A good retail POS system is something that every store needs to have these days — whether it’s a big cash register and credit card processing machine or a simple mobile device with POS software, there are plenty of options when it comes to picking out a store POS system.
If you’re new to the industry of retail POS software and equipment, here are a few of the most common mistakes that new retail store owners tend to make when purchasing a POS system:
- Don’t pick the system with the most features. Not only will these bigger programs take up more digital space on your computer system, but they’re likely to be much more expensive. If you run a small business and you just want the basic POS system features, there’s nothing wrong with that. More features doesn’t necessary mean that the program and the manufacturer are better.
- Don’t purchase a system before trying it out. You’ll want to make sure that you feel comfortable with the system for things like sales transactions, returns, printing receipts, adding and tracking inventory, and organizing sales reports. Not all retail POS systems are created the same, just like not businesses are the same. A restaurant, for example, probably won’t need to make many returns on their retail POS system, but a clothing store will probably be doing a lot of returns and will benefit more from having a simple process for this.
- Don’t focus on the equipment alone. One of the biggest concerns with point of sale software — especially among consumers — is how secure the system really is. The number of security breaches in the past few years has skyrocketed, and it’s more important than ever before to pick a system that has a good security system installed as well as constant software updates and customer service reps who can address possible security threats. Shiny new POS equipment is definitely nice, but you want to find a system that can support your business over the long haul.
