Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Questions You Should Be Asking Now About EMV

Accept credit and debit cards as payment and hate surprises?  A quick video covering the questions that you should be asking now related to EMV. Note that this applies to all businesses and organizations that accept credit and debit cards as payment - not just retail stores, museums, and restaurants that use point of sale systems for tracking inventory and customer information.





If you are not in the mood to watch a video, here are the questions:

  • Will I need any updates to any software or apps that I am using? When will the updates be available? Are there any costs?
  • Will I need any new hardware? When will the hardware be available? What will be the costs?
  • Will I still be able to use my current merchant account?
  • Are there any other costs (ie: labor to perform any upgrades or hardware replacement)?
If you can't get definitive answers to the questions above, then it is time to look at other options. This applies to not just point of sale systems used to track inventory and customer information but credit card terminals, cash registers, and mobile payment devices as well.

Especially important to new businesses as it doesn't make sense to invest in something now only to have to invest in software upgrades or replacement hardware in 2015.

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.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Bindo Announces Support for Apple Pay and NFC Contactless Payments

It looks like the folks at Bindo Point of Sale are on top of things with an announcement that Bindo Point of Sale will work with Apple Pay.

Bindo Point of Sale was one of the first point of sale companies to announce EMV compatibility so its no surprise that they are one of the first point of sale solutions to announce Apple Pay support.

Full details of the announcement can be found here: http://www.mygtn.tv/story/26515513/bindo-announces-support-for-apple-pay-and-nfc-contactless-payments

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.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

100th Organization Helped - For Free!

OK - not really news but more of a milestone. I just finished providing some point of sale advice and direction to the 100th organization to contact me via this blog site and my YouTube channel.

I wonder if more or fewer of you would contact me if I would take some time to clean up the various spelling and grammar errors on this site...

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

Monday, September 22, 2014

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Common Questions (and answers)

A quick video covering the top 7 questions that I receive via phone, email, and in person related to selecting point of sale systems for retail stores, restaurants, and museums.




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

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Which Point of Sale System Would I Buy and Why?

I'm asked from time to time what point of sale system I would purchase if I was in charge of a retail store or museum.  The answers are as follows:

  1. If my business was a museum or standard retail store with gross annual sales between $100,000 and $300,000 then I would choose Bindo Point of Sale for iOS devices. Hands down, Bindo Point of Sale has features and functions not found in Vend, Shopkeep, Clover, or NCR Silver for about the same monthly cost.
  2. If my museum or retail store had annual revenues over $300,000 then my wish would be to use Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS). However, with RMS nearing the end of life per an announcement from Microsoft, I would put in Retail Management Hero as my point of sale system.
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.


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Workshop Thanks!

Just wanted to pass along a quick thank-you to those who attended my most recent point of sale workshop as well as a thank-you to the folks at the Idaho Small Business Development Center for arranging the workshop.

It was great to have a mix of existing and future business owners - I really appreciate everyone willingness to share personal "real world" information.

Fun and Learning was had by all (if not learning - then at least some good advice to reference)!

Due to demand, I'll likely schedule at least one more workshop in October (or more at various locations if there is sufficient interest).


How Point of Sale Systems Increase Revenue

A quick video covering the 3 main areas that point of sale systems help increase revenue.



The end result is that a correctly utilized point of sale system will not only increase revenue, but also pay for itself in around 6 months.

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

Monday, September 15, 2014

HarborTouch Point of Sale is Not Free - Part 2

A quick update to a very popular post on my site related to the true cost of HarborTouch Point of Sale.  Over the last year I have talked to multiple retail stores, restaurants and museums about HarborTouch and none ended up purchasing HarborTouch.  The main reason is the contract. Why? Take a look at the true or real cost of HarborTouch over time:

Monthly cost of $69.00/month over 5 years equals $4140.00
Quarterly cost of $59.00/quarter over 5 years equals $1180.00

Note that the above costs are what is stated on the HarborTouch website and are required fees. Your fees may be higher depending on the number of stations that you have in your business or organization.

