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EasyPOS.CA
     Easy to use, easy to set up, no computer skill needs

  Convenient Store
  Fashion Store
  Supermarket
  Warehouse wholesale  
 

 

Standard POS components

Value package ---- $1500.00 (Free shipment within North America)

Very easy to install. All you have to do is to connect the following devices with any size of your own monitor and then power on. Software has been installed and setup. Detail labels on the devices show you which port link to which port.

     Cash Drawer

                POS Small Computer

   

        Star Receipt Printer

          LogicTech Keyboard
  

      Metrological Barcode Scanner

 

LogicTech Mouse

 

 

EasyPOS software

 


DIY POS Article


It Takes Time, Lots of It

By jgbreeden

Installing a computerized point-of-sale system in your retail business can be a very time consuming process. It is often more complicated than any other equipment purchase the small business owner will make.

The time it takes will vary dramatically for different businesses. Which means any attempt to estimate how long it takes to find a POS system for any particular retail shop has to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Installing your first POS system will go through phases something like this:
- planning
- software evaluation
- hardware selection
- hardware installation and configuration
- software installation and configuration
- data setup
- training
- go live
- adjust software and data setup after real-world use

Planning

This includes listing what you want to get out of the system. If you have seen or used POS systems in other businesses like yours, you have a good start, and can probably come up with a complete list in an hour. If not, think in terms of your current pain points and what you expect to resolve. You should spend at least a week evaluating your own business process.

Software Evaluation

It takes a lot of time to evaluate software. And every other aspect of your POS system is dependent on the software.

How long it takes depends partly on how much time per day you can devote to the evaluation process. This is not a one day project.

To select a software program, you will need to first search for options, then narrow down your options, then install demo versions of your most likely options. Then refer to your list of needs to make sure they do everything on your list.

Most POS programs do all of the most common tasks, but every business and software program is different, and some are a better fit than others. Pricing and technical support options can be so different that it makes direct comparisons difficult.

If you can devote 2 hours per day to studying POS systems, and you have a general idea about what you expect to find, plan at least 2 weeks to study software. If you are just getting started understanding what is available, or don’t have much time to allocate, or have an uncommon business model, or a very long list of demands you need to meet, then plan on 2 to 4 months of studying like you were prepping for college finals.

Hardware Selection

Once you completed the evaluation process for the software, you can then select compatible hardware. You may have a few options, but in most cases you will rely on the software vendor to make recommendations for hardware. At the very least, you will need to know what POS hardware is compatible with the software you intend to use.

There are pros and cons to buying hardware from your software vendor, or from a POS hardware site. But in either case, the selection process is straitforward compared to software. Depending on shipping times, figure a one to two weeks.

Hardware Installation and Configuration

The hardware setup often proves tricky. If you purchase hardware based specifically on the suggestions of your software provider, you can probably get everything set up in a day.

But if your hardware is not a standard option for your software, you may spend considerable time getting each component working properly, and you may end up using work-arounds where things are simply not compatible (if the cash drawer won’t open automatically on each sale, people will resort to using the key to open it every time). In that case, this time line is open ended.

Software Installation and Configuration

If you purchase a fully supported software package, all you have to do is answer your vendor’s questions so they can set up the options to match your operation.

If you are doing it yourself, and you have a very simple operation, you might get setup in a day. But if you have a more complicated business model or networked systems, you could easily spend 2 weeks or more fiddling with options.

Data Setup

Data setup time will depend on a combination of the size of your inventory, the complexity of categorization and related items, and the current format of the information.

A store selling only a small selection of items could manually enter all of their data in less than a day. Even if the information is in a computer file, entering by hand might be the fastest method.

A store with thousands of items in a computer file, like a spreadsheet or old POS program, may find it cost effective to purchase data conversion services from the software vendor, or attempt their own importing of data if the software allows for it. Assume at least a few days of fussing with the data, maybe a week or two if your vendor is handling it.

If it is a long list and must be entered manually, and there is no budget for a data entry clerk, it may become an ongoing project. It is also likely that better ways of categorizing and linking items will become apparent after using the program, so this timeline is also open ended.

Training

If it takes more than an hour to train your cashiers, you picked the wrong software. Assistant managers or closing staff will need a little more time. The manager or owner will probably need a day or two to learn the list management, and may spend a couple weeks finding all the necessary reports. Learning new features will be an ongoing process.

Go Live

If you are the belt and suspenders type, consider running your old cash register side by side with your POS for the first day. This will allow you to compare totals to ensure accuracy.

You may want to pick a starting day that coincides with your accounting period, but it’s not critical. Assume the first day or two will be a little stressful.

