When you think about merchant service, sexy isn’t exactly the first word to come to mind. If you’re anything like me, I just flat out don’t like anything that costs me a portion of the money I earn. I often asked why I dealt with it as a business owner, but I came to realize that a merchant service account can actually make me a lot of money. I even found that depending on the Point of Sale system I used, it could also bring a bit of sexy to the business as well.
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Everyone (including myself) always asks how much a merchant service account is going to cost. “What are the percentages?’ “When can I get my money?”
While valid questions, if you find the right merchant service provider these shouldn’t be issues. A good provider will treat you well with great rates and a month to month contract. If you don’t have that already, consider finding another provider because you’re most likely getting hosed.
Think about your checkout solution that you are using in your business currently. Take a good look at it. What does it tell people about your business? Does it tell people that you’re current and trendy? Does it tell people that you’re cheap and you’ll duct tape anything as long as you can keep it running? Does it add to the ambiance of your business or detract?
Your business deserves a point of sale solution that matches the ambiance of your storefront, and that matching fixture can be of little cost and even possibly free to your business. If you find the right provider, they will provide you a solution that meets your budget and isn’t an eyesore while still keeping the prices and percentages low.
Maybe you’re using a cash register and a good old credit card terminal at your business. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? Well, what if you could fix it for zero out of pocket dollars and get a point of sale system that looks good and gives you added functionality at the same time?
Let’s take a look at some of the truly sexy features that can come with a POS system.
Faster check out times:
Point of sale systems run through internet cables so the transactions are instantaneous. No more waiting for a terminal to dial up for a transaction to take place. POS systems will also auto batch, so you never have to worry that your money won’t show up in your account in a timely fashion.
Built in inventory management:
A customer walks into your store and asks for a certain item. Do you know from memory if you have any more of that item on the shelf or in the back room? With a Point of Sale system, you can just press a button and easily check your inventory. When a truck comes in, you can scan items into your database and they will automatically upload to your shops’ inventory. As customers make purchases the inventory is then taken back out of the system. If that’s not sexy to you, we may have a different definition of sexy between us. #catcall
Customer analytics:
Do you ever wonder what the busiest times of the day or busiest days of the week are for your business? With a POS system, you can track when a customer makes a purchase, how much the average purchase was and even how often a customer comes back to your store.
Built in processing:
Most POS systems come with built in processing. In the past you may have had a computer to run your business and a credit card terminal to run your transactions but now you can have both in one easy to use unit. You can even get rid of the old cash register because many new POS systems will have a cash drawer built right in.
Versatility:
Most point of sale systems allow access to your business data from any internet enabled device. Manage transactions, inventory, profitability, and customer information even when you’re on the go. Can you run your business while on the beach? Of course you can! Now that’s sexy.
Marketing:
How do you market to your customers? Do you collect customer emails or phone numbers? Mail out fliers and postcards? Imagine having the ability to create coupons and send out emails or texts to your customers on a daily or weekly basis. Would this help to grow your bottom line? A point of sale system can be a huge asset to your marketing plan.
Make your Merchant Services Sexy!
Shift Processing has been trusted by more than 10,000 businesses just like yours. Can we help bring sexy back to your business?