I've heard some people say that they don't think there are enough hours in the day. I would have to disagree; if there were more hours, I believe a lot of us would just fill it up working longer and end up being more exhausted. During the Industrial Revolution in Britain, Robert Owen coined the slogan: "Eight hours' labour, Eight hours' recreation, Eight hours' rest". Sounds good to me, but I am nowhere near that quotient. This brings me to a second banal saying: "Work smarter, not harder."

How in the world can a small business owner possibly live out these two life tips? I'm glad you asked! Here are five reasons why you need to upgrade your point of sale software:

1. 
   Can your retail pos system help you to create a beautiful online store in minutes? While not everyone can access your storefront, you can have unlimited customers via the Internet. Current POS software allows you to upload products, complete transactions and track customer loyalty.
   
2. 
   While passion may keep your business moving forward, funding is what certainly keeps it afloat. Are you bogged down by slow credit card processors? Are you spending time after hours calculating layaway payments or recording payment plans? With the right POS system, you can accept not only basic credit cards, cash and check payments, but also PayPal, iZettle, or Tyro (which gives more options to your customers and may even include more potential customers!)
   
3. 
   Imagine a patron asks if you have a size small in a particular red sweater. You rush to the storeroom, rummage through piles of inventory, spend ten minutes calling other stores to see if they have the missing product, and then return back to the floor only to find that your customer has left. Ever happen to you? With mobile POS software, you can use your iPad to find exactly where that red sweater is within seconds while still connecting with your customer. Whew!
   
4. 
   Managing your inventory can feel like you are trying to herd a bunch of cats. Once you get one area under control then you have to move to another area and by time that is done, you are back at your original starting point to begin all over again. It has to be done, but it feels like you're just treading water. Again, with point of sale software, you can easily add cost and retail prices, tags, discounts, and perform bulk operations like import and export. Maybe you are reorganizing and want to group products by color or size, organize into bundles, or split into units; with a new POS system, you can do this with just a click of a button.
   
5. 
   Finally, one of the biggest ways that small business owners lose money is by not making informed decisions. You might order more product only to find out that you had a full case in the back corner or you may order a product that has slow sales while running out of a more popular item. With point of sale data reports, you get a real-time view of sales and product performance which you can access at any time. You can also analyze employee performance and visualize the trends in your market.
   

So are you ready to work smarter and not harder (or at the very least get a decent night's rest)? It all starts with how you manage your company. The tools are out there, you just need to use them. If you're in the market, you should check out Vend and try their free pos software for 30 days - risk free.