Adjustments

No matter how carefully you plan, you will probably discover things that should have been implemented differently. Some changes can be done quickly, others require more planning.

Conclusion

It is not very telling when the estimated range is so wide, but if you add up the low and high guesses above, you get a minimum of 1 month, and a maximum of 6 months or more.

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Free POS Software Explained

By jgbreeden

Getting something for free is always a lure. But there is always a catch, and software is no different.

Software programs generally require the user to agree to the terms of a license before using the program. While most software licenses require an up front purchase or subscription fees, some software is licensed for free, and may be copied or accessed by anyone, with only minimal restrictions.

Note that the term “free software” is not meant to include time-limited demos. Many programs allow for 30 days of free usage to allow potential buyers to try out the program. Once the time limit expires, if a software license is not purchased, the program will stop functioning, so it has no use beyond evaluation.

Free POS software will fall into one of four general categories:
- Restricted editions
- Merchant supported
- Open Source
- Personal projects

Restricted software is produced by traditional software companies that sell their software licenses. To entice smaller companies and those with tight budgets to use their software, they produce a free edition of their standard software that has the most powerful functions disabled, or has a restriction on the number of customers or number of items that can be saved. Or, they may sell training, technical support, and accessories to help cover the costs of offering their software licensing for free.

The goal of the software company is that when your business grows, you will purchase the full version of the program, or additional support and services.

Merchant supported software is provided by companies in the credit card processing business. To get the free software you must sign up your credit card merchant account through them, so the software is the mechanism they use to get merchant customers for their primary business.

Open Source software is software that has the program source code made available to the public. This means anyone with programming skills can modify the program in any way they choose. Even if the software is supported by a commercial software company, once you have the source code you are not dependent on the parent company, since you could effectively hire your own technicians.

Some open source projects are managed by a traditional software company, and others are managed by an individual or non-profit group. There may not be any company certified support available at all, only user-based support forums.

Personal projects are programs created by individuals who do it for the satisfaction of seeing their work appreciated by others. Support will be limited to the one individual that created it, and other users.

Software supplied by a commercial software company will always have some type of profit model to support it. Licensing the software is only one cost of the many costs associated with having a POS system in your shop. Technical support is often the critical element that a business owner cannot do without, and the cost of support will quickly override any money saved on licensing. Be sure to consider how much assistance you will need, and how much it will cost to get it.

Check our list of the most common free POS programs available today (coming soon).



Serial Port Emulators Explained

By jgbreeden

The serial port, or COM port, is a standard computer connection that has been in use for decades. Most modern devices have evolved to the new standard, the USB connection. The POS industry is one market that continues to make heavy use of serial ports.

This leads to a need to adapt modern USB devices to work with software applications that require serial connections for receipt printers, cash drawers, or other devices. This can be accomplished with software known as a serial emulator.

The serial emulator software creates a “virtual” serial port. When the POS software scans the hardware for serial ports, it should see the virtual port as a valid serial port. Any text for printing, or any other data, that is sent to that serial port will be redirected by the emulator to a device plugged in to a USB or other modern connection.

Emulators are often written for a specific device, so it is necessary to find the correct emulator for the device you are using. It will be installed similar to any other software program. It may also include a configuration program and a test program, but emulator itself does not have a user interface. The configuration program should allow you to specify a COM port number to use as the virtual port, but once that is set, the emulator will work silently in the background.

Within your POS software, there will be configuration options that include specifying the COM port number to be used for devices like the receipt printer. Once the emulator is installed, your software should have the virtual port available as an option. If the POS software has a limited number of COM port selections, you may need to use your emulator configuration program to select a lower port number.

Many computers still have one or two serial ports reserved in the hardware, even if there are no external ports. This may require using a higher port number for the virtual port. If it is necessary to use a lower port number, it may be possible to disable the hardware ports from the BIOS setup screen, which is accessible briefly during the computer start up process.

It may require testing several different configuration options, but a serial port emulator should allow you to use modern equipment with POS software that is optimized for serial ports.

 

Saving Files when Downloading

By jgbreeden

Many software installations and hardware drivers are downloaded from the Internet rather than loaded from a CD. Downloading files is not complicated, but it can be a little confusing understanding the series of questions that pop up, and sometimes difficult to find the file you just downloaded.

It can be different depending on many factors, including the operating system you are using, the browser, the versions of that OS and browser, the anti-virus you have installed, whether you clicked on a web page or an email, and possibly network settings if you are on a managed network.

