A handy tool that I have seen available and starting to be used more frequently by small businesses is the dock that allows you to turn an iPad into a cash register to process payments. Square Inc. introduced the Square Stand which allows you to accept payment, send receipts, manage inventory, and collect feedback for you business all from your ipad. You can also connect external cash registers, scanners, and printers to the dock depending on your business needs. I think this is a great tool for any person looking to open their own business and looking for a way to accept payments in the “modern age”.
One of the stores that I do business with regularly with, SneakerVille, uses this device and i talked to the owner and he said that he loves how easy it is to use and would definitely be using the same product if he ever opens another store.
I’ve seen square used often in small business cafes and stores, and it never fails to make the establishment seem more professional and speed the transaction process. Its so important to have a safe payment method, and that would be hard to set up as a small business owner if square was not available.
Over the summer I worked at a fruit stand, and they actually thought about buying one for the company. To many customers can’t buy produce because we only accepted cash, but with Square Stand sales would increase. I think this is a great idea and is very beneficial to small companies.
That seems like a pretty cool idea for entrepreneurs, and I think that small businesses could use this. I also think that it looks way more advanced and sleek than a clunky cash register, yet I’m wondering about initial spending. While the iPad can be used for many other things than a cash register, the other looks way more expensive, so that’s a positive. If it is more expensive, though, is that something that businesses want to put the money into? Just a thought on saving money initially.
The square adds to the atmosphere of a business, as well. It makes it look more up to date and makes the business seem more credible. When a business has accepts credit cards through an outdated credit card machine that is not a part of their cash register it makes the business seem older and out of touch. This is an especially good device because so many people nowadays already have iPads or iPhones.
Great post, Caleb! I actually saw someone using something very similar to this, except it was a bit smaller scale. I think that is a great way to get sales and not only make things quick and easy for the customer, but also for you. This is a great invention! Very convenient!
I have been fairly acquainted with Square but am relatively new to the idea of Square Stand. Coming from the same company, it is no surprise that Square Stand is easy to use and teaming with additional features. At first it appeared to me that the two products (Square and Square Stand) would instantly become competing products within the company, causing a cannibalization of products instead of growing revenue. However, I could also see small business being able to benefit from having both devices, one for stationary transactions (in a store) or mobile transactions. This is another product that new businesses starting out, or old businesses looking to revamp their brand should look into for speed, savings, and convenience in any aspect.