| Still deciding if you're going to use a restaruant point of | | | | loss statements as well as your payroll statements. All |
| sale system? | | | | the important information that the IRS may need to |
| * POS stands for Point Of Sale. | | | | check up some day. So, it's always important to have |
| A type of system that is used throughout the | | | | a back up. |
| restaurant and retail industry. This computerized | | | | * Do you need a warranty extension? |
| system allows business owners to track sales, the | | | | Remember all that money you saved on |
| money that comes in, food inventory and helps simplify | | | | bookkeeping? You could end up spending it on your |
| your bookkeeping enormously. Why it’s good for a | | | | tech guy, to help set up the POS and perform any |
| restaurant: The high volume of cash and credit cards | | | | trouble shooting. A POS system doesn’t have the |
| that pass through a restaurant each day make a POS | | | | same usable life span as good old fashioned cash |
| system a necessary. POS systems doesn't only keep | | | | registers. You will need to replace parts, update |
| track of your sales but it can also run useful programs | | | | software and eventually need to replace it entirely with |
| the the ones that can process credit cards. Which | | | | a new model. New POS systems come with limited |
| makes credit card swiping easier, faster and safer for | | | | warranties and tech support, but just like every other |
| both the customers and your employee. Servers are | | | | piece of equipment, the problems always seem to |
| accountable for all their sales, and it is impossible make | | | | begin after the warranty has worn off. For these kinds |
| changes on checks in the computer unless you have | | | | of problems, you can always buy extra tech support |
| authorization. This helps cut down on employee theft. | | | | for your POS systems. |
| * Benefits of a restaurant POS system | | | | * Need help from some of the most popular software |
| One benefit of a POS system is that it simplifies | | | | providers? |
| communications between the kitchen and the waiter. | | | | Here are some of the great POS software providers. |
| All orders go through the POS computer sending it to | | | | • Aldelo |
| the kitchen printer. Another benefit of a restaurant | | | | • POS Digital Dining |
| POS programs is that it can track everything from | | | | • POSitouch |
| food usage, to the most popular menu items. Because | | | | • Radiant Systems |
| the POS system acts as a time clock, it can also help | | | | • Squirrel Systems |
| prepare payroll. It saves you a hefty amount of money | | | | If you are planning a very small operation, such as |
| in your bookkeeping department. Along with the daily | | | | bread or a sweets shop, you may not need a POS |
| operations of running a restaurant, a POS system can | | | | system at first, especially if you aren’t going to take |
| organize profit and loss statement and sales tax. | | | | credit cards (and there are plenty of places that still |
| * Any reasons to devalue a restaurant POS system? | | | | don’t accept credit cards). However, if you have |
| Your POS systems is still a computer, subject to all | | | | dreams of expanding or franchising, then you may |
| technological problems. And if it suddenly crashed and | | | | want to figure in the purchase of a POS into your |
| you don't have any back up, then you risk losing all | | | | opening costs. |
| your business documents, not just sales, but profit and | | | | |