How Much Training do you Need on your New Computer System

By: Nathan Lewis

I am still amazed by business owners who are wanting, even asking to pay for training on their new computer and point of sale systems. I am not talking about $25 - $50 per hour here. I am talking 8-hour days at $750 per day. That equates to thousands of dollars in just a few days. How does this make sense? Read on and you will find out that it does not make any sense at all.

There was a Time Training was Required

Just a few years ago setting up computers was difficult for someone with training and next to impossible for the average business owner. It took a 4-year degree to program software. It also took special certification classes to be able to train someone how to use a piece of software.

There was a time in the past when training was required for accounting programs that ran on desktop computers. An entire week of 8-hour days was required whenever you bought an accounting package for your business.

The installation procedure in year's past would have taken all day. This was a cost of ownership that you no longer have due to the intelligence built into more modern software applications.

Would you pay Thousands to Install a $50 Accounting Package?

Of course not! You would not consider paying someone thousands of dollars to install a software package that installed itself. Then why would you do the same for any other software package?

Today, that same accounting software package mentioned above can be bought online or off the shelf of any office supply store. You insert the CD into your computer's drive and the software will install itself. A series of wizards will ask you questions to set up your company's profile and within a few minutes your new accounting program is installed and ready for input.

After installation, you can watch online tutorials and read content sensitive help that will answer almost any question that you might have. If you have a question that is not answered in the help files you can always go to your favorite search engine and ask the question there. Hundreds, if not thousands of results will instantly be displayed to help obtain and answer.

You Should Not Pay Thousands to Install a Point of Sale System

Point of sale software has become increasingly easy to install and train in the past few years. Yes, there are packages with proprietary databases and others that have purposely kept their systems difficult. In these cases you will find that they are sold by exclusive dealerships that have a protected territory to keep other like dealers out of their area.

These dealerships have paid a premium for this territory, much like a franchise would pay for a specific area to market in. The products they represent are purposely difficult and if you wish to do business with them be prepared to pay their price.

You do have a choice. There are now dozens of options in selecting a new point of sale system. No matter if you are a restaurant or retail operation you have choices that are easy to install, train and maintain.

Some of your choices have dedicated support websites with dozens of training videos and set up documents. A few minutes watching tutorials can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in training expenses.

Your Savings can be 25% to 33%

Really, no joke. Look at the dealer's proposal. Between 25% - 33% of the total cost of the system is setup, programming and training. Most or all of this you do not need.

Yes, someone is going to have to install the software. OK, in most cases the CD with the software will auto run and install itself. Ask. This is a question you should know before paying someone to do the work.

Yes, someone is going to have to build the menu if you are a restaurant or build the department and sub-department structure if you are a retail operation. That is where the tutorials and set up documents will come in handy.

How much training will you need? I am here to tell you that if you have already been trained on one point of sale system that others are not that much different. Once you get into the software you will find them remarkably the same.

What if I am Wrong?

What if I am wrong about how easy/hard it is? Go back to where you bought it from and buy some training. The dealership will be glad to see you.

At least, trying it by yourself first will give you the opportunity to save the money.

Remember this one fact. I know of a point of sale software company that has been selling via the Internet for 4 years. They have thousands of installations nationwide. In that time 95% of their customers have installed the software themselves. None have ever had a technician come onsite to install a system and none have ever had a service call that could not be handled via the phone.

Can you truly do it yourself? Yes, you can.

Nathan Lewis has earned a solid reputation helping small to medium sized businesses expand their reach through niche market websites such as My POS Printer. New receipt printers from Epson Receipt Printers and Star Micronics Receipt Printers.