Most of us think that theft is the biggest concern when it comes to losses. If you think this, then consider this. Who has the most access to your inventory, money, cash register, tool, and is most comfortable in your store. The guy walking in. A good source of this is to look at major retailers and casinos. Where do they concentrate their sources (i.e. cameras) on? Such establishments focus at a ratio of 1 to 4 on their employees. In many major retailer, employees have separate entrances and exits. The security personal and apparatus spend most of their resources monitoring employees.

According to the Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) survey conducted between 2008 and 2009 found that the median loss to a US business from employee fraud is a whopping $105,000. That can mean the difference between and profitable and a negative business. The report was titled the 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud & Abuse and studied over 1,800 organizations. The study reported that the majority of the fraud was committed by lower-level employees costing the company on average $50,000. You can read the entire 85-page for yourself.

In short, the largest source of shrinkage (loss of inventory/tools) or loss of funds are employees. Over 25 percent of employees steel and if not stopped become habitual. This is one of the main reasons POS & CCTV systems immediately increase your bottom line.  The three top source of losses include:

1. Employee fraud, theft, and scams (Coming soon: What are the types of scams employees use with POS systems?)
2. Theft from outside.
3. Damages.

STOP SHRINKAGE NOW!

Contact US
Call us 855-POS-SALES or 855-CCTV-SALES
www.SintelSystems.com

The sooner the more profitable.

When, where, and what type of business one should open are all parts of the decision making process. But how about when is the right time to obtain a point of sale and CCTV system for your new business? There are several factors in business one does not have control; however, there are many crucial matters that one has control over. And timing is of the essence. For example, you won’t stock your shelves with summer clothes in December in Chicago & you won’t start selling Christmas Cards in your gift shop in March. Some of these decisions are common sense.

So the key is to make most of your decisions based on common sense. Take the time to do the analysis without your emotions.

So back to when should I start thinking about buying the POS and the security cameras systems along with all my other technology needs?

The sooner the more profitable.

Some of our clients contact us before even choosing where or what type of business they should open and have found Sintel Systems to be truly a one stop solution provider. Our partners at Affiliated Research Economics who provide business consulting based on econometrics and analytical have helped customers decide if the business is right, if the location is right, and most other ifs. Imagine how much you save with this kind of advise!!! For more on this read: Who can help me with business consulting?

If you have not opened your location, then seriously consider getting your POS, CCTV, Phone System, Networking, and  all other technology needs before opening because:

1. Time Sheet: You will need to track your employees time sheets. The POS systems does that. Advice: Treat yourself also as an employee and track your own time.
2. Decrease Losses: Businesses utilizing this technology decrease losses. So don’t even let the losses start. (Coming soon: What is the largest source of business losses? Internal shrinkage, damages, or theft?)
3. Employee Moral: Employee turnover rates are lower and productivity is higher when employees enter an environment with systems installed.
4. Save Time: Average business owner’s without POS spend 1 hour per day on accounting without a POS system. How much is your time worth?
5. Save Money: It is much different when you hand your accountant POS reports rather than a bunch of papers. You save them time, they charge you less.
6. Growth: Start your goals of growth before you even open.
7. Organization: A business by definition is an organization. It is much better if you are organized from the beginning.
8. Investment: Look at the POS & CCTV system as an investment. Just ask your accountant how they expense the systems. As an investment!
9. Customers: Keep track of your customer information
10. Gift Cards: Sell gift cards and get future revenue now to reinvest in your business. Did you know that about only 80% of give cards are redeemed on average.
11. Infrastructure: You can integrate the systems including the need for any wiring if you start thinking early. You may want to work the POS system into you counter. We can provide your contractor all the needed info to that.
12. Increase productivity:  Let your business experience its learning curve early on. Use the time before opening to train your employees.
13. Accountability: When something happens, you can find out what happened and then correct the matter.
14. Insurance: Don’t get caught in a fraudulent slip/fall claim. Keep your insurance premiums udder control.
15. Control: Have firm control over your operation from the first day you open!!!!

Some of the understandable reason for deferring system implementation which have been noted include:

• I lack the time: If you think you lack time, then brace yourself when you open. A POS and CCTV camera will save you much needed time. Look at it as your silent partner and read this: How much can cash register order errors cost?
  
