Cloud Retailer Hand Held - In Depth Overview

I am putting the new Cloud Retailer hand held device through it's paces. This is nice options for retailers who want some in store mobile capabilities when it comes to purchasing, receiving,  and physical counts.

A more depth video overview/demo

For questions and more information, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Cloud Retailer Hand Held Inventory Device Overview

I am putting the new Cloud Retailer hand held device through it's paces. This is nice options for retailers who want some in store mobile capabilities when it comes to purchasing, receiving,  and physical counts.

First a couple of pictures:

And a video overview:

For questions and more information, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Retail Management Hero Running on a Mobile Device

Quick demo showing how the new version of the Microsoft RMS point of sale software - rebranded under the new Retail Management Hero (RMH) name works great on touch screen mobile devices like a Surface Pro 4.

Questions on retail POS, RMS or RMH?  I can be reached at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for no cost retail point of sale advice.

Vertically Tailored Android POS Software by UP Solution

I have not had the opportunity to review this POS system be here is some information to pass along:

	Vertically Tailored Android™ POS Software by UP Solution® UP Solution's vertically tailored POS solutions for Android provide out-of-the-box functionality that addresses specific business needs and industry characteristics that enhance a business' connection with its target market - no compromises. UP TAB Restaurant Features Customizable menu and item modifiers Online ordering through epipay™ Supports multiple locations Easily join, move, or split tables and checks Send e-mail receipts Supports FlexGift® loyalty/gift program UP TAB Retail Features Inventory and vendor management Track sales, discounts, and transaction history Employee sales and commission tracking Multi-store management Customer management and tracking Supports FlexGift® loyalty/gift card program UP TAB Salon Features Convenient appointment and employee management tools Send out appointment confirmation e-mails Booth rental to support multiple MIDs Supports multiple locations Customer management and tracking Supports FlexGift® loyalty/gift program Compatible withUP TAB™ AiO Android based 10.1 inch tablet UP TAB POS software installed (Retail, Restaurant, or Salon) Docking station Built-in magnetic stripe reader Built-in printer Tilt feature for customer viewing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled !/O ports for cash drawer, barcode scanner, and other peripherals Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Cloud Based Point of Sale Systems: Things to Keep in Mind

2015 has really been the year for cloud and mobile point of sale systems for retail stores, restaurants and museums. About 65% of the businesses and organizations that contact me are only considering point of sale systems that work on mobile devices and are cloud based.  A few things to keep in mind if you are looking at the cloud based point of sale systems like Clover, Vend, Lavu, Shopkeep, Lightspeed, or Silver...

1. In most cases the cloud based point of sale systems will only cost around 10%-30% less than a point of sale system that you lease to own or purchase outright (eg: Retail Pro, Sapphire, NCR CounterPoint, Retail management Hero, Etc.).  This assumes that you plan on keeping your point of sale system for 5-7 years and that you pay an ongoing monthly fee to use a cloud based point of sale system (which normally also includes support and updates).
2. You lose some control when using a cloud based point of sale system. Best example is that a traditional point of sale system puts all the hardware, software, and data onsite within your business or organization. If a router fails, you simply replace it.  With the cloud based point of sale systems you have no control if their router breaks or if their server goes down. Look at the reviews for any cloud based point of sale system and see that users mention outages lasting several hours. The point of sale companies tout off line modes or similar features but the reality is that system wide failures are possible and there is nothing you can do about it when it comes to cloud based point of sale systems.
3. Ownership: most cloud based systems are rented so you never actually own anything - very easy on your budget but you have to be comfortable with this pricing structure.
4. Hidden fees and contracts: I've been very disappointing with several of the cloud based point of sale systems who require long term contracts with early termination fees and limitations on who you can use for your credit and debit card processing services. As with any point of sale system, due diligence is required on your part when it comes to reading and signing any agreements or contracts.

Now, this may all sound somewhat negative but I actually do feel that some of the cloud based point of sale systems are great solutions (I've previously used, sold, and supported several).  However, they are only good solutions in one or more of the following situations:

• Single location or less than 10 locations with annual sales of less than $800,000 per location.
• OK with never owning the actual software but paying an ongoing fee each month.
• Low technology needs: OK with canned reports and don't have complex  inventory needs.
• No internal IT person or "computer geek": cloud based systems are generally very easy to learn and use and do not require internal IT resources.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Video Overview of Bindo for Restaurants

The folks at Bindo have taken over the retail industry with an awesome feature rich retail point of sale app and have now set their sights on the food service industry with a new version of Bindo point of sale for restaurants, cafe's, and bars.

