The Business Solutions Network

If you're struggling to remain relevant in today's changing world of retail IT, it's probably time to take a look at the lineup of solutions you're offering. No longer is it adequate to simply sell a POS hardware bundle. Based on conversations I've had with successful profitable VARs and industry experts whose opinions I trust, here are the offerings that tomorrow's successful retail IT VAR provides. In no particular...  Continue Reading..

If you're a VAR focused on retail IT solutions, you should be including IP cameras in your product set. If you're not, you're missing a huge opportunity.  Continue Reading..

In fact, since I don't have a real job, I make it my job in life to figure out really creative ways to steal inventory and even cash right out from under a retailer's nose. I'm pretty good at it -- particularly since I have nothing else to do -- but things have been getting tougher. Many retailers have installed cameras that cover the POS terminals and have loss prevention teams that have figured out all of my tricks.  Continue Reading..

You might recall a previous video blog where I talked about the homemade digital signage I came across in a small privately-owned pizzeria in a nearby college town. At that pizzeria, the owner had mounted a digital photo frame on the wall to create his own digital signage solution. It was about as low tech as you can get when it comes to "high tech" signage. Charming.  Continue Reading..

What are you? A POS dealer? A POS VAR? An integrator? Does it even matter what you call yourself or how the industry refers to itself? This past RSPA RetailNOW will forever remain in my mind as the time when I felt like the industry really understood and embraced that fact that the world of POS is changing, and that things will never be the same.  Continue Reading..

Imagine the significance of offsetting your utility payment, mortgage, an employee's wages, or your child's college tuition. The most successful profitable retail IT VARs are figuring out ways to increase the amount of recurring revenue they earn on a monthly basis to do just that.  Continue Reading..

Over the past few months, I've written quite a bit about the opportunity for POS VARs to sell payment processing services. Assuming you're already on board with this concept, your next step -- and ongoing challenge -- is to stay on top of the latest payments trends. One big trend that should be on your radar is EMV.  Continue Reading..

Retailers of all sizes are looking to figure out how they can leverage the power and customer-enhancing features of mobile POS solutions. However, at the recently-held RSPA RetailNOW, I learned about a factor that is the #1 obstacle to mobile POS deployments today.  Continue Reading..

During the recently held RSPA RetailNOW, a conference dedicated to retail IT resellers and software developers, I heard numerous times about how physical security technology -- specifically IP video surveillance -- is something that retail-focused solutions providers should be adding to their line cards. These statements came from attendees (retail VARs already having success selling IP video), as well as speakers and panelists...  Continue Reading..

We've written a lot about how recurring revenue can be used to vastly improve the profitability of your company -- and pad your pocketbook for years to come. If you're a POS VAR, payment processing services can be a fantastic source of recurring revenue and are a "must have" for your line card.  Continue Reading..