Now comes the fun part that I think most people miss.  You are locked in to using one company for merchant services (credit and debit card processing services). I've gone back to stores who are on merchant services contracts and they are paying about 1/2% more in merchant services fees.

Now a 1/2% may not sound like much but look at the following:

$250,000 in annual credit and debit card sales X 1/2% X 5 years = $6250.00

So, your actual 5 year cost for a free system is $11,570.00

For reference, here are some other 5 year costs based on businesses that have worked with in the past or spoken to recently:

Bindo Point of Sale (Professional Version/Single Station): $8,256.00
Microsoft RMS (single station): $6,956.00
High end grocery store cash register: $3,055.00
NCR CounterPoint (single station): $11,056.00
NCR Silver (single station): $7,093.00

I'm trying to keep 'all things equal' by including 24/7 support, supply, installation, training, warranty, and hardware costs in the 5 year total.  The only item not included is sales tax.

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.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Workshop Reminder

Just a quick reminder that there are a few seats left for my next Point of Sale Workshop at the Idaho Small Business Development Center in Boise. Workshop is next Tuesday, September 16th at 2pm. Register now to partake is some free and unbiased information related to retail and museum point of sale solutions:

https://business.idahosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=40340053

Can't make it? Contact me for other options - see the contact form to the right or you can reach me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208.340.5632.


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

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.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Point of Sale Buying Tip: What Type of System Can You Afford?

There are actually some fairly definitive guidelines related to your gross annual sales and which type of point of sale system is best for your business (free, mobile or computer based systems).  In this brief video, I cover what type of point of sale systems you should be focusing on as well as some common exceptions to the rule.



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

Monday, September 8, 2014

What Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users are Doing

Update July 2016: Since many Microsoft RMS point of sale software would like to keep using RMS for another couple of years but still need to deal with the EMV Liability Shift Date, visit this post for more information on the Card Defender EMV add-on for Microsoft RMS versions 1.3 and higher (and HQ as well): http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/06/card-defender-emv-add-on-for-microsoft.html

Update July 2016, Retail Management Hero (RMS version 3.X) demo and overview: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-version-of-rmsretail-management.html

Updated information on Retail Management Hero as a direct replacement for RMS as of December 3rd, 2015: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/12/updated-information-on-new-retail.html

New video discussing options for Dynamics RMS and HQ users as of December 5th, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVWS7dj0Bs

Update August 9th, 2015. I have now talked to over 740 stores using RMS. Since the upcoming October 1st 2015 EMV Liability Shift date is a big concern in conjunction with the 'end of life' status for RMS, here is blog post and video specific to the different EMV options for RMS users: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/options-for-microsoft-dynamics-rms-and.html

Updated information on the upcoming Retail Management Hero Software (or what I am coining "RMS 3.0 for 2015 and beyond") can be found here: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/new-option-for-rmshq-users-retail.html

I have another post (April 2015)  related to what RMS users are actually doing which can be found here.

As we know, Microsoft announced in May 2014 that the end of sales to new customers and mainstream support for Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Store Operations (RMS) will be July of 2016.  That may seem far away but we have a more pressing issue related to whether RMS will be updated to support EMV hardware by October 2015 which is the deadline for EMV in the US.  Because of this, many RMS users have already started to look at various options to replace RMS with a different solution.

Based on conversations with a lot of RMS users - including businesses and organizations with multiple locations using HQ - this is what I advise (this is also what folks have told me they are doing as well so it is great to obtain so much 'real world' feedback):

Single Location RMS Users:
  • Taking a 'wait and see' approach if everything is running fine
  • Actively searching for an RMS replacement if the system is not currently running or is old enough that the system needs to be replaced anyway
My recommendation to  single location users would be to at least think about replacing your RMS point of sale system. The biggest concern is that you may have to start using a separate credit and debit card terminal which opens the door to user error and also creates extra work since you have to reconcile two different close out reports each day.

