Retailers,
are you tired of tracking your sales manually? QuickBooks® Point-of-Sale (POS)
is an affordable, easy-to-use retail software that replaces your cash register
and allows you to track inventory, sales and customers. Use it alone or get it
bundled with hardware components that can save you time and reduce errors. Pair
it with QuickBooks® Financial Software, and you can transfer sales information
to your books automatically and streamline your entire business.
POS
systems are used by retail businesses that have a need for running a cash
register, processing credit cards, issuing sales receipts, and more inventory
controls and processes. Depending on the amount of activity you have, you may
find it beneficial to start off with the QuickBooks® Financial and as your
business grows, add on the POS system later.
If
you are going to be in a retail environment, you will be much better served
starting with the POS system from the beginning so that you do not have to
duplicate your efforts during a transition to POS later. While you can transfer
inventory, customers and vendors from Financial to POS, the processes within
POS are much broader. Implementing the POS processes as your company starts
helps you create that habit from the beginning instead of trying to change
processes later. While it’s not difficult, we all know that with the various
responsibilities that we have as a business owner, if we can spend a little
time upfront and gain from it later…we’ll be much happier in the long run.
Especially for our employees who may not be familiar with either software (POS
or Financial) we may be causing them more stress by having them learn multiple
types of software.
When
you interface POS with your Financial, you do not have to have a Multi-User
Financial Package or go out and purchase another Financial license. Intuit
allows you to install the Financial package on your POS workstation for the
exchange process. However, POS does not offer a Multi-User package at this time
and so if you want POS installed on multiple systems, you’ll need to invest in
a license for each station. I recommend having at least two licenses, one for
the retail floor and one for the back office. Otherwise, you will find yourself
performing data entry and maintenance type activities out on the floor and you
will soon realize how inconvenient it is!
When
you first order your POS package, visit with your QuickBooks® ProAdvisor and
they’ll be able to save you a sizable amount on your software and hardware
bundle. You can use other manufacturer’s hardware, but from my research it will
be comparable in price and you don’t have any unified support if something
doesn’t work when you are setting the system up. We’ve all been through the
ordeal of it being the “other person’s fault” when something doesn’t work. So
why not save yourself the headache and order the software/hardware bundle
through Intuit and you’ll have one less headache to deal with! My client’s have
utilized the bundles and have been very pleased with the outcome and the fact
that they only have to call one customer service number if they do have
questions about either the software or the hardware!
When
you first register your POS software, you will receive 30 free days of support through
Intuit. When you work with a ProAdvisor, they get unlimited support on both the
Financial and POS software so this is another great reason to have one of them
on your list of business consultants! While you may have to pay the third-party
consultant for their time, you’ll find the savings in having their knowledge
and their access to extra support through Intuit. Make sure when you are
looking for an advisor through QuickBooks®, that you find one who is certified
in both the Financial and the Point-of-Sale software so that they’ll have the
broadest amount of exposure to both software products. It’s a winning formula
for your business. Often times the consultant is able to add additional insight
to the support from the company and will be able to help you grow your business
better through the use of the QuickBooks® software.
POS
comes in three packages, Basic, Pro, and Pro Multi-Store. Some of the features
that are offered in Pro include tracking of sales orders, layaways, commissions
and more detail options for inventory. The Pro Multi-Store allows you to manage
up to 10 stores from a single location.
When
you are working within POS, you will want to setup a POS Merchant Services
account. Processing of credit cards through any other service does not
interface with your POS and Financial system. Their fees are very competitive
and the benefits are great. You will have the ease of keeping track of all your
information right in the POS system for cash, check and credit card
transactions. For a few extra dollars, they’ll even give you online viewing of
your merchant service account so you can look at batch detail and more!
QuickBooks®
provides retailers a cost-effective and wide range of offerings with their
packaging of POS and Financial Software. Stop wasting time on duplication of
activities and start focusing on growing your business!
Contact: Pam
is the author of Out of the Red, a Certified Management
Accountant, and a Certified QuickBooks® Financial and Point-of-Sale ProAdvisor.
QuickBooks® is a registered trademark of Intuit. 816.304.4398. www.quickbooks-point-of-sale.com
or www.quickbooksinformation.com.