Guest Post from Lisa C. Dunn at TechnologyAdvice Most business owners today who sell products understand the notion of inventory management and how it can affect their bottom line. For example, poor inventory management can result in an excess of unwanted goods or unavailability of items often in high-demand. For those stores that practice smart
One of the great benefits of utilizing a cloud based POS system is that you can easily connect your POS with other systems. With cloud based systems data is communicated to cloud servers in real time, and just as your store’s point of sale or back office can send and retrieve this data, so too
My parents owned a deli many years ago. In the 1980’s they ran their business with electronic cash registers, a digital scale to weigh cold cuts, a calculator, pen, and paper. That was the only affordable technology available for a small retail business. My mother would struggle to tally reports or figure out what products
At Bindo we talk to merchants on a daily basis regarding credit card processing. We see all kinds of businesses processing credit cards with a range of credit card processors. Even though these merchants generally have a solid handle on their business operations, many of them do not know the actual rate that they are
Running a successful promotion takes more than inserting a coupon into the Val Pak or putting an ad in the newspaper. It’s more than clever wording, mascots, or even having the lowest price. Ultimately, a successful promotion motivates your target market to shop with you because it’s in their best interest. Read the following tips
When you own a business, time becomes a very important commodity. You don’t want to waste it on trivial tasks and you’re constantly trying to find ways to get the most out of what little time you do have. Many companies are aware of this and offer many valuable tools to business owners. However, not
Managing a retail business is hard work. To stand a chance at succeeding, you have to find a way to accomplish things as efficiently and effectively as possible. A tablet POS can help you do that. Bindo POS will help you complete the following ten tasks in less time. Manage Inventory When your employees scan
Fun is motivational. So is competition. Combine the two into a retail sales game, and suddenly you’re building morale among employees while motivating them to accomplish company goals. Before we discuss ideas for games you could potentially use, let’s look at some key components of a motivational retail sales game. Keep It Simple The game
As retail continues to evolve, your point of sale system needs to be able to keep up. When you’re choosing a retail POS system, consider all Bindo has to offer. Bindo POS is a progressive, innovative retail solution perfect for any retail business. That’s not just a sales pitch; we back it up with features
If necessity is the Mother of all invention, then history is its Father. All technological advances stand on the shoulders of previous discoveries. The history of the barcode as an inventory tracking technology is evidence of these facts. “Closed for inventory” When retailers had to check inventory manually, by hand, they had to close their
A retailer’s inventory is their own lab of balancing supply and demand. On the one hand, you want to have enough inventory available for customers who want it. On the other hand, you don’t want so much inventory that you’re stuck with extra stuff you can’t sell. But even if you run out of inventory,
Top 5 Restaurant Twitter Feeds Do you follow your favorite restaurant on Twitter? Are you in charge of a restaurant’s Twitter account and want to know how to get more followers? Check out these five restaurant Twitter feeds. Be amazed and take notes from the pros who have it mastered. Myers + Chang Myers +
How Cloud Based POS Systems Are Compatible With Digital Wallets : The Payment Of The Future Have you ever wondered why Bindo POS talks about being Apple Pay compatible? It’s because we view the world as innovators, as a company that’s taking the next step to pave the way for your retail business to follow.
Top 7 Retail Companies To Work For Working in retail gets a bad wrap, especially around the holidays, but these retailers have found a way to make employees happy in the midst of making sales. These retail companies have employees who report high satisfaction with their jobs based on any number of reasons (primarily benefits).
5 Necessary POS System Features When you’re looking for a POS system for your retail store, you want to make sure you get something that’s user-friendly and serves your specific needs. That being said, there are some features that are more critical than others for business management purposes. Inventory Management You want your POS system
5 Reasons Cloud POS Systems Are Better Than Self-Checkout Lanes Self-checkout lanes were supposed to make our lives easier. They were supposed to make lines shorter and checkout more efficient. Newsflash: they don’t. Below are 5 reasons self-checkout lanes are a hassle. 1. Limited bagging area The self-checkout lane is designed to be an express
There’s always that one person who was in a bad mood and had an unfortunate experience with your company that somehow finds the time to log a detailed complaint on Yelp. It doesn’t matter what you do or say; they’ll be grumpy regardless. Most readers have the ability to detect a bitter person with a
Retailers with the highest rates of employee satisfaction extend most, if not all, of the following to their employees. Flexible Schedule Retail stores stay open more than 40 hours each week, but most would rather not pay overtime to employees who work more than 40 hours. That means there is some flexibility in the schedule.
