We sat down with our expert Implementation Specialist, Donna Knight, who has been with One Step Retail Solutions for just under 16 years. She has ample experience providing computer software and hardware support for over eighteen years with thirteen of those years focusing on retail based companies. She has assisted retailers with growing their business by answering any technical questions while offering training and support. We asked Donna a few key questions about the challenges small businesses face and how these businesses can successfully advance their retail stores!
What are some of the main challenges facing small business
owners as they grow?
As
businesses grow, owners find staffing to be one of their main problems. Having
excessive or not enough sales staff can be problematic, but it’s a problem that
can be fixed with the right retail technology tools. Having traffic counters
and running reports that show sales by the hour, will allow retailers to see
what areas need to be improved. These tactics allow owners to maximize staff so
that they have more staff in the store on the days and at the times when there
is high traffic and sales volume. I have shopped in plenty of stores where I
was one of the few customers and I got swarmed by multiple sales people. This
is a perfect example of overstaffing, which wastes unnecessary money and
resources while providing a negative customer experience.
Another problem for
owners, is having an outdated point of sale system that is constantly adding
unnecessary features and only improving its existing capabilities. It’s very
important to choose a point of sale system developed by a company that is
always releasing updates to its software so retailers can stay current with the
times. Updates that come from customer requests are an indicator a software
company cares and is striving to be the top inventory management system.
What recommendations do you make for clients that want more
of your products and software, but don’t have a great credit score to get the
funding they may need to acquire it?
On the personal side, I recommend creditkarma.com (which is free) to business users, but my personal experience has been that since I started tracking my credit score with this site, my credit score increased so much that I’m constantly getting credit card offers that I have to turn down. Another service I recommend is using one of Experian’s low cost credit tracking and alert systems, which lets
you know about changes on your credit report. I’ve used both of these services
and together they helped my credit score increase to the 700s. While the lending
requirements of traditional banks focus solely on the credit score, there are
options available for new businesses that are showing profit and building their
score, but have some difficulty qualifying for a standard bank loan. Small business loans from alternative
lenders like Kabbage can be worth exploring if you fit into this category.
On the personal side, I recommend creditkarma.com (which is free) to business users, but my personal experience has been that since I started tracking my credit score with this site, my credit score increased so much that I’m constantly getting credit card offers that I have to turn down. Another service I recommend is using one of Experian’s low cost credit tracking and alert systems, which let
What is something that would help owners and their business
thrive?
One thing retailers
don’t always pay attention to is using their billable services wisely. When
you’re paying for hourly services, it’s vital you or your staff show up for
appointments. It is very common these days for many businesses to charge for
no-shows or last minute cancellations, so whole staff should be aware of these
policies to avoid unnecessary expenditures. Otherwise, retailers could get
charged for the appointment time without receiving any benefits.
When retailers have an
appointment for billable services with a consultant, they should have questions
or points of discussion written down ahead of time, this will allow the owner
to be organized and use the billable time most efficiently and effectively.
Also, when receiving training on a new program or system, be sure to take
notes! I can’t stress this enough. While some computer programs are more
user-friendly than others, retailers should not assume they can memorize how to
use the program by just watching someone else do it one time. Also, make sure to
ask questions during the training session. Sometimes, people might think they
have the functionality down when it comes to a new system, but it’s important
to ask questions and take notes for future reference.
Following the training,
practice what has been learned since that is the only way to make it stick. Learners don’t really own the knowledge gained from a
trainer without practice until the task can be easily completed. Another
great training tip is to take notes of any weak points while practicing and
revisit with the trainer. Of course, learning how to
use an inventory management system is not as complicated as learning algebra or
college biology, but the same techniques that allowed learning in high school can
be applied to learning software programs.
In order for software to pay for itself, retailers must optimize
use of it by learning how to use all of the features that will benefit the
business. Otherwise, point of sale system is just a very expensive cash
register.
About One Step Retail Solutions
Founded in 1985, One Step Retail Solutions is the top retail technology, value-added reseller in the U.S. offering proven top-of-the-line point of sale systems and ancillary products. One Step Retail Solutions provides events, seminars, white papers, webinars and more to educate retailers on how to effectively use technology to streamline and advance their businesses.
Founded in 1985, One Step Retail Solutions is the top retail technology, value-added reseller in the U.S. offering proven top-of-the-line point of sale systems and ancillary products. One Step Retail Solutions provides events, seminars, white papers, webinars and more to educate retailers on how to effectively use technology to streamline and advance their businesses.
