Let's face it: after years of working with retail technology. It can sometimes be frustrating, but it's always better to laugh about it.

Here are five POS system jokes that'll have you laughing at the checkout:  

1. The Sleepy Touchscreen

Q: Ever wonder how a POS touchscreen takes a break?

A: It goes into sleep mode!

2. The Punny Update

Q: After its latest update, what did our POS system say?

A: I'm feeling totally re-tale-d!

It's nice to know that even our technology appreciates a good pun. Maybe next time, it'll tell us it's feeling point-of-sale-ess.

3. The Existential Cash Drawer

Q: Why did the cash drawer start questioning its existence?

A: It felt like it was constantly being pushed around.

The poor thing is always being pushed around by someone else. Perhaps we should start a support group for overworked POS hardware.

4. The Nostalgic Cashier

Q: Why did the old cashier miss the manual cash register?

A: The new Point-of-sale system didn't give them the same "cha-ching" feeling.

I remember one veteran cashier who would make the sound effect herself every time she did the checkout process.

5. The Indecisive Restaurant

Q: What do you call a restaurant that can't decide on a POS system? 

A: Waiter-ing in anticipation!

Conclusion

A good sense of laugh can make even the most frustrating tech issues more bearable. So, try cracking one of these jokes next time your POS system acts up. Who knows? You might just get a smile on someone's face!

This is an expanded version of an article I wrote on Thu, 20/05/2021. I have reprinted it mainly as there is much interest in the topic.

POS Solutions was asked to give a talk on newsagencies to the ACCC, which I was happy to do to show our commitment to supporting newsagents. So I went to HWT to ask for some information. The HWT manager suggested I start my talk with the history of newsagencies in Australia, saying it would be a good start to get into it. He then proceeded to give me some information. I did some of my own research, and here is what I found. Newsagents have a rich history in Australia.

Firstly, despite what people say, the start had nothing to do with the Gold Rush; newsagencies were firmly established in Australia long before then. 

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser were the first newspapers printed in Australia. They were first published on 5 March 1803, only 15 years since Australia was established. The Sydney Gazette was initially an official publication of the government of New South Wales but soon privatised. Initially, Australian newspapers were sold directly from the printing offices. As more newspapers were established, booksellers and stationers started selling them. The  earliest reference I have to newsagencies in Australia is in the South Australian Record  Wed 8 Nov 1837  

It does not, unfortunately, list the state or details, but shortly afterwards, on Mon 2 Dec 1839, it states in this publication.

Interestingly, it was long before the Gold Rush and in a state that would be relatively unaffected by it.  We then start to see newsagencies listed often. So, by 1837, we had an established newsagency industry. From what I can gather, a storekeeper made a private deal with a newspaper publisher to sell newspapers. The early newsagencies called themselves *news-agents* as they had an agency of a newspaper publisher. What it does highlights the ingenuity of early storekeepers who saw an opportunity in newspaper distribution.

Here are the earliest photos I could find of newsagencies in Australia, 

Short Street, Hill End, in 1872, when the gold town was at its peak. State Library of New South Wales.

If you notice, it sells much more than newspapers. 

J. Phillips' Newsagency, Fruitrer (sic) and General Dealer, Hill End1870-1875

By 1879, the first Newsagents Association in Australia (VANA) was formed in Melbourne. This formation signified the industry's growth and need for collective representation.

The rest is history.

The holiday season begins. 

To all our readers and supporters here, thank you for your continued support this year, and we hope you will continue to enjoy and engage with other progressive-minded retailers in debates on issues here next year.

The holiday season is upon us once again! At POS Solutions, we want to wish all of our valued retail partners a very happy and prosperous festive period.

We Appreciate You

We know this is your busiest time of year. As you welcome swarms of cheerful customers doing holiday shopping, we want you to know we appreciate everything you do. Thank you for choosing us as your point-of-sale partner and allowing us to support your success.

