Importance of E-Commerce For Small Businesses

 

Importance of E-Commerce For Small Businesses – There is no question that ecommerce websites offer a plethora of benefits to shoppers.  Shopping online gives them access to a huge range of products and stores, they can save time, shop for the best price, don’t have to deal with driving, parking, fighting crowds, and more.

Below, we discuss the advantage of ecommerce to businesses.

Low start up and running costs

As compared to a traditional bricks and mortar store, an online store can be set up for a fraction of the cost.  When working with the right platform and the great partners, an ecommerce shop can be smoothly set up in just weeks. Once you’re up and running, many of the marketing and customer relationship functions can be automated.

 No time restrictions

An ecommerce website is open 24/7, meaning there are no restrictions on when people can shop for and purchase your products, whether it is the middle of the day or the middle of the night.

Increased customer reach

An online store puts your products or services right in the palms of clients hands on their phone or tablet, no matter where in the world they are located. Whenever someone needs something you sell, all they need to do is whip out their smartphone or tablet browse through your store, and click to purchase.

Measurement, reporting, and responding to opportunities

With an online store, you have a wealth of information about visitors to your shop:  what they’re buying, what they’re not buying, what they are looking at, and more. You’re able to diversify the most successful products and develop them into a broader range of offerings. With the right reporting tools attached to your website you can viewing the information on a weekly, daily, or even hourly basis. This allow you to constantly optimize your product and pricing offering for increased sales.

Faster buying process

Customers can spend less time shopping for what they want. They can easily browse through many items at a time and buy what they like. When online, customers can find items that are available in physical stores far away from them or not found in their locality.

Store and product listing creation

Customizing listings makes them attractive and appealing. Here the seller has full control over customization, he can mention offers available, discounts etc. Other advantages of e-business product listing are that it is free to upload and fast.

Affordable advertising and marketing

Sellers don’t have to spend a lot of money to promote their items. The world of ecommerce has several affordable, quick ways to market online. Ecommerce marketplaces are visual channels – and sellers can really show off their products.

Several payment modes

Buyers like personalization – the same goes for paying for their orders. Ecommerce marketplaces permit multiple payment modes that include UPI, cash on delivery, card on delivery, net banking, EMIs on credit or debit card and pay-later credit facility.

Higher margins and better cashflow

If your business is involved and sells within the trade industry sector, an e-commerce website will allow you to sell at higher margins. This will make the profits you make on your products even higher. The shopping cart and payment options on these websites also mean you are gaining a 100% payment from the customer straight away. This will improve your cash flow.

In conclusion, Importance of E-Commerce For Small Businesses and any business allows you to employ a range of marketing and sales techniques to give people that extra reason to stay on your website and buy your products. Reach out to Robisearch Limited on 0716413386 or 0780655987 and get your dream ecommerce website set up today!

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Importance of E-commerce to Businesses & Business Owners

 

Importance of E-commerce to Businesses & Business Owners – Where most clients choose to shop from the convenience of their own homes, the internet market is thriving in today’s ecommerce environment. Online customers can purchase almost anything with only a few clicks. Shopping online gives consumers access to a vast array of items, brands and stores, allowing them to save time and shop for the lowest price. Because the ecommerce sector is booming, every business owner must have an online presence in order to sell their goods and services.

We have outlined the key advantages of using an ecommerce website to sell your products online.

Improved cashflow

An e-commerce website will allow you to sell at greater margins if your company is incorporated in the trade industry sector. The increased profits on your items will be even more significant. These websites’ shopping carts and payment choices ensure that you obtain a 100% upfront payment from the consumer. This will improve your cash flow, especially when customers are accustomed to making payments over several months.

Scalability

E-commerce websites are great for keeping track of which items are selling well so that you can ensure that the inventory levels of these items stay high. Additionally, how these successful products may be diversified to expand the variety of merchandise available for purchase on your website. This will help you expand your business in terms of sales, client base, and earnings.

Cost reduction

One of the biggest advantages of ecommerce to business that keep sellers interested in online selling is cost reduction.  With an ecommerce store, a seller can reduce how much is spent in store upkeep. An ecommerce store is affordable and requires less investment when compared with a physical store.
This is also a good opportunity for individuals and small scale sellers who want to earn an income but don’t have the required start-up capital.

Affordable advertising and marketing

Sellers don’t have to spend a lot of money to promote their items. The world of ecommerce has several affordable, quick ways to market online. Ecommerce marketplaces are visual channels – and sellers can really show off their product. For example, Amazon sellers can use Advertising tools to add videos, infographics, good quality resolution images.

