to our business.
  • I loved that they gave us unlimited training.
  • I loved that the people selling and supporting the Tower software and from the same company as the people who write the software. I was tired of dealing with people who were not from MYOB.
  • I love that I can rent the Tower software.
  • I liked that there was no pressure. I first looked at Tower a year and only made the switch from MYOB Retail Manager three months ago. They did not pressure me. This was important to me.

We are grateful for the users of MYOB Retail Manager who have joined our user community and look forward to welcoming more.

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Retail solutions for small business retailers in Australia

July 7, 2020
7 Min read
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Small business retailers appreciate retail solutions, they appreciate real help to real everyday challenges.

Here at Tower Systems we offer retail solutions. Often, the retail solutions go beyond our POS software, go beyond what is usual for a POS software company.

Our retail solutions, retail advice and retail business counselling comes from a place of experience, from being retailers ourselves for more than 25 years and from our 40 years of service of indie retailers.

Here is one example of retail advice, retail solutions for small business retailers.

This is practical advice, practical retail solutions, designed for helping retailers. We call this our Small steps strategy for growth in small business retail. This is a good example of retail solutions beyond POS software.

The small steps strategy is about taking regular small steps in your retail store which compound in a way to dramatically enhance the value of each of three key components to the business. The key is that the business makes progress on one or more of three business growth levers every day:

  • More traffic.
  • More revenue in each sale – greater sales efficiency.
  • Better margin.

There is no grand plan needed, no master document full of words and charts. The small steps strategy is about simple achievable steps which and retailer can take in any type of business every day to build a stronger business.

The small steps strategy is made up of the following work for the three levers:

  1. More traffic, new customers, existing customers revisiting
  2. Consistent traffic generator promotion. Regularly promote a popular consumer product or product category outside your business – to attract new traffic. The product category will depend on your business. Ideally it will be habit based product for which you have a strong value proposition. A good percentage of customers you win from regular promotion are more likely to visit again. These customers are often worth more than what they purchase.
  3. Regular participation in catalogue and flyer based offers. They could be catalogues covering a numbers of businesses or just for your business. These do not have to be expensive.  Even flyers you make yourself and copy in house can work – having compelling offers is key with catalogues and flyers.
  4. Regular local newspaper advertising. Local newspapers will usually do deals if you offer a long term commitment.
  5. Support for local sports clubs and community organisations. For a few dollars you can have your business name promoted at games, in newsletters and at events.
  6. Branding of at least one vehicle. A couple of hundred dollars can get your name out in the community – everywhere you drive.
  7. In-store newsletter. Delivered outside the store. This is best done on a simple stand near the entrance to the store.
  8. On your window and walls. Use your front window and side walls to promote your business. The right campaign ought to bring people passing by into your store.

Through a consistent program of chasing new traffic you ensure the health of the business and protect against the cost of the natural loss of customers.

 

  1. More revenue from each sale – greater sales efficiency

Here are some simple strategies for achieving more from each sale.

  1. Uncluttered counter. Make conscious decisions about what is placed at the counter. Ensure clear air around each offer so it can be seen. A cluttered counter can hide good deals and block sales.
  2. Counter offers. Choose good margin low price products which work for your demographic by tapping into interests, desires (chocolate to eat on the way home) or value – quick decision small gift lines.Remember, a counter must be easily understood and be able to purchased quickly.
  3. High traffic bargain offers. Between the entrance and the highest first stop for traffic into the business have at least two dump bins or displays with compelling and easily understood offers. Move these weekly.
  4. In-store newsletter. Create a simple newsletter promoting the business and place it out the front of the business, in bags, handed out and even slipped into local newspapers. Get your message in front of customers after they leave.
  5. Hotspot promotions. Identify locations where customers stop the most in your store. Place other products at these hotspots which appeal and are easy to purchase. Use the HOT products to sell other product – but the impulse products have to change a couple of times a week.
  6. Dance floor change. The dance floor, the space in front of the sales counter, needs to change weekly. More often for busier shops. A fresh dance floor will show more customers ‘new items’.
  7. Coupons / advertising on call to action offers on receipts. i.e. bring this coupon back within two days for XXX offer.
  8. End of sale offer. Once you complete each sale, give customers an offer to make another purchase within a limited timeframe for a discount. This is best done with a coupon.  Consider structuring the offer to drive business in a particular category.  Track redemption by keeping coupons redeemed with receipts for the purchases.
  9. Parasite displays. These are small space displays which hang next to other products, encroaching on the space. You can see supermarkets use parasite displays well offering products from elsewhere in space committed to popular and often unrelated product.

