Urgent Point of Sale Buying Tip: Ask About EMV!!!

Over the last couple of weeks I have fielded calls and emails from some very upset business owners. Not upset with me but upset as they recently purchased point of sale systems for their businesses without asking about EMV or chip-based debit and credit card transactions. Remember the US EMV liability shift date for chip/contact-less credit and debit card transactions is October 1st, 2015 in the United States.

2 of these businesses invested in point of sale systems that can not be upgraded to work with EMV compatible hardware and the other businesses purchased point of sale systems will require new hardware and software upgrades totaling around $1100/location - this is on top of the money recently spent on a new point of sale system.

I can not stress enough that anything related to cash registers, credit and debit card terminals, point of sale systems designed for mobile devices, or point of sale systems designed for computers should now have a clear and no-cost plan to utilize EMV compatible hardware and be able to authorize chip based credit and debit card transactions when the card is present.

To be honest - the blame falls with both the business owner (for not asking about EMV and not performing 'due diligence' )as well as with the companies selling products that are not ready for EMV.

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.

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Gotcha's

Some more information from my Retail Point of Sale Technology workshop presentations ("gotcha's or things to avoid when investing in a point of sale system):

• Try to save money by buying from multiple vendors (one place for the barcode scanner, a different place for the computer, and a different place for the software). You will pay more in the long run – both in time and money. Think of receipt printer that stops working - who is going to help you fix it if you bought the receipt printer from one company and the point of sale software from a different company.
• Not taking the time to learn the system through formalized or online training. Think of the VCR/DVR that blinks “12:00” – taking a few minutes to read the manual would allow the VCR/DVR to be used for automatic recording and other functions since the clock is correctly set.
• Not investing time to fully use the systems functions. Will eventually become an expensive cash register.
• Over or under-buying. Remember, you are purchasing something that should last the next 7+ years.
• Not factoring long term costs. Ie. HarborTouch is 'free' but you will pay $5040 in monthly charges over 7 years.
• Being forced to use a single company for merchant services which costs an average business around $1750/year in additional fees (Intuit and HarborTouch)

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Vendor Selection

I've had the pleasure of conducting dozens of point of sale workshops at various trade shows, expos, and small business development centers over the years so I though that I would share some of what I cover at the workshops on a weekly basis.

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Vendor Selection

Some things to keep in mind as you start looking at who will provide your point of sale solution.

• Has References for businesses using their solutions in your area
• Has multiple solutions to choose from (not just one ‘canned’ solution)
• Provides a complete solution (everything that you need) to prevent the ‘blame game’ (one vendor blaming the other for problems)
• Provides what you need for training, installation and on-going support
• Provides what you need for IT services (backing up the software, anti-virus scans, etc)
• Has extended hours of support (especially support on evenings and weekends)
• Offers on-site support as required
• Offers managed services agreements so that one annual or monthly fee covers all software updates/upgrade
• Has positive reviews and/or BBB 'rating'

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Developing a Wish List

Based on the calls and emails that I have been receiving via this blog site, it appears that many of you are searching for either a new point of sale system or want to upgrade what you are currently using. One thing that I always recommend before starting your point of sale search is to develop a "wish list" of the functions that your point of sale software program must do.  Here are some of the common examples to get you started:

• Inventory
• Tracking
• Min/Max & Reorder Points
• Put items/categories/departments on sale
• Ability to discount (percentage and/or other method)
• Generate Purchase Orders and Recievers
• Transfers between locations 
• Return to Vendor/Return to Manufacture
• Track cost of goods sold and profit margin
• How many levels of departments and categories needed
• Specific needs like "mix and max", sizes, styles, colors, bulk packaging, etc.
• Physical Inventory
• Gift Cards
• Loyalty Program
• Accounting Interface
• Online Shopping cart interface
• Tablet/Smart phone "app"
• Credit and debit card processing
• Signature Capture Pad interface
• Email marketing interface
• Customer history tracking
• Barcode/shelf tag label printing interface
• Type of Reports 
• Interface to your accounting software
• Timeclock function
• Levels of security
• Vendor information to track
• Remote access for when you are not in the store
• Multi-location capabilities

These are just the basics - I'm sure that you have specific things that come to mind when developing your own point of sale wish list.  If you are in need of help developing a more detailed wish list, be sure to contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time).  I have some common questions that we can go over to help you fine tune a point of sale wish list.

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.