How To Promote Your Business For Christmas?

Every year, Christmas seems to move around faster and faster. As the end of year being so close, it’s time to prepare yourself for pre-Christmas trading period. To help you prepare for the busiest season, we explore some Christmas season marketing tips that you can easily implement to boost your income and delight your customers over the coming month.

What is the Importance of Christmas Marketing?

Britons are set to splash a lot of money up to Christmas. Shoppers will spend about £20 billion on Christmas shopping, but the competition for these pounds will be fierce.

So how to make the most of the Christmas shopping season? The answer can be strategic marketing and here's how to execute it this year.

Offer Christmas Promotions

Plan your promotions and sales early, and take complete advantage of social media to spread the news.

Facebook is a great way for marketing tool that can help you reach your customer base and beyond. Use Instagram to offer shoppers an image rich overview of your business, products, and promotions. Or then again you run a loyalty program, create special event discounts and market them through an email campaign with limited period offers that encourage spending.

Encourage New Shoppers to Your Business

Since the business is overflowed with shoppers looking for gift ideas around the Christmas season, this is a great opportunity to try to bring in new customers into your store.

Consider about some incentives that would not only entice new customers to shop with you, but also look after for your current customers too. Offering perks like free samples, discounts, vouchers, and competitors are a great way to connect and draw in those Christmas customers.

Offer Gift Cards

Never under estimate the power of gift cards. Gift cards and certificates will continue to top the gift holiday consumer plan on giving, and their popularity continues keeps on rising.

If you sell gift cards, ensure you have them shown at your counter, and put up an ample signage advertising their availability for customers who are browsing. If you don't sell gift vouchers, and just offer your customers paper or emails, ensure that you either have it all well signed for the customer or have your staff trained in offering them to the customer.

Plan Ahead And Learn From Last Time

As most of the yearly sales are rising on this bustling period it's important to recollect you can never be too prepared.

Managing your stock levels successfully is key to your holiday season success. Reviewing detailed reports the earlier year's sales and stock levels is important tool in understanding how you traded and how you can improve. Perhaps you sold out early, so order more during the current year, possibly you had an excess of stock a year ago so tone it down this season. Keep in mind the intensity of reporting through your epos system.

Make Sure Your Systems Have Proper Antivirus Protection

You make sure your work PCs has proper antivirus protection. You have to maintain a strong firewall between your network and the rest of the world. You teach your staff about the need of strong passwords. However, if you don't ensure your epos system, you can leave your business and your customer’s vulnerable t cyber attacks.

Why Is This Important?

Your POS system is a important part of your business. If you have a retail store, you may have hundreds of credit and debit cards that go through your system consistently. In various ways, a POS system is simply one more PC system with similar sorts of vulnerabilities. The greater concern is that if a POS system is attacked by malware, it can mean the loss of sensitive financial data. Therefore, you have to take extra care to ensure your system is secured. Each business needs a system security plan (SSP), and your POS system is essential for it.

Use Reputable, Well-Built EPOS Software

Epos software carries a number of functions. Basically, it is designed to make secure financial transactions for your business. It will also do things like track purchases to help improve the stock process. In case if you are investing resources into epos software, be sure that it has been developed keeping security in mind. Great software will make it simple for you to restrict access to the system based on employee roles. A salesman needn't bother with the same kind of access as somebody from your IT department. This product should also make it easy to white list applications, preventing malware from running on the system too without any problem. Malware protection on your system should regularly update as cyber threats change each day.

Secure Your Customers, Your Business and Your Reputation

Having a secure POS system secures your customers' data, but it also guarantees your business' reputation. Even though the fact that a cyber attack isn't your fault, it still reflects poorly on your organization. Customers may drift to your competitors simply because they no longer feel they can trust you with their data. A large data breach can also cost your business time and money and your insurance rates will go up in response to the damage. You may also catch up in legal claims if a large group of customers is affected by your lack of preparation.

