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Many businesses in 2014 are struggling to stay alive. 2015 won’t be any easier. Today’s cutting-edge shops are using iPad POS systems, and printers. Is yours? Be honest – are you even close to cutting edge?
What is the POS system of the future?
Point-of-sale systems, or POS systems, are how your business accepts payment for products and services. Most systems are comprised of a cash register, a terminal where the processing takes place, and a swipe machine, where credit and debit card data is gathered and transmitted.
Modern POS systems use an iPad or some similar tablet computer as the terminal, a cash register box, and a mobile receipt printer.
Older systems are hardline-connected to a local network. This used to be advantageous when the option was cash-only payment. Today, it’s a major disadvantage. Why? Because newer systems are about $20,000 cheaper to install, and don’t come with restrictive licenses and maintenance fees.
An iPad POS system can be set up for anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000, and monthly fees for the service and unlimited tech support are typically in the $20 to $50/month range.
The systems are also wireless, so you can take your business storefront anywhere, literally processing transactions out in the street, if you wish.
Why wireless printing matters
Wireless printing lets you take your business on the road. So, for example, if you’re a flower shop owner, you could take your business to a farmer’s market, to trade or vendor shows, or set up a cart in the street and sell your flowers. This allows you to sell more product and have a more versatile business.
Wireless printing and ink
One of the potential problems with wireless printing is the ink usage. It’s not that there’s a design flaw in these machines, it’s that many businesses notice an increase in receipt printings – definitely a good thing. But, that means more ink is used.
Websites, like http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/, sell recycled ink cartridges, fortunately, so this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Still, it’s something to consider and factor into the upgrade.
Buying HP 8600 Ink from Original Cartridge manufacturers means that the cartridges can be recycled, which may be more expensive, but it’s better for your business image as well as for the environment.
Does it have wi-fi direct?
Wi-fi direct is a newer technology where the printer connects directly to the computer. There’s no network connection involved so there’s no worrying about whether or not the printer will “lose” or “forget” the network when it goes into sleep mode or you shut it down for some reason.
Printing capacity
High capacity printing is preferable with mobile printers. Specifically, you want to be able to print at least 32 receipts per minute, with a decent-sized roll of paper.
When you’re out of the store, you may not have enough room to stock a lot of paper on-site, and you won’t want to waste a lot of time changing receipt roles. You also won’t want to make customers wait for the receipt to be printed.
John Sollars is Mr. Stinkyink, so he knows a lot about printers, printing and business, too. When he has time, he likes to help others by posting what he has learned over the years. Look for his informative articles on a number of websites and blogs. Follow John on Twitter.