Get Google Pointy for Free!

If you happen to be using the Retail Management Hero (RMH) point of sale software, then the folks at New West Technology are offering Google Pointy for free! 

While Pointy is not a e-commerce or shopping cart site, Pointy does allow you to showcase your inventory online by syncing your RMH inventory with Pointy.  This is a great way to allow customers to browse your store online before coming to the store to make an actual purchase.  Pointy sounds like a nice solution for retailers who have products that cant be sold online.

Pointy is completely new to me so I don't have a lot of additional information at thus time. I'd suggest heading over the New West Technology for more information which can be found here: https://www.newestech.com/pointy-for-rmh

When Free is not Really Free

We've been down this road so many times but I keep running in to retailers who have offers for free POS systems or free upgrades from Microsoft Dynamics RMS to Retail Management Hero.  When I say "free", it means that the retailer has been quoted no software, hardware, installation, training or similar costs.

Aside from official license swap promotions, the costs for a new POS system or upgrading an existing POS system are there. These costs are likely either associated with a maintenance agreement or within merchant services rates. I've also see cancellation clauses or contract termination fees of up to $2500 associated with these types of sales.

What should you do when reviewing a quote for a free upgrade or free point of sale system:

1. Look for hidden costs like a maintenance or service agreement
2. Look for cancellation, change or termination clauses that have costs
3. Look for additional monthly or annual charges 
4. Look for additional per transaction or gateway fee's
5. Compare the merchant services rates against other merchant services companies to see if you are being charged higher than average rates
6. Make sure that you are not being locked in to any sort of long term contract (more than 1 year)
7. Add up any of the above and compare against other POS system costs to calculate an overall total cost (I would strongly recommend calculating all costs over 5 to 7 years to see the "big picture")

If you are working with someone that promises free but hides costs in the paperwork, is that someone that you want to be doing business with? Look for a vendor that clearly defines all costs - whether they be up front or on-going.

Need help with the above? You can reach me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for some assistance (no charge for up to 30 minutes for phone or email help).

Free RITE Price Checker Plug In For Microsoft RMS

Below is some information on the RITE Price Checker plug in for the Microsoft RMS point of sale software. The first license is free which is really cool!  I'll also be adding a video that shows how the RITE Price Checker works.

RITE POS Price Checker

RITE POS Price Checker Plug-In allows the POS user to check an item's price, sale price and sale end date without the need to log into the POS or Manager programs. Microsoft Dynamics RMS users can download and use RITE POS Price Checker RMS Plug-In for FREE for a limited time. Simply register using the link to the right or at the top right of the screen and log in to download this utility and access the FREE license key.
Reduces "No Sale" type transactions Eliminates the need to start a sale to check a price in the system Quickly check sales prices and sale end date View customized item sub-description fields
Retailers Using POS Price Checker All types of retailers
Pricing (per store location) Single license*: FREE Additional licenses* 2-4: CALL Additional licenses* 5+: CALL
*One license is required for each computer where this software will be installed/used. Discount pricing is based on bulk purchases - additional licenses must be purchased within 30 days.
Additional Information Compatible With: Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems 1.2, 1.3, 2.0. Video Showing How RITE Price Checker Works: For more information, please visit http://rite.us/PlugInDirectory/POSPriceChecker.aspx

Microsoft Dynamics RMS Software Training Tutorials

With 38,000+ stores still using the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software in the US, some of the more frequent requests that I receive fall under the "how to" or "how do I" category. Many RMS users have upgraded to the most recent version of Microsoft RMS in order to be supported through July of 2021 and want to make sure that they are using RMS to its fullest.

While the tutorials found on the website below are not a substitute for formal training from a Microsoft Dynamics RMS Partner, they are helpful overviews and self study materials.

You can find the tutorials here: http://www.rite.us/Support/MicrosoftRMSSupport/RMSTutorials.aspx

Do contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com with any questions.

$2M Mark Surpassed!

Just a quick note that folks that have contacted me via this blog site have gone on to spend $2 million in point of sale hardware, software, supplies, and related labor.   Not bad considering the basic nature of this blog site!

