POS training

With many of today's style-savvy retailers demanding both lower prices and higher aesthetics in their point of sale (POS) solutions, many value added resellers (VARs) recommend an iPad, or some other mobile tablets, in this style-starved market. From our insider perspective, that approach is unsustainable, penny-wise and pound foolish. Given the strong presence Sintel Systems has in the retail restaurant...

As a provider of integrated merchant accounts or credit card processing services, Sintel Systems is always working to bring value to our customers. To that end, here is a summary of some recent thinking on merchant credit card fees. No Free Lunch Do you know why merchant account fees cannot be guaranteed? Or why merchant account fees seem to have...

So you've got a good intuition about starting a frozen yogurt store, but you know you'll need to educate yourself on the subject before jumping into the froyo fray. Why not trade some of that intuition for tuition and enroll in the Frozen Yogurt University? No stuffy halls of academia here. FrozenYogurtUniversity.com is a website in support of the Frozen...

Charged with adding value to any transaction, point of sale (POS) resellers see new opportunities in loyalty programs stemming from mobile payments and other commerce applications. As the only full-service POS provider — from software development to franchise incubator to ongoing support — part of Sintel's commitment to our customers and industry is to share ideas and information. Whether you're...

Call it a Tech-tonic Shift. Consumer devices are storming into organizations, causing great disruption and leaving entrepreneurs and corporate executives feeling less in control over what happens within the company's walls. It's a big challenge, but one that, if met successfully, will redefine how companies retain employees, engage consumers and make profits. As the only full-service point of sale (POS...

Sintel Systems services a wide range of customers, from experienced franchisees which started their franchise with Sintel Systems to new ventures. Many entrepreneurs who are looking at starting a new business call the point of sale (POS) system an automated cash register or computerized cash drawer. Let's explore what a POS system is in their functions and important attributes. If...

British chef Robert Irvine, best known for his Food Network Show, Restaurant Impossible, recently spoke with Hospitality Technology to discuss how restaurants can make technology work for them. Irvine spoke about how he feels restaurateurs tend to underutilize Point of Sale Systems. “The systems have many different capabilities beyond just ordering food including helping to manage inventory and can issue...

Entrepreneur has released their 2013 report on the fastest-growing franchises in North America, with Subway scoring at number one. Not surprisingly, numerous other Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) dominate the list (25 out of 106 listings). Notably, Chester's chicken, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops and Dunkin' Donuts made the top ten, while frozen yogurt continues it meteoric rise with Menchie's (no. 17), Orange Leaf (no. 20), and Red Mango (no. 38) the fastest-spreading. In a similar icy vein, Kona Ice shaved ice trucks...

Mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems are helping small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the retail/grocery/liquor segments build unique and satisfying customer experiences. A recent article titled "Mobile POS Technology Heightens Overall Customer Experience" in Point of Sale News looks at how retailers are using mobile POS systems to add value and get closer to customers, with examples including line-busting, convenience, fast and efficient...

With so many large pizza chains like Dominos, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s, it can be hard out there for a smaller pizza joint to advertise themselves. The Houston Chronicle published an article in their Small Business section with some creative ideas on marketing for pizza places. The article suggested: Promotions for Business- Selling pizza by the slice to local...

Growing businesses need their tech to grow with them. Entrepreneur.com recently sifted through the clutter to suggest 15 tech plays including computers, displays, tablets and accessories that could help a variety of businesses, including restaurants. Designed to protect your tech assets, the "power tools" specifically selected for restaurants, the Logitech Keyboard K310 ($40) and LifeProof nuud iPad case (starting at $100), were chosen because...

An article on Entrepreneur.com gives some helpful insights on how a small business can best manage their inventory Maintaining Enough Inventory If your business is a start-up it might be quite difficult figuring out how much inventory to order, since you cannot go off of last year’s sales. The article suggests predicting your first year sales based on your business...

Inc.com came out with a list of “8 Things You Should Not Do Every Day.”  Are you guilty of any of these bad habits? 1.    Checking your phone while talking to someone else There is nothing as rude as being in the middle of a conversation with someone, when they pull out their phone and start typing away. Pretty much...

We don't know anyone who wouldn't like to increase sales, so we like the tips in this smart post from The Point of Sale News.       At a glance, the big news is all the new next-generation POS options intended to help operators increase sales rather than simply help reduce operating costs. Available features include: 1.    Integrated eCommerce...