Introduction Realizing the opportunities via e-commerce, I ran a very successful online store selling customized platforms for high-end home audio equipment. But after a few years, I simply lost interest, despite the exceptional income. The problem was that I had no connection to my customers other than an occasional email. There was no engagement, no
Picture this: It’s 9PM on a Sunday evening and all you want to do is binge-watch the remaining three episodes of Game of Thrones. But guess what? You can’t. What you really have to do now is tally up your inventory of the week, going through the endless mess that is your eCommerce store and
As mobile phones have become more commonplace, mobile marketing strategies have become more progressive. In the past couple of years, retailers have installed in-store beacons to blur the line between online shopping and shopping in a brick and mortar store. What Are In-Store Beacons? Beacons are Bluetooth enabled devices that connect to mobile phones within
From tethered to roaming, a timeline of technological mobility There was a time when phones were tethered to a wall, connected to a line that was attached to a switchboard. As technology progressed, homes began to house cordless phones. With this, individuals were now free to move about the house during a phone call, putting
None of the practices in our series of posts about creating memorable customer experiences will make a difference in your bottom line if you don’t train your employees to implement them. In fact, it could be argued that employee training is the most essential aspect of creating memorable customer experiences. Without fail, all of the
A Tale of How To Increase Retail Sales and Customer Retention Via Education Years ago my best friend and I were walking through a large furniture store. Just for kicks, we laid down on a couple of the beds when we arrived in that section of the store. An astute salesman walked over to see
The GIF idea at the end of the last post is a great lead into the beauty of technology when it comes to creating memorable customer experiences. In addition to the opportunity for customer interactions online via social media and live chats, the digital age gives retailers the opportunity to create a multifaceted shopping experience
There is a restaurant in suburban Denver, Colorado that has reached legendary status simply because of the customer experiences provided there. People wait in long lines to pay for sub-par food just so they can get inside and enjoy the atmosphere. A windowless building has been transformed into a small village with shops, a jail where
Recently the Dallas Zoo had a live video feed that drew more than two million online viewings. The feed showed the pen of a giraffe named Katie who would give birth to a calf any day now. The birth and the calf’s first steps could be watched by anyone with an Internet connection. The same
This is the second post in a series about creating memorable customer experiences. The first one appeared on Friday and gave some examples about creating memorable online experiences for your customers. Today’s post focuses on companies that have a good track record of creating positive experiences in a variety of ways. In all of the
If you want to increase the retail sales for your business, it’s not enough to have great customer service in your brick and mortar store. You need to have great customer service online, too. These stories show the power of customer service skills as provided via computer screen. The Power of Twitter Social media can make
The income tax deadline in the United States may have recently passed, but taxes are an everyday part of life for small business owners around the world. Whether it’s sales tax, property tax, or service taxes, part of running a retail business is keeping up with the tax laws and staying compliant. GST Compliance Take
In the digital age, your customers have apps that let them search for products, compare products, review products, check prices, compare prices, and even buy the product without ever stepping foot in your store. It’s convenient when you’re the shopper and an added challenge when you’re the retailer. With the option to order a product
It’s not always you the credit card processing company doesn’t trust. Sometimes it’s your clientele. High-risk merchandise makes some processing companies nervous. Those companies aren’t willing to take a risk so they decline to serve certain industries regardless of how good the business owner’s credit may be. High-risk Credit Card Processing Businesses that sell e-cigarettes,
It’s a retailer’s nightmare. With only one product left in stock, two customers approach and they both want to buy it. If they’re not physically fighting for it, there’s a good chance you can remedy the situation. When fists start to fly, call security and put the product back on display (after they leave the
Is there anything more frustrating to see on your computer screen than this? Not only are you unable to complete the task you were undertaking, but the error message may as well be written in a foreign language. Are there 429 such errors, or is that the pet name the customer service department has given
Want to give your quick serve restaurant employees a raise without it coming out of your pocket? Make it easy for them to get higher tips. We’re not suggesting more hours of training (although that probably wouldn’t hurt). We’re not talking about table dancing or karaoke, either. What we’re suggesting is something as easy as
When Amazon Webstore phases out, some online retailers will be forced to find a new online store builder. For the small businesses that outsource web development or graphic design this can potentially be a costly change. But the entire event could also be an opportunity. Keep reading. In addition to researching ecommerce platforms, you need
[Questions you were too afraid to ask] There’s a lot of buzz in the payments community about the EMV upgrade. As a retailer you need to be informed enough to act before the October 2015 deadline. Use these questions and answers to make an educated decision about your next steps. What is an EMV upgrade? An
How To Grow Retail Sales During The Easter Holiday Easter is quickly approaching. Even though it falls later this year (in April rather than March), it seems to be a surprise. So much of the United States is still trying to thaw out after a harsh winter. As a retailer, how do you prepare your
In today’s section of the Retail Tips blog, I want to introduce an extremely valuable tool for your retail business called Sniply. As a Modern Renaissance (wo)man running a retail business, you have to maintain a strong social media presence in addition to your physical store to keep up with everyone else. We know, we know, you’re busy. Thankfully, you’ve got us to find those tools for you.