By focusing on sales efficiency and driving a bigger basket for each sale, you set yourself up to make more from every sale.

  1. Better margin – by selling for the best price

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

  • 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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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Tyro EFTPOS for small business retailers through POS software

July 6, 2020
2 Min read
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Tyro EFTPOS has been integrated with our Tower Systems POS software for small business retailers for more than ten years. The Tyro integration is simple, effective, seamless and fast… all factors that matter to small business retailers keen for a smooth counter operation for their businesses.

The thousands of retailers using the Tower Systems POS software for specialty retail can bank on Tyro for delivering counter and mobile based EFTPOS access, including through the Tower Systems Retailer Roam product that takes retail on the road, out of the shop and into the field, the markets and the farm gate.

We like Tyro because it is a smart interface, one that works well for small business retailers, delivering EFTPOS solutions that are best-practice and secure.

Through the recent COVID-19 challenges, Tyro has been our preferred payment solution for small business retailers, as it offers contactless EFTPOS integrated with the Tower Systems Point of Sale software.

At Tower Systems, we use Tyro EFTPOS in our own shops and have done so for many years. We like the streamlined operation, the security, the speed and the ease of settlement. Tyro makes doing business a breeze for our retail shops and we think many retailers using Tyro EFTPOS integrated with our POS software would agree.

Tower Systems is well positioned thanks to a solid relationship with Tyro and our experience across eleven specialty retail channels. The Tyro and POS software solution is robust, proven and used in more than 1,000 retail outlets in Australia.

Together, our integration is regularly updated, ensuring it is current and continues to be useful in serving the evolving needs of small business retailers. This matters now more than ever, because the environment of the retail industry is constantly changing.

Working with the tech folks at Tyro, we are able to deliver an integrated Tyro and POS software solution that is dependable, useful and financially rewarding.

Tower Systems offers first level support for retailers using the integrated Tyro and POS software solution, offering a one stop shop support entry point, delivering fast access to help on any Tyro related query. We pass these queries to Tyro’s 24/7 Australian-based Customer Support team if they are outside our remit. In both support cases, most are easily handled and retailers are able to get back to business quickly.

Tyro is a breeze to work with. We are grateful for the relationship and the value it brings to our small business customer community.

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How Aussie small business retailers have helped Aussies through COVID-19

July 5, 2020
3 Min read
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Australian small business retailers have served their Australian communities well through COVID-19. They have provided certainty in challenging situations, helping to keep people fed, clothed, entertained and encouraged.  Many Aussie small businesses have kept local people employed.

Small business retailers were quick to adopt safe shopping protocols so locals could shop locally with certainty around cleanliness, health and safety. For example, the installation of perspex screens at the counter, encouraging tap and go and providing social distancing guidance are all moves that we saw early in small business retail.

Since they are locally owned and run and they employ local people, local small business retailers are closely connected with their local communities. What we have seen is that local communities have turned to their local small businesses through COVID-19.

We know of small business retailers who have adjusted their business offerings to bring to local shoppers products in demand. For example, the local newsagent offering cost-effective work from home furniture, the toy shop offering in-home fitness products, the gift shop offering calming and personally nourishing products, the pet shop offering dog training online, the garden centre offering advice and help to people creating their own veggie patches and produce businesses offering drop off.

Then, there are the new services for many small business retailers, to provide safer shopping options, services like click and collect, curbside pickup, ready to go shopping packages and home delivery in situations where none of these were offered previously.

Small business retailers have served Australians well through COVID-19. While hospitality businesses have been challenged because of the regulations, small businesses permitted to be open have been open, delivering shopping opportunities to their local communities.

Without wanting to sound inappropriate, COVID-19 has provided plenty of small business retailers an opportunity to demonstrate the value they offer their local communities, and they have shined through this.

While, for sure, some big businesses have been serving Australians through COVID-19. Plenty of big businesses, however, closed early and stayed closed for a long time, leaving small businesses to step in.

The other trend through COVID-19 has been people fleeing shopping malls for shopping on the high street. This is good for small business retailers in that on the high street you are more likely to find small business retailers.

