Tons of software features out there for consignment, resale, thrift and retail as well as mall-space rental, layaways, etc. — but at what cost? Best Consignment Shop Software does it all with one payment for lifetime use.
Consignment (resale, retail) software programs pretty much do the same things: keep track of clients and inventory, process purchases, sales and settlements, print price labels/tags, agreements, receipts, checks and reports and crunch data into useful information (reports) about the business.
Stepping up a notch, current-day programs print thermal price labels and tags, and thermal receipts. They export data in data formats (.txt, .csv, .iif) so data can be employed in other programs like Excel and QuickBooks. Multiple computers (at the same location) can be connected to share one database simultaneously.
Here’s how to get some of those ‘web-based features’ free of cost’:
Work Remotely – Work from Home
Purveyors of ‘web-based’ or ‘cloud’ software promote ‘work from anywhere’ as a software so cool that it warrants an exorbitant cost $100 per month (just to use the software – not own it mind you) when in fact it has been possible (long before cloud software) to work remotely for free and that remains true today. BCSS (Best Consignment Shop Software) or any program can be operated from anywhere in the world on a computer with an Internet connection – without the risk of having your clients information and your entire business information online where it’s subject to hijacking.
Combine Multiple Store Locations
Here again it is not necessary to donate $1,200 every year to the bottom line of software vendors to combine multiple stores – not to mention that because inventory in consignment stores tends to be unique, the value of stuffing everything into one burgeoning database (and slowing things down) hardly warrants the huge added expense of ‘cloud software’.
Savvy store owners use programs like QuickBooks to import data from multiple stores where more sophisticated financial reports (balance sheets, profit/loss, etc.) can be generated.
Need to know if an item is in another store? (How often does this really happen?) Frequently? OK, again, using free remote-pc software, log into the remote store’s computer and take a look, or text or… pick up the phone – to save $1,200 or more every year.
Liability
Apparently many store owners using web-based software don’t bother to disclose (to their patrons) the risk of placing the latter’s contact information on a remote server that the store owner knows nothing about. “Let’s wing it and hope for the best!” Those pushing web-based software offer meaningless assurances of ‘up time’ and ‘security’ while operating as LLC’s with zero money backing their comforting words.
A program like BCSS installs (securely) on a computer that can be isolated from the risks of the outside world just by keeping it disconnected from the Internet, or by protecting it with a robust anti-virus program like ESET. Windows (and ESET) also make it possible to prevent others from downloading anything to the computer, or accessing specific websites.
$100 per month times 12 month times (how long are you intending to remain in business) 10 years = $12,000 at today’s quoted prices. Note that software vendors pushing SaaS (Software as a Service) may not commit to NOT raising the monthly stipend after you’re well entrenched in the program. Rest assured most store operators are loathed to convert their data to another program and repeat the learning curve when the burden on profits for software (and service) becomes insufferable.
Smarter Management / Better Decisions
Let the ‘consignment software’ do the heavy lifting for a one-off cost. There’s plenty of free phone and web apps these days for convenience that don’t need to be wrapped into the software. Use Mailchimp or something similar for free email communication. Use Photobucket for pointing to pictures of inventory online. Use Team Viewer or other remote-pc programs for ‘mobility’ – or use a laptop and take BCSS and your apps with you!