So you want to open a food truck business because you have some great recipes and a go-get-‘em attitude. Fantastic! Passion is important. But you’ll also need a food truck business plan. While the food truck is a much more grown-up version of a lemonade stand, there are some parallels to make the task feel
To work in retail is to hear complaints. It’s your job to address each complaint, found or unfounded, from each retail customer. While this part of the job is often the source of headaches, it can also be educational. Here’s a list of things you can learn from customer complaints. “It doesn’t work right.” When
First things first. Download the app The Basics Start with a username that closely matches your business. In cases where your name is already taken, get creative, but also don’t make yourself too hard to find (i.e. we had to pivot a little with @shopBindo) Choose a password that is easy to remember. Unfortunately, apps like
His reputation preceded him. Your co-workers scattered when they saw him coming, but you were too new to know any better so you asked how you could help. His first comment to you: “You’re new.” Difficult customers come in all shapes and sizes. They might be the elderly woman who never thinks the produce is
Even if you don’t like Al Gore, it’s time to acknowledge that global warming is real. Did we really think we could release all those emissions into the atmosphere without any ramifications? If you run your car in a closed garage, you run the risk of death by carbon monoxide poisoning. Just because outdoor air
Pinterest offers more than recipes and craft ideas. Used strategically, it can be an effective (and budget friendly) way to market your small business. Keep these six tips in mind as you pin. Pin What Interests Your Target Audience Or Retail Customer Some businesses make the mistake of only pinning business related materials. In the same
It’s here. The season retailers both anticipate and dread is upon us. Are you ready? Holiday shopping starts with a bang on Black Friday, continues Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday on through the New Year. As a retailer it will behoove you to prepare early for the big shopping days. Here are some tips
Your point-of-sale (POS) system should do more than just ring up sales. The technology exists to make POS systems vital elements of every aspect of your business. Here are some of the basic tools a modern POS system like Bindo provides. Inventory Management Twentieth century POS only kept track of monies in the cash drawer.
Do you remember when television shows like Star Trek, The Jetson’s and Knight Rider seemed far-fetched in regards to technology? Now holograms, video calls and communication devices within a watch are available to the masses. The future is now! If you’re in retail, you’ve already seen old-school cash registers replaced by touch screen registers. But
Running a dispensary without a modern cannabis POS is like trying to smoke marijuana without fire- you can give it a try but it won’t be anywhere near effective. Now that 23 states have now legalized medical marijuana with Pennsylvania looking to become the latest member, more dispensaries will be looking to set up shop, meaning competition for those that are currently in business will be tight. To set yourself above your competitors, you’ll need to use a modern yet easy to use cannabis POS like ours. Here are 5 reasons why.
Effective visual merchandizing has the potential to attract customers, reel them in, and ultimately lead to purchases. Here are some effective techniques for retailers.
If you’re a small business and you’re not yet on Facebook, you shouldn’t feel like you’re behind. In fact, you should be super excited right now because the opportunity that lies ahead of you is tremendous. As a small business, here are 4 things you need to do right now with this powerful social media platform. And for those that dodge technology like celebrities avoid carbohydrates, I promise you, it’s very simple and painless.
Pet stores have a lot to manage. From inventory to customers to employees, pet store owners need a modern POS system that can do it all. Luckily, we’ve got you covered.
In today’s section of the Retail Tips blog, I want to introduce an extremely valuable tool for your retail business called Sniply. As a Modern Renaissance (wo)man running a retail business, you have to maintain a strong social media presence in addition to your physical store to keep up with everyone else. We know, we know, you’re busy. Thankfully, you’ve got us to find those tools for you.
“I love Pinterest because it makes me money,” wrote Charles Huff, author of How to Sell on Etsy with Pinterest, and he’s right; Pinterest users spend between $140 and $180 per order on average. Facebook and Twitter shoppers only spend $60 to $80. It’s clear that the future of social media marketing lies in visual platforms, and therefore marketing with Pinterest is vital. But marketing effectively with Pinterest is another story. Here are 6 ways you can effectively market your business (and make money) using Pinterest.
“No thanks, I’m just looking.” Ugh. If these words don’t make small retailers cringe, they should. “Showrooming,” or the practice of visiting a store in order to see a product before buying it online at a lower price, is a very common trend that most small retail owners face. It is also one of the many ways that Amazon is killing small businesses. So is there a way to turn visiting customers into…paying ones?
Developing an effective Twitter strategy may be more beneficial than you think. 53% of Twitter users recommend products and companies. 48% of them follow through on their intent to buy the tweeted product. But how can you make your product the tweeted product?
