The world of retail is ever-evolving and complex. In the modern marketplace, more retailers are going out of business every year, even the established names that have been on the high-street for decades. However, the fact remains that there are well-run retailers who are doing quite well, despite the market conditions. For your retail business to do well like others, you need to use the right tools to help you on the way.
Below are just some of the powerful tools every retailer needs to keep their business running smoothly like a well-oiled machine.
1. Salesforce CRM
To run and grow your retail business, you need a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Among other things, a CRM software enables you to record and store all the contacts and interactions you have with your potential and existing customers, provides a platform for your sales team to collaborate to win more customers, and automate customer follow-ups.
This is where Salesforce CRM comes in. Salesforce is one of the top web-based CRM applications in the world. With Salesforce, you can better manage all your customer service channels from one central dashboard, create loyalty programs, get insights, and move customers along the path to purchase.
2. Intuit QuickBooks
One of the more difficult aspects of running a business in the retail industry is taking care of accounting and bookkeeping. Many business owners find that they benefit from using a programme to make the job easier. Intuit QuickBooks fits the bill perfectly.
QuickBooks is accounting software that helps you keep the financial side of your business at your fingertips, across multiple devices, including your smartphone.
If you have been using Microsoft Excel before, you can easily import all your data into QuickBooks.
With QuickBooks, you can snap and store receipts, download your bank transactions, calculate and file your VAT, manage your payroll, track real-time stock levels, and much more.
3. Vend
The importance of the Point Of Sale (POS) to a retail business cannot be overstated. While the means of paying for goods has changed and developed over the years, the principles of the importance of the POS remain the same.
One great POS management system you should consider deploying in your retail business is Vend POS. Vend is a multi-outlet retail and inventory management system that enables you to collect payments and manage your sales with ease.
You can use Vend to manage returns, refunds, and store credit. With Vend it’s easy to restrict what individual staff can see and do. Another benefit of the Vend platform is the ability to track all cash movements to minimise errors and prevent theft. This feature is a huge relief because cash errors, discrepancies, and theft can have a devastating effect on your retail business, which is why contents insurance is vital.
4. Ximble
In the retail business, workforce management is another key area you must manage well to sustain your business and keeping it running smoothly.
If you’re looking for a tool to make staff management easy for you, look no further than Ximble – a web-based workforce management tool that enables you to maximise staff productivity, improve communications, and reduce the costs of labour.
With Ximble you can create and publish a schedule for all your workers to see online. Also, Ximble empowers to manage multiple departments in multiple locations and assign shifts to specific employees with the skill to do the job. Also, your workers can clock in through an app, tablet, or browser. And it comes with facial recognition to help you prevent buddy punching.
When you combine the power of relationship management with proper accounting, easy electronic checkout, and workforce management, your retail business will not only run smoothly but also thrive. It’s possible when you use the right tools.