There have literally been dozens of tablet-based point of sale solutions introduced to the retail market and with reason. The demand for a better point of sale software solution has been increasing rapidly.
Understanding what features are important to each small business storeowner is the key to choosing the right one.
Reliability is always an important factor when small businesses look to switch to an iPad point of sale solution. Whether its inaccurate sales figures, lost customer data, or missing transactions, storeowners today simply cannot afford to use unreliable and, to be frank, outdated technology.
For all types of merchants and businesses, the data stored must be accurate, secure, and invulnerable. The device used to store all the information must be able to hold the data under most, if not all, circumstances. A PC-based system, in this respect, would not be good enough as it can be easily damaged or even stolen. The only way to achieve this kind of security and indestructibility is if the data is stored in a cloud. Not only does the cloud offer this kind of safety for the business owner, it can store much more information than any other device, eliminating concerns about inadequate space.
Small retailers that spend the bulk of their time organizing their inventory and managing their suppliers will want to look for a point of sale software solution that almost automatically does that for them. Purchasing and organizing inventory from suppliers should be something that takes very little time and effort. Using an iPad point of sale solution should also allow busy small business storeowners to perform this action without needing to be physically present at the actual store. Keeping track of when purchased orders are fulfilled by a supplier and which items are running low is fundamental for a smaller sized retailer whose sales are reliant on being able to effectively manage inventory.
With that said, small business store owners should also be number driven, keeping up with sales reports, income statements, and even data that keeps track of which products are selling the best- and the worst. It is also important for smaller sized retailers whose products are dependent on their local surroundings to customize these kinds of reports and data by date or product type: Holidays, natural disasters, and other uncertainties affect sales, which affect trends. This prevents storeowners from making conclusions about the direction of their businesses.
Knowing that a strong customer support team is always there to answer your questions and address your concerns is perhaps the most important requirement that storeowners should have. Whatever point of sale software solution you choose, customer service is key: It allows smaller sized retailers to process transactions, keep track of sales, and store customer data. Its undoubtedly the single most important device in a store, which is why questions and concerns shouldnt be left unanswered. Small business storeowners should know that choosing a modern point of sale solution that offers trustworthy and dependable customer service is a top priority.
Michelle Yuan is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing at
