Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hey everyone,

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year (especially those in Retail!). I`m working on a new project that we are gearing to launch in this coming quarter. What I need to know is what POS system do you use and/or recommend?

We use Peachtree Accounting for our main accounting software but it doesn`t include any decent POS software. We`ll be running off 1 register for now.

Any ideas?

thanks!

~Allen

If you only have one store and one register then you should just go with one of the standard shrink-wrapped POS systems. Once you get into having a multi-register and multi-store configuration you will need to look at other options.

I would recommend Microsoft Point of Sale. It is inexpensive and has good support. Be aware that there are two POS applications from Microsoft. The Microsoft Point of Sale application can be purchased online from someone like Amazon. The other is much more expensive and is only sold by resellers.

Good luck! And when you are ready to go to a multiple store configuration let me know. :)

Yup, right now it`ll only be a 1 store/register operation. If all goes well could explode into larger things...

thanks for the info. I`ll look into MS POS.

~Allen

Hi Allen-

I have several clients that use QuickBooks POS.  We are able to integrate  QB with the online shopping cart (Xcart) so that everything syncs (from site to POS and back) automatically.  Huge time savings not having to manually update inventory.

I am sure that there are other options that do this...I am just most familiar with QuickBooks.  Whatever your status now I would make sure that you have the integration option for when you expand. 

Good Luck and Happy New Year!

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Laura Glynn www.parrotworks.com the art of e-learning the science of web design multimedia in a Flash!

Hi Allen,
My company provides a web based point of sale service you should check out. We have a free version that would work well in your situation. Our free version is perfect for 1 register and up to 5 employees. Some advantages of our product are:
1) We run the software for you. You don`t have to install anything or do any data backups, we handle it for you. All you need is a computer and internet connection.
2) No upfront costs. You can use the free version for as long as you like. When your business grows you can easily upgrade (from $29-$99/month).
3) First month of support is free. We`ll help you get up and running. After the first month unlimited support is $50/month.

I would be happy to put you in contact with some of our current customers if you`d like to talk to someone that is currently using our system.

Good luck with your new business!


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Justin @ www.MerchantOS.com - Easy Point of Sale Software - You`ll save time and money using our web based system to run your retail store.

Hi, Allen!

We use AccuPOS in our tea shop and love it!  Check them out at http://www.accupos.com.  AccuPOS was specifically developed to work with QuickBooks and PeachTree.  We use QuickBooks and AccuPOS interfaces great.  The company has excellent customer service right in house.  Their sales and customer service are actually in the same building, which is rather novel these days.  You should at least check them out. 

Good Luck!

Tearose

It really depends on the prospective scale of things.
I`d recommend looking into a application that`ll be future proof. (e.g. multi location interconnection, remote management/monitoring and etc)

Although not as known as others, posmatic pos seems to be great - in terms of functionality, usability and design. Alot of restaurants and stores seem to use their software in the nyc area. Had the opportunity to view it in action in one of the restaurants I had dinner at. Seems stable and I liked it.

http://www.posmatic.com

 

Volante POS Systems offers a POS system that is cross platform compatible (Windows/Linux/Unix), and it won`t crash.  It is also designed to grow with your business - embedded in the architecture is a small footprint upgrade system.  When you expand beyond one terminal, Volante will grow with you and allow your system to stay current.
http://www.volantesystems.com/

I`ll cast another vote for the QuickBooks POS system.  One big reason is affordability.
The other far and away most important reason is the superior support QB offers. 
I work in the merchant services field and have had to deal with many merchants  POS systems and can tell you first hand:  Before-and-after-the fact hardware support is a very big issue.

Check out the QB line at http://trial.quickbooksretailers.com/o.php?client_id=341&bracketid=2333&src=SEM-Hybrid&loc=Google&plc=Brand_Pos&key=quickbooks_pos_merchant&SiteID=10420281

But do NOT buy from this site....get back to me first.  If you get your merchant account via us, I can save you bucks by directing you to a wholesale source for the hardware.

Good luck in your new business.

AMSPCS
amspcs@juno.com
www.MerchantServices-help.com