Small Business Spotlight: NCR Silver Mobile POS

Mobility is the name of the game for many small businesses, but a truly mobile business can be hard to achieve if you or your employees remained tied to a desktop cash register. If you want to make your business transactions less dependent on a fixed location and flexible enough to meet the evolving needs of your business, NCR Silver stands ready to help you reach that goal. The company’s tablet-based point-of-sale (POS) system offers a suite of powerful features designed specifically for today’s mobile-oriented small businesses.

[Related: Open Source Point of Sale Software for Small Business]

NCR Silver Simplifies Mobile POS

“The number one feature that brings small businesses to NCR Silver is simplicity,” says Chris Poelma, president and general manager of NCR Small Business. The mobile POS platform’s streamlined design and ease-of-use starts right out of the gate; jump online, buy the Silver services that suit your business needs, and order your hardware (if you don’t already have a tablet that you want to use).

“We make it tremendously simple for entrepreneurs to manage their small business on Silver and our Silver product suite,” says Poelma. A handful of questions walk new users through the self-registration process, and backend support—another critical component of the NCR Silver platform starts as soon as a business signs up. For example, NCR Silver’s Concierge live-support service provides a deep well of knowledge and assistance.

NCR Silver offers a flexible and easy-to-administer loyalty program.

“We help business customers that might have price changes or inventory issues, or who might have loyalty problems or need help with social marketing,” says Poelma. Customers can take advantage of concierge support during the setup phase, and they can continue to use it as their business grows and their needs evolve. Best of all, NCR Silver includes the concierge support in the price.

NCR Silver POS Features

NCR Silver offers several features that you can access within the POD platform. For example: loyalty programs. “Every time one of your customers walks in and pays by credit card, the credit card identifies that customer in the system,” says Poelma.

The mobile POS platform doesn’t just track baseline loyalty data such as customers’ names and previous purchases; it also monitors their purchase frequency. “We know if they’re a top frequent customer or an infrequent customer,” says Poelma. NCR Silver also integrates with many third-party loyalty solutions, giving business owners the options they need to maximize efficiency and productivity.

Making the most out of a loyalty program is a common challenge for small business owners, especially if their loyalty program doesn’t integrate with their point-of-sale system. “Sometimes customers don’t remember their loyalty number, or they’ve forgotten their bar-coded key fob,” says Poelma. “We solve that problem because the loyalty aspect ties directly to their payment method.” Whether your business already has a loyalty platform that fits your needs or you’re looking for something new, Silver can help.

NCR Silver also features built-in email marketing—another feature that streamlines tasks for time-conscious small business owners. “You can send email notifications, coupons, and incentives in Silver,” says Poelma. You can also print coupons directly onto a customer’s receipt.

Roll out targeted email marketing campaigns with NCR Silver.

“NCR Silver can also integrate into social networks like Facebook and Pinterest, which means that you can follow up with incentives to keep your consumers coming back into the store,” says Poelma. As social media continues to drive how, when, and where small businesses engage customers, this vital integration maintains connections as the business—and its clientele—grows.

Advanced POS Features

NCR Silver offers optional modules that provide additional horsepower for firms that require it. These capabilities include advanced inventory management, event handling, and a powerful analytics package. Instead of the standard NCR Silver module, for example, a restaurant owner may opt for NCR Silver Pro Restaurant Edition as the core system. It includes table management and other foodservice-focused features.

NCR Silver Pricing: A Budget-friendly Hit

Launching the NCR Silver platform goes easy on the bottom line, too. The service, including Concierge support, starts at just $79 per month or, as Poelma notes, “less than a common cup of coffee on a daily basis.”

The company also offers several POS bundles that include one or more tablets for businesses that don’t already have them. Firms with more advanced needs can get a tablet, a bar-code reader; a cash drawer, a printer and a device stand—all drop-shipped right to their door—for less than $1,000.

Julie Knudson is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in technology magazines including BizTech, Processor, and For The Record. She has covered technology issues for publications in other industries, from food service to insurance, and she also writes a recurring column in Integrated Systems Contractormagazine.