Any business can benefit from a Point of Sale system, not just retail stores.

For example, maybe you make jewelry...you don't have a storefront, and you don't sell directly to the public, but you definitely want to keep track of what your pieces are costing you to make, and you'll want to know how much you make when you sell them. You might even want to track costs and inventory down to the individual bead or stone. Chances are, you probably want to know who owes you money as well, and stacks of invoices with PAID stamps on them isn't the best way to keep track of things...

A Point of Sale system can help you keep track of everything from your Accounts Receivables to your Cost of Goods Sold, and it can do it much easier and faster than a program like QuickBooks can. Since POS systems are designed with a streamlined sale process in mind, using one can save you lots of time, yet they still retain all of the data and functionality that a Book-keeping software would give you.

The first step to choosing a Point of Sale system is to make a list of the things you need your system to do for you.

Do you plan to have a web-store in addition to your in-store sales?

Do you want to accept credit cards through the system or do you want a separate terminal?

Do you plan to open multiple stores? (Maybe not this year, but in the future...you want your system to grow with you)

Do you sell a highly-specialized product with configurable options, or is each item custom-made?

Do you do repairs, or do you bill for time-based services?

How many people need access to the system at any given time?

Is remotely logging in to your system something that you need or might want?

Each system available has its strengths and weaknesses, and before you purchase one, you want to be sure that it can do everything you need it to do right now, and years into the future.

Also, consider the strength of the company that makes and supports the software...how many clients do they have? Are they a one-man-show or is there a whole development team behind it? How often do they release updates and new features? This is important to know, as you don't want to be stuck with a system that is at risk of no longer being developed and supported.

Most software comes with limited support, and the option to purchase a yearly subscription to support services. Ask good questions like...what happens if you don't renew your support, but then decide to renew it again after it has expired? Is there an additional fee for this? What is the cost of support, and what does it include?

Another key thing to consider when choosing a POS system is the availability of local consultants who know, sell, and support the software package. Sometimes, software companies choose to handle everything themselves. I can think of a couple like this. My personal feeling is that it's much better if the software company allows consultants to resell and support their software, in addition to supporting it from the HQ. This gives you multiple tiers of support, and is an added benefit when considering things can go wrong and someone who is 1500 miles away may not be able to help you. Also, local consultants can help you get up and running and trained on the software in a fraction of the time it would take to learn everything from a manual. Often times, these consultants can offer added insight to the needs of your business based on experience with similar clients in real-world situations.

A good way to see if a system is right for you and your business is to speak to the company or a reseller directly. Don't rely on their website alone. Ask them some of the questions above, and ask them if they have any businesses like yours using their software. Maybe there's a local business who is using the software who wouldn't mind talking to you about it? Again, this is a great reason to contact a local reseller, as they will definitely be able to point you towards similar businesses in the area, and even facilitate a meeting.

The great thing about using a local reseller to help you get your system up and running, is they will be there as an additional line of support and expertise in case something goes wrong, or something comes up that you don't know how to handle in the software.

I can't stress this one enough.

Buying the software in advance (at least a couple months) will give you the time you need to get used to the software and any issues that may arise during business hours. The last thing you want is to be stranded in the middle of a sale not knowing how to do something. It also gives you time to make mistakes and figure out better ways of doing things without messing up your live business database.