Point of Sale Buying Tip: Get a Real Demo

Sharing some more information from my retail point of sale workshop presentations:

When it comes to comparing possible retail point of sale solutions for your business, be sure to get a customized demo of each point of sale program that you are considering.  I'm amazed how many point of sale companies only offer recorded demo's or 'canned' demos via a webinar.  I've worked with just under 4000 businesses over the years and always took the time to create a custom software demo using the actual point of sale software (whether in person or online via a webinar).

The reason for a custom demo is that each business has specific things that they want to do with the software. It makes more sense to show the business leadership how the software does various functions rather than just show a canned demo that may or may not show the software functions that the business is searching for.

Also, canned demos can make a software appear to run quicker and/or easier than a customized live demo.  Some of the things that I included in my demos that you may want to request (keep in mind that even a customized demo of point of sale software can still be normally accomplished in around 20 minutes):

• How to add/change your business information
• How to add/change customer information
• How to add/change inventory information
• How to run various reports
• How to put items on sales
• How to setup special items (sizes, "mix and match", bulk)
• How to transfer items between store locations
• How to handle purchasing and recieving
• How to set up security levels
• How to add/change employees
• Time clock function and related reports
• Accounting interface
• How to print barcode labels
• Touchscreen interface
• How to customize fields or attributes in the software
• How to add/change vendor/supplier information

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 for free point of sale help and advice.

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.

EMV - What You Need to Know

I realize that EMV is still well over a year away. However, EMV is a major change to credit and debit processing that will effect everyone who takes credits (and I mean everyone!).  Here is what you need to know as of January 2014:

What is EMV?
EMV is an agreement between EuroCard, MasterCard, and Visa to enhance credit and debit card security. This applies to both the credit/debit card itself as well as the technology used to authorize debit and credit card transactions.

EMV Compliant debit and credit cards have both a hologram and an embedded chip that can emit a unique code for authorizing debit and credit card transactions.  Note that debit and credit card transactions under EMV can be "contactless" and/or require a pin number - it depends on what hardware the merchant is using to authorize debit and credit card transactions.

The United States is one of the last countries to (tentatively) set a date to migrate to EMV standards.  Currently, most debit and credit card transactions in the United States use magnetic swipe technology that has been around since the 1960's.

What do I Need to Do?
Start talking now to the companies that service your debit and credit card processing equipment.  Some of the following questions will apply depending on what type of business/organization you have and how you process debit and credit card transactions:

• How will I obtain an EMV compliant terminal? When will the terminal be available and how much will it cost?
• Will I need to update any software? When will these updates be available (and how much will they cost)?
• Will I need to make any changes to my computer or my computer network? What about how I dial out or connect to the internet to authorize debit and credit card transactions?
• Will this effect the fee's and rates that I pay for debit and credit card processing?
• What about other equipment that I have like signature capture pads?
• What will happen if I currently authorize debit and credit cards on a tablet or smartphone?
• Who will perform and software upgrades and/or hardware installations? 
• How much is this going to cost my business or organization overall?

Are There Any Ways to Reduce Expenses Related to EMV Implimentation?
Possibly - if you are currently under any sort of maintenance agreement related to any software used to process debit and credit cards, you may get a free software upgrade. 

What is the Anticipated Compliance Date?
In the United States, the tentative compliance date is 1.October.2015.

What if I Choose not to Comply?
All liability for fraudulent transactions will be your responsibility. To be blunt, you will either be put out of business due to financial losses or you will no longer accept debit or credit cards as payment. That may sound harsh but it is reality which is why so much advance notice is being given before October 2015 rolls along.

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.