Big News at Bindo

Some very cool news related to the Bindo Point of Sale (POS) solution.  As I have mentioned before, Bindo POS is a true "Mobile 2.0" point of sale solution with additional features and functions not found in Clover or Silver.  Bindo POS still retains the affordable monthly payment structure that today's retailers prefer over an upfront cost of $4000-$10000+ for a traditional point of sale system.

Based on phone calls and emails that I receive several times per week via this (rather basic) blog site, retailers of all sizes are choosing Bindo as their POS solution with a nearly 5 to 1 margin over other solutions like NCR Silver, Clover, QuickBooks POS, NCR CounterPoint, Retail Pro, and Microsoft Dynamics RMS.

I also want to let folks know that Bindo will be expanding to service the geographical areas formally served by DirectPOS who stopped selling and supporting POS systems in late summer 2013.  This is great news for retail stores and museums in the states of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Montana!

Here is the official press release from Bindo:

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE 

PRESS CONTACT 

Benedict Wong 

VP Business Development at Bindo 

ben.wong@bindo.com 

+852 6202­5613 

+1 (212) 603­9715 

NYC RETAIL STARTUP BINDO RAISES USD1.8M SEED ROUND AND OPENS NEW 

OFFICE IN SINGAPORE 

Bindo Expands in Asia: An iPad POS That Helps Small Businesses Compete with Amazon 

MAY 29th, 2014 (New York, NY) ­ Bindo, a New York­based retail startup has just raised an 

oversubscribed $1.8mn seed round for international expansion. The round is co­led by Gary 

Vaynerchuk, a renowned social media and wine expert, and Singapore/Tokyo­based East 

Ventures. Other investors include NYC­based Metamorphic Ventures, and other private angels 

with decades of experience in brick and mortar retail, ecommerce and internet­related 

businesses. 

Bindo has developed a cloud­based iPad Point of Sale (POS) system that enables 24/7 online 

shopping for the end consumer. Not only does the POS offer a comprehensive array of features 

ranging from inventory management to customer relationship management (CRM), Bindo offers 

merchants the mobility to consult, sell, and close the deal simultaneously, providing a VIP 

experience to every customer. Its CRM creates customer profiles at the point of checkout 

enabling the merchant to later engage with the customer post­sale. 

More uniquely, merchants can launch their entire store online onto web and mobile with one click 

and efficiently operate omni­channel commerce with one unified inventory, saving hours of store 

management tasks each week. This turns the POS into a powerful retail platform capable of true 

online and offline commerce. Bindo Marketplace then aggregates all the stores on the Bindo 

network, onto one consumer platform, and allows consumers to shop from their favorite 

neighborhood store online, and have it delivered within hours 

 “Our mission at Bindo is really to strengthen local economies and support local businesses, 

whilst making shopping more convenient for consumers”, said Brad Lauster, cofounder of Bindo. 

“Having personally experienced the difficulties small business face selling online, we wanted to 

find a way to bring merchants online without diluting brand awareness. We are not interested in 

simply providing an online storefront for merchants to promote themselves; we are aggressively 

co­marketing our marketplace with our merchants so that together, we have the means to battle 

the Goliaths of e­commerce.” 

The Bindo Marketplace app also makes mobile commerce and e­commerce infinitely more 

convenient for the consumer, by bridging the gap between online and offline retail. In­store 

purchases are saved, viewable and reorderable on the mobile app, and loyalty points are tracked 

across multiple channels. It is a hyperlocal marketplace for consumers that want to find and 

purchase a particular product in their neighborhood stores online, which they can do so scanning 

the barcode with their app. 

Bindo will split the funding equally between development and sales. The development team will 

focus on delivering the Marketplace and providing a seamless experience for both merchant and 

consumer. Since Bindo’s private beta launch, inbound leads have been increasing exponentially 

each month; substantial resources will be allocated to scaling the sales team to support the 

rapidly growing number of merchant demo requests. 

ABOUT (BINDO) 

Bindo is a NYC startup with offices in Hong Kong. It was founded in 2011 by Jason Ngan and 

Brad Lauster. Bindo has developed a cloud­based iPad POS (Point­of­Sale) that enables online 

shopping for the end consumer. In a few months, it will be releasing Bindo Marketplace: a 

consumer app that aggregates all the stores using Bindo POS onto one platform, allowing 

consumers to purchase directly online from their favorite neighborhood store, and have it 

delivered. In doing so, Bindo aims to close the loop between the online and the offline. As the 

network grows, Bindo becomes a real­time product graph, connecting brands, consumers and 

merchants.  

Updates to NCR Silver

A few updates related to the NCR Silver point of sale solution for retail stores and restaurants that want a tablet/smartphone/mobile point of sale solution:

1. NCR Silver now has the ability to include color, style and size options for inventory items
2. There is a QuickBooks Accounting interface available for NCR Silver - my understanding is that the interface costs an additional $30/month - I will try to confirm that price and obtain more details about what the interface can and can't do.