Many business owners think that their POS system is good enough as they are. However, cyber attacks on POS systems are on the rise. So investing resources into network safety for your POS isn't optional if you need to secure your business, your customers and your bottom line.

How to Improve Cash Management in Your Business

Effective cash management is important for any business. Poor cash management can lead host of issues within your business, for example, inability to pay your bills.

In view of this, we have listed 5 different ways you can improve your cash management, regardless of the size of your business. It is also important that none of these strategies are especially expensive to execute, merely requiring you to re-think a couple of elements of your business:

Adopt an Epos System

Having an effective epos system can automatically track all incoming payments and changes to stock as it processes a payment for your service or product.

Profits can also be maximized with epos software with quick and accurate reports on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. These reports can interface directly into cloud reporting software, which allows for a wider range of detailed reports to help keep you on top of your business.

All transactions are recorded so at the closing time of the day, you can guarantee that any and everything has been accounted accurately.

Know Your Breakeven Point

You can't keep on making profits unless you know your breakeven point. An important reason to calculate this number is so you can understand complete ongoing expenses and if the point is too high, you can assess what you need cut. Calculate this number along with taxes, costs and income with the goal that you can be proactive when addressing your costs if they start to rise.

Have Money in Reserve

Keeping up some money in reserve is important for a business. If for instance, you have a terrible month and you are hit with a surprising cost, you can use that money to take care of the bills without going into the debt. It is a smart idea to place your profits into cash reserves first before you grow the business, if there is some emergency hitting you unexpectedly.

Use Incentives to Increase Sales

Everybody loves a good deal, so tempting your customers with incentives is potentially a decent way of increasing your sales while not costing a lot to implement.

For example, coupon codes are a good idea. You can email a customer a coupon to entice them to return to you as a recurrent customer. The coupon doesn't cost you anything to send and may bring back repeat business in the future for a fraction of the price of gaining another one. You could also analyse into sponsoring a competition and give away a product or service; the products don't need to cost a lot, while it could bring about a good amount of coverage.

Collect Receivables As Soon As Possible

Many businesses end up under financial pressure due to delivering goods and services without accepting payment. This may bring about you paying interest on loans taken out to cover your short comings, as there is no pressure on your customers to pay right away. You should keep purchases like these, and give your customers incentives to pay for goods and products straight away.

Why After Sales Support Is Important For EPOS Systems?

After sale support is so important for an EPOS system. The team here at Epos Direct is aware of this and would not supply system without the necessary support. So to keep up our reputation high, we would only recommend what we believe is the best hard wearing equipment.

Spend a little more at the beginning, and save more in the long haul.

Do not be misled by cheap costs, remember that you get what you pay for. Cheap priced units are for the most part dispatched in boxes, and then the customers are generally expected to set up and program them themselves. This isn't a simple task. On top of this, there are charged monthly support payments and licencing fees.

The basic support required for a smooth running business

•   Make sure EPOS systems are completely modified as per your requirements
•   Have on-site installation by a certified engineer
•   Have live training
•   Guarantee you can always call back an engineer for any further training
•   Guarantee you have warranty for 1 year on site parts and Labour

We offer the complete above mentioned and 24/7, call support including evenings and weekends.

Also check for remote support availability via broadband. No annual licencing fees are necessary for the software support with any good quality systems.

On site demonstrations can be arranged all across UK, thus enabling you to post questions and see the hardware in action, prior to making a decision. You can't have this feature just ordering online, it could be a costly mistake.

Know Your EPOS System

EPOS system can improve overall business transactions in all ways

It is ideal for the hospitality industry, Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Coffee Shops and that's just the start.

Online ordering and booking, Table planning, Stock reporting, Pop up notes, Loyalty system, Cover reporting, Split Bills and more.

Ideal for retail: Fashion, Supermarkets, Cash and Carry, Hairdressers, Grocers, Newsagents, Vape Shops and many more.

Bar-coding and Stock Management, Promotions, Booking Systems, Print Invoices for retail industry

Why EPOS Systems are valuable to a business:

Most systems have the ability for staff to check in and out, and you can track your best performing employee.

