In my over 25 years of consulting businesses and installing cash register and point of sale systems I have seen a lot of theft and lost profits due to not having the proper controls in place. There are a lot of articles about what you need to start a business. Not many of them talk about controlling your business or retaining the profits you have made. As if you need a reason to keep your profits, I have created this list to help you decide if you need a point of sale system. Here are my top 10 ...
Read the rest of this entry »

/p> So you want to be a major player in the real estate market just like Donald Trump? Maybe you are not good enough to be Donald's apprentice just yet, but you have to start somewhere - even the Donald wasn't born rich. As you have observed the real estate world around you, most likely you have considered many different types of investment properties that will return a positive cash flow. Obviously you are in this game to make some money, so a positive cash flow is very important. When ...
Read the rest of this entry »

Many retailers have built a very successful brand without a point of sale system. Whether they rely on pen and paper, or cash registers, credit card machines, and accounting systems, a point of sale system is sometimes merely an afterthought to a thriving retail business. Yet, retail is changing; competition is increasing, customers are reevaluating where and how they buy, and point of sale systems have now become standard equipment. Retailers who are considering point of sale know that ...
Read the rest of this entry »

b> Want to Sell on Ebay? Whether you're a new entrepreneur or established business owner looking to start an Ebay business, it's helpful to learn the tricks of the Ebay trade from sellers who have gone before you. Unlike storefront businesses, there is a whole new world of web commerce and the owners that start-up to sell on eBay must understand in order to be successful. Take some time to read over the following frequently asked questions for some helpful tips and advice for getting your ...
Read the rest of this entry »

In recent years, the internet has seen an astounding surge in online shopping. This is due to more people realizing the convenience of purchasing online and deals available at online retail stores. More people are now moving from traditional 'brick and mortar' stores to shopping at online retailers. There are literally millions of items now available online. Below is a summary of the most common products sold online. According to all-rankings.com, the following is a list of the top 10 most ...
Read the rest of this entry »

Budgeting for, choosing, and implementing your new point of sale (POS) process is not a trivial exercise. You need a well conceived and well executed plan. Choosing the wrong POS for your business can be a business killer. Choosing the right one can help make your business grow to the next level. When you make the decision to use POS, you have essentially decided to change the way you do business. POS is not simply another piece of hardware and software. Think of POS as a process, not a ...
Read the rest of this entry »

In so many instances, people would always want their food hot: hot coffee, hot-of-the-grill burgers and steaks etc. That's why even on eBay people would rather go for those items that are selling like hot pancakes, so hot that they almost burn! Basically, eBay categorize these items as "hot" whenever it obtains bids more than 30. Then after, eBay would classify them as "hot items". There are a lot of items that are already considered hot on eBay, though; things vary depending on what category ...
Read the rest of this entry »

Those opening a dollar store must quickly learn cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) is their number one opportunity to significantly reduce overall costs for their business.  They realize the lower the cost of the dollar store merchandise in their store, the better positioned they are to achieve profitability.  But it takes time and focused effort to reduce COGS.  Yet the positive results are so important for dollar store business success that this same focus must remain for as long as the store is ...
Read the rest of this entry »

Copyright 2005 Donovan Baldwin Years ago, I took over as a manager of a restaurant in a major city. As expected, we had a good sized lunch rush every day, but the place never seemed to be filled. The previous manager, although well-intentioned, had been gruff with customers and staff alike. Most of the staff were teenagers, and sometimes I didn't blame him. Look, I was a teenager myself, and can remember not always being the best employee. Not because I was bad, but just because I was ...
Read the rest of this entry »

It may sound funny, but honestly, if you're opening up your own retail store the last thing you'll ever want to do again for the rest of your life is buy anything retail -- especially if it's for your own store. Buying your store fixtures wholesale is not only mandatory it's a last resort after you've tried buying antique fixtures at a fraction of the cost. Even if you've hired a top-notch retail store designer, he or she should be buying your fixtures and other materials at prices even better ...
Read the rest of this entry »