Here is a link to a video overview of Bindo POS for Restaurants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4SaxiqTKQ

Looks like an awesome new option!

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Another Option for Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users: eMobilePOS

I recently had the opportunity to learn more about eMobilePOS who actually offers an option allowing businesses and organizations using the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software to use mobile devices like tablets while still using the core RMS SQL database.

eMobilePOS has multiple different options and solutions available depending on what type of business you have. You can learn more about eMobilePOS by visiting: http://www.emobilepos.com/

More Big News at Bindo

(my thoughts appear below the press release)

Bindo to Unveil New Restaurant POS Solution with $2 Million Investment

Leading retail technology company secures $2 million for its bridge round to develop an iPad POS solution for brick-and-mortar merchants in the F&B industry

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2015 - Bindo, a leading cloud-based business management solution for brick-and-mortar merchants, today announced it has debuted a beta version of its new iPad POS system, Bindo POS for Restaurant. The company also announced it has secured $2 million in funding from strategic investors eager to see the POS solution expand into new verticals.

Bindo will use the investment to launch the new POS system globally, enabling restaurant owners to have one complete and holistic business solution that can integrate telephone orders, online ordering, table management, reservations, and ingredient-level tracking all in one platform. Bindo POS for Restaurant is now available in beta at a few select restaurants, and will become publicly available in mid-September.

Bindo POS for Restaurant provides a simple way for restaurants to easily manage their inventory and sales from a centralized back-office dashboard, whilst also allowing them to accept and schedule reservations from a centralized cloud-based platform. Restaurants are given the tools to better forecast inventory and supply needs by accurately recording the ingredients that go into each dish. Bindo POS for Restaurant will also maximize seating capacity and table turnover by enabling front of house to seamlessly schedule bookings through an integrated CRM and floor planning system.

“We wanted a mobile and elegant POS solution to complement our modern restaurant theme and came across Bindo,” said Ivan Yeh, Owner of Shoku Bar and Restaurant and first-time user of Bindo POS for Restaurant. “Since deployment, Bindo has helped us cut down on excess inventory and vastly improved the way we run our operations. Best of all, Bindo’s integrated mobile credit card processing allows our servers to take orders and payments at the table, making way for that ‘wow’ factor and allowing for a better dining experience for our customers.”

“We met with so many restaurateurs who were fed up with the choice of POS systems available (both iPad & traditional POS). The iPad POS systems in the market were not sophisticated or robust enough for their needs, and the traditional systems were expensive, inflexible and difficult to use,” said Brad Lauster, Co-founder of Bindo. “Bindo POS for Restaurant fills that gap in the market with a solution that’s powerful, customizable and a pleasure to use.”

The investors that led the new funding round have decades of operational expertise in the F&B industry, and played a pivotal role in fine-tuning the customizations needed for the many restaurant-types supported by Bindo’s solution. Bindo POS for Restaurant will be available for use in private beta by signing up on bindopos.com or calling 1-800-MYBINDO.

A quick demo of the Bindo POS for Restaurant technology is also available upon request.

ABOUT BINDO

Founded in 2011, Bindo is the one-stop iPad Point-of-Sale (POS) solution that connects local brick-and-mortar merchants to their customers, giving businesses a more cohesive and competitive technology solution that complements the ever-changing and dynamic needs of their consumers. With Bindo POS, businesses will be able to better manage their stores, keep track of their customers and have access to sophisticated tools to allow their business be run more efficiently. Coming soon, the Bindo Market iPhone app will allow everyday consumers to make on-demand delivery purchases directly on their smartphones, thereby closing the Online-to-Offline loop for merchants.

For more information about Bindo POS, visit https://bindopos.com
For more information about Bindo Market, visit https://bindo.com

SOURCE Bindo

Bindo

CONTACT: Catherine Lowe, North 6th Agency, Inc. (For Bindo), +1-917-916-2609, bindo@n6a.com

Web Site: https://bindo.com

My Thoughts on the Above:

Obviously the funding and  restaurant specific version of Bindo is pretty cool news given the popularity of Bindo on the retail side.  Even though there are a bunch of mobile POS systems for restaurants, Bindo brings that right balance of price/feature/function as well as not being a company that has outgrown themselves to the point of having to outsource technical support to India. 

Bindo also has the drive to win customers and clients one at a time versus 'turning and burning'.

There is some other big news related to Bindo that is very positive as well which I hope to be able to share in a few more weeks.  

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me..