The sequence will generally go as follows:
1. Click on a link to download (some web sites take you through a series of pages first)
2. The browser will look at the type of file, and decide if it knows what type of file it is.
3. It will ask what you want to do with the file, such as Run, Open, or Save the file.
4. It may pop up a warning about the dangers of downloading files. If it is an executable file (like a program), there will be more warnings than other types of files.
5. If you have a 3rd party anti-virus program installed, it will probably pop up an additional warning, and possibly ask if you want to scan the file.
6. If you selected “Save”, you may or may not be given the opportunity to select the folder where it will be saved.
7. When the file is finished downloading, you may or may not be given an option to Open or Run the program, or you may see a list of downloaded files.

Some files consist of multiple files compressed into a single file (such as “zip” or “tar” files), meaning that you will need to “extract” or “uncompress” them before using. That requires one more decision as to where you will extract the files.

Should I Save, or just Run or Open the file?

In most cases, you should Save. In some cases, such as running a minor update, or looking up a single piece of information in a document that you have no other use for, it makes sense to Open or Run your download. Saving unneeded files is not really a problem in terms of space, but it does add potential for confusion when you are looking for your new downloads and you have lots of old files in your download folders.

If you save it, you can choose to run it now or later, and you have the original in case you ever want it without having to find it online again. You just need to be able to find it on your computer.

Where do I find my downloaded files?

Browsers and email programs will have a folder specified in the setup options to use for downloaded files. Sometimes that will default to an obvious folder on the user’s desktop or menu, but it some cases it may not be obvious. You may have noticed a folder named Downloads, but it could be a sub-folder of another, and not the same one you see on your desktop.

Look for the “options” in your browser menu, and look for the download folder location. You will find your downloaded files in that folder.

It says it could harm my computer! Is it ok to download?

The safety of any downloaded file is entirely related to the source. What company, or what person, is supplying the file?

Most of the warnings you receive when trying to download a file are generic warnings. Any computer program can be written to do useful things or bad things, so anytime you download a file that is a “program”, you will get the most alarming warnings. These warnings are simply pointing out that this is a program with instructions for your computer, so you better trust the people who wrote it. It is not making any determination whether the program is trustworthy or not, it is pointing out that you are responsible for that decision.

Your antivirus program, on the other hand, is specifically trying to determine the difference between safe and malicious programs. The antivirus program will likely attempt to scan every program you download run to ensure it does not look like it is infected or known malware.

Malicious code can also be inserted into many types of files, such as pictures and PDF documents, among others. Again, the most critical point is knowing who is supplying the file.

Why can’t it open the file?

Downloaded files will fall into one of two general categories: executable, and data. Executable files are programs, so the act of “opening” an executable file means to run the program. As long as it was written for OS you are running (Windows, Mac, or Linux), it should run.

Most other files contain some kind of data: documents, pictures, movies, music, mail lists, or just text. When you attempt to open one of these files, the computer must decide what type of data is in the file, and what program is used to display or play that data. If you have a music file, you need a music player program to open it. If you have a spreadsheet file, you need a spreadsheet program.

Sometimes you have the program, but your computer does not recognize it. On some systems, the name of the file contains a suffix to identify the file type (such as .txt, .doc, .pdf and many others), and if that suffix is truncated, it will not recognize the file type.

Depending on your reason for downloading, you may not need to “open” it. Some files are intended to be useful to only one program, so the OS is never informed what to do with that type of file. Some hardware driver files are only recognized by the hardware setup process, and are not intended to be “opened” in the traditional manner.

Or you may have downloaded a data file that is newer than your program. If you download the latest version of a word processor file, and you are using an older version of the word processor, it may not recognize the newer file format. You would then need to either update your program, or find a way to get a copy of the file saved in the older format.



The Cash Drawer – Receipt Printer Combo

By jgbreeden

The accessories for a computerized POS system can work together with a wide variety of possible connections. The most common combination for POS systems is a paring that gives control of the cash drawer to the receipt printer.

Almost all receipt printers include a port for a cash drawer connection, since they are primarily used at the register. It will be an “RJ” socket, the same style used by telephone and network connections. The wiring, however, is entirely different.

The receipt printer just sends voltage, not a computer command, to the port to open the drawer. Every brand of printer may expect different “control codes” from the computer to tell the printer to send voltage to the cash drawer port. So most POS software programs will have an option to specify the brand of printer, so that it can send the appropriate codes.

Only one cable is required for this type of drawer, which connects to the printer. Most printers send a 24 volt signal, although some use 12 volts.