In the current economic climate, you have to do everything to keep up your cash flow. A good epos system will help you with doing this by keeping exact stock control data, guaranteeing you don't overload.

Installing an EPOS in your business can help reduce costs, improve cash flow and prevent the loss of sales. Proprietors and employees can integrate a few business systems, as well as simplify stock and ordering.

EPOS systems improve the speed and productivity of transactions enabling staff to focus on their customers, this leads to a good customer relationship, and boosts a customer who gets a good help to return.

Guarantee you have a system that is Cloud Based, this wipes out the chance of losing any data and makes recovery fast and simple.

Here at Epos Direct, our team always ready to offer any support and guidance you may need in case if you are thinking of using an EPOS system in your business.

How To Know It’s Time To Update Your EPOS? Part - 2

We are continuing from the last blog where we are discussing about seeing of the signs that indicate that, it is the right time for you and your retail business to upgrade your epos system.

4. Accommodating Growth and Change

Retail is continually transforming: we are faced with new markets, emerging products, growing customer demands, changing trends and rising competition. It's important that in-store technology can boost this evolution of retail. Hoping to expand into new nations? If your local POS solution doesn’t support different currency, taxes or languages, you could execute and integrate another solution in new regions. However, integration brings extra costs, challenges, risk and time. Maybe expansion into new geologies is a valid reason to return all your POS solutions, including those used locally. An unsatisfied solution, provides the centralized, real time visibility needs to make informed decisions along with all the worldwide POS standards important for cross-border retailing.

Scalability is also key to developing retailers: in case you're finding that your current system is lagging with new volumes of SKUs, more customer profiles and added stores, it is likely a good opportunity to start looking for a latest POS solution designed for scalability.

5. Secured

Feeling secured with massive POS hardware? Need a complete IT team just to include one more retail POS terminal at wherever there's a sidewalk sale? More number of retailers are designing their new stores with min cash scrap areas that no longer accommodate the clunky PC-based POS hard of the past. Mobile POS has unlimited advantages with regarding upgrading the customer experience, wiping out line-ups and adding additional checkouts when and where they are required.

A significant advantage to current POS is hardware independence: the solution has been considered to be device agnostic. As new fixed and mobile hardware solutions become available, the product won't become out of date, as did some old mobile POS that were designed for specific hardware and operating systems.

6. Lack of Insights

Without data, how retailers can make a move to improve? Reporting and analytics can be a challenge with some older POS systems. Perhaps you're not ready to see web and brick and mortar data next to each other. May be you're lacking with regards to the holistic perspective on your customers. Not only will a modern POS provide omni-channel visibility, but integrated retail analytics modules will introduce data in manners that make it significant. KPIs, charts and graphs are useful tools to help customers with focusing in on the insights they have to implement important change in their organizations.

Whatever your reasons might be for thinking about an update to your POS, unmistakably modern solutions have various points of interest when compared with what was available just a couple of years back. At Epos Direct, we're passionate about retail technology and love working with retailers to find solutions that help them with growing their organizations. We'd love to get hear from you and show you our latest innovations in the POS solutions and other retail solutions.

Conclusion: When you have the any of the above mentioned signs then you should need to take immediate steps to upgrade your current epos system. As a retail owner you should be updated with the latest trends so as to stay ahead of the competition.

How To Know It’s Time To Update Your EPOS? Part - 1

EPOS technology has evolved at a quick pace over the previous decades. POS is no longer just cash and carry transactions: it has become a key point of engagement and an important source of data that retailers are using to take care of other systems and enhance the customer experience over all channels. There are many new touchpoints, new operating systems, new hardware solutions and new technologies affecting retail software and retail business that were inconceivable a couple of years ago.

Is it time to update your POS? Maybe you've had it with service calls, complaints about your current solution’s performance, or may be you're looking to try new customer engagement strategies that aren't supported by the legacy solution. Whether it's limitations or frustrations (or sometimes both) that impact your decision to explore multiple options, then the time comes when investing resources into a new system gets significant for the business' health and continued progress.

