St Paul MN Restaurant: Should You Buy or Rent a POS System?

It’s an old question, Shakespearean even, “To be, or not to be?” Only with a POS system, the question becomes “To buy, or not to buy?” Er, rather, to buy, or rent.

There is not a for sure yes or no answer to this question, and it will depend on your individual situation. Some restaurant or bar owners will have the finances to pay for a system all upfront, but that’s not a reality for everyone.

Fortunately, there are still options for owners who need an expensive point-of-sale system, but can’t afford to out a loan for it.

Some POS providers offer rental or leasing programs.

There are many POS companies who will do a rental program, where you will not own the equipment, but instead pay a monthly fee to use the POS system.

This can be a great option if you don’t want to drop tons of cash upfront, or just don’t want to own one.

There are some factors to be aware of when renting a POS.

When you rent a POS, you will have to sign a contract, because you are leasing an expensive piece of equipment. Read the contract over carefully to make sure there are no hidden fees, or that you are obligated to pay for any faulty equipment.

Usually with POS rental programs they come with a monthly support fee, where you will have your POS service bundled in with credit card processing fees. This can be pretty sweet because it combines the two components and lets you deal with only one provider, making your life easier.

Here’s where it can get a little tricky. It’s perfectly fine to have your POS rental fee and payment processing wrapped up together, but make sure you’re not being overcharged for processing fees, or that your rates are not going to be raised dramatically every single month without explanation.

How do you know if this will happen to you?

Well, here are some situations we have seen over the years with merchants we’ve worked with.

***Disclaimer, these numbers may be higher depending on what type of POS system you rent, along with how many service stations you need.

Look and see how much the monthly fee is for renting. A fair price, should be between $300-$500. That usually covers the fees, one service station, and support. If your contract only gives you an $80 fee for renting, you can expect to see around $1,000 processing fees, along with possible additional fees for customer support, and cheap equipment.

Some take away thoughts.

If you do decide to rent, try and get a list of clients who are currently in the rental program, and talk directly to them. Finding out how satisfied the current clients are with the company’s rental program will let you know if you’re getting a fair deal.

Interested in a renting a POS, but unsure of what it entails? Contact Us.

Why We Don’t Sell Cash Registers Anymore

Ah the cash register, considered a staple sight of every retail store across America.

The satisfying ring of the machine as it opens, and the fun of pressing those buttons to tally up a sale.

Unfortunately, it’s not the 1900’s anymore, and cash registers are a remnant of the olden days.

We do not sell cash registers anymore, and we also don’t wear top hats and handlebar mustaches (although we wish we did).

Cash registers by themselves are slowly going the way of the halfpenny and the carriage.

We’re not saying they’re completely gone

Cash registers do technically still exist in the world of merchants, however, they will always be attached to a point-of-sale system, and never sold by a professional technology company.

Those who do sell them are most likely trying to make a quick buck, and don’t care about selling you a quality product that’s going to boost your business’ success-either word works.

Cash registers serve an incredibly small purpose, and that’s to store payments made by customers in cash. That’s all they do.

While there will be a few people who pay with cash, how many more are going to pay with a card?

They are singular devices

A cash register has very little to offer a merchant compared to a full point-of-sale system (or even an iPad POS).

Cash registers by themselves cannot track, manage your inventory, or give you real time tracking of what you have in your store or restaurant.

Sure, POS systems are costly

Cash registers are cheap, much like an old laptop you can buy off of craigslist.

But cheap does not always equal the best bang for your buck.

Point of sales are a return on investment for your business. Their reporting features and tracking software help you catch theft along with your supplies.

The most useful thing a cash register can do is collect money and dust, and if you really want to keep that old-timey feel, play some vintage hits and give your business a Victorian vibe, instead of sacrificing your equipment to the good old days.

Want to upgrade?

Talk with our technology experts, and see what would be the best fit for your business.

Cleaning Your Point-of-Sale System 101

Point-of-Sale systems are quite the investment. While they are becoming cheaper and cheaper, the larger computer based models are pricy, making it in your best interest to keep in top condition as long as possible.

