by Chandra | Mar 8, 2019 | Business to Business News, News, POS Systems
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A WOMAN
You may be stunned to learn just how much women’s economic power has increased in recent years. Their impact on the consumer economy and influence in decision-making has elevated them to account for 85% of all consumer purchases. Understanding the factors leading to related statistics and how to appeal to this gender is critical to capture their business.
Factors leading to this rise in power are:
- Women earn the majority of bachelor’s degrees (57%), master’s degrees (60%) and doctoral degrees (51%).
- Seventy percent of women with children under 18 are working at jobs and at home and 74.9% of women are the primary shoppers for the household.
- Women control 60%+ of all personal wealth in the U.S.
- Women are responsible for the purchase of over 61% of traditional male products, such as automobiles, home improvement products, and consumer electronics.
- Nearly 40% of U.S. working women earn more than their husbands.
This powerful force will continue to develop and dominate the marketplace for generations to come. Businesses must educate themselves on how to approach women and meet their purchasing needs. Research indicates “91% of women feel that advertisers don’t understand them.”
(For more Statistics on the Purchasing Power of Women, including Millennials, Gen-X women, Empty Nesters, and Boomer Women, see https://girlpowermarketing.com/statistics-purchasing-power-women/.)
How to appeal to this group:
Because women are sandwiched between raising children, working, caring for the home and caregiving for their elderly, their time is limited. Customer service and convenience are paramount to a good relationship and a satisfied shopper.
Training your sales and customer service staff to create a pleasant customer experience and recognize the importance of appealing to this shopper’s buying needs will help to increase sales and develop a repeat customer. To fail to acknowledge their presence or significance in the decision-making process will be a definite detriment to the ultimate sale of your product or service.
(www.forbes.com,2016/12/32, www.forbes.com, 2017/01/31)
More than 11 million businesses are owned by women who employ over 9 million people. Of that, 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color employing over 2 million people.
Make your business run smoothly with online purchasing options, electronic billing, customer financing, and an efficient Point of Sale System. If these options are not available with your current vendor, call us for a free consultation at 866-207-3298 or go to www.cardsystems.com
by Chandra | Mar 7, 2019 | Clover, POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News
We realize that your costs for accepting credit card payments increase regularly. As your source for Point of Sale, we can help by improving other aspects of your service that save you money and make you more profitable IN SPITE OF those rising costs.
There’s been a lot of confusion about surcharging in the past few years. Can you do it? Yes and no. They are specific rules and guidelines for each state regarding Cash Discounting and Surcharging.
For restaurants, the safest and most transparent method is to offer a cash discount for people paying with cash. Advertising the credit price throughout your restaurant with the expectation if they use credit, they pay that price. This should avoid confusion and keep your customers happy with a Cash Discount Program. In addition, you must notify patrons throughout your restaurant with a sign on the door, notification at a POS or cash register, and printed on the receipt. Make sure you are following your local state rules.
Upgrade your Point of Sale System – it will pay for itself so quickly you won’t even think of it as an expense. Our POS System will even automate the Cash Discount feature for you, so you don’t have to think twice about it!
For restaurateurs, the speed and efficiency of ordering alerts to kitchen staff, and payment processing will turn tables much, much faster in dine-in situations and faster yet for takeout. When customers key in their own orders – with descriptive, easy-to-use menu presentation and clearly stated instructions and payment options – it greatly reduces errors and streamlines the notifications along the order-fulfillment process that saves time. You and your customers will love that!
For other businesses, giving customers the ability to choose their items online saves clerks’ time (and prevents complaints about it taking too long to find a clerk!). Checkout is a breeze, and if there’s one thing everyone believes is in short supply today, it’s time.
Another great feature you should look for when choosing a new Point of Sale System is the ability to upload images and price changes instantly. This process should be as easy as putting a photo on Facebook.
So what are you waiting for? Call us today at (239) 549-5055 or check out our website www.cardsystems.com.
by Chandra | Feb 7, 2019 | Equipment, Income Generators, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News, Uncategorized
ATMs still Represent Easy Money for your Business, Restaurant or Store
With the rise of online shopping, brick-and-mortar businesses today need to do everything they can to stay competitive. Sometimes that means using a traditional, tried-and-true method of boosting traffic and earning some passive income.
We’re talking about the ATM machine.