1. Customer Experience Suffering

Does your POS give all the tools required to create the astonishing customer experience you've imagined? Perhaps you're looking to give new kinds of promotions, or manage loyalty programs in creative, innovative ways. Perhaps you need to accept new kinds of payments or offer customers the chance to get paperless e-receipts.

Efficient transaction processing is not enough, today’s retailers need customer centric features such as, configurable customer profiles, surveys, omni-channel integration, online order at the store and many more. In case you're not ready to able to provide the customer experience you require to stay aware of competition and grow your business, it's certainly time to think about updating your POS.

2. Unsupported Solutions

Most software providers will just help their solutions for a limited period of time. In the long run, customers will be compelled to pay more for support, or to upgrade solutions. Furthermore, EPOS software designed to work with the operating systems and hardware that was available at that time. Many retailers are still using epos solutions developed for the now-defunct Windows, leaving them potentially vulnerable against cyber attacks and needing them to pay more for support compared with latest operating system. Faced with the need to update servers, POS hardware or peripherals that can never again be fixed, holistic replaced or supported, many retailers understand that it's also a good time opportunity to modernize their epos software.

3. Omni-Channel Challenges

Shopper expectations with regards to omni-channel retailing have evolved colossally in the past few years. Buyers demand a reliable brand experience, whether they're shopping online in stores. They couldn't care where a product is available, they essentially want their hands on it, and fast. It's no longer accepted for partners in stores to not know real time stock over the chain. Customers won't wait for associates to call other stores hoping to discover the product they want.

Retailers need to enable in-store pickup of online orders and store satisfaction of products ordered from anywhere. A few retailers try to get by with workarounds in more seasoned solutions that cause efficiency loss and introduce lots of risk of error. Latest epos system designed for the real factors of omni-channel retail will enable automated process for order fulfillment, provide a holistic view on the customer over all channels and allow all customers to access real time stock information from all stores and warehouses.

Is It Necessary To Have An Internet Connection For My Epos System?

The basic feature an EPOS system brings to any business is connectivity, something which a traditional non EPOS system can't offer. however, contrary to popular belief, it isn't always a need to have your EPOS connected to internet. Let us clarify what we mean.

There are many specific conditions that you will run into with regards to having a completely functional EPOS that can work without an internet connection and thusly, there are a few POS systems that will only work with a live connection to the internet. In the present market, it is advisable that you have internet with high band width, broadband connections to get the best service for your customers.

When I Doesn’t Require An Internet Connection?

A POS system may be a locally connected system. This means there is no need of internet. If this is the model of solution you have chosen, the tools you use, including the till, bar code scanner and terminal, for example, it will all be connected with each another, just as with the EPOS server. Once when you have all the components of the system working in unison with the server, the server itself would then be able to be connected to the inventory management system (IMS), the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the accounting software, inside a Local Area Network.

When I Need an Internet Connection?

Should your system require remote access or multiple connectivity with websites, you will require an internet connection with work. You'll be required to provide specific IP addresses to every hardware installed within these websites.

 

If you have systems that accept card machines, except if they use obsolete technologies or expensive ones, for example, full-cell PDQ terminals, you should have an internet connection. Moreover, businesses who choose the 'virtual' style EPOS solutions go through E-Commerce websites should have a completely functioning internet connection.

If you are uncertain or might want more information in regards with your current EPOS software, or about another solution, kindly don't hesitate to connect with us. Our team of experts will be happy to help you!

How To Choose The Right Epos System For Your Business?

An EPOS System, or 'Electronic Point Of Sale' system, is an important part of your business and can be more than just a hub where transaction happen. A POS system allows you track transaction history, record data on sales and stock, provides insight into customers data on information of staff, allowing you to manage with your business more effectively. Choosing to upgrade your POS can be a difficult option, as there are multiple points to consider including budget, time and potential to lose sales during the process of switching. But choosing the right system can definitely improve a few parts of your business and increase profits whenever used properly.

