Get Beyond with John Marshall, 902 Carnegie Boulevard, Princeton, NJ (2026)

05/04/2022

Simplifying and extending secure merchant WiFi.
Aruba provides simplified deployment using ‘smart mesh’ access points that allow one or more wired access points to serve your business but also allow for other wireless ‘mesh-linked’ access points elsewhere in the facility where traditional wired devices may not be possible or practical to deploy.
These devices support best practices in wireless networks to separate public and business WiFi use including support for VLAN (virtual LAN) ‘private’ connections for staff, POS, or card terminals.
Guest networks access can present a landing page ensuring that users agree to use rules, restricted time of day use, blocking of specific sites or app categories, and even throttling bandwidth to ensure that the business WiFi needs have priority access to the internet.
Each access point has a recommended coverage of 2500 sf (50’x50’) but can be extended using additional devices which can be connected wirelessly (repeater). Indoor devices should be placed within 60’ of each other, and outdoor devices limited to 150’.
Devices are straightforward to set up using the Aruba app or web dashboard. Devices are quite affordable and start at $100 for interior devices and $250 for the outdoor model. They support 2.4 GHz and optionally 5 GHz. For performance types, mesh connected AP’s use 5 GHz for 'hop backhaul' to allow peak performance on the 2.4GHz channels.
This is a great way to deploy or upgrade to business class WiFi that has previously suffered from connectivity or coverage issues or is lacking separation of public and private networks.

04/15/2022

Tablet Overload? Help is on the way!
There is a solution called 'Otter' that can aggregate most if not all tablets into one, and auto-accept and print orders as well for just $50/mo.
It gets better, for $20 more the merchant can control the menu on each service, select which items are published, upload images, and even 86 items across one or all.
But wait, as the photo suggests, many operators are still accepting and keying tablet orders into their POS. For another $20 ($89 monthly total) they can integrate it all into Clover. That comes to just $3 per day, A bargain when compared to hourly minimum wage. https://www.tryotter.com/pricing

04/03/2022

See 'Whozz' Calling on your Clover POS.
That's right, merchants can now integrate caller ID right into your Clover POS Register App to show incoming calls and automatically popup any matching customer profiles and order history. This is a great way to speed up phone order acceptance, especially if regulars are likely to place repeat or inquire about recent 'favorite' orders or items. Staff can view all 'active' phone orders, manually search customers by phone number or name, as well as add new or edit existing customer information. The Phone Orders App also allows your staff to manage pickup time and/or delivery person. The App does require a one-time device purchase (2 line version pictured). An indispensable tool for merchants that process many phone-based orders.

03/28/2022

This week I highlight how easy it is to add an online ordering button, Pay link, or offer Gift Certificates for sale right from your Squarespace Website. It makes no difference if it's a Beyond Paylink, Storefront, Clover OLO, or BigCommerce they can all be easily added to your website in minutes.

03/19/2022

See how easy it is to add an online ordering button, Pay link, or offer Gift Certificates for sale right from your WIX Website. It makes no difference if it's a Beyond Paylink, Storefront, Clover OLO, or BigCommerce they can all be easily added to your website in minutes.

03/13/2022

Fresh KDS for Clover
Eliminate order ticket printers or use touch-screen tablets in conjunction for added prep flexibility and functionality. Use their detailed analytics to improve ticket times and order consistency.
Fresh KDS is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Simply download the Fresh KDS App from your tablet marketplace. Open the app on an iPad or Android Device and wirelessly connect to your Clover system. The devices can be located almost anywhere and they don't burn through ribbons and roll paper!
Orders appear on the screen as they are entered and change color from green to yellow to red based on time waiting. Simply tap an order and *p**f* it’s gone.

But there's more! The advanced version supports on-screen triggers for ToGo Label or receipt Printing, and they offer a customer-facing order screen app that can show order prep status in busy operations. Also noteworthy is the cross-screen communication options that allow one prep station to bump (send) an order to another prep or expo station. When the order is ready, an SMS/text message can alert the customer when their order is ready for pickup.
Combine FreshKDS with Clover QR Order/Pay at table and eliminate the seasonal need for additional outdoor wait staff or runners. It's a technological win-win to help operate your business more efficiently.

02/28/2022

Menu boards have come a long way both in appearance and functionality.
Businesses can now link displays to their Clover POS account to sync all items, prices, and modifiers. Simply log in to each screen controller, choose a 'theme' and specify which categories, items within those categories, and attached modifiers you wish to display. Get creative by adding images, videos, promotions, QR menu link, and more. This technology allows merchants to display their menu across one or more screens, automatically update to suit each meal period, and if an item sells out, it can automatically be removed or shown with a line through it.
With supply chain issues impacting ingredient availability, foodservice operators are 'hungry' for this kind of solution to quickly update menus and prices without the need for, or delay of reprinting. The times are ripe for digital menus.

02/26/2022

Speed up checkout lines with printed scale barcodes for fixed and variable-priced items.
In this example, the barcode contains both the sales item PLU, plus its purchase price (weight x cost). Add a use-by date and your store can speed customers through checkout with anything from deli items, bulk nuts and candies, as well as grab & go items.
Stop searching for category or sales item buttons on the POS. Barcodes get the exact item at the exact price every time instantly.
If you still manually price mark items that are received with barcodes already on their labels, you can now give that up. Instead, simply change one price on the shelf tag and its matching sales item in the Clover POS, and everything will be scanned at the new price without delay while saving a ton of labor.