Your store, restaurant or business just might need one.
Why?
Not everyone likes to swipe or dip the chip at a business. Credit and Debit card security concerns are causing some people to stick to the safety of cash. One-third of U.S. consumers (34 percent) say they are making more purchases in store with cash because of data breaches, according to ATM Marketplace.
Avoid card processing fees: Customers who use your ATM and then pay cash in your business save you in credit card processing fees.
Where’s my bank? In a tourist market, in particular, a customer’s regular bank may not be available or may be prohibitively far from his or her local destination. Your customer may want to withdraw money from or check his balance from an ATM before making a card transaction with you or another business.
“Now that I’m here”: Average 7-Eleven ATMs perform about 3,000 transactions per month, according to National Cash, an industry provider. That could be 3,000 times a customer visits your business just to use the ATM, and while there, they notice what else your business offers.
It’s a tax write-off: The ATM is a tangible personal property item which can be expensed. Your tax advisor can tell you about how the cost of an ATM machine can be depreciated or expensed beginning in the tax year that it is placed.
Earn income on surcharges: Talk about passive income! It’s the easiest way to make money on your money.
Operating an ATM is easy and a great way to drive more revenue and foot traffic into your establishment this year! Call or email us today to learn more.
by Chandra | Feb 5, 2019 | Marketing, POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News
Is Managing your POS System as Easy as Posting a Picture to Social Media? It Should be!
Imagine being able to upload an image of your daily specials or entrées as soon as they come out of your oven. Uploading an image to your menu is as simple as posting to your facebook page. Wow your customers and entice them into your restaurant or store today. The power of an image is incredible!
As a business owner or manager, can you edit and make modifications easily from wherever you are?
Envision being able to make real-time changes to your menu, manage your staff and keep an eye on your sales from anywhere in the world. Whether you are at home or on vacation the newer POS systems allow you to manage all of your operations in one place!
The newer POS systems are now state of the art, replacing the old legacy systems and improving your life as a restaurant or retail owner.
If your current POS system doesn’t have all these easy-to-use features, make the change and upgrade today!
by Chandra | Jan 29, 2019 | Mobile Payments, Mobile Processing, POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News
Increase Your Restaurant Revenue with Mobile and Online Ordering
You know how important it is to get customers’ orders right. So why leave anything to chance? With our online ordering system, you won’t. Your customers will find it so easy to use from whatever device they choose to use.
We know that running a restaurant isn’t easy and competition is fierce, whether you are offering fine dining, a casual experience, takeout, delivery or a combination.
Move your restaurant into the future with mobile online ordering. Employees won’t need to spend time on the phone – they can serve customers.
Traditionally, online ordering was a term used to define restaurant orders that were placed through the internet typically from a customer’s desktop. Now 77 percent of Americans have smartphones, and they’re doing everything with them, including placing orders. Today, many restaurants are offering customers the chance to place orders and make inquiries online, on whatever device they use, without any interaction from the restaurant until pickup. This saves time and improves the accuracy of orders. Furthermore, applications such as Uber Eats, Door Dash and other food delivery services allow people to order food from multiple restaurants in one place. Are you poised to take advantage of this new method of ordering?
Today, more than half of takeaway orders placed in restaurants are done through the Internet. Furthermore, many different sources have cited revenue increases of up to 30 percent for restaurants who use online ordering.
Are you ready to see your revenues increase as well?
Our Restaurant POS solution is your answer
Selecting a platform that is stable and easy for customers to use brings them back for more and leads to your success. You need a platform that helps you streamline and optimize your entire set of operations the front of the house as well as the back of the house in a social media
Here’s why our POS is a cut above its competition:
It’s easy to use. The Restaurant POS allows your customers to modify their orders easily and without the assistance of your wait staff. This frees your staff to focus on in-house customers. Also, the ease of use empowers your clients and makes ordering simple creating accurate orders and less wasted food and labor.
It’s simple to set up
You can add, delete or modify your online menus in minutes. It makes running your online menu simple and creates a great customer experience. Your restaurant staff can easily manage daily specials on site, or you can, on any mobile device from anywhere in the world. Anyone you authorize can log in to the POS and manage your business.
It’s mobile-friendly
Today, this is essential. With a responsive design and customer engagement, you can be miles ahead of other restaurants, giving you the edge. Our POS System can be operated by any and all mobile devices with ease, and your customers can order from you, no matter where they are.