Running a business is no walk in the park and can sometimes be as difficult as juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle on a tightrope through a ring of fire. OK, that was a bit extreme, but you get the point. Not only does it require a tremendous amount of time and commitment to run a successful business, but it also demands a person who is not afraid to fail. However, unlike juggling chainsaws while – well you get the point, anyone who is a leader, is forward-thinking, and has enough drive, can start their own business. How? I’m glad you asked.
Retail store owners often find it challenging to maintain a stable, productive workforce. Who doesn’t want their staff to be happy and content with their jobs? After all, it’s a proven fact that happy employees create happy customers!
45% of your customers won’t come back. Let that sink in. Unlike the most recent Lego Movie, 45% of one time customers won’t come back in most businesses. And think about it, why would they? They have no loyalty to you. There is a good chance they can find what you’re selling elsewhere if they wanted to. They are your customers, not your friends. The key to getting customers to come back is to give them something that makes them feel like a friend, feel like a part of something, feel like they’re getting a deal they can’t get anywhere else- and they will be. This all starts with a loyalty strategy.
Running a modern retail business is no small task. The bread and butter of merchants (and their employees) depend on customers- and their customers’ satisfaction. How often (and how soon) a customer comes back once they’ve left your store is vital for small business growth.
Fighting has been around for approximately… forever. However, like anything else, there’s a right way and a “not so” right way to fight. The “not so” right way to fight is to go into the street and start swinging wildly at everyone like a maniac. Chances are, you’ll land a few punches but eventually get knocked out or hit by a car (kids, don’t fight in the street). The smarter way to fight is to learn how to box, learn how to move around the ring, and most importantly, study the opposition. Your business is no exception.
Every business owner wants to create that special buzz around his/her store. You know the one. It’s the one where you’re the talk of the town, the bees’ knees, the real McCoy – and any other outdated sayings I may have missed. The funny thing is, you already know the formula for how to create that buzz because it’s so simple… great marketing leads to increased traffic resulting in more sales. Easy enough right? However, most small businesses don’t have a ton of cash to throw at a large marketing campaign. This is where guerrilla marketing comes into play.
Customers may be the livelihood of your business, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always want to deal with them. Any retail owner can attest to this. The truth is, no matter how rude or how unbearable they are, the old adage still holds true… the customer is always right. So how do we deal with these customers? The key is to find a way to neutralize their frustrations through great customer service.
At first glance, it might seem as though online marketplaces such as EBay and Amazon are good places to sell your product. And you’re right… it is! I mean, think about it, at 90 million visitors per day, even a tiny proportion of those visitors who view and purchase your product can drive a huge increase in sales for you. That huge number of visitors gives you an opportunity to acquire new customers. The consumer never searches for specific stores on Amazon; they search for products, which is great news if they come across yours! Having said that, don’t be too quick to jump aboard the Amazon ship. Be sure to keep the following things in mind before you start selling.
You can have the coolest store in the world, with the best products, top of the line customer service, and the best looking guys and gals working behind the counter, but none of that matters without your customers. Sure, fancy signs and pretty faces may get people to poke their heads in and look around, but it’s certainly not an ideal recipe for customer retention. So what is then? Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand to wave or secret potion to drink. However, there are a few steps you can take to help keep ‘em coming back.
Without customers, you don’t have a business. Understanding customers is just as important (and sometimes as hard) as understanding technology. First, understand your customer’s needs, then supply the products to satisfy them. Don’t focus on making more sales; profits are only a reward for creating value for customers. To succeed in today’s competitive retail marketplace, small businesses must put consumers at the heart of their business. When you love your customers, they love you back. So how do you engage your customers? The key is to think like one.
There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, in fact I urge everyone to strive for it. Take this chair I’m sitting in for example, super comfortable. The problem is, while being comfortable is great when it comes to chairs, clothing, friendships, etc… it’s deadly for your business. One of the greatest lessons in life is that the world doesn’t wait for anybody. So how do you make sure your business doesn’t get left in the dust?
Facebook her, tweet that, post this, follow him, chat them- these are just a handful of popular social media sayings that anyone living in the 21st century is sure to be able to relate to. But what’s the appeal? Why do we crave likes, followers, and retweets like my girlfriend craves an engagement ring?
If there’s one day of the year that gets the entire Bindo family amped it’s…Small Business Saturday! This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 30th, and we couldn’t be more excited.Why? Because it’s the one day of the year that’s dedicated to “shopping small” – as in celebrating and supporting small businesses around the U.S.
Today, we’re writing to make sure you’re aware of an awesome tax deduction, available only in 2013 – Section 179, which lets you deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased or financed (and put into use) during the 2013 tax year.