Regular cleaning is a vital aspect in keeping it running smoothly.

If you’ve read our previous blogs on common POS problems, you’ll notice keeping your machine dirt free will prevent it from malfunctioning.

 

Why should I clean it?

While POS computers over iPads are more durable, they all should be cleaned regularly to perform at their best.

Screens can easily lose sensitivity over time, and the monitors can easy have dirt and dust sneak into the crevices.
• Prolongs screen sensitivity
• Keeps computer running
• Prevents oils from ruining the screen
• Makes overall business look better
One of the keys to succeed with your POS is how well you’ll take care of it. Although they are sophisticated devices, they need care.

 

How often should you clean it?

At least once every day.

We’re not germaphobes (okay some of us are), but swiping your machine down every day will keep it dirt free.

Why do it this often?

It’s amazing how quickly dust can begin to form, and dirt will come in unexpected days, even if you’re not in a high mess business like bars or restaurant. Dirt blows in from doors opening, comes in on peoples shoes.

Alright we’re sounding a bit neurotic.

POS systems can be unbelievable tough, Restaurant Manager can take a beating, having soda or water splashed on them, but just because they can stand up to it, doesn’t mean you should abuse it.

Dirt and dust can easily creep into your system, causing it to act up. It’ll mess up the accuracy, making the sensitivity less and making the touch screen touchy.

 

So how do you clean it?

• First, make sure you find a POS friendly cleaner. You could use ammonia-free glass cleaner or CRT which is specifically made for touch screens. If you’re looking for some special cleaner made with POS’s in mind, here’s some to check out.
• Second, try wiping the screen done with a dry cloth first, it’ll remove the first layer of dry dirt. To remove sticky substances, spray your cleaner into a freshly cleaned cloth (don’t spray it directly onto the screen). Don’t get the cloth to wet, this will damage the screen.
• Third, wipe the screen down and the printer inside and out.
• Fourth, let the POS dry off before touching it again.

Sometimes, you may just need to wipe down with a dry cloth instead of using a cleaner. Also make sure the POS is turned off, or at least in a mode where the buttons will not be activated when cleaning the screen.

 

It’s not very glamorous

Cleaning your POS is probably not high on your day-to-day to do list, but it’s something necessary to lengthen the life of your system.

 

Want to talk with POS care experts?

If you’d like to learn more about what technologies steps to take with your own business, or would like a free demo, contact us here.

What Is Digital Signage And Why Your Small Business Needs It

Let’s talk about digital signage for a moment.

Television as entertainment has slowly been going the way of the dinosaurs. Markets with online entertainment such as Netflix and Hulu are slowly eliminating the need for cable entertainment.

T.V’s themselves, still offer a great opportunity for businesses to make money.

Digital signage is the new way of advertising for your business, outside of buying airtime on T.V.

So why should you consider it for your business?

They are a significantly cheaper option are far more engaging than buying a billboard. It can even be less expensive than paper flyers to hang around your business.

A few decades ago, merchants would pay a hefty price to be featured on a billboard. As the technology has become flashier, billboards are starting to lose their power.

“With billboards garnering such a negative perception for being "ugly" or "overbearing"...From a consumer standpoint, they are a nuisance, and from a cost standpoint, they are impractical...digital signage could cost roughly $300,000, a number far too great for any medium sized business” (www.prnewswire.com).

 

Billboards are out, digital signage is in

The trend in marketing is to be a silent salesman, rather than flashy in-your-face salesman.

Digital signage can be used for more than increasing revenue. Your customers can watch the screens during long waits, such at a restaurant or grocery store. These can stream ads while entertaining your customers.

You can show whatever networks you want, whether they be advertisements for your products, or entertaining your customers to give them a better experience.

 

It’s environmentally friendly, and cheaper

Digital signage cuts down on the use of paper from print advertisement, giving your business a sleeker look.

