There are some really cool management reporting tools that can be set up in the newer Point of Sale (POS) systems, but most owners don’t take advantage of that.
As of 2016, individuals in Canada have a new resource to help manage their everyday finances as well as their income tax return process.
There are some really cool management reporting tools that can be set up in the newer Point of Sale (POS) systems, but most owners don’t take advantage of that. In fact most restaurants are still using prehistoric methods for tasks like establishing their customer base.
I myself recently went to a Chinese restaurant in Kelowna whereby I was handed a pencil and a piece of paper to fill out with some details about myself. The restaurant was trying to incentivise this tedious task with an all-expenses paid trip to a desirable holiday destination. My thoughts on this are that:
The questions I generated in this thought process, led me to do some research in this area and I discovered a couple of gems that could and are helping to revolutionise marketing for restaurants:
Turnstyle
Turnstyle defines itself as being “An Innovative Wi-Fi Marketing Platform.” The premise behind it is the simplicity with which it can accumulate relevant customer information for the needs of the restaurant owner. It works as follows:
Major benefits of the Turnstyle system are as follows:
Nav Sangha, Owner of Boots & Bourbon Saloon said “we needed a way to gather large amounts of contacts without the hassle. Instead of getting 100 ballots a night, the export is waiting for you the next day.” This resonates so strongly with me, based on the story I outlined before. Why deal with paper ballots that need to be prepared, counted, analysed and checked again, when you can use an automated system like Turnstyle?
In a nutshell Turnstyle helps restaurants, fast diners, and cafés get the most out of their monthly Wi-Fi expense. Their platform provides one-to-one engagement between restaurants and customers, allowing you – the business owner to reach customers with targeted messaging directly on their smartphones.
ZenReach
ZenReach pitches itself by stating “restaurants across the world love the ease and power of Zenreach.” Similarly to Turnstyle, ZenReach also follows a three part process:
Delivering value to customers may seem difficult, but when compared to the paper survey interrupting your dinner, it’s a no brainer. This way customers are empowered to decide if and when they want to provide such information, but are immediately rewarded with free WiFi, as opposed to having a 1/5000 chance of winning a trip.
The instant engagement afforded by ZenReach means you can include special offers, reviews and social media on your login portal to drive engagement while your guest is in your establishment! The first time a customer accesses your WiFi, Zenreach automatically adds them to your marketing database. Each time they come back, we learn more about them—from spending habits and demographics to visit history.
ZenReach’s website has some great info on it, one piece of which is an example profile for a customer. This displays a photo, name, value, date last visited, # of times logged in, age, where they live.
In this ever changing world Turnstyle and Zenreach are offering two similar but equally effective ways of automating and drastically improving the marketing process. I for one, am all for the changes!
As of 2016, individuals in Canada have a new resource to help manage their everyday finances as well as their income tax return process. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) launched a new mobile app — My Benefits CRA — which enables Canadians the option to view personalized benefit and credit information on cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices. Previously this information was only available through signing into a “My Account” profile online, or via a telephone call with one of their representatives – however this new app offers a faster approach to looking up benefits information.
MyBenefits CRA is a new mobile app that lets you instantly view all your benefit and credit information on your mobile device. The app shows you:
As of October 2016, the app will also let you update some of your personal information that may affect benefit and credit eligibility such as:
While everyone loves that “surprise GST/HST payment” showing up in their bank account, this app is hugely beneficial for those who need to manage their upcoming cash flow. The ease at which key financial information is made available by the CRA is comparable to online banking apps, and can only be seen as a good thing moving forward.
More information on the new app can be found on the CRA website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/txtps/2016/tt160920-eng.html, and the Agency’s mobile app page is available at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/mblpp/menu-eng.html.
Whether you have questions regarding the app, or any other issues with navigating financial information through the CRA’s website, please feel free to reach out to us at Insight Online Accountants. We have an amazing team ready to assist you through the annual tax filing process.
Restaurant Marketing: Turnstyle vs ZenReach
There are some really cool management reporting tools that can be set up in the newer Point of Sale (POS) systems, but most owners don’t take advantage of that.
MyCRABenefits Mobile App: More Information at your Fingertips
As of 2016, individuals in Canada have a new resource to help manage their everyday finances as well as their income tax return process.