• I lack the finances: Very understandable. If so, look over everything again and please read: I need multiple POS systems with limited finances. What are my options? Should I look into used or cheap POS system?
• Let me open and see what happens: You are entering into business to succeed and need to take control. We’ve all heard “don’t take a knife to a gun fight.” Same concept. You competition is using everything at its disposal.

Falling into the excuse traps of above will only effect your bottom line.

If you have an existing business, then the time is now. Exiting businesses which implement a POS and CCTV system see an immediate increase in productivity and decrease losses. It is important to not that the:

A POS and CCTV offer immediate benefits, but effective implementation aligned with your policy is important in further enhancing the benefits of your systems.

So whatever stage you are at your business, get in touch with us see how Sintel System will become a partner in your success. If you want real business consulting then get in touch with Affiliated Research Economics.

Contact US
Call us 855-POS-SALES or 855-CCTV-SALES
www.SintelSystems.com

Want to know how we can offer such great products and services at competive prices? Please Read: How can Sintel Systems offer the best POS, but at relatively cheap prices?

If you have read our article below then you would know that there is no such thing as a free POS system? Typically “free” point of sale systems end up costing a lot more, not just because of lack of quality, but in actual money paid for the POS.  If you have not read these articles, we strongly suggest you read them before proceeding:

1. Can I get a Free Point of Sale POS systems with Merchant Account or Credit Card Processing?
2. What is the difference between Sintel Systems and a free point of sale POS system?

So what are merchant account loans? Merchant accounts are the way in which merchants accept credit cards. So a company goes through a service provider and gets and gets an account to be able to take credit cards. Couple of pieces of useful advise before going on:

• In case you are looking for a merchant account, do not only consider merchant account fees as the sole determinant of who to go with. Instead consider on the processing time and customer service. Saving a few dollar is not worth slower speeds. It just does not make sense and you can read more on the importance of credit card processing times here:
• Get your merchant account from your POS provider. Integrated systems just get you much better overall service. If you have a merchant account and want to get a POS, then read: “What do I do if I have an merchant account, but want an integrated point of sale systems?”

As we all know the company will pay a certain amount (usually per transaction and/or percentage) to the merchant account. So lets assume you charge $100 daily on your merchant account and end up paying 2.5 percent or $2.5 per in fees for the $100.  That is pretty straight forward.  A merchant account loan is when the credit card processor gives you a loan and then they take a certain amount of revenues each month until your account is paid in full.  So say that you take a loan for $10,000 from them, then charge $100 per day on credit cards so you generate $3,000 in CC charges each month. So as an example, you agree to pay them 20% of your revenues each month towards the loan.  So in this case, you pay them $600 a month until your loan is paid.

How is it that some claim it as free? They basically loan you the money to buy the POS at a higher price and then charge an interest on top of it.

So is this a good idea? It depends on:

• The interest rate they are charging on the money you are borrowing and how much you anticipate to generate in CC sales.  The higher the interest and the lower your projected credit card sales, the worse off you are.
• If you are considering to basically go for the “free system” be careful on how much you really end up paying for the POS. In these cases, POS systems are priced much higher than they should be.

Since these rates are typically higher, we usually recommend customers look into all potential sources and then compare each of them.

So once again, the answer is that there is not such thing as a free POS system.

Question or Comment? Contact Us or Call Us 855-POS-SALES
Looking for an integrated POS & credit card processing? Sintel Systems can help

What are gift card or gift certificates? Wikipedia defines Gift Cards as “restricted monetary equivalent or scrip that is issued by retailers or banks to be used as an alternative to a non-monetary gift.”

Now can gift cards or gift certificates expire? A very good question!

Short Answer: It Depends.

On what: The laws governing your State or Country.

As an example, in California, the Department of Consumer Affairs regulates Gift Cards and you can read more on it here.

Our recommendation:

1. Familiarize yourself with the laws governing your jurisdiction.
2. Go beyond the laws to satisfy your customers. How? Read these examples:

• A. Example 1: The laws in your State says that Gift Cards expire after two (2) years and the store can reject any older cards. Let your customers know that their gift cards don’t ever expire!
• B. Example 2: The laws in your Country say that the store does not have to refund the money on Gift Cards. A customer rushes and says that he wants to get 10 gift cards for his employees. He asks, “what happens if I only give out 8? Can I return the rest?” Make it your stores policy to refund Gift Cards that are not uses.

If you treat your customers the way you want to be treated, then you are on your way to success.

Get your custom Gift Cards from Sintel Systems. The holidays are around the corner, so don’t delay.

