POS Systems
Depending on how you view things, competition is either the curse or the lifeblood of every retail-based industry in America. Small businesses are constantly striving to get ahead, to gain an edge that will enable them to outperform their competition. This is, in essence, what every small business plan entails. Microsoft believes it knows precisely what small businesses need to get ahead: a PC-based point of sale (POS) system. Microsoft claims this product could be the key element that allows any small business to cast a long shadow in its industry. But how does a POS system wield such power? Well, a small business POS by MS, designed specifically for single-store businesses, can track sales, manage purchase records, follow inventory, and record customer information. These strategic advantages can streamline a business' operation, and empower it to increase sales, track customer data, and lower costs. Given that Microsoft's POS comes "ready to use" right out of the box, this is a simple change any small business can make that will reap enormous rewards.
Any small business plan can benefit from this (or any comparable) POS system. Microsoft's version takes a different approach than most; Microsoft will only sell the software for the POS, and will depend on partner companies to provide the bar code scanners, credit card readers, receipt printers, and so on. In short, the components necessary to complete the system must come from other providers; Microsoft's focus is squarely on the software that is at the heart of the POS system and, ideally, at the center of your small business plan. Microsoft also depends on other retailers to "pre-bundle" vertical solutions for those retail segments that require them.
Microsoft's POS system has made a big splash in large part because it is unprecedented in POS for a company to offer a solutions system that is ready to go, right out of the box. This can be a key consideration for your small business if you already have the equipment necessary to run a POS system, if you prefer not to hire outside installation assistance, or if it is easier to budget for this method in your small business plan. Microsoft's system also has the advantage of familiarity to most users versed in Widows applications, and it fits with the accounting strategies generally adopted by most small businesses. While analysts are divided on the overall balance of strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft's POS system, the consensus is that its forward-looking format and simple installation are likely to make it the premier POS platform for small businesses in the near future.
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