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.

Next Free Point of Sale Workshop

Just a quick reminder that my next free Point of Sale workshop is being held on Thursday, October 23rd from 2pm to 4pm at the Idaho Small Business Development Center in Boise, ID.

If you are interested in free and unbiased information on selecting a point of sale system for your business or organization, then visit this webpage for more information: https://business.idahosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=40340079

Can't make it? Contact me for other options.

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.

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.

Yes - I Help Food Services Related Businesses as Well

I've made some minor changes to this blog site and my YouTube channel to remove most of the references to being just retail and museum specific. This change was prompted due to the fact that I have been receiving an equal number of calls and emails from retail and food service related businesses. I will work on creating more news and information specific to food service businesses as well as retail stores and museums (like what the heck is going on with Aldelo?!?!).

In the meantime, if you are in need of some free impartial point of sale advice, are located in the US, and have (or will open) one of the following types of businesses listed below, see the various ways to contact me to the right.

• Specialty Retail
• Retail Chains of 2-75 locations
• Museums of all sizes
• Quick Serve Restaurants
• Sit Down/Table Serve Restaurants
• Counter Serve Restaurants
• Company Employee Stores
• Cafeterias
• Concession Stands
• Venues
• Food Trucks
• Kiosk, seasonal, or 'pop-up' businesses
• Retail and Restaurant Franchises
• So...just about anyone who isn't a large scale chain like Sears, Home Depot, or Denny's.

Point of Sale Specials, Discounts, and Promo's - Oh My!

As we head in to mid-July 2014, just a quick note that I have been able to secure some point of sale hardware and software discounts from various point of sale solution providers that I trust.  At this point, just about anyone with a retail store or a museum that is searching for a new point of sale system or thinking about upgrading a point of sale system should get in touch with me.

So now you not only get free help selecting a point of sale system or answering your point of sale related questions, but you can save a lot towards the cost of a new or upgraded point of sale solution for your business or organization.


Now that is very cool!  Keep in mind that these discounts and promotions will end - I just don't know when at this point. Your business or organization must be located in the United States.

If I can help please contact me via the contact form on this blog site, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632. I've been helping folks find the right point of sale system for over 15 years and do not charge for my services (unless you want to pay me - I'm OK with that!).

Demo Videos and Downloads

A quick reminder that several companies offer 30 day free trial periods and/or demo versions of the software.  If you are interested here are the various solutions that I have access to for demo purposes:

• NCR CounterPoint
• Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS)
• QuickBooks Point of Sale
• Aldelo 
• NCR Silver (back office only - POS pending)
• Bindo POS

I am also working on some demo videos that show some of the high level aspects of each point of sale solution. that should be ready yet this week. Since there isn't a lot of point of sale news (normally) during the summer, I figured that now would be a great time to upload some video demos of point of sale solutions.  Note that a video can only cover the general highlights unless you really want a 45 minute long video (have some popcorn ready).

Same goes for my workshop presentation videos - the actual workshop scales from 45 minutes to three hours depending on the audience. I doubt that any of you want to watch that long of a video!  Let me know if I am wrong tho!

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

NCR Silver Special Promotion

OK - so NCR is very interested in having their existing dealers offer the NCR Silver point of sale system. As a reminder, NCR Silver is designed to work on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) while allowing access to the management and reporting part of NCR Silver through a web browser.

NCR Silver is not a full blown point of sale system but falls in between what a cash register and computer-based based of sale system can do.  NCR Silver is more advanced that other tablet based solutions like Clover and can be used in both retail and food service environments.

So...here is what I can offer you if you sign up for NCR Silver through me before June 30th, 2013:

• First month free (credit card still required for signup)
• Next five months at only $49/month (normal price is $79/month)
• Free standard ground shipping on hardware (cash drawer, receipt printer, barcode scanner, etc)

The above represents a savings of around $150/station and expires on June 30th, 2013.  You need to contact me to take advantage of this special offer. 

We have our first NCR Silver customer about to go online this week so I will also get some feedback from them in a few weeks to see what they think of NCR Silver.

-Kevin