Travel Schedule and Trade Shows That I Will Be At

 Wow - so I completely spaced out sharing where I am headed to in 2023! This is a mix of customer site visits and trade shows:

1. Tulsa, OK (Jan 2023)
2. Central Texas (Jan 2023)
3. Seattle - Tacoma (March 2023)
4. MMBA - Minnesota (April/May 2023)
5. BARC - Missouri (June 2023)
6. Local - Idaho and Wyoming (TBD)
7. TPSA - Texas (July 2023)
8. Local - Nevada (August 2023)
9. Local - Oregon (September 2023)
10. MMDA - Pennsylvania (October 2023)

And, of course, a mix of Wisconsin and other states as time and associations/stores request me to be onsite.

Contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 if we should meet in person.

 

Celebrating 37 Years in the Business!

 Yikes! No candles on this cake please. April 8th, 2021 marks 37 years of experience for me when you tally up my experience in retail/restaurant management as well as retail/restaurant point of sale consulting, sales and support.

Lord willing, I've got another decade or so to go before formally retiring.

Headed to Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin Oklahoma and Arkansas!

 OK - I have some retailer that have requested to meet with me at their stores so I'll be hitting the road over the coming months. Please contact me if you have a store in (or near) the following areas and want to meet in person for some retail point of sale advice:

• Minneapolis, MN
• St Paul, MN
• Hastings, MN
• Hudson, WI
• La Crosse, WI
• Chippewa Falls, WI
• St Cloud, MN
• Duluth, MN
• Rochester, MN
• Dallas - Fort Worth, TX
• Austin, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Tulsa, OK
• Fayetteville, AR
• Mountain Home, AR

You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 for more information.

Regional Site Visits 2021

 A quick note that Q3 and Q4 of 2020 was amazing!  You folks kept me on the road for almost 6 weeks straight and we found some great solutions for your stores!

Here are the areas that I am headed to for 2021 - please let me know if we should schedule some time to meet in person at your store:

• Twin Falls, ID
• Pocatello, ID
• Twin Falls, ID
• Jackson, WY
• Evanston, WY
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Stateline, NV
• Battle Mountain, NV
• Winnemucca, NV
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Salem, OR
• Eugene, OR
• Bend, OR
• Missoula, MT
• West Yellowstone, MT
• Dallas, TX
• Austin, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Tulsa, OK
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Minneapolis, MN
• St Paul, MN
  
• LaCrosse, WI
• St Cloud, MN
• Duluth, MN
• Chippewa Falls, WI 

You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 - no cost to meet in person if I am already traveling to your area!

Welcome to the First new Customers of 2021!

A quick shout out to retailers that have signed on recently for point of sale hardware, software and services. I am so grateful for all of you putting your trust in me!

• CJ Eateries - 22 location chain in Oregon - moving from Microsoft RMS/HQ to Cloud Retailer
• Owasso Liquor - Oklahoma - moving from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Total Health - Idaho -support and services to upgrade their Microsoft RMS point of sale system
  

Welcome to some new customers!

I wanted to give a quick shout out to the following retailers who recently signed on with me for point of sale related products and services:

• Terra Casa in Oregon: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• The Caring Place in Texas: POS hardware
• Sticker Planet: POS hardware
• Jordan Taylor in Texas: Card Defender for Microsoft RMS
• Pets West in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Martin Bruni Liquor in Washington State: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• La La Liquor in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Bedrock Comics: Microsoft RMS hardware and software for new store location (congrats!)

Thanks to all of you for your trust when it comes to retail point of sale hardware, software and services!

Back in Business: Welcome to Some New Retail Clients

While not up to 100% of what it was back in March of this year,  retailers are feel better about the future and signing on for new products and services. I wanted to pass along a "thank-you" to the following retailers for working with me on point of sale related products, services or support:

• Island Liquor -Montana - Microsoft RMS Support
• Seattle Shirt Company - Washington State - Replacing Microsoft RMS with the Cloud Retailer POS Software
• Little Rock Zoo - Arkansas - Replacing Microsoft RMS with the RMH POS Software
• Santa Cruz Market - California - Card Defender for Microsoft RMS
• Midtown Spirits - Arkansas - Replacing Microsoft RMS with the Cloud Retailer POS Software
• The Learning Tree - Georgia - Microsoft RMS Support
• Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat - Replacing Microsoft RMS with the Cloud Retailer POS software
  

Please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information on the solutions that I offer.