If you like killing trees, digital signage is still a great option, because it’s cheaper than printing flyers to hang around your store.

It’s also easy to update, whatever the occasion. Traditional print, you’d have to design the brochure and then wait for it to come back from the printers.

With digital signage, all you have to do is change the theme into your network, and you can update it on the spot.

Want to make customers of your Christmas special? Trying to raise awareness for Breast Cancer? You can easily update designs on your T.V, rather than designing the theme and sending it onto the printers.

 

Digital signage is an engaging form of advertising

Stop wasting money on paper marketing that’s declining, and invest in reusable tool. Digital signage is a marketing tool that can:
• Entertain your customers
• Be changed instantly
• Show news and updates
• Feature monthly news
• Ease to use
• Reusable
• You can control your content
• It’s cheap compared to paper
Paper advertising cannot compete with this, digital signage is cheap and affordable.

 

Want to see what digital signage can do for your business?

If you’d like to learn more about what technologies steps to take with your own business, or would like a free demo, contact us here.

3 Ways To Prevent Theft For Small Retailers

Theft has always been one of the biggest obstacles for small retailers. Whether it be from employees, business partners, or customers, theft is one of the largest contributors to shrinkage.

The saddest fact is that small retailers feel the theft greater than the giant chains, but most owners do not have any type of software to detect theft or prevent it.

Below is a graph made from software advice, where they conducted a survey into the prevention methods small merchants take against theft.
As it shows, most mom and pop stores rely on paper and pen predominantly to track theft. Such measures, are subjected to error, and are not an accurate reflection of what has or has not been lost.

So how do small retailers combat theft?

Get Point-of-Sale tracking software

This will be more expensive than just pen and paper, but it is significantly going to make you more money in the long run by preventing theft.

It may cost you some upfront change, since tracking software is usually an additional cost with Point-of-Sale providers, but theft is costing your business far more.

If you think isn’t happening, you’re going to have to face hard truth.

“The National Retail Federation released figures centering on shrink and the impact on U.S. retailers. Based on research of Richard Hollinger, professor of criminology of the University of Florida, the report found: Shrinkage cost the retail industry $37.14 billion in 2013, or 1.58% of total retail industry sales. Shrinkage is divided into employee theft (43.7%), shoplifting (32.6%), administrative error (12.9%) and vendor fraud (5.4%). The remaining shrinkage resulted from unknown causes. Companies indicated that 18.7% of employee theft involved collusion between internal and external sources” (www.cstoredecisions.com)

Just because you don’t see it on your pen and paper, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

Softwareadvice also found that 37% of “mom and pop” stores using inventory software, versus 53 percent of local and regional retail chains and 85 percent of national retail chains surveyed.

Be aware of what’s going on with your store.

Check your bank deposits

If you’re just looking to see if the deposit numbers match the sale numbers, chances are you’re missing money. Use online banking to check to see how frequently deposits are made.

For example, if you normally deposit around the same number every day, and then suddenly it switches to every other day deposits, look into that. It could be nothing, but it could also be a sign of theft.

Banks don’t normally notice small changes in deposits, so it’s up to you to track how frequent your deposits are. Take advantage of online banking, and invest time in accounting software to help track your sales and money.

Be aware of employee error

Having inventory management software is only the beginning to prevent theft. You need to make sure your employees know how to use the software correctly.

As listed in the study above, 12.9% of shrinkage is due to administrative error, such as improper documentation of your merchandise. Your employees may not know they need to scan all the inventory and count it. If they don’t report that there’s 3 plugs because they haven’t been trained to use the barcode scanner, then it’s a training problem.

Make sure your employees know how to use your Point-of-Sale system correctly, and track everything. Most employees don’t understand how to correctly use a POS, and it’s something that only comes with training.

Set expectations, and check in to make sure inventory tracking is actually being done.

Want the best Point-of-Sale technology to help prevent shrinkage?

If you’d like to learn more about what technologies steps to take with your own business, or would like a free demo, contact us here.

