Choosing the right POS for your restaurant chain

Imagine this scenario.

Business is booming. In fact, it’s going so well you have a line of hungry customers waiting to be seated. Meanwhile, a customer comes up to the front to pay their bill. They don’t know their table number and you didn’t serve them. A good POS will help you locate their table on a seating chart allowing you to maintain the momentum of the day and get those waiting customers seated at a table.  

But knowing which POS software to get can be tricky. The right software can improve the efficiency of your business and stop those waiting customers from finding a feed elsewhere.

As a small business owner, you can’t be an expert in everything.

Having an IT professional help explain the pros and cons of the various software options can give you peace of mind and reassurance when making a decision. They’ll break down the lingo so you can be clear about your choices. Running a small business is hard; turn down the pressure of choosing your POS software by engaging an expert who’s made the correct decision time and time again.

But while you’re here, we’ve got a few tips to get you started.

Budget

As with any business decision, the first thing to work out is how much you need and are willing to spend. There are lots of options out there, so the critical thing is to work through each, carefully.

Look at the different fees and charges of the various providers and consider how much they will impact different aspects of your business. For example, do they charge installation fees or cancellation fees? How much do they charge per transaction?

Remember to back yourself. You know your business better than anyone. You need to consider your current needs, but also your projected growth. Don’t pay for something you don’t need, but don’t skimp either.

Cloud-based or on premises?

Cloud-based POS systems are great because they allow all your sales data to be stored online, in the same place. The benefit here is you won’t need clunky and chunky hardware located on your premises. Which means you’ll make some handy savings, too, such as on power and hardware management.

Cloud-based systems also allow you to access your data anywhere, anytime. On the other hand, on-premises systems might work better for business owners who don’t consider themselves particularly tech-savvy. Having critical sales information stored on a hard drive can be a source of comfort. Again, it is about knowing what works best for you and your business.

Features

Do you need a POS system that is capable of:

• Running loyalty programs?
• Allocating tables?
• Providing customer analytics reports?
• Managing basic accounting needs?

Much of this will depend on the staffing arrangements of your business. The best POS systems can do much more than execute simple payments, and finding the right one can significantly streamline and enhance your business operations.

Security

Just like you need a secure cash register, you need a secure POS system to ensure confidential customer data is kept safe. When setting up your POS, it is critical to consider who has access to the information stored within it, and how they can access this information.

Support

As a small business owner, you can’t afford to have your POS system fail. Neither can you constantly be on call to fix it! You need a good support process to help you manage your POS so it achieves all the things you need it to, reliably and on budget. This means you need reliable and on budget support. Happily Just Make It Work is here to provide that!

Need help deciding which POS will work for you? Or want help setting it up? At JMIW we’ve done this time and time again. Talk to us about our easy prepaid packages and money back guarantee.