Contact Us
855-POS-SALES
www.SintelSystems.com

Ever wonder how small businesses turn into a franchise? Or how a store fails in a a busy location, but the same store flourishes where no one would ever imaged it would?

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A.R.E.

We have all heard that success is dependent on three factor: Location, Location, Location. Well, then what is the right location? One with a lot of foot traffic, visibility, or easy access? The notion of a good location is that it will bring in the most customers and therefor you’ll make the most money. One problem: The better the location in perceived to be, the higher the rent. So a better location needs more revenue just to break even and that may be worth it.

A better way yo look at rent and location is to consider it marketing expense just like you look at all your other forms advertisements.  So if you have a set marketing budget, then the more you spend on rent the less is available for other types of advertising such as mailer and TV adds.  This makes perfect sense since a location with visibility on a main street would to spend less on mailers to ensure that the trade areas customers know of its existence.

More to come soon…, but contact www.AffiliatedResearchEconomics.com if you need business consulting.

Earlier today I walked into an Italian Deli which has one of the best sandwiched I have tasted. The place has been owned and operated by the same family since the 1960s and little has change. Its one of those traditional deli/markets which carries a bunch of imported Italian goods including pastas, wines, a variety of gelatos and of course your meats and cheeses. There is only one problem with the place. It typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes from the time you step in to the time you get your sandwich. Well, a good place does deserve a wait. So, when I am in a hurry,  just phone in my order and pick it up.

A little more about the place it has two counters. The main counter is for walk in customers who want to order sandwiches and make purchases. It has two cash registers, a credit card processing machine, and two scales.  The side counter has one cash register, one large calculator, a separate credit card processing machine, and a scale. It is for pick up customers like me.

So I place my order with the deli on the phone and make my way there. When I walk in, there is a long line at the main counter and about two people at the side counter. So now I am third in line and by chance see my sandwiches prepared and ready in the fridge next to the counter. The lady in front of the line had apparently placed a phone order and was there to pick up some sandwiches. The staff was unable to find her order. Then she proceeded to call her husband to find out what the order was. The staff was still unable to find the order after she relayed the message from her husband over to them. Then the customer was asked by the staff who she spoke to. She stated that when she called, a woman picked up the phone and then a man took the order. (Same thing happened to me). This went on for at least five minutes and I just continued to observe the matter and the store. What was happening?

1. Almost three workers were trying to locate the order.
2. The lines were getting longer at both counters.
3. Customers were starting to show signs of frustration.
4. The lady was now arguing with her husband on the phone.
5. The place was getting so busy that some customers entering the store, were leaving immediately.

As this was going on they just decided to place the order again at which point the lady was asking her husband to once again give the specifics of the order. So once again, they wrote the order down on paper and took it back to make it. As they went back, a third worker returned from the back with the order slip stating that he was already making the order. By now at least eight minutes had passed by and occupied the time of about three workers.

All this was happening while my sandwiches which were ready were sitting in the fridge looking at me. Now the original lady stepped to the side frustrated and the customer I in front of me proceeded to the counter with several items in her hand and apparently. That took another five minutes which included the staff having to look up the price for two items, getting the sandwiches, ringing them up on the cash register, and then running on a credit card machine that took about 25 seconds (I timed it) to process. Just to put in perspective, this entire transaction should have taken under 60 seconds, but too over five minutes.

It was almost my turn after 15 minutes, right? Wrong!

Now the original lady’s order was ready and that took another 5 minutes.

Finally it was my turn after 20 minutes. The staff asked me what I was getting and I actually pointed to the sandwiches in the refrigerator. She got the sandwiches. Had to look up how much each cost and rang it up on the cash register. Then had to take my credit card, run it on a separate credit card machine, wait for it to print, and had me sign. I was only presented with the credit card receipt and no actual product receipt. How is the credit cards receipt and regular receipt consolidated? It is not.

The moral of story: The place has the best sandwiches, but is not operating satisfactorily. It is conceivable that this happens at least once a day and if we assume that the places looses just two customers who don’t want to wait then that is about $30 per day. That is a very conservative estimate. Lets say the places looses another $30 due to employee error. Again, a very conservative estimate, then that is $60 a day and $1500 a month. They are closed on Sundays. That is about $18,000 a year and again is very conservative. Our partners at Affiliated Research Economics (a business consulting firm) put the estimates upwards of at least $60,000 or more.