Flexibility for customers

An important advantage of ecommerce to business is that sellers can provide flexibility to customers. One highlight is that the product and services are ready 24/7. The result is that seller can offer his item any place, any time.

Product and price comparison

In ecommerce, sellers can compare the products using tools or on their own. This gives them a good idea of product alternatives available, the standard rates, if a product need is unfulfilled. When people see many items ready for purchase, they feel more confident about spending.

Several payment modes

Buyers like personalization – the same goes for paying for their orders. Ecommerce marketplaces permit multiple payment modes that include UPI, cash on delivery, card on delivery, net banking, EMIs on credit or debit card and pay-later credit facility.

Enables easy exports

E-commerce exports assists sellers to directly sell to international customers in global marketplaces. This allows them to transcend beyond national boundaries and expand abroad. With e-commerce, sellers don’t have to invest in a physical setup to reach customers. Instead, they can use attractive product listing and acquire new customers internationally with ease.

Personalized online experience

An ecommerce website can help enhance the online shopping experience. One of the biggest online business advantages is that you get to create personalized landing pages for different audiences. This can entice them to buy from you without much extra work on your part.

Based on the Importance of E-commerce to Businesses & Business Owners, as well as the e-commerce statistics, it’s clear that online selling is the way forward. Reach out to Robisearch Limited today on 0716413386 or 0780655987 and get your dream  ecommerce website today!

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Importance Point of Sale System to Retailers

 

 

Importance Point of Sale System to Retailers – Point of Sale Software helps offer valuable insights into the inventory levels, customer data, sales records, and more. This information makes it easier for retailers to build their future marketing and management strategies based on current insights.

Here are some of the reasons Point of sale system is the way to go for retailers:

  • Order and Billing

The most common feature of the point of sale software is to simplify billing and transactions. The system you choose must feature the billing and order processing module that can scan the purchased goods and accept payment through different payment methods.

  • Track Your Sales Performance

Recording your sales performance can be a challenging and time-consuming task for retailers. You are going to need an accountant to record daily and weekly sales transactions in a systematic manner. You will need this data to generate accurate reports concerning the overall sales performance of your business.

  • Inventory Management

Another important yet tedious administrative task is inventory management. The POS software enables store owners to gather real-time inventory updates anytime and anywhere. Using this automated software, you can track the inventory as it goes in and out of the warehouse.

  • Customer Management

You don’t need to install a special software application for managing customer relationships. The POS software comes packed with the customer relationship management module that helps you track their previous purchases and expenditure. By providing your customers with personalized service, you can boost your relationship with your audience and help build their trust in your brand.

  • Employee Management

Usually, companies implement a separate module for managing employees’ performance. They opt for HR management system or employee attendance tracking software to automate all the employee management tasks. However, POS software can also be used for tracking the employee’s performance and their overall productivity.

  •  Purchase Orders

Another important module of the point of sale software is the purchase program. For medium and large-scale organizations, preparing the purchase order and forwarding it to the supplier can turn out to be a hectic job. As a business owner, you are supposed to list the products you need to add to the inventory.

  • Reporting and Analytics

Point of sale software generates accurate sales reports that allow business owners and managers to track their sales performance. From profits to business expenses, everything can be recorded and monitored from one place. It helps you gather real-time data in the most convenient way. If you choose to install the cloud-based point of sale software application, you can collect the sales, employees’ performance, and other such reports at any time and anywhere.

      8. Greater Accuracy

A point of sale system with an easy-to-use, touchscreen interface puts all the information your sales associates and cashiers need at their fingertips.  It eliminates manually keying in items and prices like you would with a cash register. Point of sale technology improves accuracy throughout your entire operation, with real-time data. Eliminating the need to upload or enter data into back-office systems — minimizing the risk of human error.

       9. Faster Service

Your customers do not want to wait in long queues. In fact, if checkout lines are too long, customers will get frustrated and put back the items they intended to purchase and walk out. A POS solution provides a faster checkout process than cash registers, especially if they’re using a barcode scanner to ring up the products.  POS technology allows you to make the most of the checkout experience to engage customers and make sure they leave with a good impression of your brand.

       10. Simplified Accounting

A point of sale system helps streamline the accounting process. Old-fashioned cash registers force accountants to sort through hundreds of receipts, but with a POS system, you can print reports and, in many cases, import data directly with your accounting software.

