Restaurants, retailers, hotels, and service providers use point-of-sale (POS) systems to handle customer transactions as well as backend features like inventory management and analytics reporting. For new small businesses, setting up a POS system can be as easy as downloading an app. For more complex businesses, setting up a POS system may require professional installation….
Fulfillment by Amazon: Definition, Cost, Features & Providers
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a way for sellers to ship their products directly to an Amazon warehouse. Amazon will handle the sale, picking the product from inventory, shipping, customer service, and returns. Amazon FBA fees range from 45 cents to $1.35 per unit, and $39.99 per month for a Professional account. allows you to…
Planning Your Retail Store Layout in 7 Steps
Having a deliberate retail store layout is important for maximizing revenue for brick-and-mortar stores. By setting a plan, retailers can strategically direct shoppers to high-priority products and drive impulse sales. An effective retail store design also makes the space organized and easy to navigate, which is important for providing a good customer experience. Here’s how…
Types of POS Systems
A point-of-sale (POS) system is a tool that allows businesses to accept payments and manage business operations. There are many types of POS systems, each with features catering to different business types. Each POS system also has different compatible hardware and operating systems. POS systems range in price from free to around $100 per month….
How to Set Up a Shopify Facebook Store in 5 Steps
If you use a Shopify Facebook store, your customers can purchase products and services from you without ever leaving the Facebook platform. Customers can also share your products with their friends and followers with the click of a button. Shopify Lite is the lowest-priced plan, so a Facebook store costs you only $9 per month….
The Basics of Restaurant Management in 6 Steps
Effective restaurant management balances many different targets and processes to create a seamless operation. Food and labor costs, inventory tracking, staff training, food production, customer service, and marketing are part of daily restaurant management. Here’s a look at how to manage a restaurant in six steps, along with tips and advice from experienced restaurateurs. What…
What Is a Tip Out? Restaurant Tipping Methods
In restaurant lingo, “tip out” is a practice where staff members who receive tips distribute a portion of those tips to other co-workers who are involved in the chain-of-service to customers. Typically, this means that servers and bartenders give a portion of their tips to bussers, runners, and sometimes kitchen staff. Note: Customers can leave…
What Is Drop Shipping? Definition, Cost, Features & Providers
Drop shipping is a way to sell physical products without having a storefront. Plus, you don’t need to worry about storing inventory because your manufacturer will only ship an item to your customer after an order is made. You can even get started as a drop shipper with little to no money upfront. How Drop…
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Broke Records. Here’s What It Means for Your Business
Black Friday and Cyber Monday reach record numbers yet again. This year, U.S. retailers brought in $7.2 billion in online sales during Black Friday and are projected to make $8 billion in online sales throughout Cyber Monday. One of the biggest surprises came as Thanksgiving Day online sales increased by 24%. Although digital sales are…
Pros and Cons of PayPal for Small Businesses
PayPal is a payment solutions provider that offers a variety of features for its clients. Because of its popularity, online business owners offer it as an alternative payment option to encourage sales. There are pros and cons of PayPal you should consider before using it, like will you deal with poor customer service for financing…
Vend vs ShopKeep by Lightspeed: Price, Features, and What’s Best in 2020
In a Vend vs ShopKeep by Lightspeed comparison, both user-friendly, comprehensive POS systems have core features to process transactions, plus advanced capabilities like inventory management, analytics tracking, and customer relationship management (CRM). However, Vend’s customer loyalty program has more customization options and comes included in the price, instead of charged as an add-on like ShopKeep…
Cyber Monday Strategies, Trends & Sales Tips
This year, online holiday sales are expected to reach a record $136 billion, with Cyber Monday making up a considerable part of that. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store and website or sell exclusively online, putting in place Cyber Monday strategies is crucial for driving sales during the holiday season. If you don’t yet have…