The solution is very simple: A multi-station point of sale system from Sintel Systems would greatly reduce this. All this at a fraction of the losses being experienced. What kind of a POS systems do they need:

1. Multi-Station Deli/Market POS
2. Integrated Credit Card Processing (included above)
3. Scales
4. Kitchen Display

All this at about a quarter of the estimated annual losses!

We have not named the deli here because we do not want to discourage anyone from visiting this fantastic place. And we do not believe in hard selling. Sintel Systems is a solutions provider and POS is part of our solutions package. I’ve simply let the owner know. We look forward to assisting them and if we do, we plan on keeping you updated.

Question or comments, contact us

CALL US: 855-POS-SALES
EMAIL US: sales@sintelsystems.com
VISIT US ONLINE: www.SintelSystems.com

This is a completely understandable concern and we got an email from a potential customer regarding this. The question is reflective of a smart customer, business owner, who categorizes POS Systems as an investment rather then a cost.

Questions about buying Point of Sale:

• Should I buy a used POS?
  Short Answer: NO

• Should I buy a cheap POS?
  Short Answer: NO

Generally speaking, we would say that your situation with limited finances depend on several matters.  We stress the importance of looking at other available options and strategies that will allow for growth without downtime due to faulty Point of Sale Systems.

• Stage of business: If you have not started operations, then we would say make sure you are looking at POS as an investment and not simply as an expense. It is what will give you control over many aspects of your business and starts repaying you the minute you start using it.

1. So, if you are just starting, look to see if you can reallocate other non essential or deferable expenses towards your POS investment.
2. If you are already in business, see if you can cut any truly unnecessary expenses. Look at some of you reoccurring expenses and see if you can cut them by a few percentage. If you have already done all the math and still can’t budge it, then read on.

• Financing option: We work with several financing companies to help with your financing, but we do not do in-house financing and do not gain any extra benefits when you finance. We see in-house financing and “kick-backs” as a conflict of interest and have decided to put out customers long term interest ahead. You can read more on this subject here: What is the Best Financing method for Point of Sale? In-House POS Financing or Third Party POS Financing?. As for financing, you can always choose this path. Your choice will depend on the rate you can get and how you can allocate the funds you are financing. If you go down the financing path, make sure to go with a trusted source, read the fine print, and read our blog: “free point of sale.”

• Expandable option: If the above options doe not work, then you can consider purchasing one expandable with the option to add a second system when you are ready.
  How do I accommodate my traffic with only 1 unit?
  A POS System should emphases on efficiency.  Transaction Speed is very important. Sintel Systems designed POS Systems based stability and efficiency.  Where most POS Systems process transactions from A to Z in just about a minute at best, we can get it done in under 20 seconds. If that is not enough you must be making enough money to buy another system quick. Read our blog on Importance of Processing Time.

IN CONCLUSION: Given the dependability of a business to process transactions using a POS System it is very important that your POS purchase is not a recipe for disaster.

• FOR EXAMPLE:  Let’s admit that it is possible to loose $10 a day do to various reasons ranging from miscalculation, to mishandling of money. That’s $300 a month.  Starting at $2500-$2800 for a Complete POS System including Support has only a break even point of 8-10 Months.
• FOR EXAMPLE:  Let’s assume that as a Business Owner/Operator it takes about 1 Hour per day, if not more, to complete all administrative duties such as opening, closing, and employee time clock management.  That’s 30 Hours a month. How much is your time worth? As an owner and manager, you should calculate your time at about $27 per hour to start.
• FOR EXAMPLE:  Let’s assume you need Time Cards so that employees can clock in and out. Weather they do it by hand or use the machine you still need to buy the supplies. That’s another cost you will not have since the POS System will supply you with the function and reporting of payroll hours.
• FOR EXAMPLE: Let’s assume each employee gains 5-10 minutes on average every day for being late or break time that’s not deducted. Working 5 Days a week with 5 employees a conservative estimate would be 125- 250 minutes a week wasted or 500-1000 minutes a month.  At a rate of $10 per hour that is 8-16 hours a week totally $80-$160 a month.

For these reason we stress the importance of prioritizing “Point of Sale” at the top with “Product” and “Location.”  It is important for Sintel Systems to provide high quality hardware and software and never provide any used or refurbished POS Systems. It is extremely important to distinguish between expenses and investments in your business. Try to avoid future disasters for the same reasons you would not buy an undependable delivery tuck if your company main line of work was delivery, or buy expired food products if you had a restaurant, or hire cheap labor to manage your business.  POS & security camera systems fall in the same category except that the rate of return on these investment far surpasses any other one.