Celebrating 40 Years of Helping Retailers

This year marks a special milestone for us - our 40th anniversary of providing POS solutions to nationwide retailers. It's been so rewarding to see many of you grow over the decades with the help of our technology. We look forward to many more years ahead!

New EFTPOS System

In 2023, we launched an improved EFTPOS system to make transactions more seamless for you and your customers. This new system offers:

• Faster processing speeds
• Enhanced security features
• Detailed sales reporting
• Easy integration with other software

We hope this updated system makes running your store smoother this holiday season.

We're Here for You

Even during the holidays, our dedicated support team is here for you. If any issues arise with your POS system, help is just a phone call or email away. We want to ensure minimal disruptions so you can keep serving customers.

Thank you again for your partnership. I wish you a wonderful festive season and a prosperous 2024 ahead!

Regards,

Bernard

(editor)

Social media's influence has made it easier than ever before for businesses to find themselves embroiled in political discussions - often leading to catastrophic results.

I had a pet shop client in the middle of a boycott. It cost them. They had to pull out whole lines of products and close much of their Facebook page. What could they do as they had a person doing this?

The Impact of Political Issues on Businesses

A recent report reveals a startling statistic: 25% to 41% of the population may stop doing business with a company if they disagree with its politics. Furthermore, a significant 59% of those who leave never return. These figures show the potentially severe consequences of mixing business with politics.

The Target Controversy now

One notable case now exemplifies the risks of political entanglement is Target, a popular retailer in the United States. Target found itself in America's culture wars due to its latest collection of Pride-themed clothing. While many individuals supported this initiative, some strongly disagreed. This led to a boycott against Target. Soon a song was released in support of the boycott against Target. The song quickly gained popularity online, amassing over three million views and climbing to #6 on the iTunes music charts. It was pulled out of youtube but you can get from the link above.

Financial Fallout

The repercussions of the boycott against Target were huge. The company's stock experienced a staggering 14% drop in value, resulting in an estimated loss of $10.1 billion in valuation. This highlights the tangible impact of political controversies on a business's bottom line.

Escalation to Threats and Violence

Unfortunately, it gets worse. Supporters of the LGBTQ+ community responded by issuing bomb threats against Target stores. Bomb threats in the US are not a bluff.

The Case Against Business Involvement in Controversial Issues

The risks associated with getting involved in controversial issues are highlighted by the significant financial losses, damaged reputation, and potential for violent outbursts experienced by Target. 

Businesses should exercise caution when addressing sensitive topics.

Have a chew about this!

A new song, "Heart on My Sleeve," was released. It is a viral melody that was widely disseminated. It is currently shocking the music world. Prior to its removal, "Heart on My Sleeve" racked up 600,000 streams on Spotify, 275,000 views on YouTube, and 15 million views on TikTok. One unofficial Twitter reupload of the song garnered 6.9 million views. More than a thousand videos on TikTok have used the song, according to Vice

Here is the song.

It may be removed soon as youtube, is banning it and so keeps taking it down.

What it is, is that now artificial intelligence (AI) has produced this new original song that was trained on the work of genuine artists. It shows that advances in AI have gotten to the point where the technology can create new songs like "Heart on My Sleeve" that sound like real artists' work.

Where is this headed? 

The word of the day is "shrinkflation." It describes the practice of companies shrinking their goods while maintaining the same prices.

It raises their profit margins without attracting too much consumer notice and is far too common today.

Consider this a warning.

A client went to Malaysia and promptly lost his phone. So he had to get a new one. While looking, he went into a shop. There he was shown an apple iPhone. He was suspicious that something was wrong, but it was so cheap, and it looked genuine. So he brought it. It turned out to be fake and not even a good one. It was a cheap mobile built into a case that looked like an iPhone. He was lucky as he seriously thought he should buy one for his wife.

Something similar happened to me. I went to buy a Samsung S22 for my daughter. I got offered one that was so cheap online. The main reason I did not buy it was that, at that price, I thought it could not be real. A $1,400 phone is not going for about $250. What freaked me out was that the site looked so genuine.