Bundling Your Point-of-Sale With A Payment Processor

We haven’t addressed much about payment processing, but it’s central to every Point-of-Sale (POS) system.

No matter if you’re in retail, service, or any other business to use a POS system, you’re going to need a processor to support your credit card payments.

When you do rent or buy a POS system, you will have to find a processing company to handle any credit card payments.

POS systems don’t just process themselves, or magically make the money appear in your account (though that would be sweet).

So should you bundle the two together?

If you can, yes!

Having a company to service both your POS system and your payment processing is a great way to simplify the two together.

Here are 3 excellent reasons to bundle your POS and payments processing.

• Communication with one company rather than multiple. Having one company to handle your processing and POS support is an invaluable resource, since you’ll be dealing with one company you trust to help grow your company. Chances of being outsourced are minimized.
• Guarantee your machines will talk to each other. If you go with a provider that covers both your POS system and credit card terminals, the machines will complement each other. Dealing with incompatible machines that will not work together will slow up your business.
• Streamlines your business to be more efficient. With the above reasons listed, streamlining your systems into one smooth process will speed up your processes, increasing your efficiency.

These make a great case for bundling your POS and processing together.

 

But there is a condition

Wait what kind of condition?

We don’t like giving one size fits all answers, because they usually are never that simple, and there tend to be exceptions.

About that condition....

 

Do you have the option to bundle them together?

Bundling these two items together is an uncommon thing, and not a huge trend for processors re-sellers of POS systems.

We at BNG Point-of-Sale offer support through our sister company BNG Holdings, but we are one of the few companies that offer such a service.

Finding other companies to do this maybe challenging, and finding a good company to do this is even more challenging.

Companies that offer everything under the sun (we’re looking at you banks) tend to spread themselves thin, and their customer experience suffers greatly.

So if you can find a company that will support both without having to outsource you to another company, bundle it up!

 

Alleviate POS and payments processing issues

If you’d like to learn more about what technologies steps to take with your own business, or would like a free demo, contact us here.

How To Prevent Your Point-of-Sale System From Ruining Your Day Part 1

There’s nothing like technology, it can be the greatest ally in a business owner’s fight to grow their company. But as great as it is, it can also bring about some stressful situations.

Point-of-sale systems are a prime example, they can help busy restaurant turntables at lighting speed, process complicated orders between front-of-house and kitchen, but when they don’t want to process credit cards and it’s rush hour, it can lead to some stressful situations.

While no POS system will always run flawlessly, it’s possible to try these quick tips for common errors and prevent a call to tech support. Every point-of-sale system is different, but we at BNG Point-Of-Sale present some of the most common glitches and how to fix them on your own, DIY style.

#1). My point-of-sale system isn’t printing properly

Most likely the cables are not connected properly or are malfunctioning. POS systems come with color-coded cables, so check to see if the colors are attached to their designated matching hookup.

Another common problem is loose connections. Check to see if the cables are tightly and properly fastened in their proper hookup. More often than not the cords were pulled loose from constant usage, or tripping or stepping over them. Simply checking for a tight fit will solve the issue.

No cables? If you have a bluetooth printer, you’ll need to check your wifi connection. Spotty wifi throughout your business is likely to affect your printer, so be sure to segment your wifi between customer-facing and business.

If printing problems persist, a more nefarious cause may be to blame, and you’ll have to call your point-of-sale support.

#2). My card reader has difficulty reading some credit cards

If the card scanner is damaged, you may have trouble reading the magnetic strip or chip properly, try sliding the card down and towards you first. Otherwise, you will manually have to enter the card’s data into the system.

A quick note, if you have to manually enter the card’s number it will be seen as a less secure transaction by your processing company and cost more to process. Additionally, if you’re not able to read the chip on the card, in the case of a chargeback, your business will be liable.

For keying in a few cards, it’s not a big deal, but you’ll want to replace your card reader sooner rather than later.

#3). Why do I have to keep adding pressure when I use my touchscreen?

Over time your screen will lose its sensitivity, making it difficult to register the correct input.