How Popular is Bindo POS? Popular Enough to be Featured on CNBC along with retailer Space Cowboy Boots!

Another point of sale company makes national news. This time it is the very popular Bindo point of sale that many folks I know have recently selected as a point of sale system for their business or organization. The video segment covers Bindo POS as well as why a cowboy boot store in New York City (Space Cowboy Boots) selected Bindo POS for their business.

Here is a link to video of the segment on CNBC: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000381734&play=1

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

More Good Stuff Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The folks at Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) have been busy adding new features and functions to the Bindo Point of Sale system. As you know Bindo is a popular* mobile point of sale system that uses iPads and iPhones for selling while utilizing internet browsers for manager and owner functions like running reports, placing product orders, and making price changes. Here is what has been added to Bindo recently:

1. Scale Support and decimal entry: whether you use a scale that connects directly to Bindo (available in 10 pound and 30 pound models) or use a stand alone scale and enter the weight manually, Bindo now supports calculating price by weight. Very helpful for corner markets, delis, grocery stores, feed stores and pet stores.
2. Modifiers: not just for restaurant use but also very helpful for retail businesses that offer customization or design work (think custom furniture stores or embroidery stores). 

Here is a video showing sales of weighted items and items with modifiers in Bindo:

More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

*Popular based on the sheer number of folks that contact me to let me know that their business or organization has selected Bindo.

New Features Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The popular Bindo point of sale system (www.bindopos.com) has seen some recent enhancements:

• Accept payments from any source by adding a custom payment button 
• Scan pre-existing custom barcodes and add these products to your inventory
• Sell items at $0.00 (like free services or give-aways)
• Allow for card present and card not present transaction tracking
• Support for smaller sized barcode labels

It is nice to see that Bindo listens to their user base and adds features and functions on a very frequent basis! More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Prolific Point of Sale

Just a quick note that I am hoping to review the Prolific Point of Sale program sometime in late March or early April. Prolific Point of Sale is an iPad based point of sale application that can work in both retail and food service businesses and organizations.

As Prolific Point of Sale is attached to a merchant services company, I will not only be reviewing the actual app but also asking the tough questions related to costs and fees for using the app, service & support, and hardware costs as well as what sort of merchant services rates are offered and if your rates can be raised over time.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Big Upgrade for Bindo Point of Sale

Wanted to pass along that the folks at Bindo point of sale (www.bindopos.com) have released a new version of the Bindo Dashboard which allows users to perform non-selling functions from any device with an Internet browser.

Definitely a major improvement! Here is a quick video that I created showing how the Bindo Dashboard works on my laptop running Chrome (thanks to the folks at Bindo POS for allowing me access so I could give the system a "test run"):

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

New Features Added to Bindo Point of Sale

The folks at Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) have been hard at work adding new features to Bindo. Here is a list of the most recent enhancements:


• Mix & Match Discount - apply a discount when enough qualifying products are purchased

• Customer-facing Display - with our new Bindo Display app, your customers can see their order as you ring it up!

• Choose store credit as a payment-type for Split Tender transactions

• Add new inventory when creating an invoice

• Support for variably-priced items on invoices

• New payment-type filters on the Sales screen

• New filters on the Customer report

• Allow extensions for customer phone numbers

**Improvements:**

• Cash Management improvements

• Improve offline cash and check checkout

• Stability improvements

• Various bug fixes

Here is a video highlighting some of the new features:

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

New User Feedback on Clover Point of Sale

Some helpful feedback from a convenience/liquor store in Georgia that was using Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009 and attempted to switch to using Clover point of sale:

Here are my comments on Clover.  This physical POS design and look are beautiful.  The swivel feature is handy.  Overall transaction and payment procedure is simple and easy for customers and cashiers.

The problem I have with it is there is no Cash Payout option for purchase of delivery from vendors.  Also no vendor setup menu.

The main reason I am returning it is there is no mix and match pricing on special.  For example if I wanted to mix 3 different wines and sell them a discount, my cashiers would have to do it manually.  I can not take risk of possibly selling an expense wine at a discount because the cashier includes it in the special.  This needs to be done at the item level.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Bindo Point of Sale Announces a Free "Forever" Version of Bindo

Bindo Point of Sale has now released a free version of the Bindo point of sale solution designed for iPads and other iOS devices.  The free version has limitations related to how many employees and products you can have in the app but would work well for very small businesses that only offer a few products or services.

This would also work well for concession stands with limited offerings, food trucks, seasonal businesses, or mobile service only related businesses.