We give you the most comprehensive online ordering system around. Don’t have a website yet? We’ll help you develop one so you can use the system. Give us a call today and make customers happy and your restaurant more profitable!
by Chandra | Dec 28, 2018 | Equipment, News Alerts, POS Systems, Public Service
The purpose оf Section 179 in thе tаx соdе is tо givе buѕinеѕѕеѕ thе орроrtunitу to deduct thе entire price оf ѕоftwаrе аnd еԛuiрmеnt рurсhаѕеd during thе еligiblе tаx уеаr inѕtеаd оf write-offs through dерrесiаtiоn. It is designed to еnсоurаgе buѕinеѕѕеѕ tо invеѕt in thеmѕеlvеѕ аnd rесеivе a tax break in еxсhаngе fоr doing ѕо.
It hеlрѕ to undеrѕtаnd exactly how thе tаx соdе wоrkѕ with a real-life еxаmрlе. When a ѕmаll buѕinеѕѕ buуѕ a piece of еԛuiрmеnt оr оthеr need for the business, it саn writе thе соѕt оf the рurсhаѕе off in ѕmаll increments thrоugh dерrесiаtiоn. This iѕ bеnеfiсiаl, but it саn take уеаrѕ tо rесоuр thе full invеѕtmеnt cost. With Section 179, small businesses can writе оff the full рurсhаѕе рriсе in thе same уеаr thаt thеу buу it.
This part of thе tаx соdе еnсоurаgеѕ ѕmаll buѕinеѕѕ owners tо upgrade еԛuiрmеnt аnd ѕоftwаrе ѕinсе thеу knоw thаt thеу саn rесеivе thе full аmоunt in dеduсtiоnѕ fоr the уеаr thаt thе рurсhаѕе wаѕ made. Thiѕ hеlрѕ bоth thе business оwnеr аnd stimulates the оvеrаll есоnоmу.
There are limits tо Sесtiоn 179 tо рrеvеnt аbuѕе аnd еnѕurе that it funсtiоnѕ thе wау it was originally intеndеd. Thе tоtаl аmоunt that саn bе written off iѕ limited to $500,000 fоr 2018, аnd thе total рurсhаѕе рriсе саnnоt exceed $2,000,000. Thе dеduсtiоn ѕtill applies bеуоnd $2,000,000, but it рhаѕеѕ оut on a dоllаr-fоr-dоllаr bаѕiѕ. Thiѕ еnѕurеѕ that thе bеnеfit trulу dоеѕ help the small аnd medium buѕinеѕѕ owners аѕ оriginаllу intеndеd. Lаrgе businesses benefit in аnоthеr wау ѕinсе they саn tаkе a bоnuѕ dерrесiаtiоn of 50 реrсеnt оn any аmоuntѕ thаt exceed thе $2,000,000 thrеѕhоld.
Any business thаt buys, lеаѕеѕ or finances less thаn $2,000,000 in either uѕеd or nеw equipment during thе tаx year is eligible tо bеnеfit frоm Sесtiоn 179. If thе business is unрrоfitаblе for thе year and dоеѕn’t рrоduсе аnу taxable inсоmе, they can ѕtill bеnеfit by uѕing thе рurсhаѕе fоr a futurе уеаr’ѕ tаx bеnеfit when thе buѕinеѕѕ еаrnѕ a profit. Quаlifуing рurсhаѕеѕ must be рut intо ѕеrviсе аnd used in the buѕinеѕѕ аt some роint bеtwееn Jаnuаrу 1ѕt and Dесеmbеr 31ѕt оf the tаx уеаr tо соunt fоr thе dеduсtiоn. Mоѕt gооdѕ qualify for thе dеduсtiоn inсluding mасhinеѕ, реrѕоnаl рrореrtу uѕеd in thе buѕinеѕѕ, buѕinеѕѕ vehicles, соmрutеrѕ, ѕоftwаrе, office furniture аnd equipment.
Now is the perfect time to make those investments in inventory, office equipment or even a new Point of Sale System that can help grow your business and reduce your tax bill. Check with your CPA to see how the Section 179 Deduction can benefit your business..
Increase Your Restaurant Revenue with Mobile and Online Ordering 