RMS Users with HQ and/or Multiple Locations
  • Many of you have already started the process of searching for something to replace RMS/HQ
  • Some of you have started the process to switch to a mobile point of sale system to reduce up front costs while others want to stay with a more traditional computer-based point of sale system that may allow you to utilize your current computers and peripherals
  • Writing your own internal point of sale solution (but several of you have contacted me as your internal system may not be ready for deployment by October of 2015 so you are also searching for short or long term solutions)
My recommendation to RMS users with multiple location and/or are using HQ is that you truly need to start looking now. The complexity of replacing a system for 5-500 stores requires some fairly extensive planning and you can't be left 'behind the curve'. Planning just means that have you have some options ready in case RMS is not EMV 'friendly' come October of next year.

Negative Sentiment towards Microsoft

Many of you have also stated your disappointment with the lack of communication from Microsoft as well as the lack of clear information on  good RMS/HQ replacements from Microsoft. Dynamics AX POS as well as Retail Essentials are marketed as possible replacements but folks seem to be 'fed up' with Microsoft and not interested in either of these solutions (or really anything from Microsoft at this point).

Discounts for RMS and RMS HQ Users
There are some reputable point of sale companies offering various discounts for RMS and HQ users. In most cases your existing customer, vendor/supplies, and inventory information can be transferred from RMS to a new POS system.

If you are curious about the discounts  you can reach me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com, or on my cell at 208.340.5632.  I will be doing my best to stay on top of the RMS/HQ situation and will share advice and real world experience as information becomes available to me.

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.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Complaints related to Software Advice and Similar Websites

Yikes!  So the complaints having been steadily increasing related to websites like Software Advice. Maybe it seemed obvious to me but, unless you have worked in the point of sale 'world', you may not be aware that websites like Software Advice exist to make money by selling your information as a "lead" to multiple companies. Given the number of complaints that I have received about Software Advice over the last few weeks, you may want to consider other resources.

I realize that even trying to figure out what you need in a point of sale system can be time consuming, but that is why most states have small business development centers to help you out for free or low cost. You can also find impartial point of sale reviews and information on websites like CNET.

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.

What to Look for in a Point of Sale System: Security Settings

One area that many business owners overlook when searching for a point of sale system are the security settings. With nearly half of all retail theft being internal (employee) theft (per NRF surveys and studies), the ability to use security settings is an important aspect of a point of sale system. Some tips and things to look for when searching, selecting, comparing, or choosing a point of sale system for your business.



For those of you who don't want to watch the video, here is what I mention in the video:

The point of sale system that you are considering should have the following:
  • At least 3 levels of security if role based (ie: “manager”, “lead”, and "cashier").
  • Time clock only access if the system has a time clock function that all employees will be using
  • Most common areas for employee theft are:
    • Discounts
    • No Sales/Voids
    • Manual Price Changes
Other good security related setting to have are:
  • Most employees should not be able to see cost
  • Most employees should not be able to change item cost or quantity on hand

It may sound mean but employee theft accounts for nearly half of all retail theft!


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

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Upcoming Free Point of Sale Workshop

A quick note that my next Free Point of Sale Workshop is being held in Boise on September 16th at 2pm. We will be covering the following topics:
  • Whats new in the POS world
  • What to choose: a point of sale system that runs on a computer or on a mobile device
  • How much do point of sale systems cost
  • What to look for in a point of sale vendor
  • EMV and what it means to you
  • "Gotchas" related to support, merchant services, and more
Each attendee will also be able to complete a Return on Investment worksheet to help determine your point of sale budget.

All of this is accomplished in a vendor neutral environment.

Here is a link to more information as well as registration information:
https://business.idahosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=40340053

This workshop normally runs around 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on how many questions folks have at the end of the workshop.

If you have questions or are interested in having me conduct this workshop at your event or for your organization, I can be reached using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208.340.5632.