You can find out more by visiting https://bindopos.com/ or https://bindopos.com/pricing . More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

On a personal note - this is a nice alternative to Square as Bindo does not require you to use a specific company for merchant services (credit and debit card processing) which would save you upto a 1/2% in merchant services fees when compared to Square.  You still have to purchase the hardware for both Square and Bindo so that is not a factor but a 1/2% savings on merchant services fees can add up to savings of several hundred dollars per year for even very small businesses.

Who is the Target Audience for Mobile Point of Sale Systems?

Folks have asked me to better define what type of business would benefit from using a mobile point of sale system (one that runs on a tablet or smartphone) versus businesses that should only be searching for computer-based point of sale systems.  While it is tough to create some hard and fast rules, mobile point of sale systems are generally geared towards the following:

• Businesses or organizations whose annual gross sales are under $500,000/year
• Single location
• Businesses that move from location to location
• Seasonal businesses
• Businesses with low technology needs

The last one is tough to explain - basically if your business has simple inventory, reporting, and customer tracking requirements, then a mobile system should satisfy you. However, if you have more complex needs - especially when it comes to reporting - the the mobile point of sale systems may not be in depth enough for you and your business or organization.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

iMobile3 Enhances NCR Silver Point of Sale

The folks at NCR and iMobile3 have collaborated to add some customer experience features to NCR Silver via the iMobile3 PassMarket mobile storefront application.  The following are the key features:

• Customer Reward Program
• Special Offers
• Gifting
• Messaging
• Store Locator
• Payment Options

You can learn more by visiting the iMobile3 PassMarket webpage at http://www.imobile3.com/passmarket/

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

I'm not in my store - how can I access my point of sale system?

I'm often asked just how the heck folks are supposed to access their point of sale systems when they are not physically in the store.  There are several options depending on the type of system that you have and what devices you are using. Here are the main options:

1. Mobile point of sale systems that run on smartphones and tablets:
• You can take the mobile device with you or use a different mobile device to access your system using the internet or the cell data network should your device have a data plan
• Many mobile point of sale solutions also allow you to access the non-selling part of your point of sale system by using a web browser
2. Computer based point of sale systems that are cloud based:
• Generally all you need then is a web browser and internet access on your computer or mobile device. Capabilities vary by program and what type of computer or mobile device you are using
3. Computer based systems that are not cloud based:
• You will generally only be able to access your point of sale system using a computer with remote access software or a virtual private network

If you happen to be using remote access software - make sure that the software is PCI compliant as you don't want to fail a PCI scan. Generally, the business that provides your point of sale system can help you select and use PCI compliant remote access software.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Be Realistic With Your Point of Sale System Expectations

Some harsher titles went through my mind but "Being Realistic" seemed to be the most PC.  Over the last 15 years I have come across this and now I am seeing a rash of business owners acting the same way with the new generation of mobile point of sale solutions.

Folks, you need to be realistic with your expectations of what a point of sale system can and can't do.  This is one thing that we cover in depth at my point of sale workshops and speaking engagements.  A $49/month  point of sale system is not going to do everything that a $8,000  point of sale system can do. If your business volume and point of sale 'wish list' require $8,000 point of sale system then plan and budget accordingly.

If your point of sale 'wish list' requires a $8,000 point of sale system but your budget only justifies a $49/month point of sale system then you will need to make concessions when it comes to certain features and functions.  Here are my key points:

• The current generation of point of sale solutions like Clover, NCR Silver, VEND, Shopkeep, and Bindo do not offer the same level of features, functions, and reporting as computer based solutions like Retail Pro, MICROS, Khamu, NCR CounterPoint, and Microsoft RMS.  That is how it is and you need to be realistic.
• Point of sale equipment is not universal. Your older equipment may or may not work with a newer system.  
• Get everything (hardware, software, supplies, etc) from one source. Some cheap product that you find on eBay is just that - cheap. It may or may not work and you will be the one spending the time to try and make it work.
• Budget and plan for upgrade costs if your point of sale solution does not include the upgrades and updates in a monthly fee.
• Budget and plan for a complete system 'refresh" every 5 years or so. Technology changes and you need to plan for it.
• Be prepared to invest time in researching, selecting, learning and using a point of sale system.

The overall message here is "don't be cheap". Be careful with your business assets but know what your income and expenses are and how a point of sale system fits in to the mix. If all you can afford is a $200 cash register then that is all you can afford for now.  If all you can afford is a $49/month point of sale system then get the $49/month point of sale system. Just don't expect a $49/month point of sale system to do everything that a $8,000 point of sale system can do.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.