          In conclusion, a POS system can boost the performance of your business. As we have seen, these systems come with different features which allow you to perform various activities as explained above. You should be aware of the features you would require for successful management of your business. If you have not yet purchased a POS system for your business, you are indeed missing a lot. Look for it today to boost the performance of your business. At Robisearch Limited, we specialize in point of sale solutions for all business types.  Contact us today  on 0716413386 or 0780655987 to find the best option for your business.

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FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN AN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

 

Inventory management software is a tool that automates every aspect of inventory and warehouse management, streamlining the tasks required to effectively track inventory, manage reordering and update accounting data.

Since inventory management software is important to the daily operations of a business, it’s imperative that you select a solution that is reliable, effective and has the features you need. The following are some of the features that you need to look for:

  • Point of sale integration: An integration with your point of sale system helps retailers automatically track when a product sells, whether in a physical storefront, on an e-commerce platform or through another sales channel. When a product is scanned or checked out in an online cart, the point of sale system automatically updates the inventory management system, accounting for the sale in real time. Coupled with automated reordering, this feature allows retailers to ensure they always have a suitable amount of stock to quickly fulfill orders.
  • Inventory catalog: For retailers, it is important to be able to catalog inventory not just by the type of unit, but also by distinguishing characteristics like size, color and other distinguishing characteristics. For example, if you sell shoes, you should be able to specify shoes down to the specific type.
  • Automated reordering: When your inventory level is getting low, it’s important to order more with enough lead time to avoid running out, especially for your bestselling items. Many inventory management systems offer automated reordering; simply set your minimum quantities for each item and, when that number is reached, the system will automatically generate a purchase order to send to your supplier to refresh your stock level. Smart inventory management systems can also automatically optimize your reordering points and reordering quantities per item based on historical sales data to keep your inventory level at ideal quantities.
  • E-commerce integrations: Most retailers now sell across every sales channel – physical storefronts, e-commerce websites, online marketplaces like Amazon and more. It is critical for your inventory software to track sales on all channels so you don’t accidentally try to fulfill more orders than you have stock. Integrations with your e-commerce channels will help ensure you don’t run into this problem.
  • Product cost analysis: Product cost analysis tools not only track your raw materials and finished goods, reordering the necessary components when they hit minimum levels, it also helps predict your labor costs and operating costs, such as machinery acquisition and maintenance expenses. Look for an inventory management system that can generate a bill of materials that includes a description of all these costs
  • Forecasting:  Forecasting is the process of analyzing historical production and sales data to predict what future order management needs will look like. A forecasting tool can help improve the accuracy of this process. Software with a forecasting feature will analyze your data to determine optimal reordering points, hiring recommendations, and even shift schedules required to meet your targets and continue growing.
  • E-commerce integrations: E-commerce used to be only for retail, but today more manufacturers are selling directly to consumers. Finding an inventory software with e-commerce integration is also important for manufacturers, even if they don’t currently sell directly to consumers online, because they could use it streamline sales to their retail clients, or they could even expand to include an additional sales channel in the future.
  • Barcoding: Barcoding is the feature that warehouse management systems use to track the inflow and outflow of products in storage facilities. Workers can scan items in as they’re received, scan them when they’re moved to a specific aisle and bin, and then scan them again when they’re out for shipment – automatically tracking all movements.
  • Inventory management integration: While warehouse management is a subset of a wider inventory management strategy, the two are closely related and should be integrated. Look for a warehouse inventory management system that is seamlessly integrated with your larger inventory management software – most vendors offer this option.

Inventory management is key for any business that maintains stock of goods or raw materials on hand. While inventory management has  historically been a manual process, Robisearch Limited has eliminated the need for a labor-intensive and error-prone manual inventory management system. The Robisearch Point of sale has inventory management software that helps streamline the process, reduce errors and help businesses optimize the way they maintain and order the products they sell. Reach us on 0716413386 or 0780566987  for more information or any inquiries.

 

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Benefits of Having Inventory Management Software Integrated in the ERP

 

Inventory management system or software can help you save money and track your stock efficiently. However, you can experience more benefits when you add an ERP system with inventory management capabilities. This will help you in the following ways:

  • Understand Inventory Levels Across the Business

ERP systems can provide an end-to-end view into orders through all departments, from sales to accounting to fulfillment. Centralized purchasing reduces duplication when replenishing stock, and having the ability to purchase in bulk saves money.