The last four months have demonstrated to Australians the importance of small business retail as a core offering for local communities. Well done small business retailers!

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POS software for specialty retailers in New Zealand

July 5, 2020
3 Min read
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Tower Systems is an Aussie POS software company offering specialty POS software for selected retail channels in New Zealand.

  • Jewellers
  • Garden Centres
  • Pet shops
  • Farm store and Produce businesses
  • Gift shops
  • Bike shops
  • Toy shops
  • Homewares shops
  • Repairs businesses
  • Fishing & outdoors businesses
  • Firearms dealers
  • News / Card / magazine shops

One of our senior help desk team members lives near Christchurch and one of our senior POS software developers lives in Auckland.

Our POS software for New Zealand retailers is integrated with Shopify, Magento and Woo commerce and easy online selling. We also develop POS software connected websites.

Plus, our POS software for New Zealand retailers is integrated with Xero and has been for years.

We’re an odd POS software company in that since 1996 we have owned and run shops – 3 gift and homewares shops. 2 in Westfield centres and 1 on the high street. We walk in the shoes of our customers.

Long before Covid, we moved our training and support to remote service. Retailers love the flexibility and frequency this provides. Learning is easier.

Our POS software for New Zealand retailers is available for rental for a few dollars a day. On-boarding – setup, training and any data conversion is packaged too.

HOW TO CONTACT US. From within New Zealand, call us on 0800 444 367 or by mobile on 9281 1974. Or, email our sales team at sales@towersystems.co.nz.

Included in our price is: unlimited licences for your site, help support, updates and unlimited one-on-one training.

Our specialty POS software offers many specialty retail benefits, 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. Sell by weight. Sell by fractions.
  5. Smart loyalty. While you can use points, we also have something better.
  6. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  7. Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
  8. Bring them back: Target market for birthdays, anniversaries and more.
  9. Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer RoamTM sell anywhere app.
  10. Sell anytime: With our Shopify / Magento / Woo integrations.
  11. Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders.
  12. Jeweller specific product labels.
  13. Outdoor, weatherproof, product labels.
  14. The ability to design your own product labels.
  15. The ability to design your own receipts.
  16. Awesome loyalty: Guide one-time and regular shoppers to spend more.
  17. Seasonal reordering: Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

Renting our software for NZ$165.00 a month, gives you:

  1. POS software for New Zealand retailers with unlimited computer licences for your location.
  2. Software updates as we release them.
  3. Integrations: Xero, Shopify and more.
  4. Support, training and documentation. Training is one-on-one, personal, tailored to your business.

Our on-boarding includes:

  1. A pre-installation information pack and planning assistance.
  2. Installation and training. Delivered remotely. On-site is available too.
  3. Data conversion. Conversion of all data possible within reason.
  4. Personal priority support. Personal, post-installation follow-up.

HOW TO CONTACT US. Call us on 0800 444 367 or by mobile on 9281 1974. Or, email our sales team at sales@towersystems.co.nz for a free demo.

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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Click frenzy for Tower Systems POS software customers

July 4, 2020
2 Min read
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We are thrilled to bring a click frenzy like opportunity to the Tower Systems small business community.

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 – [redacted] – in your website to run from July 6 to July 31, giving those who use the code a discount, which you set.

This is a click frenzy opportunity with a difference. It is within our small business POS software user community only.

Email Tash, our admin expert, your web address, one line on the product categories and the discount the code delivers. Our advice on the discount is be bold with a discount designed to help you get icing on the cake type sales, sales you would otherwise not get.

Here are two examples from us:

www.cutenessoverload.com.au; all things cute; 25%.
www.mintcoinshop.com.au; coins from the Royal Australian Mint; 10%.

To ensure consistency of information in the list we 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. We want to give you a valuable click frenzy sales boost of online sales.

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.

This Tower Systems small business retailer click frenzy opportunity is another way we are working with and helping our small business retailer community to reach people and to drive business opportunities from other small business retailers.

Our click frenzy campaign also helps small business retailers expand the reach of people to their new websites and through this to get more experiences about online sales.

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Phone repair business POS software

July 3, 2020
2 Min read
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We are grateful for the phone repair businesses that are using our POS software in their businesses.

Our low cost solution for tracking sales, customers, history and more is proving to be useful for these businesses in shopping malls and on the high street.