Upgrading your POS

With multiple options available, upgrading your POS can be nerve racking. From iPad based answers for complete systems and self-checkout systems, it can be challenging to choose the right one. You will initially need to determine your type of business traits so as to choose one that works best for you. Cautiously explore the available options and consider precisely what includes your business needs, and you'll minimize the risk of ending up locked in an agreement with a poor system. Upgrading can have a few advantages to your entire business operation, here are a couple of examples:

Improved Efficiency – EPOS system with a touch screen interface specifically, eliminate the need to physically enter and prices like you would with a cash register.

Convenience – Having a system that is easy to use is important for a aeamless customer experience, if staff can be trained quickly and navigate the system effortlessly, it will make every transaction run a lot smoother.

Less Cluttered Space – All-in-one epos system saves space and provides a more aesthetically pleasing front counter that won't look cluttered. It also improves employee satisfaction.

Better Control – With cloud-based POS systems, sales reports and transaction data is securely stored and can be accessed from any device allowing you to settle on business decisions from any where.

Accuracy - With an advanced POS, many allow various features to be customized. With a sorted out intutive feature, it means orders can be handled quickly and accurately.

What to Consider When Choosing Your POS

The advantages a POS system brings is self-evident, but it's critical to know what features you're looking for to guarantee you choose the correct one. The system you choose will rely upon your business' specific needs, anyway it's wise to consider the points before making on the choice.

Customers

Consider how you interact with your customers, as they are arguably the most crucial part of your business. If your customer loyalty programs are something you're thinking to implement, at that point consider a POS system that makes it easy. If you frequently have promotions you need to display, consider a system that allows you to promote your deals effortlessly. Moreover, in the event you wish to send updates to your customers' email consider a system that includes an inherent CRM.

Stock Management

Integrating stock management into your POS system will provide you with complete control. Especially in case you're a busy venue that regularly sells out of things, consider a POS that gives low stock alarms, guaranteeing you'll never sell out of your best selling items. Multiple systems also allow you to see this data in real time, giving you complete control and accuracy.

Hardware

Consider your present system, what works and what doesn't. From this, you can figure out what hardware  you require. Smaller venues may just need one terminal and one card reader, while big chains may require multiple systems with receipt printers and barcode scanners.

Reports

It is crucial to know what data you need for your business to perform well. Multiple systems will allow you to follow sales data in real time by day, hour or specific time frame. Consider what data you track as of now and what you might want to collect and choose an EPOS system that gives it.

Costs

Explore all the fine print before making a last buy. Multiple EPOS systems offer a "free" POS system, but may charge you for ongoing epos software bundles that mean your month to month costs are extortionate, and you're secured in an agreement. In case you're a small business it may be savvy to choose a product with a one-off cost, you'll know what you can bear to spend, and won't have the extra stress of trying to keep up sales to keep up with monthly installments.

Summary:

After you have decided the requirements for your business and have an idea of the system that will work for you, try to see them in action. Request demos from providers and collect data as you can before making that last buy. Cautiously think about everything from cost, features and ease of use to guarantee you have a seamless switch.

What is EPOS System or POS system?

POS or EPOS you've likely observed the terms thrown around as you're trying to accept payments at a till point. But what does EPOS stand for?

Many definitions describing EPOS about what the system includes and whether it is cloud-based or server based. In fact, the term refers to any PC based POS system, regardless of whether connected online or not.

It's simply that today, such a system tends to function through online to enable seamless integration with card reader and across all devices so sales, stock and reports are synced in real time. And, epos software is generally used in conjunction with hardware like a cash drawer, PC or mobile phone, receipt printer, barcode scanner, card reader and anything else required for an efficient checkout system.

The central part of EPOS systems is the EPOS Software installed on the local or working through the cloud. This software includes an interface through which you enter or register payments, typically through a touchscreen monitor or tablet.