Alternatively, cash drawers can use serial or USB connections, so they are not dependent on the receipt printer. These drawers cost a little more, since they have circuitry to interpret a computer signal, as opposed to simply applying voltage like the printer connected drawers.

Receipt printers can also use either serial or USB connections, or in multi-printer installations, they can use an Ethernet connection. Again, some POS software may have difficulty with any type other than serial connections, but printer options will usually be more flexible than cash drawer options.

(Serial connections are the older style port that is disappearing from most new computer models, but is still very common in POS systems. USB connections are the newer type of connection, but be aware that many POS software programs are not prepared to deal with USB parts.)

If you choose a drawer that connects to the printer, you need to make sure you get the correct cable. The cable must be matched to both the printer manufacturer and the cash drawer manufacturer.

One situation where it makes sense to get a cash drawer that connects directly to the computer is when a receipt printer is not needed. If full page invoices or handwritten receipts are used, the cost of the receipt printer may not be justified. The extra cost for a “smart” cash drawer is only 10% or 15% of what would be spent on a receipt printer.



Just Enough Technology

By jgbreeden

It is easy to get carried away with technology. Once you begin considering the possibilities, it can be tempting to go after more than you need for your business.

The bigger a business grows, the more they will find technology an indispensable part of business. But for the very small business that has managed to get by on paper and ink, the efficiency of each new gadget is measured differently.

Computer systems take time to install, configure, and maintain. To be worthwhile, they must save time, save money, or increase sales. It may be difficult to gauge how well a POS system can increase sales, but it’s easy to see the efficiency of saving time and money.

Efficiency with computers is at it’s best for large data sets, such as big inventory lists or big customer lists. While shops with very small item lists may still find time savings with the computer, if the difference is minimal then the return on the initial investment could take longer than the lifespan of the system.

If you handle cash, you need a drawer. If you do more than a couple transactions per day, it would be nice to get them summed up. If you have employees that handle cash, you want them to be accountable. If you have inventory to keep track of, you need an efficient method. And if you depend on repeat business, you need to know your customers.

The more that each of those issues represents a pain point for the business owner, the more they can make use of technology and still be cost effective.

Any POS sales rep will point out that having good data about your business can help you in ways that you may not have considered. And it is true that knowing which items sell best, when they sell, and who is buying them, can give you new insight to ways of maximizing sales and profits.

But technology is not an “all or nothing” proposition. Large technology investments require significant research time, so immediate needs may be put off in the hopes of addressing a wider scope of issues. It is a valid goal to have all technology in the business integrate smoothly, but many times it makes more sense for the business owner to make a smaller investment to address a specific concern, while they continue to research more comprehensive solutions.

In other words, if you have a strong need for more accurate price entry, but customer list management and inventory replenishment only impress you as “nice to have”, you may find that an electronic cash register that allows you to download prices would meet your needs without as much complication or support cost as a complete POS system.

It is natural to look at expensive purchases with an eye toward growth and future needs. And it is true that if you purchase an electronic cash register, it would not be a part of any future POS system.

But for the small business owner, balancing the needs and available resources of the present with the plans for the future often means that adoption of new technology proceeds in small steps, rather than giant leaps.



What does it take to put together your own POS system?

By jgbreeden

The typical small retail business owner can certainly find benifits in a computerized POS system compared to a simple cash register. But the cost of most systems, and the reality that most systems are designed for larger businesses, make it difficult for the very small business owner to justify the investment in a fully supported system.

This leads to the question of whether it is possible to save money by putting together your own POS system.

The two factors that determine the answer are time and technical skills. For most business owners, even if they have the technical skills, the time required is more than they have in their schedule.

But time is the one resource that does not require cash up front from the business owner, so a select few will choose to go it alone. Or, with limited help from a technical friend or associate.

Between you and your tech assistant, you will need at least the following skills:
- experience installing various programs, and an understanding of the idea of “dependancies”, or programs dependant on other things being installed
- experience using setup and options screens to change the way a program works
- experience installing drivers, and an understanding of ports, including serial ports
- a strong knowledge of the operating system that will be used
- the ability to search online for answers to technical questions, use knowledge bases, and user forums.
- the ability to read and understand cryptic and incomplete instructions
- patience, and the willingness to keep trying

If you understand all of that, then you probably have the ability to set up your own POS system, if you can also allocate enough time. If not, your money and time are better invested by sub contracting the job.



Announcing the DIY POS website

By jgbreeden

The Do-it-yourself Point-Of-Sale website is being launched to help the small retail shop owners who are attempting to install or maintain their own POS system.

This site will attempt to give shop owners a good understanding of what it will take, and the technical details to complete the task.