How to Choose the Right System for Your Business

There's a lot to consider when choosing the right POS system.

To make things easier, I've broken it down into the following 4 questions.

If you are short on bench space, I recommend a tablet based option because of its mobility.

Tablet based options are best suited for businesses such as food trucks, coffee carts & small clothing shops. 

However, tablets generally have smaller screens and are more fragile compared to a desktop based system.

If you are a more traditional business like a restaurant, café or grocery store, I recommend a desktop based option because of the bigger screen size and durability.

Desktop systems end up being slightly more expensive than the tablets upfront.

But the software plays a key part in your long term cost.

The basic features that every business needs are:

• Customer Bills
• Kitchen Orders (for hospitality)
• End of Day reporting

Almost all software that is on the market can do this. The price for basic software ranges from $0 - $25/mo.

However, some people need more advanced features that may be worth considering.

• EFTPOS Integration
• Accounting Software Integration (Xerox, MYOB etc.)
• Staff Clock in, Clock out
• Online reporting on your Phone
• Other app integrations

These features often require a cloud based software which ranges from $50-$120/mo.

You can find really old hardware that is super cheap but I don't always recommend this due to the following two reasons:

Your best bet is always looking for second hand systems that are less than 3-5 years old.

You also need to make sure it's properly tested.

The advantage of getting a brand new system is that you have a longer warranty for peace of mind.

However, new POS systems are a bit on the pricier end starting at $1,500.

If you have the budget, it is definitely worth investing in a new system as a long term solution.

But if you're tight on a budget and are looking more short-term, a tested second hand system is a good cost effective solution starting at $850.

This is really the first question we should be asking ourselves.

But not many people give it a proper thought.

Answering this question can help you decide how many features you need in your POS System.

When I asked businesses we've worked with, these are the reasons they gave me:

When you know 'why' you want to get a pos system, it will make it easier to know exactly which features you need for your business.