Phone repair businesses are finding our POS software ideal for maintaining accurate business records as well as for transacting across the counter efficiently and with surety. This is a POS software solution for phone repair businesses that is delivering good and useful outcomes.

Tracking time, inventory and other data points help the business owners to better manage for performance of phone repair businesses.

We kind of fell into serving phone repair businesses when we were approached by an owner. After talking with them we found that our software served their needs. We installed and found the fit to be good for them and good for us. We are grateful for this discovery and the business that has flowed to us from more phone repair businesses.

This is now a channel for us as we serve more phone repair businesses  with our Aussie developed and supported POS software. Each new customer helps us learn more about the business needs and this information feed into what we do and how we do it.

Being a software developer, we have control over what we sell. This works for us and our work with phone repair businesses as we are able to evolve the software along with the evolution of the businesses we serve.

With many phone repair businesses run under management, tight control over business data is important. This is where our Xero link is a help as is our Tyro interface that helps with safe, secure and fast EFTPOS processing. New can provide the business owner with tools and monitoring options that help them to see the business from afar and through this to more effectively manage the business for success.

Just as retail is evolving, so is our POS software company. We appreciate the opportunities to learn and grow, to attract new customers and through this to learn more about how we can better serve small business retail.

2020 is a fascinating and invigorating year in retail.

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R3: new generation POS software made in Australia for Aussie small business retailers

July 3, 2020
2 Min read
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Hundreds of small business retailers have installed R3, the next generation POS software from Tower Systems. R3 is a technical step forward in small business POS software.

Its release last week is the culmination of months of beta testing and acceptance testing through partners with which Tower Systems connects through its POS software.

  • R3 POS software delivers access too a fresh and current design look and feel. It is 2020 sostfwasre for the 2020 marketplace.
  • R3 POS software uses a stronger and more robust data management system providing safe, secure and fast access to business data.
  • R3 POS software is written in a langauge that is forward leaning, setting Tower Systems and it customers up for wonderful advance opportunities in the back half of this year and into next year.
  • R3 POS software delivers new facilities, bonus facilities through which retailers can extend their businesses.
  • R3 POS software delivers a replacement of core facilities. Yes, we did a Marie Kondo, thanking parts of the software for their service and letting them go, replacing them for completely new, completely rewritten facilities, that truly spark joy.

Our R3 release is us investing in the future of the small business retailers we serve and those we are yet to welcome to our Tower Systems small business retailer community. The project itself began three years ago and involved more than 10 IT professionals working together to design and build awesome next-generation POS software for our specialty retail channels. This team did this work while our existing software was itself enhanced and supported.

The million dollar plus project is an investment we are proud to have delivered for our customers and for our own community working in the Tower Systems business.

This is what POS software companies do. They make software. And, making software is complex, expensive, time- consuming and inexact. hence, the long beta release program as we finessed the software to ensure it served the needs of our customers.

R3 is truly innovative POS software. It is backed with excellent help and training, seamless data conversion and more as we take the hands of our small business retail customers and bring them to the new world of R3, next generation POS software for small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

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Launching December Diamonds mermen Christmas ornaments in Australia

July 2, 2020
2 Min read
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We have developed a Christmas ornaments website for selling awesome Christmas ornaments to Australian shoppers. In addition to the awesome Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, this Christmas ornaments website has just launched the December Diamonds Ornaments into the Australian marketplace.

This website is connected to our POS software that is running at newsXpress Mount Waverley.

December Diamonds is a respected collectible ornament brand around the world. The December Diamonds mermen and mermaid ornaments are fun, raunchy and suitable for Christmas trees, in the car, at work and at home. They bring brightness and joy to any Christmas celebration. They also work as ornaments all through the year.

The December Diamonds Ornaments are collector items for many as they look for fresh and interesting Christmas ornament opportunities.

Designed by December Diamonds themselves, we are grateful to have a large shipment about to arrive in Australia ready for Christmas 2020 as we get to celebrate Christmas this year. The December Diamonds mermen are a fun celebration for what has been a messy 2020, and the year is only half way through yet.

All the December Diamonds being brought to Australia are on the website right now and available for purchase. From now until when the stock arrives, which will be mid August 2020, all the mermen, mermaids and more are available for certain pre-order.  With supply fixed and not being expanded, collectors can buy now and know for sure that they will receive the stock as soon as the stock is available in-store for safe shipping to customers.

