Choose the Right Epos Package For Your Retail Business

There is Point of sale systems around for hundreds of years, but most of the time they were been like a cash drawer and calculator until now. But the huge leaps in technology have taken place and the humble till a long way forward in the last few years.

Today, epos package can do much more. They can do many functions such as data on sales, tracking stock levels in your inventory and even finding the best sales person.

They not only have features that come in with technological advances but also the price of a pos system is more affordable by lifting some strain from smaller businesses.

A till is now became the corner stone of a business, means if it falls short then it can also send your business into disarray. So it is a key constraint to choose a system that really works for you. There are some key points that have to be considered when trying to find the right till that suits your business needs.

Cost consideration

While choosing a till you need to look at your budget. A till off-the-shelf may set you back a thousand pounds in lump sum. A new electronic point of sale systems can be run on small devices like an iPad with subscription to software as a service plan. Most of EPOS system providers offering free trials giving a business more breathing room to find the best system and service to them.

Managing Customer Expectations

The most common and biggest challenge faced by new businesses is to deal with their customer’s expectations for the newest technology. If customers are feeling happy to pay with their mobile or contactless card as they are doing with supermarkets and retail giants and if you could not process their payments then it is harder to hold your regular customers.

As there is a decrease in the customer loyalty across the world, convenience is the key. Being a small business you need to make your customers experience as painless as possible. It is not only in case of payments where EPOS benefits customers but also in loyalty schemes too.

It is common that small business often rely on dedicated customers, so offering loyalty cards to say thank you can go a long way for using their business. The cards may often get lost or discarded, but the new EPOS can even digitize the loyalty cards, which make your customers will never go unrewarded.

          

Caring Your Staff

A smart epos package does more than a standard till, it has many added features that can be combined into the till to make your staff’s job easier which reflects in the quality of their work. Some EPOS systems are integrated with stock taking, tracking orders by table and also staff sale statistics. These features help you manage your business with more ease and automate jobs some to remove human error.

Most importantly, free up your staff by automating simple processes to add an invaluable human connection. In the increasingly anonymous digital world, there is a scarcer of genuine human interaction than ever before. So, empowering your team to do the things that cannot be done by the computers. There can be some emotional connections with customers which can be offered only by staff members which can take a long way.

Your Business Location

Standard off-the-shell tills are used more of a norm among start ups, particularly in areas where WIFI connections are not reliable. With the latest developments in EPOS systems some companies are offering smart tills that can work offline without internet. The details are recorded and updated later when an internet connection is established. This provides more security and also more freedom as a business owner. These types of systems are perfect for festivals, markets, pop-up shops and any other outdoor sales.

Tailored To Your Business

Every individual business is unique from their ethos, space, people and working style. You need to be careful while choosing a point of sale system which suits best for your business as there is no till which is perfectly suits for every business. Consider larger off-the-shelf payment systems if you have a business with more space, while others can choose smaller options like the new breed of tablet based till systems with limited counter space.

You need to consider the design of the product as it will be a focal point in your store. It should reflect your brand and match the style of the rest of your store. Most till software are customized to suit your individual needs and also your product range. If you are an eco focused brand then you may look at options that can offer you emailed receipts which not only minimise the need for so many annoying scraps of paper, but also capture customers’ details for future communication.

Not Just A Till

All aspects of your business can be managed by the new breed of EPOS system as it has the flexibility to allow you to keep track everything from cash flow to stock your items. It can also collect data and ready to analyse you everything from your best selling products to seasonal trends. As technology moves quickly, you should aim for a till that can future proof and allows you with the latest updates and developments.

Check for the monthly subscription options and commitments. Also make sure regarding the technical support issues and software updates.

In order to effectively manage your business some systems can also provide integrations with other applications into your till. Some of the applications like online accounting packages like Xero and Exact can be used to provide real time data which is helped access your account and thereby avoiding human errors. It also helps you to freeing up your time and allows you to concentrate on managing your business.

Choice of Freedom

By having so many options and flexibility with the kind of your business in many ways, it is easy to choose a till that suits your business has never been trickier. Therefore, it is vital to take some time to think about your business needs. Select an option that gives you freedom and the tools which can help you focus on the growth of your business.

Choosing a right epos package will always help you grow in your business, but you need to be careful while choosing an EPOS provider and the option to have for your business.