Today overseas companies are churning out a flood of technology products that look like famous brands. Some are so good that it is hard for the consumer to distinguish between what's real and what isn't. One of our competitors was selling Metrologic scanners at nearly half price. Later, we found out how they were doing it. I have seen a lot more as they are easy to get nowadays as sites like Aliexpress openly sell them. It does not take much for someone to buy these, rebadge them and sell them as genuine.

Here is something that I saw. 

This phone, if a genuine Samsung, would be $1,500. I do not see even a copy. It could do all of this for an Australian $125.

Are the fakes as good? In my experience, generally not. The actual cost of the label in technology is not much, so to make them cheaper, they reduce the quality. 

Buyer beware!

I recommend watching this YouTube video for more information on this topic.

Some Easy Ways to Lower Your Shop's Electricity Costs

This article explains how to lower your shop's energy costs while running a business, so save money using less electricity. POS Systems can use lots of power. 

The problem

We all use computers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other appliances at work. Electricity is one of the most important aspects of running a business. If you want to save money, you'll want to make sure you use as little electricity as possible. There are many other ways to use less energy, which can help you save money on your electricity bill. 

A Case Study

A client of mine informed me that he received an unexpectedly high power bill. It was so much more than they thought it should be; it just seemed wrong. They had been no changes that they could see, so why was it up compared to other bills? 

The utility company stated they could not see anything wrong, so it might be a defective appliance, such as a faulty water heater. Good luck acting on that.

Tip 1-Monitor your electricity bill

Monitoring your electric bill is so important. You should immediately contact your utility provider if you notice anything unusual.

Your accounting program should show whether this is happening. Try looking at the electricity account using budgets and/or comparisons.

This issue demonstrates that you can only fix it if you understand what is happening.

Measuring How Much Electricity You Use

Some meters can tell you how much electricity your home or business uses. 

Tip 2: Electrical meter, a paid solution

An electrical store will have many meters from which you can select. Tell them what you need, and they can help you choose the best type. 

Tip 3: Powerpal, a free Solution

I don't know your state's regulations, but the powerpal a free app for measuring electricity from the Victorian government. To make it work, you need an attachment, which the government provides for free in this country. Here is the link I used to get it for free.

They installed it for me for free. I was taught how to use it after the installer set it up. 

I like this one because, unlike most electrical meters, it can be difficult to plug into the power socket of many of the air conditioners, lights, and other appliances to measure the electricity, but they are easy to turn off. They have a graph that reflects the change almost immediately when an appliance is turned off. So you temporarily turn off your refrigerator, and the chart will reflect the decreased power consumption and cost. Then it connects to my phone via Bluetooth and gives me an always-updated feed of information about my place's power consumption.

I also like the app's graph feature that shows the power consumption in real-time.

Now, if the bill seems off, you can check where the electricity is being used by turning off devices from the fuse box. After that, look into that area. You should be able to locate the issue in no more than fifteen minutes. It can be used in the shop as well as in your home. You can also use it to see where and how much money you spend.

Tip #4: Energy audit

You can also use an electrical meter to conduct an energy audit. It took me about 15 minutes to count all the electricity used in my business. That will give you a baseline figure for how much energy you use and a clear direction for saving energy at work. 

Tip #5: Common sense

Make use of common sense because many people overspend on energy costs. For instance, when it was cold, a girl at one of our clients' establishments turned on the heater, and then she got hot, so she turned up the air conditioning. 

Wasted money here as a result.

Tip 6: Talk to your energy provider.

Talking to my energy provider was helpful. My provider was honest and helpful. Changing your plan to meet your needs is an excellent first step.

Tip 7-Talk to other energy providers

Some state government comparison sites help you find cheap plans; I have not found them much use in practice. However, you may. There are also some private ones; some that I contacted did come up with helpful information. Before you change, ask your current provider; they may match these quotes.