These ornaments are a fresh and unique pre-Christmas celebration gift and we are pleased to have brought the website to life, to offer the December Diamonds range here in Australia for fans and those yet to discover this colourful Christmas ornament range. As the MyOrnaments website notes…

December Diamonds merman ornaments are perfect for all year and perfect for Christmas. These cute December Diamonds Christmas ornaments are an ideal gift or keepsake. They bring joy, colour and life wherever they are placed. We are thrilled to bring December Diamond mermen ornaments to Australia for your pleasure. Now, let’s make 2020 bright with December Diamonds ornaments.

We think Christmas 2020 will be about fun, relaxing and appreciating family. These ornaments and the other ornaments that are at the site we created will help do this. We are ready for Christmas with this awesome website.

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Aussie developed and supported POS software for jewellers

July 2, 2020
2 Min read
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Our comprehensive jeweller POS software offers many benefits embedded in the software without needing to rent third-party tools. These are benefits jewellers have told us are important to them. Using our jeweller POS software, jewellers can expect to benefit from using and offering:

  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 jeweller POS software for for a local monthly cost giving you:

  1. Australian developed and supported jeweller business POS software.
  2. Unlimited computer licences for your retail 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. We use Xero ourselves in our own shops.
  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.

Last week, following a comprehensive alpha and b eta release program, we released R3, fresh new POS software for Jewellers. This is a major technical refresh including a complete visual refresh.

Jewellers joining our jeweller POS software user community receive comprehensive training and support, to help them make the switch and to benefit commercially from the software and through this to uphold the specialty nature of their local retail businesses.

Tower Systems is proud to offer local jewellers jeweller POS software through which they can reinforce their shop local credentials.

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Changing the R3 POS software main screen – free training for small business retailers

July 1, 2020
1 Min read
C

This new video from our team is an example of the training we offer retailers using our Point of Sale software. It is part of a pack of new training resources delivered as part of the recent R3 release. R3 is new generation POS software for specialty retailers. It is visually fresh, technically fresh and loaded with specialty retail facilities through which businesses can differentiate.

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Discount vouchers: differentiating loyalty in POS software from Tower Systems

June 30, 2020
1 Min read
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We are grateful for the success our discount voucher facilities in our POS software have delivered to small business retailers since February 2013.  Last week, we got together with a small group to explore the discount vouchers and to understand the opportunity operationally in small business retail.  Our goal was to record content for others. Here is a video of some of that meeting.

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Australian made Point of Sale POS software for specialty retailers

June 29, 2020
2 Min read
A

Tower Systems develops Point of Sale software for specialty, niche, retailers. This locally made and locally supported Point of Sale software dives deep into the specialty needs of these small business retailers.

Our POS software is integrated with Shopify, Magento and Woo commerce and easy online selling. We also develop POS software connected websites.

Plus, we integrate directly with Xero and have done for years.

We’re an odd POS software company in that since 1996 we have owned and run shops – 3 gift and homewares shops. 2 in Westfield centres and 1 on the high street. We walk in the shoes of our customers.

Our specialty Point of Sale software offers many specialty retail benefits, 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. Sell by weight. Sell by fractions.
  5. Smart loyalty. While you can use points, we also have something better.
  6. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  7. Warranty: Track details and leverage this for customer service.
  8. Bring them back: Target market for birthdays, anniversaries and more.
  9. Sell anywhere: Using our Retailer RoamTM sell anywhere app.
  10. Sell anytime: With our Shopify / Magento / Woo integrations.
  11. Special orders: Easily manage special customer orders.
  12. Jeweller specific product labels.
  13. Outdoor, weatherproof, product labels.
  14. The ability to design your own product labels.
  15. The ability to design your own receipts.
  16. Awesome loyalty: Guide one-time and regular shoppers to spend more.
  17. Seasonal reordering: Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.

Tower Systems develops Point of Sale software for:

  • Jewellers
  • Garden Centres
  • Pet shops
  • Produce businesses
  • Gift shops
  • Bike shops
  • Toy shops
  • Homewares shops
  • Repairs businesses
  • Fishing & outdoors businesses
  • Farm supply businesses
  • News / Card / magazine shops

And, outside of these niche businesses, the Tower software serves because of its specialisation. For example, pool maintenance businesses, butchers, health food stores and more benefit from the Tower POS solutions.

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

Tower Systems serves 3,500+ small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand in selected niche retail channels. Each Point of Sale software update released takes us deeper into the opportunities in these specialty retail marketplaces.