  • Automate Manual Tasks

Barcode  scanning can speed stock-taking, receiving and fulfillment. Using software reduces errors from manual entries and frees staff from repetitive tasks.

  • Greater Visibility with Real-Time Data

The correct inventory management software will give you access to real-time information across all the branches. It will deliver this data to all devices, no matter where you are.

  • Improve Forecasting

Software that handles data collection and analytics can provide insights into trends. And when you understand trends, you can improve your stock forecasting. This will help improve customer satisfaction and experience

  • Data-Driven Decision Making

The analytics capabilities of inventory management software helps to make data-driven stock decisions. It has helps in saving money by reducing inventory and carrying costs.

  • Support Uninterrupted Production

By forecasting both demand and lead time, you can ensure production never experiences a shortage.

  • Harmonize Multiple Inventory Locations

Get an overview of stock levels in all your warehouses, distribution centers as well as retail stores and suppliers.

  • Optimize All Inventory:

A robust inventory management software system helps maintain the right mix of stock and quantities, and at the best carrying costs. It’ll help you ensure you never have too much or too little on-hand.

  • Scale Inventory as Your Business Grows

This will enable you track your stock efficiently. Inventory management software can handle that task for you.

  • Improve Product Visibility in Recalls

Digital systems allow managers to use lot or serial number records to trace products by date and location.

Robisearch Limited offers solutions for tracking inventory in multiple locations, determining reorder points and managing stock and cycle counts. You can also find the right balance between demand and supply across all your branches. These solutions are customized for both big and small enterprises. Reach us on 0716413386 or 0780655987 for more information and inquiries.

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Why stock control is important to a Business entity

A business occasionally runs out of certain items. This happens for a number of reasons: unexpected popularity of a particular item, such as one that has attained fad appeal among schoolchildren; an unusually large purchase, such as buying up all of a store’s hotdog buns for a party; or a failure by the manufacturer to make and ship on time certain items. Stock control is a way the retailer avoids running out of stock through tracking what is on hand, what has been sold and what is on order.

The following are some of the reasons why it is important to do stock management:

Cycling Inventory

Retail inventory consists of what products are on the store shelves plus the products in boxes in the storage room. As customers deplete the stocked shelves, more stock comes out of storage to replace what has been sold. Keeping track of the inventory on hand allows the store owner or manager to know when to order additional stock of the items before they sell out. Having records of what gets ordered allows you to better refine what you sell in the store to maximize your profits.

 

Organized Sales

 As goods are sold, the inventory should decline by the amount of sales. Sometimes, there is less inventory than expected, which normally means goods have been stolen or misplaced. Identifying missing inventory helps the retailer know to improve store security or inventory tracking procedures. Tracking sales over years also helps the retailer know how much to order of certain products at different times of the year.

Flawless Orders

Keeping track of goods on order allows a retailer to verify that replacement stock has been ordered. Monitoring order status alerts the retailer to possible delays in delivery in time to find another source of those goods from an alternate distributor. Manufacturers and distributors occasionally face fulfillment problems due to weather, machinery breakdown, labor strikes, unexpected demand and transportation problems. A detailed system of stock control keeps the customer satisfied and the retailer in business.

The Robisearch Point of sale system has the purchasing and stock control management feature that will help your business keep up with the inventory.

 

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Benefits of CRM Software System

Many folks have asked what the purpose and benefit of CRM is. What is a CRM in the first place? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. In this Blog we try to explain the meaning of CRM and why it’s effective. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management; it is defined as a combination of business strategies, software and processes that help build long-lasting relationships between companies and their customers. Basically, the logic behind this system is that once your business starts to look after its already existing customers and clients easily and effectively, then the rest of your time and effort can be directed towards finding new customers and expanding your market.     Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can improve efficiency and effectiveness in the marketing and sales processes, while building long-term relationships with your
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Importance of ERP System

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a collection of integrated software solutions that are used to manage one’s business, company or institution. It is made up of a few basic modules that are essential in running your business eg. Human Resource, Finance, Inventory Management, Purchase Management, Sales Management, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Manufacturing Management, among others.

erp enterprise resource planning in kenya

ERP

Although it was only for the manufacturing industry before, it has now expanded and is being utilized in various industries and sectors. For instance, ERP systems are now used in retail and wholesale, service, education, real estate, food & beverage, health & even government.