Tip 8-Your gadgets

Conserve power, and switch off gadgets when they're not used. Computers, monitors, printers, and other devices are included. Scanners, printers, and monitors, as well as the majority of computers, can be turned off at night.  Get your employees used to turning them off before they leave. A simple way to cut back is to turn off as many devices as possible at the end of the day.

My boss scolded me for leaving the photocopier at night. After that, I turned it off every night before I left.

Tip 9: Other Ways to Save Energy

There are many other ways that people can help you save energy, like switching to LED lights which are more energy efficient. 

What about using the sun instead of lighting? Install a blind.

Experts can advise you here.

In conclusion

You can do a lot to save money and help the environment, and the environment by lowering your carbon footprint. 

These hints were helpful, I hope.

I was going through people's resumes today. Here is a quote of something to think about when we do go through them. Behind every one of them is a person something we can so easy to forget.

It been a week since the Optus security breach was revealed and the internet in Australia is going wild over the biggest breach Australia has had, what do you think, comment here.

It's a public holiday in Victoria, so support is being directed through our interstate offices.

Both teams are outstanding. I think most people now underestimate the Swans. The Swans dominated most of the game but what kept Collingwood in was their accurate kicking that almost gave them the game. Still, I doubt the Swans can control the game this week against Geelong, so Geelong looks like the team to beat.

Please, if you can avoid using support at the actual game time itself, our guys on support would appreciate it. But if you have to call, they are available.

May the best team win, enjoy!

If you want to see something unbelievable, look at what is called *The Queue* to see the Queen's casket. 

People camped for two nights even before it started moving. Now it is moving, and it is 4 miles long.

If you want to see the Queue where no one can sit down as they have to keep moving, look here

And they do not even get to view her. After 11 hours of the Queue, what they see is a flag over a closed coffin which they are shuffled past in about a minute and a half in total silence without stopping because nothing can be allowed to slow down the Queue.
 

Nice lady and I have great respect for her, but ......

Here’s a link to send a virtual condolence message to the Royal Family, I did.

I remember the first mobiles; they had a battery in a suitcase and a phone in another small suitcase. 

One of these sizes took years to appear. A British Prime minister Tony Blair remarked then that it was the first time he heard guys showing off how small it was.

This is a cheerful diversion for the end of the week, it might give you some thoughts and ideas. It is an AI artist that generates pictures, this one is pretty good. You will find it here.

Put in your company name, choose an art style and press "Create". Want others? Well, you pick another art style for your shop. I spent half an hour looking at them.

This is what I got when I entered "POS Solutions". Pretty cool, huh?

I looked at it and thought, hey, is that what the AI feels about POS Solutions? I can see a cash register and maybe a shop, anyway I then decided to try something else, so I requested another and got this.

I have no idea what the AI artist is thinking here. 

Anyway enjoy.

You do not see this much, four robbers came into a store to rob it and three employees immediately ran to whip their asses. That lady clearly has some kick.

In a shop in  Venice, Italy this sign was seen, I wonder if it worked? Anyone want to try it in their shop? You can read the discussion here.

This video of a shopper has gone viral on social media after he showed off his tattoo of his Woolworths Reward barcode on his arm.

It works, the barcode reader reads it and the Woolies system proceeded to say: “Your Everyday Rewards Card has been added.”

Click here for the video.

If you used that barcode in our loyalty system, the storekeeper would not have to worry about him losing his reward card. 

I do not know what he will do when Woolworths changes his number in a few years. 

It makes me wonder how long before we all get some microchips implanted into us. I know a parent of a disabled kid that wants it.

Many of our clients have contacted us needing help due to the floods in North-East Australia now.

One of our clients sent us this photo of the flood in Lismore NSW; check it out. Same place a few days later.

It seems impossible that so much water can build up that deep across so much land. So I decided to check it out to see if it was legit. Click here so you can see what it looked like before the flood. That is a lot of water.

It's mind-blowing.  

It will take time to know the full extent of the loss, but I am sure that many have lost everything.