02/19/2022

.
waiv·er /ˈwāvər/ noun
an act or instance of waiving a right or claim.
Sounds pretty boring, right? The funny thing is that we sign waivers all the time - Renting a Canoe, Car, or Venue, but how about the Covid checklist for salon, dentist, or doctor visits. Now imagine you are the merchant accepting, filing, and heaven forbid searching for one in particular! That can now be a thing of the past with Waivermaster and your smartphone, tablet, or PC. Add a Clover device and you can even place a payment link right on your forms. Think about online swim club memberships, repair orders with deposits, or having patrons or employees sign off on rules, employee manuals, and more. You can even set certain Clover sale items to trigger a waiver requirement. Scan the back of most drivers' licenses to quickly and automatically prefill basic info. The applications are endless, the solution is priceless, paper is outdated, and the labor savings can be applied to more valuable tasks!
Here's a sample Covid Questionaire to test drive: https://waivermaster.com/sign.html?q=DW5GHP98GB8NM

02/08/2022

Snow is on the ground and many businesses are dreaming of the warmer, busier days ahead. First-quarter is the slowest three months for many businesses and Covid may have amplified that even more. In Q1 revenues and payroll typically fall, but rent and traditional workman's comp don't. I can't help with rent, but Beyond Payroll does offer a linked workman's comp program that allows you to pay less when slow, and more when busy. Let's say a huge snowstorm hits (or when Covid closed your business), did your comp payments drop to zero? Likely not for most. Highly seasonal businesses like restaurants with outdoor seating, roofers, lawn or tree services, and HVAC contractors all likely see dramatic seasonal revenue ebb and flow. For expensive comp classifications on traditional installment plans, this can make Q1 cash flow even worse. Correct this with a comp-as-you-go plan linked to payroll and often keep your current policy. Pay more when you are busy, less when you are not, and the silver lining ... annual comp audits are virtually eliminated, as are any surprise 'double-whammy' shortfall premiums. That's when prior year estimates fall short at audit time and are doubled to project into the coming year. Eliminate these issues. Workman's Comp is often one of the top five highest costs a business faces, so why not spread payments over 52 weeks and ensure when you do pay it is proportional to actual wages. Your average daily bank balance will be glad you did!

02/02/2022

Welcome to Clover: If you are new to Clover POS or just brushing up, pictured is a quick navigational guide, functions overview, demo schedule, and helpful links to help get you up to speed.

There are 5 Clover Service Plans: Payments, Register Lite, Register, Counter Service, and Table Service, each set up with a mix of included apps to meet the needs of each operation type. There are also optional marketplace apps to enhance your system further.
The attached image illustrates the relationship of apps found on the device compared to the online portal functions. Register is your POS app, and Transactions show your past purchases. Payments is a basic payment app, Register Lite tracks simple sales items. Register adds scale support and variants, while counter service and table service offer item modifiers and more.
There are several apps unique to the Clover Device – Setup and Printers to get your device connected to a network, receipt formatting options, adding an external kitchen, or label printers. Employees, Rewards, and Promotions can be set up using either device or Clover.com. Inventory is where you define your sales items, modifiers, or attributes. Attributes can only be set up on the Clover device unless you add an optional app like Items with Variants or Shopventory that makes this process much easier. Barcode creation can also be done using an app like Easy Labels or Shopventory, and QR codes can be generated for online ordering or at-table order/pay.

Learn More:
Set Clover Options for a Retail Shop: https://www.clover.com/help/set-up-a-retail-shop
Set Clover Options for Table Service: https://www.clover.com/help/learn-by-video-tsr/

Live Webinars can be signed up for in the following link (all start at 4PM EST)
https://blog.clover.com/clover-webinars/
Table Service (Tues 2 / Thurs 4)
Counter Service (Mon 12 / Wed 4)
Retail Business (Tues 4)
Service Business (Mon 4)
Account Only (Thur 12)

Here is a prerecorded webinar on the Retail App
https://youtu.be/002k57_Q4N0
The first half deals with setting up the store, but use starts at the 30-minute mark with interesting promos and customer details. After that, they explore the web dashboard.

Here is a prerecorded webinar on the Table Service App
https://youtu.be/v7sBOQ66rYw

01/27/2022

Leverage consumer reviews to enhance your business:
Every year I look forward to the refreshed consumer review survey results and digesting the insights, trends, and changes that have occurred over previous years. But first, let's be sure to cover some merchant online basics ...
Having a website has never been easier with the various template-based drag and drop tools out there. Amplify those results by claiming listings in the various search engines and review sites and adding your website. Doing so becomes invaluable in two ways (as you'll find out below); it raises your website up in the list of search results presented to your potential or existing customers and gives them greater confidence in your brand. Here are some interesting facts from the study:
- More consumers use Google to evaluate local businesses than ever before. In 2021, 81% did, but the year before that, just 63% did.
- More consumers are reading online reviews than ever before. In 2021, 77% 'always' or 'regularly' read them when browsing for local businesses (up from 60% in 2020).
- 89% of consumers are 'highly' or 'fairly' likely to use a business that responds to all of its online reviews.
- In 2021, just 22% said they would consider using a business with an average rating of three or fewer stars. That's down from 36% in 2020.
Cultivating great clients reviews can be very beneficial to your business, but curating and responding to all of them, good or bad, can further enhance that positive impression on those who are comparing your business with your competition.
Source: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

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