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Nutrition store POS software for health and nutrition businesses

June 26, 2020
2 Min read
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Australian POS software company Tower Systems is grateful to serve local Aussie nutrition and health businesses with nutrition shop POS software.

This POS software has been developed for the POS software needs of nutrition and health food stores. It is built on the already widely used niche retail POS software from Tower Systems.

Businesses using this nutrition shop POS software can leverage plenty of benefits including:

  1. Rewarding regular shoppers with loyalty solutions.
  2. Inviting customers back based on past purchases thanks to the ability to extract this customer data leveraging terrific marketing tools.
  3. Serving product use information on receipts.
  4. Providing local health and fitness information suitable in local areas based on your knowledge and information.
  5. Supporting the use of variants that can help you serve products based on colour, size and style.
  6. Scale integration for selling products by weight.
  7. Selling by fractions where people buy a fraction of something compared to a whole number.
  8. Managing repairs including parts and labour.
  9. Selling when on the road – away from the shop.
  10. Selling online. Thanks to our Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce integrations, selling online is easy.

Our nutrition pos software is designed to help you better serve your customers at the sales counter, on receipts, on your business website and elsewhere to provide a better outcome for the business.

Thanks to help and guidance from  nutrition store retailers we have been able to ensure that the software serves marketplace needs in this niche retail space.

Nutrition and health store pos software is specialty itself in the same way that these business are specialty in their now operation. Look at the product level. You can include comprehensive product information, images and more. Plus, you can tag items to enable more flexible grouping of items to better work with the business. Tags are tremendously useful in-store and in terms of nutrition store management.

Nutrition shop POS software and health food store POS software are part of a suite of niche retail solutions from Tower Systems. Aussie developed and supported POS software serving Aussie retail businesses. We are grateful to the thousands of family retail businesses that have chosen to trust us and use our software in the service of their local communities.

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Instant asset write-off options for small business retailers

June 25, 2020
3 Min read
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Harvey Norman is engaged in ad ad blitz right now pitching to businesses for instant asset write off business prior to June 30. They are spending big to entice businesses to spend big with them.

Click here to access the instant asset write off information on the Tax Office website. We think it is important that businesses act on up to date advice from the government authority overseeing the tax write off program.

This year, some shelter changes were made to the instant asset write off program:

From 12 March 2020 until 31 December 2020 the instant asset write-off:

  • threshold amount for each asset is $150,000 (up from $30,000)
  • eligibility has been expanded to cover businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million).

Here at Tower Systems, our interest is small business retailers and, in particular, helping them with our POS software written for a range of niche specialty retailers. This is POS software made in Australia for their types of businesses.

Installing our POS software and related infrastructure is an eligible purchase for any business, it meets the criteria for the instant asset write-off program. Our POS software could be financially beneficial and operationally beneficial to a business this financial year. Our focus, through good use of the POS software, is to help small business retailers run more efficient and valuable businesses.

  • Computer hardware purchases.
  • Tablet, iPad and similar purchases.
  • Network infrastructure purchases.
  • Printer, scanner, scale and other purchases.
  • Software.
  • Software support.

All of these and other expenses can be investments that help any retail business and they could be useful when the and retail business is planning to tap into the instant asset write-off opportunity.

The Tax Office and accounting professionals are the ones best positioned to guide any purchase, to help any business ensure they purchase to maximise their spending and deduction opportunity.

Our job here at Tower Systems is to help small business retailers leverage our POS software for the best possible use in a business, for management certainty and through this to drive the best value possible for a business. Oh, and to help those in the business enjoy the business.

Any retail business keen to explore instant asset write-off opportunities can speak with us here at Tower Systems and we will help as much as we are able. We also appreciate specking with accountants, to ensure that any transactions meet they requirements they identify for their clients.

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Pool supplies and maintenance shop POS software

June 25, 2020
2 Min read
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We are grateful to local Aussie pool supplies shops for their engagement with our pool supplies shop POS software. Using this local Aussie developed and supported POS software, pool supplies and pool maintenance businesses are able to manage their business in ways that benefit the business and its customers.