To easily rectify this, keep your manual nearby, and walk through the directions to calibrate the screen. This should do a trick, and your screen should be as good as new.

If the screen is having problems post recalibration and restarting the device, the screen will need to be fixed and you’ll have to contact support.

#4). My point-of-sale system is slow/ showing an error message

Most likely this is a network problem, and the first step is to check your internet server connection. Resetting the server by unplugging it will typically solve the issue.

One of the best ways to prevent issues during busy times is to plan updates and checking your network outside busy hours frequently.

#5). My POS system is running slowly/longer operating

This could also be related to your network, but sometimes it comes down to POS system updates. Depending on what package and support you have, some providers offer free updates as part of their package, while others do not. Like all computers, your POS software will need regular software updates to keep running at top efficiency.

Many times, if you are not on a support package agreement with your point-of-sale provider, your system will not be receiving regular updates. Be aware of what support and updates are included in your package upfront will save you trouble down the road.

Keeping up on system updates will help keep your POS flowing, along with your business. It’ll ensure employees can continue ringing up items, tracking inventory, and accepting payments seamlessly.

A quick tip: If you need to update your POS, do not install update not during high traffic hours.

#6). The receipt paper keeps turning black

Chances are you’re using the wrong kind of paper. Different point-of-sale printers require special paper to perform the different environments. If you are using thermal receipt paper, it will turn black when exposed to hot environments.

How can you tell if it’s thermal or impact paper? Impact requires a ribbon, where the thermal paper does not. If you don’t want to completely replace the printer, then you’ll have to move the printer to a cooler area.

Final thoughts

While other problems can arise, these are the most common that could usually be fixed without a long phone call with IT. There comes a time for every business when they need to weigh their current point-of-sale system and see if it is performing at the level it should be.

If you’re unsure whether your current system is up to the challenge or want a free consultation on if it’s time to upgrade, contact our team for a free consultation.

2 Best Point-of-Sale Solutions for Bars, Restaurants, and Small Retailers

So your small retail business is finally taking off, and you're making a name for yourself in the community.

Steady customers, returning guests, and the like are adding more profits so you're not scraping together pennies at the end of the month just to stay open.

You've made it right? Your earnings are greater than your expenses, so now it’s time to relax and sip on a daiquiri, and not waste money on a Point-of-Sale System.

Not so fast

It’s time to start investing your profits into your growing retail business.

Investments into things like inventory management, transnational history for customers and receipts, time tracking for employee, etc. What should you do?

What’s the best option for a POS solution for your operation?

There's two options

One. Completely ignore the issues and pretend they don't exist (Congress does it all the time).

Or, option two: you could devote your funds into a product that will aid in your business flourishing.

If you picked option two, congratulations, you're an intelligent business owner.

The next step in growing your business may involve investing in a solid point-of-sale system.

According to Jim Hawkins in his article, "How Integrated Point-of-Sale Systems Can Help Reduce Inventory Shrinkage," the retail industry reports that 20% of inventory loss is due to poor paperwork, 50% is due to external theft, and 30% is due to internal theft.

Don’t miss what’s important

POS systems help your retail business to not miss important aspects by streamlining your inventory tracking, making shrinkage detectable before traditional paperwork would catch it.

Not having a POS system costs business owners in the long run, since they lack a standard system to track their profit margins.

Even the tightest bookkeeping, kept in spreadsheets, will still let inventory slip through the cracks (even if you did spend 20 hours on your epic excel spreadsheet).

POS systems will aid in predicting how much merchandise to order for the coming quarter, and predict future profits based on previous sales.

It can be overwhelming to invest into a POS system, after you've spent time and effort to have extra profits.

Overall, you'll lose less by using a POS system paying the upfront costs of owning one, rather than lose funds from over ordering and theft.

In the end, even if you're not a large business, your company can still reap the benefits from an essential piece of technology.

Learn more about POS

If you’d like to learn more about what technologies steps to take with your own business, or would like a free demo, contact us here.