To Square or Not to Square.


I've been anticipating the release of the New ipad. Some consumers might only see it as a watered down bigger version of the Iphone, I see it as a great opportunity for small business owners to streamline their media, manage accounting/inventory, and capture customer data all in one place. A great example of how this could work - Square merchant application. Although there's been some mixed reviews, it's a great concept with mega potential. Five years from now expect the next wave of new media & good things to come from it.

I plan on purchasing a ipad soon and here's my thoughts about how I want to use it.


What does it mean for a one person business owner & how could I use this tool to my advantage?

• Portfolio & digital catalog.
• Register for mailing list & capturing customer data directly into a data base.
• Cash Register & Inventory tracking system.
• Streamlines sales process in one place
• Is cheaper than current cumbersome point of purchase systems. Would be compact & mobile.
• Could be a replacement my laptop while traveling if I stock it with the right apps & tools.

What is my current scenario at shows?

• Being alone at show does not allow you enough time to track inventory & items when processing an order.
• Tax is calculated separately
• Wireless terminal takes at least minute to fire-up.
• Lots of paperwork at the end of the day, totals & data still has to be manually entered into a computer
• Customer info in not always captured, once a customer makes a purchase they just want to pay and leave.
• Lost sales to indecisive shoppers. People like options, they need to see what an item looks like before they decide to buy.
• Can't really use retail P.O.S. system in at an outside venue, bringing a laptop is risky.

Potential issues...

• Like internet banking & shopping, consumers might be slow to trust this new method of shopping.
• Security & privacy issues - If a consumer does not want to pay via credit card using an app like square, can they have the option to pay via paypal or trusted resource?
• Theft - will a mobile me account be enough to lock down a ipad device if it's stolen?
• Not weather proof. Every time I do an outdoor show, it rains.

Cost breakdown...

I'm reading negative reviews about the square card reader. My response is - this is beta & my current mobile unit runs about $700-$1,200 for a card reader alone. A free device is not going to be perfect. For the price of a wireless credit card reader you can buy a ipad, rig as Point of Purchase system, and get more functionality for your buck. Better apps will evolve once developers get a feel for what the consumer uses the device.

 

 

Infraredstudio's Facebook Fan Page is getting a makeover.

Infraredwelcome
Infraredcontac
Before I started designing/selling jewelry, I was a working interactive + graphic designer for 12 years. Last week I learned about FBML. I'm somewhat surprised that more businesses aren't using this to boost their brands on facebook. I believe that once people catch on we might witness a 2nd wave of the dot.com movement....soon to come every business fan page will opt in to pimp their page.   

Thanks to sites like hyperarts ,posterous ,+ some basic coding knowledge, I will attempt to pimp my facebook page over the next few weeks. Last night I added a working contact us form page, and the start of a welcome page. My plans are to use flash , a shopify ecommerce site, and great photography to rollout the new FB page. Since about 50% of my followers are friending me on facebook I have decided that it's time to develop a new marketing strategy.

A big thanks to all the rad blog posts on this subject, in just 3 days I was able to get this far.