The benefits of using the pool supplies and pool maintenance business POS software include:

  1. Tracking and reminding pool owners of scheduled maintenance, especially date related maintenance. This works a treat for businesses on maintenance plans as well as those engaging intermittently.
  2. Care of and support for chemicals sold. You can easily include appropriate warning and care information on receipts.
  3. Tracking warranty information.
  4. Marketing to customers based on types of products used, types of pool situations. For example spa customers may have different needs to pool customers.
  5. Managing the repairs process including labour and parts.
  6. Taking the business on the road. Using our POS software App you can take POS software anywhere, including tracking payment anywhere.
  7. Selling to fractions. Sometimes you will sell fractional volumes of products for spool spa care and maintenance our pool shop POS software can do this easily.
  8. Selling online. You can feed data form your pool shop POS software through to a Shopify, Magento or WooCommerce website for online sales or online cataloguing – helping you find more customers for your business online.

These are other benefits offer local Aussie pool shops the ability to stream line their business for efficiency, accuracy and safety. This is software with many layers and options that can serve the business as it grows and even as it diversifies if that is in the future.

Pool shop POS software is niche just as the business channel itself is niche. This is  where Tower Systems is at home, in service of niche retail and service businesses serving local Aussie families. Our pool shop POS software is flexible and useful, tuned to the needs of these businesses.

Tower Systems is a vertical market POS (Point of Sale) software company serving small retail businesses in a range of niche retail channels. We are grateful to serve more than 3,500 small business retailers. We make and support what we sell.

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Aussie developed and supported POS software for fishing bait and tackle businesses

June 24, 2020
2 Min read
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Australian fishing bait and tackle businesses are loved by people who love fishing for their knowledge and help of all who love fishing.  These quintessentially Australian businesses are usually family owned and run and serving niche local areas. They are a wonderful local community story.

The Tower Systems fishing bait and tackle business POS software is made for these businesses. It is local Aussie POS software for local Aussie fishing businesses.

This is POS software for fishing bait and tackle businesses, made for them, but,lt with facilities tuned to their needs and ever evolving as those needs evolve.

  1. Catalogues: Setup and manage date-based specials and offers.
  2. Repairs: Easily track & manage repairs & communicate with customers.
  3. BOGO: Increase sales with buy this and get that bundling.
  4. Customised product labels: Include store name and contact details.
  5. Sell by weight: Including fractions. Ideal for bait.
  6. Colour / size / style: Track what you sell at a helpful granular level.
  7. Genuinely informative receipts: Include information they’ll appreciate.
  8. Pre-orders: Pre-sell stock and be ahead of the game.
  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.
  12. Club pricing: Helps you attract community group members.

What sets the fishing bait and tackle POS software from Tower Systems apart is the connection to fishing shop owners and their staff. Our connection is personal in service of helping these businesses be successful and enjoyable.

Using our fishing bait and tackle POS software you can expect to better connect with your community be they locals or folks passing through in search of a good catch. Our software supports the business through these and other opportunities. It’s smart, easy to use and can be taken on the road with the business thanks too portable POS software facilities through our App and other platform solutions.

Fishing bait and tackle POS software is specialty POS software for specialty retail business. We make it ourselves here in Australia for Australian retailers. We are grateful for the opportunity, to be of service to this niche retail channel.

Tower Systems is a vertical market POS software company serving only small business retailers in selected market niches.

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Newsagents accessing Epay through Tower Systems POS software

June 23, 2020
2 Min read
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Tower Systems has released updated newsagency POS software for newsagents with Epay integrated, delivering direct newsagency sales counter access to Epay products and services.

This integration is approved by Epay through their worldwide operation. It is the result of several months work following exacting integration standards set by Epay.

From within the POS, at any point in a transaction, newsagents can vend Epay voucher product including phone recharge and more. There is an initial set of Epay voucher products in the first release with Epay set to release more as they develop more supplier relationships.

Newsagents are grateful to Epay for their embrace of newsagency POS software to provide an alternative to the POS software integrated Touch Networks IT vending platform, which is being decommissioned by Afterpay Touch.

The Tower Systems Epay POS software integration also allows for handling refunds. This, too, follows the required Epay standards.

To help newsagents be ready, Tower Systems has engaged in daily email communications with its 1,700+ newsagent customers. It haas also sent print newsletters as well as fielding many calls and other contacts from its broad customer base. The company’s goal has been to ensure that newsagents are fully informed and prepared for the switching off of Touch and the turning on of Epay in many businesses that have not been running Epay.

