How do you know you have the right POS software for your business? While any POS system will ring up sales and perform basic functions, each product is different. Every brand pushes their own merchandise, and it can be difficult to determine which is really the best fit for your needs. To combat this problem, figure out what you need before you go shopping for software.
Is your company growing? If so, you need to consider things like scalability and integration, because youâll probably outgrow your software in the relatively near future. Do you need to manage more tasks through your POS system? This could be due to limited staff or simply the increasing demands of your expanding enterprise. Either way, review additional features and integration options thoroughly. Last, but by no means least, look at how well your POS software can handle adversity. If a key piece of hardware goes out, can you still ring up sales? What are your backup options? Can you accept multiple methods of payment in multiple ways? Finding the right point of sale software is different than using just any POS system.
Scalability
QuickBooks software is easy to scale. Whether you need a lot of storage space, or you simply need to keep track of a few crucial clients, QuickBooks allows you to manage whatever you need straight from your POS. Even QuickBooks traditional desktop software allows easy upgrades and downgrades between larger and smaller products. QuickBooks can even grow with you when you take the step up to multi-store selling. Itâs simple to add mobile hardware to your system with QuickBooks, and many systems have the option built into them. Even the most traditional desktop options are wonderfully scalable, though, and this system is the best for rising businesses with shifting needs.
Integration
The more work your system does, the less labor you must pay for. QuickBooks is, of course, known first and foremost for their bookkeeping and accounting software. Their POS system follows the same high standards of innovation and performance. It also links to other QuickBooks products. By using QuickBooks for both your POS and bookkeeping needs, you eliminate hoursâ worth of busy work and endless frustration from your regular business operations. You simultaneously ensure your information smoothly transfers between systems, without the inherent risk of error from manual entry or patched system communications. Together, QuickBooks POS and bookkeeping software can handle everything from regular reports to payroll. Just as your employees work better as a team, your software performs better when it works with other systems.
Flexibility
In a perfect world, your system would never break down, and youâd be able to rely on a single method of payment. Unfortunately, the world isnât perfect, and you can expect system errors and multiple methods of payment as part of regular business. Customers pay with cash, cards, and checks, but they donât always carry enough cash to pay for everything they need if your card reader suffers an error. If you can no longer scan cards, but you have a line of eager customers, you need a POS system that can keep up with the demand, regardless of this setback. If you cannot ring up credit and debit cards, you will lose a large portion of your sales. So, what can you do while you wait for someone to repair your card reader?
QuickBooks POS allows you to take credit cards through multiple methods. If you need to take a card while your reader is down, you can enter the information manually through your desktop, or you can even take a picture of the card with some versions of QuickBooks POS. No matter what happens, there will always be a backup. Business can continue, even in the face of technical difficulties.
In todayâs business world, a POS system is more than a cash register. It is a critical information hub with records, client lists, employee information, and inventory tracking. When your POS fulfills these functions, youâre left with an information gap that could be impossible to fill. Naturally, your POS system still plays its role as point of sale technology first and foremost. Not all systems have backup plans in case of disasters, however, and even a minor malfunction can cost your business hundreds, if not thousands of dollars while you turn away customers during repairs.
Your POS system must be able to grow with you, in any direction. The best POS system for your business will help your business grow with key features, such as integration. If your software can do the work for you, then there are more hours in your day for serious work. Finding the best software for your business is about weighing options and considering the future. Make sure your software can keep up with you.