Have questions? Want some free point of sale advice?  You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. 

RMS Bound Book Interface

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization (not a wise investment at this point).

Over the last 15 years, I have been contacted by a few stores that sell firearms and need to maintain a Bound Book for the tracking of firearm sales.  While NCR CounterPoint has a bound book option, I've only talked to one person using it and they said that it does not function correctly.

Another option new to the market is an electronic bound book interface for Microsoft RMS Store Operations. Using an electronic bound book reduces the time and effort required to have a paper and separate bound book system.

You can read more about the bound book interface for Microsoft RMS Store Operations by clicking on this link: http://www.pr.com/press-release/554970

Have point of sale related questions or need some free point of sale advice?  You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

Milestones and Expansion

As this blog site surpasses 20,000 in unique visitors, I am thinking about expanding to include a real web site as well as the various social media site. I have been getting several calls and emails each week from folks searching for help related to point of sale systems so it appears that online resources related to point of sale solutions are few and far between.

I’m thinking of calling the site Pondering Point of Sale with a tagline of “Strange Name – Free Advice”.

The idea would be that the site would continue to offer basic news, information, reviews and buying tips related to point of sale systems for retail stores and museums. Unlike some other resource sites, this site would not just exist to sell your information to other point of sale companies. As now, everything would be free – even my general advice (more in depth advice/consulting would involve an hourly fee). I will keep everyone updated if I decide to take the next step and expand.

I'm also testing the water to see if I can help retailers of all sizes select the best point of sale solution for their business. This is something that I would need to charge an hourly fee for if more than one hour of my time is required.

Confused? Perplexed? Have Comments/Feedback?

You can always email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call me at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time)

Another New Milestone and a Buying Tip

Just a quick note that this rather basic blog site has taken on a life of its own as I have been getting multiple calls and emails each week from folks with point of sale questions.  Page views have well surpassed 20K as well. Still - no ads and no charges are to be found as I am committed (God-willing and according to time and budget) to providing free help for retailers and museums searching for point of sale systems.

A couple of buying tips to pass along as I am busy with some point of sale related meetings and speaking engagements:

• Please be asking about EMV when considering any and all point of sale solutions. The EMV deadline may be just over a year away but do you really want to be hit with additional EMV related hardware and software costs just a year after you invested in a point of sale solution?
• Unless you are a large multi-location chain with 25+ locations, don't expect to find one software package that is both accounting software and point of sale software.  There are very different needs (I have worked in accounting and finance as well as with point of sale software) between each type of software program.  One company can't create a single solution that does both accounting and point of sale functions well. You will end up with great accounting software and poor point of sale software or vice versa.  Best solution in most cases is to find point of sale software that allows for some degree of data sharing with QuickBooks Accounting.

If any of you have found a solution for retail stores and museums with 1 -24 locations that handles both accounting functions and point of sale functions well, please get in touch with me as I would enjoy getting a chance to find out more information.

As always, I can be reached at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 (mountain time) to hopefully answer your point of sale related questions.

Retail Pro Releases Retail Pro Prism

Adding to the tablet and smartphone point of sale market is Retail Pro Prism from Retail Pro. Prism offers some unique functionality related to being able to continue working when an Internet connection is lost (no information on how credit card authorizations are handled). Prism also appears to have some flexibility when it comes to languages and database connections.

Here is a description/overview of Prism:

Retail Pro Prism- $7K-$9K Browser based Modular POS Application. Deploy iOS, Windows, Android or even mini-devices. Market first Mobile 2.0 Solution, Real-Time, Scalable to tie to back end RPRO or an ERP solution. Lower demands on hardware. Database Neutral – Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL. Fully customizable User Interface (UI). Automated email reporting for store. Best for retail stores generating $750,000+ annually per location.

I would be very interested in talking to anyone actually using Prism for a more complete review - especially as this is the 5th new mobile point of sale system to come on the market within the last 45 days.

You can visit the Retail Pro website for more information on Prism: http://www.retailpro.com/Solutions/Prism.php?htm_source=solution&utm_medium=prism&utm_campaign=solution_prism

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.

Tablet and SmartPhone 2.0

Update November 9th, 2014. I can confirm that Bindo, Clover, and Silver have now added the following:

Bindo POS: basic invoicing and quoting functions

First Data Clover (still restricted to using First Data for merchant services): Item attributes, modifiers and barcode label printing.

NCR Silver: Barcode label printing and QuickBooks Accounting interface.

Note that some of the added features may require paying an additional fee and/or using third party software.


Not to use recycled terms like "Web 2.0" but I have seen a recent shift in the tablet and smartphone based point of sale systems which I will call "2.0".

While systems like Clover and NCR Silver started the trend of using smartphone and tablet based point of sale systems in retail stores and museums, newer solutions linke Bindo have taken the concept to a more advanced level.

What do I mean?