Searching for Retail POS? 9 Questions to Help You Get Started

By popular request from multiple retailers over the last few weeks, a list of nine questions that you should be asking yourself as you start searching for a retail point of sale system. With 200+ POS systems currently available, your answers to these 9 questions will help you quickly narrow down which POS systems will be of interest to you.

If you have questions or would like me to review your answers, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. Note that this information is only designed for retailers in the United States (it might also be slightly helpful to retailers in the UK and North America as well).

In Light of the Coranvirus....

Update August 2020: I have been traveling again and will be for most of the next couple of months. For more information on my travel schedule and to arrange an in person visit for 2020 or 2021, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

I'm writing this in a hotel in Portland, OR after meeting with multiple retailers and existing clients this week.  Based on our conversations, I am pausing all new posts for the next 30-60 days.  Right now, all of you are focused on keeping your businesses afloat for the time being.  This really isn't the time to think about IT equipment - especially as many of you have temporarily closed and/or reduced hours.

I would encourage everyone to look at your balance sheets and businesses plans. Take some time to pray for guidance when it comes to making various operational decisions. Once we see the situation stabilizing, then we can revisit POS plans for the rest of 2020 and in to 2021.

With all trade shows and conferences being cancelled through at least 2021, I am in the process of cancelling all planned travel at least for the next 30 to 45 days.

This is my 4th ride through a major economic disruption and what we are going through now will become part of history books - likely no more than a few pages when compared to the grand scheme of things.

If I can be off assistance, whether that be in prayer or for general POS guidance, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

In Christ,

Kevin Antosh

Why Do I have to Pay Monthly or Annual Fees with my POS System?

I have been hearing this almost daily now for the last few months: "Why do all of the new point of sale software programs have a monthly or annual fee to use the software? I have been using Microsoft RMS for 7+ years and never paid for anything once I purchased the software. I want a POS system without any monthly or annual fees.".

The short answer is that times have changed. Do we still see leaded fuel at fuel stations? Cigarette vending machines in bars and restaurants? Of course not.

The same is true with point of sale technology. Aside from Y2K, there was little change in the POS industry from 1995 to 2010.  For retailers using stand alone payment terminals, there has been little to no change until Windows 7 support ended.

Aside from the credit card processing/merchant services changes coming out every 5 months or so, computer operating systems and hardware are changing which may or may not create issues with an older point of sale software program.

With technology changing, and retailers using POS technology to increase revenue, you need to be using a POS system that can be updated on a regular basis.

Also, if you are using stand alone payment terminals, you are likely loosing around $40/week per terminal in mis-keyed transactions based on a survey that I did last year.

A good percentage of retailers need point of sale software that can be continually improved to match changing technology and a competitive marketplace. To get this type of point of sale technology requires paying an annual or monthly subscription - no matter what point of software program you use.

Now - there are exceptions:

• Retailers who are operating the store as a hobby
• Retailers is smaller towns with no competition
• Retailers who offer something unique and don't foresee local or online competition
• Retailers not looking to grow - just maintain status quo until retirement or the business is sold
• Retailers willing to gamble that nothing will ever happen to their POS system (eg not having to pay $500/year for 7 years equals $3500 which would get me at least a basic new POS when the current system dies),

In these situations, it may be possible to put in a POS system like Retail Management Hero or NCR CounterPoint and never pay a dime once the system is up and running. Of course, if something does happen, the expense could be quite significant. Think of it like car insurance - you can pay $90/month for car insurance or gamble and then pay $12000 for a new car if your car is totaled.

If you go the route of not paying for software maintenance, then I'd recommend having a plan in place should the POS system crash and also having at least $5000 set aside to pay for a POS system or repairs to the existing POS system.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Then please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Welcome to the first Customers of 2020!

As we wrap up the first full month of 2020, a hearty welcome to the following retailers that selected myself as their point of sale partner:

• Sage Brush Trading in Arizona: Retail Management Hero support and training
• JD's Market in Washington State: Card Defender for Microsoft RMS
• Noble Spirits in Washington State: Card Defender from Microsoft RMS
• Pet Adventure in Washington State: New Point of Sale Hardware
• Station Wine and Spirits in Oklahoma: Microsoft RMS Maintenance Agreement
• Grape Wine and Spirits in Oklahoma: Microsoft RMS Maintenance Agreement

Are you curious why these retailers choose myself ? Then please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information.

New Page: Client Map

http://www.pospondering.com/p/client-map.html

Idea is to pin retailers on the map who contact me for on-site or remote point of sale advice, consulting, sales or service.

Want to appear on the map? You can contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 for point of sale related advice, consulting, sales and service.