ERP systems helps one manage their employees, manage buying of products or services, selling, distribution, accounting & finances. Integrated ERP software allows organizations from all industries to integrate and manage all of these basic functions. Investing in an ERP software system may seem pricy at first and not understand how it is going to save you any money at all. However, once you decide to implement it, only then will you see & understand how it is an excellent ROI for your business. Allow me to explain why using an ERP system is important for your business, regardless of the size of the business.

Importance of ERP System

  • Improved Collaboration

Cross-departmental collaboration is a very important and crucial part of business. Using an ERP system improves collaboration within the workplace, as it breaks down functional barriers that usually exist between departments.

When organizational/company data is stored in a centralized & consistent ERP, then workers from different departments can retrieve and access data from other departments.

  • Optimizing Efficiency

With ERPs, one can automate repetitive tasks ie tracking inventory, assigning tasks to employees, monitoring working hours, distributing salaries, generating financial reports. It therefore helps by simplifying business processes that take a lot of time and effort when done manually. By automating those complex processes, your employees can focus more on their core deliverables and roles without bugging each other. For example, the marketing team can generate sales-related reports based off web traffic without bugging anyone from the IT team, or the Finance manager can generate sales-related reports without having to interfere with the sales manager.

  • Saving on Operational Costs

With ERPs, most operational activities are automated hence reducing unnecessary interruptions, delays, amount of labour and complex work. This saves time as work is finished more quickly and other breakdowns are anticipated much better.

  • Improving Data Security

Since ERPs are centralized, they come with Firewalls & restriction controls so as to prevent data breaches. Since access points are easy to monitor. The administrators who are responsible for company’s  data can provide limited access rights to employees. Case in point, the HR Manager can limit & hide access to some important data only for themselves and the stakeholders while granting employees permission to view their financial data. They can also quickly and easily deactivate the access of laid-off employees and grant access to the new ones.

ERPs can also show user activity of the employees to the admins so as to identify unauthorized actions or suspicious activity patterns in the system.

  • Better Analytics

The stakeholders and owners of a business or company rely on reports to make predictions & forecasts, which can then affect the decisions they make. A proper ERP system can generate real-time, complete and reliable reports as it uses sophisticated filters and analytics that filter inconsistencies in the data.

Accurate business and corporate reports  generated from the ERP will help stakeholders and business owners make the best decisions for their business.

  • Simpler Resource Management

Along with managing your inventory, ERP also manages manufacturing. ERP provides insight into all manufacturing operations including the shop floor. This enables users to optimize production schedules, equipment and labor to maximize capacity.

Additionally, ERP manages your Bill of Materials (BOM) and fixed assets. With this software, users can easily create and edit BOMs along with keep track of all previous changes. Fixed asset management allows users to schedule equipment maintenance to reduce unexpected downtime, improving your profitability and supply chain relationships.

  • Improved Inventory Management

A significant challenge for growing businesses is monitoring and tracking their expanding stock amounts. ERP uses barcoding, RFID tags, and sequential numbers to keep tabs in your stock at each stage through the distribution chain.

These tools help you keep costs on stock levels at several stores or warehouses, which things have been in transport, and which items are on the shelves, ready to be sold to customers. The greater stock visibility optimizes the selection, pack, and ship procedure significantly, eliminating all of the guesswork.

Inventory tracking also strengthens reporting, as tracking technologies provide more precise numbers. Users may configure customized KPIs to determine which goods move the quickest demonstrating greater need and which raise carrying costs.

Together with the greater accuracy provided by ERP, warehouse supervisors may get real-time information on their stock to make more accurate business decisions.

Conclusion

Basically, an ERP helps your business or organization by automating most of the manual tasks that take a huge chunk of time, energy & resources. Using an ERP also eases communication and access of information across various departments and other personnel, protects company data since it makes it easier to control and track who has access to that information.

The significance of using an ERP outweighs the initial cost, effort and time used in implementing it, if you choose the ideal software solution that fits your business.

At Robisearch, we even offer custom-made features when you choose our ERP system, based on the model and type of your business or organization

If you are not sure of the features you need in an ERP system, don’t hesitate to discuss it with the right ERP solution provider. Robisearch Ltd provides free consultation for those who are looking to implement automated solutions to streamline their business operations.

How to contact us

Robisearch Ltd is situated at Suraj Plaza, 5th floor, Opposite Jamhuri Highschool, Limuru Rd, Ngara, Nairobi, Kenya.

2nd location: Kisii, Umoja Complex – Family Bank Plaza, 2nd floor.

Email: info@robisearch.com, robisearch@gmail.com

Phone: (+254 716 413386), (+254 780 655987), (+254 782 337270)

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