Latest EPOS systems include a lot of added functions for running a store or any other business.

Think accounting, analytics, stock devices, payment options, staff management, card machine integration and customer loyalty features. You no need to take direct payments through an EPOS system as you get a complete software service to help you with running most parts of a business.

How POS became EPOS

Now-a-days the more squeezing question: why the differentiation between POS (point of sale) and EPOS? The appropriate answers lies in the development of POS over the past few years. A while ago when POS started, the ways of accepting payments were completely by cash. In the long run, this was known as cash registers or tills.

Fast forward to the 1990s and 2000s and tills started to become PC’s with a touchscreen screen and software made for inventory management and registering payments from customers. For some time, these systems were run on local systems with all data saved money on a server installed on business premises.

It was during this progress particularly that the term EPOS was coined to recognize between older, non electronic POS and electronic systems made possible through computer software.

Why EPOS is POS again

Everything except a couple of POS systems today are completely fledged EPOS System. Since it is the standard, many businesses have stopped referring to their software as "EPOS", rather opting on the snappier "POS".

There's a consensus among industry pioneers that all POS systems in near future will be SaaS (Software as a Service), to use another abbreviation. This means the software can't be possessed forever, but rather paid periodically as a membership for each limit. Included in the software is customer support, ongoing cloud maintenance and software updates.

How Many Types of Barcode Scanners Are There For Epos System?

EPOS system is a combination of hardware and epos software. It works with a till, a barcode scanner, software and a touch screen monitor. This system is used by various businesses like restaurants, bars and shops for stock control, quick service and retail hospitality management.

EPOS systems can either be purchased with or without integrated parts. For shop retailers where scanning barcodes is essential, having an EPOS system with a barcode scanner is an absolute necessity. A barcode scanner is a quick and accurate way of reading and logging the cost of an item and enables a retailer to give quick and competent customer service.

                           

What Is a Barcode Scanner?

A barcode scanner is composed of a scanner, a decoder, and a cable that connects the decoder to the EPOS system. You can buy these separately or buy a scanner with an inbuilt decoder. The scanner scans the data in the barcode of an item and sends it to the decoder which then transforms the information into data that the EPOS software can process.

Types of Barcode Scanners

There are various types of barcode scanners available for your EPOS system. These are particularly made to coordinate different EPOS system applications.

Omnidirectional Laser Scanner

This type of scanner is the most simple and least expensive. It is durable and human powered, which means the customer needs to find the right point and move at the exact speed. The wand scanner needs a close contact with the barcode. One disadvantage of using this scanner is that the barcode may get smeared and become mixed up when repeated scanning is applied.

CCD Barcode Scanners

A CCD (charge-coupled gadget) barcode scanner can read barcodes easily and quickly, which makes it popular among retail shops. Anyway it doesn’t have limitations.

First, it can scan barcodes at a length of about 1 to 3 inches. Second, it can't read barcodes tags that are wider than its own scanning surface.

Laser Barcode Scanner

This is the most famous scanner, which isn't astonishing given its capacity to scan barcodes from a distance of about 6 to 24 inches or from 2 to 8 feet away.

Wireless Single Line Laser Scanner

A wireless scanner is perfect for warehouse use. It is also ideal for scanning substantial, oversized and huge items that are hard to put on the counter.

Hands-free or Fixed Mount Barcode Scanner

This kind of barcode scanner is generally seen in convenience stores and other high volume retail locations. This scanner is anchored so the customer can scan while leaving their hands allowed handling with the products. It is convenient and highly reliable with minimal staff effort is required.

Handheld Laser Barcode Scanner

This sort of scanner is worn as a ring around a couple of fingers and is activated by pointing the scanner while squeezing the thumb against the trigger or by pointing the scanner at the barcode.

The type of barcode scanner you choose will rely upon the type of things you have to filter, the kind of business you have and the budget you have for your EPOS system. If you have a current EPOS system, you can purchase the barcode scanner independently. Make a point to get one that is perfect with your EPOS software.