Entrepreneur.com explores the issue of employee compensation transparency in a recent article weighing the related pros and cons. As a business grows, making case-by-case salary decisions may no longer make sense, and may "cause employees to speculate, often inaccurately, and gossip about who earns how much. This dynamic can distract them from doing their jobs." Some entrepreneurs are adopting an...

It is almost one month until The Taste of Chicago! There is nothing like the Taste where you can sample from 35 different Chicago restaurants all in one place. The Taste of Chicago began in July 4th, 1980. They were expecting 75,000 people for the one-day event, but they could have never imagined 250,000 people would show up. The event...

Opening a restaurant franchise in a big city such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles may sound ideal, but these high volume locations come with a lot of special traits that you may have not foreseen. While in the suburbs, you may be used to large spaces, in a city expect smaller square footage paired with an extremely high...

Brand loyalty is extremely important for every restaurant and retail store big or small. Brand Keys recently released their 2013 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which forecasts customer devotion across brands. To make such predictions there is a lot of math involved and highly secretive algorithms.  Brand Keys states they are “the only research consultancy in the world that specializes in...

A fraudulent chargeback is when a “successful customer dispute over a legitimate transaction. One in which he or she knowingly and purposely participated and for which the customer is fully responsible”, states the Credit Card Blog by UniBul. Fraudulent chargebacks stem from consumers trying to game the system that is at the same time trying to protect them from fraud...

Citing the recent release of the annual Chain Restaurant Industry Review from GE Franchise Finance (GEFF), Nation's Restaurant News reports on how restaurants are adapting to economic challenges. It's good news, as restaurants are adapting well to "consumer preferences and economic challenges" — as well as "whatever's thrown at them," said Kimberly Savilonis, Senior Vice President for GEFF and an author of...

Five Coping Strategies for a Sales Slump "Into the life of every business, a sales slump will eventually fall," reports Inc.com. "Customers cancel orders, opportunities get delayed, prospects turn out to be dead-ends. Worst case, you can have a 'perfect storm' where nothing seems to go right." What to do? "Keep your head down and soldier on," and: 1. Don't...

Is PayPal's Mobile Payment System a Good Thing? Mobile Point of Sale Systems is all the rage. The newest company to join the race is PayPal. PayPal is already well known for their mobile payment solutions for Smartphones. At the beginning of this year, they launched a mobile payment version for the iPad. PayPal is targeting small businesses that do...

Crucial Considerations Before Purchasing a Cash Drawer Point of Sale News has a thorough primer on cash drawer considerations in which they explore all the major factors to help business owners choose the right drawers tailored to their needs: cost; space requirements; durability, reliability, and length of warranty; manual or electronic opening tied to traffic volume; compatibility with your POS...

Tax time may be out of sight, but don't let it be out of mind. The Point of Sale News has some sage advice for small business owners on how to reduce tax stress. An article featuring tips from the Intuit PaymentNetwork (IPN) quotes Mike D’Avolio, Intuit’s Senior Tax Analyst, on how to “de-clutter the e-clutter.” Organized records are the...

Pricing Insights Help Overcome Customer Irrationality   Inc.com has some "Pricing Rules You Need to Know" to help "make the most of customer weirdness" — i.e., irrationality about pricing. Their ABCs of Pricing states, "Buyers are irrational. Predictably so," detailing "three of the frameworks — 'anchors,' 'bumps,' and 'charms' — they use to decide what they’ll pay for your product or services." Querying...

Are Mobile Devices the New Currency? The Point of Sale News asks, "How Close Are We to Cashless Commerce?" and answers with 2020 vision: the prediction that mobile payments may replace cash and credit cards by as soon as 2020 according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project on "The Future of Money." With the surge in POS...

5 Restaurant Trends to Watch This Spring The birds are chirping, kids are once again playing outside, and your allergies are acting up. This can only mean one thing: spring has finally sprung. Last month, Nation's Restaurant News published an article titled 5 Restaurant Trends to Watch This Spring. Mediterranean Look out for Mediterranean influences at many restaurants this season...

4 of The Best Gadgets for Business There are so many gadgets out there that sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming. Entrepreneur.com released their “pick for the best new business gadgets.”, which lists their favorites in four different categories along with some top alternatives. Tablet PCs: BlackBerry Playbook   (under $500), this seven inch tablet comes equipped with a 1GHz...