Initially smartphone and tablet based point of sale systems offered functionality between a cash register and a computer-based point of sale system. Specific missing functions included barcode label printing, item level inventory tracking, and full purchasing/receiving. these are the "1.0" solutions.

"2.0" Solutions like Bindo include these functions while still using the affordable monthy fee payment plan of the the original smartphone and tablet systems.

If you are searching for, or have interest in a smartphone or tablet based point of sale system, please compare the different functions and features of each program (I have a comparison chart available). You may find that a "2.0" solution will accomplish more for about the same price as a "1.0" solution.

Confused/comments/questions?  My advice is completely free and based on 15 years of exerience in selling and support multiple different point of sale solutions. You can reach me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or via voice/text at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time).

Reminder on a Free Point of Sale Workshop

Don't Forget...

Details of my next free workshop coming up on May 14th in Boise, ID. I want to stress that this not a sales presentation but a valid informational workshop with a budget worksheet take-away.

Here is a link to more information:

https://business.idahosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=40340041

Register soon - we ran out of chairs at my last workshop! I am also available to conduct this workshop at other venues and events as needed.

You can also email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call/text me at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) if you have any questions.

Results of a Gallup Poll Related to Mobile Devices & Online Shopping

So this is positive news if you are wondering how mobile habits effect people when they shop in brick and mortar stores:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/168800/mobile-technology-increasing-retail-shopping.aspx?utm_source=GMJ&utm_medium=csm&utm_campaign=syndication&ref=more

Now it would be great if Gallup could conduct a survey to see how your online shopping presence effects your in store sales!

Have point of sale questions and want some free advice? I have over 15 years of point of sale experience but do not represent any point of sale related businesses. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 (I am on mountain time).

Headed to the Upper Midwest in May (if you want to meet in person)

Just a quick note that I am headed to the Upper Midwest this month so if you want to meet in person and obtain some free point of sale purchasing advice, please contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com on my cell at 208-340-5632.

Pains and Gains Data - Introducing Gormim

Some of the newer mobile (and even older computer-based) point of sale solutions don't offer a lot of detailed reporting options leaving some users with limited information. A new company, Gormim, has come up with a way to provide more detailed information to help identify different sets of data in an easy to view dashboard format.

I had a chance to meet with Gormim and there are several things that are noteworthy:

1. This is a solution that can be added to multiple different types of POS solutions 
2. Gormim actually goes beyond basic information like daily sales and average sale amount to show you, in an easy to view format, "pains" and "gains" information. This pains and gains information helps the store leadership quickly specific areas of strengths and weaknesses within the store without having to run multiple reports.
3. Gormim has both a free version and a more advanced version with a low monthly fee

Gormim is also interested in talking to multi-location retail stores to see what sort of data their current point of sale system isn't providing.

You can learn more about Gormim by visiting http://www.gormim.com/

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.

Workshops, Trade Shows and Expos

As you may have read in the past, I have conducted point of sale workshops at various trade shows, expos, and organizations across the US over the years. I wanted to let folks know that I am still available to do this. I would ask for travel compensation if the event is outside of the Boise, ID area. My workshops can be scaled to run anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours and these are NOT sales presentations.

Again – these are point of sale workshops - not a sales pitch but valid advice as well as a budget related “takeaway”.

I have found the workshops to be best presented for groups in the following situations:

· Trade Shows and Expos that are attended by retail store owners
· Annual conferences for museum organizations
· Annual meetings/events for retail franchise store owners
· Annual meetings/events for retail franchise businesses
· Meetings where a board or group needs help with selecting a point of sale solution

Confused? Perplexed? Have Comments/Feedback? Interested in Learning More?

You can always email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call me at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time)

Bindo POS is the Winner! What y'all are Buying

Ever since I transitioned this blog site from a site to share information with my client base to a free point of sale advice and resource site, I've had around 75 calls and emails from folks with point of sale related questions.

Since I don't charge for my services, the main goal is to have a 20-30 minute conversation about your business and address any questions that you may have. The end result is that I can usually steer you in the correct direction as to which POS solutions you should be considering.

I have been able to follow-up with many of you and there are three things related to the final solutions you are buying for your businesses that I wanted to pass along. This may not be scientific but does offer some information that applies to retail stores and museums of all shapes and sizes (from single location to 21+ location and annual gross sales from $100k to several $1M +).

1. Nearly 70% of you are purchasing a tablet or mobile solution 
2. Those of you who do not need barcode label printing, detailed inventory tracking, or true purchasing & receiving are going with NCR Silver
3. Those of you who want a true point of sale system that is still mobile, and retains an affordable monthly fee similar to NCR Silver and Clover, have selected Bindo POS 

I think the reason for Bindo POS being so popular is that Bindo is more of a true POS system while other mobile solutions like Clover, Silver, and Tabby are more like a cash register with some limited advanced functions. Folks have mentioned that Bindo has a similar cost to Silver and Clover but does more so why not get a better system if the cost is the same?

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.