Travel Schedule and On Site Consulting: 2019

So 2018 was a record year for meeting onsite with retailers looking for help in choosing a POS system. 90% of you are on the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software and the looping end of life deadline has you anxious to come up with a plan to replace RMS at some point in the next 1 to 3 years.  From March 2018 to October 2018, I spoke or met with 421 retailers with a total of 680 stores in the US.

For 2019 I do anticipate more RMS users requesting onsite consulting so please get in touch with me if you are in or within 150 miles of the following areas (or wish to cover my travel expenses for dedicated onsite consulting as 7 retail chains did in 2018):

• Boise, ID
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Denver, CO
• Jackson, WY
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Phoenix, AZ
• Dallas, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Houston, TX
• Austin, TX
• Corpus Christi, TX
• Minneapolis, MN

For more information, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com. Note that I am happy to travel just about anywhere, but, my expertise is best suited for retailers located in the US.

Travel Schedule Q3 and Q4 2018

OK, so those of you with chains and franchises are getting serious about investing in new point of sale technology come 2019 and 2020. Many of you use Microsoft Dynamics RMS with HQ while others use quite the variety of POS programs that are outdated or lacking certain features and functions. As many of you have requested assistance with needs analysis, process improvements, budgeting, wish list creation, and solution/vendor analysis, I’ve booked travel to the following areas through the end of 2018:

• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle, Washington
• Portland, Oregon
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Multiple parts of Idaho
• Multiple parts of Oregon

I am still working on Texas, Colorado and Arizona so please contact me as needed. Same goes if you are in an area that I am visiting and wish to meet in person for unbiased consulting or sales/service related assistance.

You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

2017 Q3 and Q4 Travel Schedule

OK - nothing too exciting but my travels will take me to the following areas for the rest of 2017:

• Idaho
• Eastern Oregon]
• Central Minnesota
• Seattle, WA
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ

There is some flexibility to add more stops or cities - please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 to discuss.

Thanks!

Free On Site Consulting - well kind of free

So, I have some vacation time coming up in a few weeks but no real vacation plans at this point so I'm making this offer on a first come first serve basis: I'll waive our normally hourly rate for onsite retail point of sale consulting services. All that needs to be covered are my actual travel expenses.

Who is this best suited for?
Small to mid sized chain retailers with between 4 and 400 locations who either want to get the most out of their existing point of sale system or are searching for a new/replacement point of sale system.

What locations?
Geographically, the following areas are the easiest for me to travel to and I've been to in the past as well:

• All of Idaho
• All of Utah
• Western Wyoming
• Western Oregon
• Seattle, WA area
• Portland, OR area
• Reno, NV
• Los Vegas, AZ
• Phoenix, AZ
• Tuscon, AZ
• Portland, OR
• Las Angeles, CA
• Sacramento, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Denver, CO
• All of Texas
• Lincoln, NE
• Omaha, NE
• All of MN
• All of WI
• Other?  I'm not limited to just the locations listed above.

What sort of services can be provided?
No actual technical or programming work but instead a focus on the following:

• Process analysis and documentation
• Budgeting for a new or replacement POS system
• Options for Microsoft Dynamics RMS/HQ users
• Creating a wish list for a new or replacement POS system
• Solution comparison
• RFP/RFQ/RFI Creation

How many days would you be onsite?
I'm very flexible here but I'm normally onsite for at least 2 business days all the way up to 5 business days..

Whats the cost?
Actual travel expenses - best estimate is $1000 to $1800. Terms are 50% down and remainder due upon completion of the onsite visit.

What's the dollar value?
Our normal hourly rate at RITE is $90 to $125/hour so even 25 hours of onsite consulting would normally run $2400.

What's are the non-monetary benefits?
This will depend greatly on your goals but some common past outcomes have been:

• Labor cost savings via
• Increased efficiency
• better understand of what is needed in a POS system
• Process documentation
• Reduced research time 
• Having an "expert" onsite to help coordinate steps to obtain goals and objectives
• Using pre-existing documentation versus creating your own documentation
• Full understanding of all options that are available
• Q and A style assistance for multiple goals and objectives

Do we get our money back if not happy or if we purchase something from RITE?

• I would not come onsite unless we both agreed that my time would be beneficial and my skill set matches your goals and objectives.
• If you happen to purchase a POS system (Cloud Retailer, Retail Management Hero, or Microsoft Dynamics 365) from RITE "down the road", the travel costs would be applied as a discount towards the total purchase price.

Next Step if Interested:
Call (208-340-5632) or email (kevinantosh@gmail.com) me so we can have a general conversation about your goals and to ensure that my skill set would be beneficial to you.