This past March, BestPizzaPOS.com, a division of Sintel Systems, was thrilled to once again be a part of the 2013 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. There were over 500 vendors this year including delivery bag providers, topping suppliers and oven makers. There were also 11 different bacon providers.  If you love pizza and bacon this was the place to...

Does Your Restaurant Need A Mobile App? Mobile apps come in all shapes and sizes: games, maps, news, even your bank probably has a mobile app. They are created to make our lives easier and sometimes even a little more fun. It is rather shocking to learn, thanks to data recently released by Pew Research, that only 35% of Americans...

Moveable Feasts: Six Mobile Food Ideas Entrepreneur has some great ideas for getting rolling with a mobile food restaurant business. In brief: 1. Food Kiosks: Consider the temporary, quick-serve kiosk for its low overhead, flexibility and ease with which it can be opened and closed. These typically appear at indoor locations including malls, stadiums and movie theaters. 2. Food Carts and...

Chicago Pizza Tours Chicago and Pizza. Two words that is synonymous with each other.  There is not just one type of pizza. Chicago has deep dish, thin crust, pan pizza, oven-fired, artisanal, tavern style, Neapolitan and probably some chef somewhere is creating a new type of pizza as we speak. Just as there is no one type of pizza, there...

6 Tips from Pros About Owning A Restaurant Owning your own restaurant is no easy feat. Whether it’s the first restaurant you are opening or your fifth there is always something to be learned. Well known restaurateurs such as Rodger Berkowitz (Legal Sea Foods), Tom Coliccho (Top Chef, Craft Family Restaurants) and Barbara Lynch (No.9 Park) to name a few...

Industry Insiders Weigh in on Proposed Minimum Wage Hike as Restaurant Brands Stay Mum (Part II) Continued from Part I Zackfia's projections also take into account a $.50 increase in minimum wage for tipped service, which was not called for in Obama's proposal. NRN also reports that advocates have not begun to lobby against the hike because it's not reached...

Industry Insiders Weigh in on Proposed Minimum Wage Hike as Restaurant Brands Stay Mum (Part I)  Announced in Obama's State of the Union address in February, President Obama's proposed minimum wage hike from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour has caused rumblings in the world of chain restaurants. The increase would be the first since 2009, while the federal minimum wage for...

SXSWi: Timely Trends in Restaurant Tech A report from Food Fanatics relates the restaurant industry's hottest digital and mobile tech tools trending at the recent South By Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas. "Mobile technology has changed the way consumers experience your restaurant—from how they discover it to how they dine." They explore Rezhound and BellyCard, as well as the...

Tips on Starting an Organic Restaurant Inc.com recently shared an insightful list of 8 Tips for Starting an Organic Restaurant, for which we offer a quick digest: Expect higher costs: Project for 10-20% higher costs, and more if you plan on a premium water filtration system or compostable takeout packaging. Anticipate price fluctuations: Out-of-season and non-local organic ingredients can vary...

The ABC's of QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant) POS Systems Walk down any main street in any city in America and what will you see? A fast food restaurant. From hamburgers to tacos there is a Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) out there for every one’s taste buds. To the surprise of no one, McDonalds is ranked number 1 as America’s most...

The ABCs of Restaurant Franchising Fledgling restaurant franchisees would do well to learn the basic terminology of the industry, as detailed in Entrepreneur.com's 16 Common Franchise Terms: Explained. To get familiar with franchising trends and industries poised for growth, Entrepreneur.com also ranks America's top franchises annually, with the 2013 Franchise 500 representing the 34th year. The post says, "The results ... confirm...

The Takeaway From Groupon's Sacking Of CEO Andrew Mason (part 2) continued from our earlier post. So what's next? Retailwire shows some cautious optimism, saying "With the daily deals marketplace maturing, a shakeout could lead to a less-competitive playing field and more tailored offers from those that survive. It's unknown whether Groupon and LivingSocial will benefit from their first-mover advantage or...

The Takeaway From Groupon's Sacking Of CEO Andrew Mason (part 1) A long slide in the fortunes at deal-a-day pioneer Groupon, including a significant drop in fourth-quarter earnings and 24% reduction in the company's value, resulted in the ouster of CEO Andrew Mason late last week. In his already infamous exit memo, Mason, who allegedly turned down a $6 billion offer...

