Is EPoS right for you? Nine points to think about.

Making the leap from a traditional manual till to the high-tech smarts of EPoS can be a daunting one, so make sure you have considered all the factors before taking your store to the next level.

1. Money for nothing? Are you making enough money for it to be worthwhile? As long your shop turns over more than £6,000 a week an EpoS system will increase your profits if you use it properly and act on the information it provides.
2. Shop around: Does your wholesaler have an approved provider? Check out the system and get a quote, but don’t sign before checking out the competition.
3. News for you: Can your news wholesaler help? Menzies Distribution and Smiths News provide 0% interest-free funding for EPoS systems, which you can pay weekly on your newsbill.
4. Service included? Does the EPoS supplier you’re considering offer customer support as part of its service package? Ask for details and for customer references. Some say they offer support, but when you telephone them you have to leave a message and wait (sometimes for days) for them to call you back.
5. Easier promotions? Will your chosen system allow you to offer customer promotions more easily? Some systems make programming such promotions so difficult that you might as well go back to manual tilling.
6. Extra costs? What are the additional costs? Check that support fees are reasonable, what they charge for software upgrades and whether it will cost if you want a specific function or change to the system
7. Can you fix it? Will you be covered for repairs? Make sure your EPoS system support includes full onsite repair or replace for hardware, otherwise you could be left without a till.
8. Trade protection: Will you be protected if the EPoS supplier stops trading? Find out if you get a lifetime licence to use the software and, if the company stops trading, you will not lose your data and can carry on using the system.
9. Get a demo: Will you be shown how to use it? Get the EPoS provider to visit your shop to find out your needs and give you a free-of-charge, no obligation demonstration.