The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

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

July 18, 2020
2 Min read
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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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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