In addition to releasing new software, Tower Systems has published peer-reviewed advice through three comprehensive knowledge base articles on setting up and using Epay integrated with the Tower POS software. The company has also produced a training video to help newsagents make the most of the Epay opportunity in their retail businesses. Also, Tower is providing personal support and training for any customer who asks for help with the new Epay integration.

Not all newsagency software platforms have been approved for integration with Epay. Tower Systems is grateful for having been chosen and for the support of the Epay experts as we have brought the opportunity to life over the last few months.

2020 has been a challenge;lenging year for retailers. This new integration with Epay is a wonderful piece of good news, something to celebrate, something for which to be grateful.

Epay is live! The Tower Systems development and suppo9rt teams have once again delivered for small business Australian newsagents.

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Australian made garden centre POS software made for Australian garden centres and garden supply businesses

June 23, 2020
3 Min read
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Last week, we released a major update to our Aussie made and supported business software for garden centre and garden supply businesses.

This is Australian made garden centre software for local Australian businesses. Our focus is on independent and small retail businesses.

Our garden centre POS software is finely tuned to the needs specific to garden centres as their needs are not traditional POS software needs. Our specialisation has come about over years of service with and to this niche retail channel.

We are proudly developing local software for local businesses and our garden centre POS software reflects this. We say are as development is not done as this software continues too evolve to meet the evolving needs of this specialty retail marketplace.

Our specialty garden centre software offers many benefits including:

  1. Special customer orders – get a sale today, before you order the stock.
  2. Loyalty rewards customers love. Encourage return visits and purchases.
  3. Sell you. Extended product descriptions help you offer plant care info.
  4. Bagging up. Bag bulk products smaller packs, with accurate stock data.
  5. Genuinely informative receipts. Share information that sets you apart.
  6. Quote and invoice management. Strong, flexible, fit for purpose.
  7. Trade pricing profiles supporting pricing flexibility for your customers.
  8. Customer account management: Professional and accurate control.
  9. Catalogues. Easily manage special pricing for a date range.
  10. Pricing profiles. You can set pricing rules based on types of customers.
  11. Sell by weight, including fractions.
  12. Seasonal reordering. Easily reorder inventory based on seasonal sales.
  13. Weatherproof labels.
  14. Stock write offs – done in a structured way feeding into your accounts.

You can rent our garden centre software for $185.00 a month. This provides, among other things:

  1. Australian developed and supported POS software.
  2. Software updates as we release them.
  3. Unlimited computer licences for your location.
  4. Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software. We are partners.
  5. Xero link. Direct. We are a Xero partner. 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 to setup and run  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 $185.00 each 30 days, in advance. It can be cancelled at any time. You can also choose to purchase the software outright.

Tower Systems is a vertical market POS software company. We make specialty POS software for specialty marketplace needs.  Our garden centre software fits with this goal. It is highly tuned to the needs of local garden centres.

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ABC The Money looks at small business retail in this covid world

June 22, 2020
1 Min read
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Tower CEO Mark Fletcher is  grateful to the team being The Money program on ABC radio for shining a light on the impact of Covid on retail. In the 30 minute program they look at retail through an economists’s lens and then through the eyes of several small business retailers. At about 22 minutes in Mark talks about shopping centre challenges and small business retail more broadly into the future.

If you’d like to hear the show, here is the link: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/themoney/retail/12370682

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New bike shop software released for Australian bike retailers

June 22, 2020
2 Min read
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Last week, we released a major re-write to our Aussie made and supported bike shop software.

Ours is the only Australian made comprehensive bike shop specific software. We are grateful to our customers who have helped us make better software.

If shopping local matters to you, we urge you to check out our new bike shop software, which you can rent for $185.00 a month. Contact one of our specialists: please call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

Our specialty and comprehensive bike shop 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 and variant 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 based on past services.
  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 bike shop software for $185.00 a month, giving you:

  1. Australian developed and supported bike shop 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.

With hundreds of retailers using our bike shop software, we have terrific marketplace connections including supplier relationships to help Aussie bike retailers make the most of this specialty software designed to help local bike retailers run mine successful and enjoyable businesses.

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Stocktake using POS software for small business retailers

June 21, 2020
1 Min read
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Here is a video of a Zoom meeting we held for our POS software customers last week. The core reason for the meeting was to record this and make it available to our customers as free training.  Since release, the view numbers and feedback have been terrific. We have many more training videos online for our customers.

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