Meaghan Brophy

About the Author

Meaghan Brophy

Meaghan Brophy is Fit Small Business's authority on retail and ecommerce. She has provided content and guidance for indie retailers for years as the editor for Independent Retailer, a RetailWire BrainTrust panelist, and speaker at trade shows such as the Independent Retailer Conference, UpperDeck, and NY NOW. She is frequently quoted as a retail expert in top publications like The Washington Post, Forbes, NBC News, Business Insider, Reader’s Digest, and Retail Dive.

When not talking retail, Meaghan can be found watching dog videos and practicing her tap dancing skills. She has an M.S. in Publishing from Pace University.

@meaghanbrophy

5 Best Credit Card Readers for Android 2020

By Meaghan Brophy on May 29, 2020 | Brick and Mortar, Buyer's Guide, Retail | Comments (0)

Credit card readers for Android phones and tablets make it easy for merchants to make sales and accept credit cards anywhere, from food trucks to trade shows. With the advanced POS technology provided by several services and robust card readers, you can even use them in your brick-and-mortar store. How We Evaluated Card Readers for…

POS Reconciliation: What It Is & How It’s Done

By Meaghan Brophy on May 28, 2020 | Brick and Mortar, Retail, What is | Comments (0)

POS reconciliation is the process of manually checking your POS sales records against your cash on hand and credit card processing statements to ensure there are no discrepancies. POS reconciliation can be done anytime, but more frequent audits ensure any disparities are identified and fixed right away. For most businesses, the best practice is often…

6 Best Free Appointment Scheduling Software

By Meaghan Brophy on May 26, 2020 | Buyer's Guide, Retail, Service Industry | Comments (14)

Appointment scheduling software allows clients to view a calendar of your business’s available meeting times and self-book an appointment. It also lets business owners manage appointments, send automatic reminders, and accept deposits online. Free appointment scheduling software can be hard to find, as many programs are simply limited versions of larger, paid services. However, we…

How Much Does a POS System Cost?

By Meaghan Brophy on May 20, 2020 | Retail, Ultimate Guide | Comments (0)

A point-of-sale (POS) system has two components: hardware and software. Most businesses purchase POS hardware outright, meaning the upfront cost can range from $50 for a simple card reader to over $10,000 for a large restaurant that needs multiple registers and tableside solutions. POS software typically follows a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model and is billed monthly…

How to Set Up Click and Collect and Curbside Pickup

By Meaghan Brophy on May 7, 2020 | Brick and Mortar, How To, Retail | Comments (0)

For independent retailers, accepting online orders for in-store pickup is an effective way to boost sales and increase customer satisfaction by making it easier for shoppers to buy. Click and collect is when a customer selects and pays for products online, then the retailer packages the order and has it ready for the customer to…

4 Best Warehouse & Fulfillment Services for 2020

By Meaghan Brophy on May 6, 2020 | Buyer's Guide, Ecommerce, Retail | Comments (146)

Warehouse and fulfillment companies handle the order fulfillment process for ecommerce businesses including product storage, picking and packing orders, and shipping those orders out to customers. Some fulfillment warehouses cater to small sellers and startups, and most offer specialty services like batch fulfillment, secure storage, oversize shipping, or international sales. Outsourcing fulfillment to a warehouse…

How to Accept Credit Card Payments Online for Free

By Meaghan Brophy on May 6, 2020 | Brick and Mortar, How To, Retail | Comments (2)

Businesses can accept credit card payments online without any monthly or startup fees using services like Square and PayPal, but there is no escaping transaction fees. That’s because banks and credit card companies charge a fee whenever a card is used as payment. However, there are plenty of ways to accept payments online with affordable…

4 Best Order Fulfillment Software 2020

By Meaghan Brophy on April 23, 2020 | Buyer's Guide, Retail | Comments (0)

Order fulfillment software automates the process of completing customer orders (packing and shipping products) for ecommerce retailers. Large brands also use fulfillment software to manage pickup orders. For most small businesses, the best fulfillment software depends on the size of your operation and whether you are fulfilling customer orders in-house or outsourcing the process to…

POS Payments, Payment Processing, & What’s Best for Small Business

By Meaghan Brophy on April 22, 2020 | Retail, Ultimate Guide | Comments (0)

POS payments are any transaction completed using your business’s point of sale system, whether that be via cash, check, credit/debit card, or new payment types like Apple Pay and Google Pay. A POS system is more than a simple credit card machine; it’s all the software, hardware, and services you use to complete payments. For…

Point of Sale (POS) Security Best Practices

By Meaghan Brophy on April 22, 2020 | Retail, What is | Comments (0)

POS security is preventing unauthorized access to your customers’ personal information such as their credit card number. Unauthorized access, also known as a data or security breach, can have devastating consequences for small businesses and customers. Your point-of-sale (POS) system is the nerve center of your small business. It enables you to process transactions, manage…

Ecwid vs Shopify: Price, Features & What’s Best in 2020

By Meaghan Brophy on April 17, 2020 | Ecommerce, Retail, Versus | Comments (0)

Ecwid and Shopify are both popular and affordable ecommerce platforms for small businesses. When comparing Ecwid vs Shopify, we evaluated pricing plans to see how much you get for your dollar. We contrasted marketing tools, customer support options, and evaluated how easy the services are to use. We found that while Ecwid has great discount…

WordPress Ecommerce: How to Sell On WordPress in 8 Steps

By Meaghan Brophy on April 17, 2020 | Ecommerce, How To, Retail | Comments (8)

Learning how to sell on WordPress starts with setting up a domain, choosing the right ecommerce plugin, listing products to sell, and managing orders and shipments. Then, grow your WordPress ecommerce business with plugins and marketing tools. Expect to spend several hundred dollars upfront on hosting and plugins to get your WordPress store up and…