Business Incorporation

The responsibility of choosing which retail point of sale system to use would be best decided by the business owner, since it is vital and very important for the success of a business. The core system where everything in your business revolves. You should have confidence in – and receive satisfying performance from – the system that’s responsible for all transactions, managing your inventory and all other action responsible for organizing and tracking.

Let’s point out some of the important questions you should be asking yourself when choosing a Retail System:

What Type Of Business Do You Have?

There are two categories of Point of Sale systems: The Restaruant/Hospitality and Retail. Restaurants are a bit of a different breed – the focus of this article is Retail POS Systems.

At the retail part, pricing on Point Of Sale Systems can range from hundreds to tens thousands of dollars. There are POS systems customized for every type of business under the sun, from Gift Shops and Mall Kiosks to Pet Stores and Computer Shops.

Many custom POS features are great BUT what is the important feature for your retail system is that it should be easy to use. Besides, what good does a custom feature be if it’s too hard to use or it got buried among the other “so-called” great features that your business doesn’t really need? Many business owners are choosing a much simpler, stream-lined retail POS systems that focus on the fundamentals and deliver them flawlessly. This is why more and more entrepreneurs are using web based POS systems to meet their retail computer needs.

What POS Computers & Software Are Best For Me?

Still deciding whether to use Windows, Mac OS X or Linux? There are great POS Systems that has the same power as any of these platforms, so you can choose the platform with which you’re already the most comfortable.

Several years ago, POS systems were typically installed as software packages and installed on business computers, similar with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint come packaged on Windows computers. Unfortunately, software based POS Systems present many problems and is exposed to vulnerabilities that several small and medium sized business have found worrisome.

About software updates? What if my computer had a breakdown? How do I backup and save all my business files? What if the platform needs reformatting or weaknesses in the system suddenly emerge that you don’t know how to handle?

For business owners, afterall, you shouldn’t have to deal with these questions, so why waste money in a POS System that creates even more questions and doubts? Web based retail systems that can solve these problems for most small retailers.

With Web-Based Retail Systems:

• Automatically add and update features and do software patches. You will never have to make manual updates your software, downloads and changes. Someone else takes care of it for you.
• Because this POS solution is web based, you are able to access your inventory from any internet enabled computer in the world. A computer that breaks becomes an incredibly minor problem.
• What will you do if your computer had a breakdown and it cannot be fixed? Using a web based POS {your business info is continuously saved to a remote location that can easily be recovered even if your actual computer crashes}.

Do You Have a Dedicated Retail IT Department?

I guess not! Read further down so you can know how important it is having a retail IT personnel taking care of your systems.

When something goes wrong with your system, how long can you endure your business shut down its operation? How long will it take to lay down your problem via telephone or e-mail and to be walked through the steps? And how long do you think it will take their technician to fix your problems?

That is why a web based POS is more widely used – the experts can log into your system and fix the problem for you. This alleviates many of the support problems inherent of typical desktop software based retail POS systems.

POS Packages or By Parts?

If you have a brand new business and/or implementing POS systems for the first time, you can buy a package that that has every component essential in running immediately… from the computer to your barcode scanners and printers. Discounts and special offers comes from buying POS bundles, and for many entrepreneurs this is a great idea.

Other retail businesses may prefer to use their existing hardware with their new system. Or, they may be cost conscious businesses that are looking to achieve affordability by purchasing refurbished hardware and use of existing hardware.

So What’s The Right Choice to Make?

While companies seeking POS Systems are typically looking for customized hardware and traditional software bundles, small and medium sized businesses “in the know” prefer web based retail point of sale solutions because of their flexibility, affordability and overall ability to deliver fast and accurate results.

Want to have a qualified POS professional discuss your needs?

You can have more details at Retail-POS-Solutions.com

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Are you in the process of looking at a new computer system? Regardless of whether you are looking at a system for your office or retail business, there are a couple of things you must keep in mind when installing systems that will help run your operations and store all of your critical data.

1. Network cabling. The majority of systems are PC-based, designed to run on MS Windows technology. This means that all parts of your system will communicate over standard data cabling. Even though wireless communications have become increasingly popular for home and office environments, the preferred method is to “hardwire” as many of the stations as possible. Some vendors include this service in their bid; others specify that cabling must be contracted through a third-party vendor.

Inspite of who does the cabling, it will need to be completed and tested before installation of the equipment. Each piece of equipment will be needing a cable drop. A cable drop is the cable that connects a device to a network, like your computer or remote printer connecting to a networking source.

For POS systems, the retail business should be wired with CAT 5 or 6 network cabling that runs from every conceivable POS workstation, remote printer or KDS, office computer, hostess station, delivery order desks, cashier stations and network server to a “home run” area such as a central patch panel, preferably located in your telephone or electrical room or closet. Cabling routes need to ensure that cables are at least 24 inches from fluorescent fixtures, neon transformers and electrical motors, because these devices can cause communications interference.

2. Electrical. Install dedicated and isolated circuits that all of your POS, computers, network devices such as hubs and routers, and phone systems can share. We recommend that the retail POS system be on a dedicated circuit. I would prefer having your network, phone, and electrical service to be near to each other. An isolated circuit means that the circuit has a ground path that is isolated from that of the main electrical service. This helps prevent spikes and surges that can disrupt motherboards and hard drives. Note, however, you may still want to use surge protectors at each workstation.

3. Properly designed workspace. When designing workstation areas, be sure to leave some extra space to comfortably fit all equipments there. A flat roomy space for server stations should be large enough to place a computer monitor, guest check printer, and possibly a credit card terminal if [youYou're] are planning to use separate credit card equipment. There should be enough space directly underneath the tabletop to hold the computer, surge protector, power strip and a battery backup (UPS).

If you plan to place your workstations on mill-manufactured surfaces such as granite or woodwork, you may want to have your contractor pre-drill holes where to run cables or power cords beneath the surface. A 2-inch hole would be enough space for cords and cables on most POS systems.

For the cashier and bartender stations, tabletop space should also be large enough to fit a cash drawer and an order confirmation customer display. Most cash drawers have a space requirement of 15- to 17-inch depth; 16- to 20-inch width; and 3.4 to 5 inch vertical height. Be sure to get the drawer specifications from your supplier in advance if you are building a custom countertop so that the drawer is recessed into or underneath the counter.

4. Efficient Service Plans. Your vendor may offer some type of maintenance plan as part of the original agreement. The fact is, business grade systems are composed of materials that are not built to last forever especially in retail businesss. Printers will eventually break, fans will fail, and hard drives will crash. How frequently depends on the conditions in which your system is installed. Dirt, dust, heat and moisture are not friendly allies to office and restaruant POS equipment.

There are those people who rarely experience problems wih their computers while others continue to suffer the same problems. The best thing a retail business owner can do is to invest in good equipment and maintain it to reduce future damages. Many retail business POS solutions provider will offer ongoing service plans that are basically extended warranties. The annual cost for these services usually ranges anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of the original purchase price.

Computer systems are not an inconsequential cost. But if you dedicate the time and planning required to properly put in place and maintain the system, you are more apt to be rewarded a return on your investment by getting the most from your system in cost reduction, labor savings, and ensuring that you can account for all cash.

The Author is the Vice President of Customer Relations at Retail-POS-Solutions.com. With over 20 years of retail business experience, Retail POS Solutions.com helps ensure that your technology is more efficient and your business more profitable.

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