How To Keep Your Seasonal Business Going Year Round  In an earlier blog we gave you tips to help you franchise your pizzeria. But what if you own a seasonal franchise or restaurant? A seasonal business may sound great to the owner who wants to manage their own business, and only have to work a few months out of the...

How Do You Know When You Are Ready To Hire? The idea of bringing new people, sometimes unfamiliar people, to help you look over your business can be a scary and daunting task for many restaurant and business owners. How do you know when you are ready? If your restaurant or business is doing well, and can afford for you...

Facebook Strategies Every Restaurant Owner Must Know In navigating the tricky waters of the ever-evolving Facebook landscape, many businesses struggle to keep up, maximize their potential, practice good netiquette and avoid common pitfalls. Social Media Today has some handy hints from Jim Belosic for making the most of your Facebook strategy, including avoiding these 7 ways to fail. Turning these into...

Chicago Food Truck Legislation: Breakthrough or Too Little Too Late?   It's been a rocky road for Chicago's food truck community over the past few years, with eager early pioneers of restaurants on wheels lobbying hard for on-board cooking legislation; overcoming the lack thereof to get rolling with pre-prepared food; and many eventually stalling out over complications including bureaucracy, steep...

SEO, Loyalty, Linking, Sales: Why to Blog for Your Restaurant's Brand If you're already blogging for your restaurant or business, you're probably wondering how to maximize your efforts. If you're not blogging, it's probably time to start. First, consider these basic hows and whys from elirosesocial.com: -Keeps people returning to your website -Showcases your experience -Gives you new content to share...

Is Your POS Ready for The New Ways To Pay? Visa recently announced new liability shift dates for its EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) roadmaps that will affect merchants and Point of Sale (POS) terminals, as well as banks, credit unions and independent automated teller machine (ATM) deployers, Mobile Payments Today reported. According to Visa, first mover on EMV in...

Is Having a Mobile Ecommerce Platform Necessary for Today’s Cross-Channel Luxury Shopper? “If you don’t have a mobile strategy, you don’t have a future strategy,” said Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google. While luxury retailers have been slow to assimilate their target market's browsing and purchasing habits, The Luxury Retailer’s Guide to Agile Commerce has determined that this demographic has...

Get More Media Coverage for Your Restaurant It's not enough to have a brilliant business idea and the drive and determination to see it through: all restaurants must face the need for media attention to promote word-of-mouth, new customers and investor interest. Gist.com has published a media relations primer for restaurants with three main steps to demystify the process: Step...

For Customer and Client Satisfaction: Email or Phone Call?  That is the question. Which is best? What is your stance on emailing versus calling a client or employee? Are you still “old school” when it comes to choosing communication methods for your business? While there is no right or wrong forms of communication, there are some things to keep in...

Did you know that 90 percent of consumers trust peer reviews and 70 percent trust online reviews? This only reinforces the fact that consumers everywhere are logging onto sites like Yelp to help them decide where they should eat for dinner, or where is the best place to get their haircut. As a business owner you should never underestimate the power...

5 Great Smartphone Apps for the Business Owner As a business owner, you are constantly on your smart phone. Whether it is dealing with employees or clients, you need to be available 100% of the time. If you are going to be on your phone so much, then why not have some apps that will help you as a small...

We talked previously in a blog about iPad Point of Sale Systems. Yes they are the new hot phenomenon but are they actually a smart move to make with your business? Here are the top 4 reasons to avoid using an iPad Point of Sale System Your iPad is broken or stolen If you decide to use your iPad for...

There really is nothing like old school customer care. Today, everything is online: inventory, time sheets, even running your business can be done from your computer. You can literally manage your franchise in Florida, while sitting at your home office in Chicago. Yes, owning a business is not the same as it was 15 years ago, but there are some...

Do you have social media accounts for your business? Whether it is Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest there is one rule above all: Own Everything! While this may seem like a simple rule, many business owners do not follow it and the consequences are not always so pleasant. If you own your own pizzeria and you hired an outside agency or...

5 Ways to be a Happier Pizzeria Owner Owning your own business, like a pizzeria, can bring about some of the most stressful and yet rewarding moments of your life. While you always want to make sure your employees and customers are happy, it is important to make sure that the business owner is happy as well. Here are 5...