Fixing Your Broken Washing Machine

A broken washing machine is a major problem. As soon as something goes wrong, a supernatural force will compel your kids to run to the nearest pile of dirt and play for hours, burying you under Mt. Washmore with no way to escape. Here’s how you can get your machine back into operation and begin conquering that pile of dirty garments.

Make A Proper Diagnosis

The first thing to remember is that you don’t necessarily need a new washing machine. You may not even need to pay someone to do the repairs. Like a car with a dead battery, a washing machine with one simple problem is unusable but easy to repair. The most important thing is to identify the issue correctly so that you don’t waste time and money fixing what ain’t broke.

There are plenty of online sources for troubleshooting your washing machine, many of which include photos and videos. One tip, though: Check at least two different sources. This may come as a shock, but not everybody who posts advice on the internet knows what they’re talking about.

Locate a Parts Source

Some washer breakdowns can be corrected with adjustments, but more than likely you’ll need some parts to repair a washing machine. This can get tricky because there are countless makes and models out there, each with dozens of components to sort through.

This could end up being the most time-consuming part of the repair, but it’s usually easier if you can remove the troublesome part to view part numbers and take measurements. If you’re torn between two different models, buy both if the store’s return policy permits. Once you get the real part in your hand, you’ll be able to compare it to the old one. Just don’t install it if you aren’t sure it will fit. This could make it impossible to return it.

Install Properly and Carefully

Now it’s time to stop stalling and start installing. Gather all your information, including paperwork included with your parts to repair a washing machine, guides you’ve found online, and your washer’s owner’s manual. If you’ve followed consumer tradition and lost the manual, you can probably find one online. It’s worth the effort because it may include an exploded diagram of your washer, reducing the odds that your brain will explode.

You’ll also need the appropriate tools for installation. Do this right. If you only have … Read the rest

Should I Upgrade my Credit Card Swiper?

If you use your credit card swiper simply as part of the payment or transaction process, you may be missing out on significant features that could elevate your operations. The reality is that many of your competitors may already be taking advantage of these features or will be soon. With this in mind, you cannot afford to miss out on the benefits that these features provide.

Improved Reporting Capabilities

Your point of sale system can simply process transactions so that you can accept credit card payments, or it can track sales information from all terminals, on a per-employee basis and even from multiple store locations. Because this information is tracked in real-time, you can use your POS system to generate accurate sales and productivity reports. These systems may also produce reports for employees’ time logs and more. Your ability to analyze these detailed reports on demand can help you to improve how you run your business and assist in well-informed decisions.

Easier Inventory Management

Regardless of whether you run a store or a restaurant, your POS system may be used to track inventory. By doing so, you can determine when you need to order more supplies or products so that you can better manage storage space and avoid shortages. Improved inventory management may help you to save time, minimize food spoilage and even determine which items you need to keep in stock in larger quantities.

Adjusting Prices

If you are currently manually adjusting prices in your POS system each time you have a sale or run a promotion, you may be wasting a considerable amount of time. Modern POS systems enable you to quickly set price adjustments that turn on and off at specific times. This works well for sales in a retail store as well as for happy hours in a restaurant. You can even adjust prices on select items at specific store locations.

Enhanced Loyalty Capabilities

Today’s POS systems enable you to obtain customer-specific sales data for individuals who have opted into your loyalty program. You can then use this data to customize the loyalty program offers. With this information, you can also customize your marketing efforts based on what specific customers have purchased in the past.

You can see that a modern POS system is more than a basic credit card swiper. These are only some of the many benefits that you could take advantage of if … Read the rest