Question or comments, contact us

CALL US: 855-POS-SALES
EMAIL US: sales@sintelsystems.com
VISIT US ONLINE: www.SintelSystems.com

Part II: The Gelato Challenge (Read Part I)

So we started on this journey and decided to just hit the streets. What we found about San Francisco is that Gelato is served both in dedicated Gelaterias that only sell Gelato & Sorbet and also in other desert shops where the Gelato is part of other goodies. So these are the ones we’ve visited so far:

Fist Stop: Naia Gelateria — 520 Columbus, San Francisco, Ca 94133 (415) 677-9280

Naia - San Francisco - Gelato Store

Second Stop: Gelato Classoico — 576 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 391-6667

Classico - San Francisco - Gelato Store

Third Stop: Z. Cioccolato — 474 Columbus, San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 395-9116

Z Cioccolato - San Francisco - Gelato Store

For information on POS systems for Gelato Shops & Gelaterias go to www.GelatoPOS.com

San Francisco POS – San Francisco Point of Sale – San Francisco Cash Register

Had a call earlier form a customer in the San Francisco Bay Area and first thing he asked was “Why do you claim to be the best point of sale company in San Francisco?” For those who have experienced us, you know.  Not only do we appreciate the trust you put in us, but also the kind manner in which your refer other customers to us. When you refer a business you like to others, you decrease the cost and increase the service for everyone involved. Your referrals allow us to concentrate our resources on our customers instead of advertisements. Remember that we are happy to share in our success with our Referral Program.

So why is Sintel Systems for the bay area????? Because we understand San Francisco like no one else. Few others can claim that they have walked most of San Francisco and instead of trying to sell to you, we have listed to your specific needs. We take our family vacations in the City and visit. We sit at restaurants along Columbus in North Beach, enjoy the Caffes (yes they typically spell it like the Italians) in Cow Hollow, hang out Haight, and get produce at Castro’s Farmer’s Market. San Francisco does it differently and we support it. Its the nations second densest City in the Union, but the big names and corporates have not been able to invade.Most businesses are family run and so are we. We understand that some owners dream of expansion while others just want more time with their families.

So, put your trust in Sintel Systems to help your business grow or make more time to enjoy with the family and understand why Sintel Systems is the best of San Francisco.

Contact us today for all your point of sale needs from North Beach to Mission and beyond, we are ready to help.

Who has the fastest and best payment merchant account services?

Credit Card Processing time is defined as the time it takes to run your  transaction once a credit card has been presented and charged. The bigger picture is total transaction item which starts from the time your customer starts the order until the completion. Obviously the importance increases with increasing volume and also on how busy you get. As an example, a coffee shop runs many more transactions that a restaurant; however, the same applies. Why?

In a coffee shop, the customer comes up to the counter, places the order, and payment is rendered. You employee has minimal movement. In a restaurant, the bill is given to the customer who then presents payment.  The waiter then takes the credit card or payment to the POS station for processing. If the process is quick (within seconds), then the waiter can immediately return the receipts to the customer for printing.  If it take some time, then the employee is forced to either wait or tend to other matters and return. This case would substantially increase the timing. If each transaction is increase by only 3 minuets and the average waiter tends to 8 tables an hour, that is an extra 3 hours per day!!! Wow!!

Now back to the coffee shop example whose transaction is similar to frozen yogurt shops, and all other counter service uses. The main issue with increased transaction times is loss of customers. Lines in your store can be a good sign, but can also deter would be customers, so increasing the speed of each transaction is vital. The average Credit card transaction takes about 15 seconds. So what would happens if you could cut that time by half over 200 typical transactions each employee runs at a counter-service establishment.  That is about 200 times 7.5 seconds. That is 25 minutes of saving. How about if cut it down form 15 seconds to 3 seconds, that is now 45 minutes.

The point of this story is that transaction times are the mos important factor and that is why

• Merchant account fees should not be the sole determinant of your merchant service.
• You credit cards and gift card services should be integrated with the point 0f sale systems.
• Increases customer service.
• Increases customer retention.

Below is a comparison of two credit card processing services:

Read more about this topic and others at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Sintel Systems understands your business from A to Z. Contact us with any questions.