The Business Solutions Network

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..

A couple weeks ago while at RSPA RetailNOW, I received a lot of positive feedback regarding my recent article on NCR Silver, an iPad-based mobile POS solution from NCR. As I wrote in that article, NCR was unable (or unwilling) to share details with me of how much a VAR could make selling Silver. Well, during one conversation at RetailNOW with a successful POS VAR who is an authorized NCR reseller, I was presented with some real...  Continue Reading..

Historically, the healthcare vertical has been one of the most lucrative, albeit difficult to penetrate, markets for VARs. Back in 2009, I spoke with Mike Cleary, president of Coridian Technologies, who explained that a switch from the manufacturing vertical to healthcare was resulting in a 20% revenue increase for his company. With so much happening since 2009, I was eager to get an update from Cleary and capture any lessons he might have...  Continue Reading..

During yesterday's Industry Vision Panel at RSPA RetailNOW, one message was repeatedly hammered home by panelists: the world of retail technology is changing, and those who don't change with it will be left behind.  Continue Reading..

Some may argue this, but the purpose of a business is to be profitable. Based on a recent survey of retail solutions providers, most POS dealers aren't very profitable, if at all. Surprise! While lack of profitability might be the unfortunate common reality of most in the retail channel, ways of becoming more profitable are lesser known -- or at least, enacted upon. Brett Harward, speaker, consultant, and author, presented at...  Continue Reading..

As you may have heard, NCR recently announced NCR Silver, an iPad-based retail POS solution targeted at small retailers. Since the announcement, I've been inundated with outraged calls and email from resellers and other channel executives saying that this new product, from one of the industry's largest players, threatens the livelihood of retail solutions providers.  Continue Reading..