1 Location + Traveling Sales

[HFCCSM]

We sell products mostly from a physical location through the Square POS, but also occasionally through a mobile device when we travel. I'm looking for some feedback from others who do the same on the best way to record and manage the outside sales. 

For our outside sales, most of the time, this is done outside of the square app (paid with cash and logged on a paper sales sheet). Sometimes it is recorded through the square app, but through entering a "Custom Amt" instead of adding the Items to the the Checkout. This is because some of the prices are different outside than in our physical store. We don't want to have to fuss with change for outside sales, so we alter the price to include tax and round to nearest whole dollar. 

I wonder what is the best way to record the sales that happen outside of the office. Right now, when they return, I calculate the number of each item sold, ring the items up in my store's Square app, and have recently started checking out with the "Other Payment Method" selected. I just started doing that recently. Before, I would add all of the items, and then add a 100% discount, so that they would still update my Inventory, but without making me collect money, which at that point would have been deposited through another method. Both of these have pros and cons.

I want to be able to pull a Sales Report and see my store sales separate from my outside sales. What is the best way to do this? Set up multiple locations? Or try Square for Retail?

Please share what you've done if you have a similar experience. Thanks

[VanKalkerFarms]

I would set up a separate location to keep the sales separated.  set up the items with the correct price so you can ring them up too.  the more data you have the better, basically I would say you should never use the custom amount button because that is now not a trackable item sale.

we have 3 locations in Square.  1 for Retail in our store, 1 for wholesale in our store, and last 1 for sales at our farmer's market.  

[imogenalbistone]

The combination of location and traveling sales can present unique opportunities and challenges for professionals in the sales industry. The success of a traveling salesperson often depends on various factors, including the specific location they are operating in. Here are a few key points to consider:

1. Location targeting: When engaging in traveling sales, it's important to identify and target locations that have a high potential for your product or service. This involves researching and understanding the demographics, market demand, and competition in different regions. By strategically selecting locations that align with your target audience, you can maximize your sales opportunities.

2. Building relationships: Traveling salespeople have the advantage of being able to establish face-to-face connections with potential clients. This allows for more personalized interactions and the opportunity to build strong relationships. It's essential to network, attend industry events, and leverage local connections to expand your reach and establish a solid customer base in each location. Learn more about from Travel far data.

3. Adaptability and flexibility: Being a traveling salesperson often requires adaptability and flexibility in terms of work schedules and travel arrangements. You need to be comfortable with changing environments, different time zones, and varying customer needs. Embracing technology can be helpful in staying connected, managing appointments, and accessing relevant sales tools while on the go.

4. Time management: Traveling sales can be demanding in terms of time management. It's crucial to plan your trips efficiently, optimize your schedule, and prioritize high-potential leads. Balancing travel time, client meetings, and administrative tasks is key to maximizing productivity and sales effectiveness.

5. Maintaining a strong online presence: While traveling, it's important to maintain a strong online presence through social media, email marketing, and other digital channels. This ensures that you stay connected with existing and potential clients even when you're not physically present in a particular location. It also helps to establish credibility and provide ongoing support to your customers.

Overall, the combination of location and traveling sales requires careful planning, effective relationship-building, adaptability, and efficient time management. By leveraging the advantages of face-to-face interactions and utilizing technology to stay connected, traveling sales professionals can successfully navigate different locations and drive sales growth.

[Candlestore]

@HFCCSM ;

When I first did this I used Device Codes and had My Square Stands at my Retail location and took a Tablet connected to Square with the same location settings.  My Travels were within the same State and had the same Sales tax.  My items were limited as to what I took a long so I had those Items as Tabs, now its called Favorites.  I could just tap favorites find the category for the item then tap the item.  This helped track the Sales for that Device (Mobile Sales) and also helped keep track of inventory, since it was still out of 1 inventory pool. By doing this at the time of the sale you also avoid the Custom Amount and have itemized sales if you have those items in Square.  I also had the Square Bluetooth Reader and the Headphone port Swipe Reader to take cards or cash.  I could later do a Report and filter by device and see how much that Mobile tablet sold.  Depending how much you do in sales I have heard of people using a Square Stand with an Ipad that had cell reception (tablet Plan) and a small generator or a Battery inverter setup to power the stand and accessories.  I have not tried this but have looked into this myself.  just not sure how much power for how many hours to figure out battery size to power my stand and accessories.  

I usually only took 4 categories of items to sell when I traveled.... 8oz, 16oz, 28oz candles and our Fudge.  And a few other samples to show other items we sell at our store or could ship through our website.  You could use your Cell phone and run your Square app on that and have that as a device in your account to track sales.  You can even set it up now on your phone to do a test sale to see what shows on you reports.... Do a Cash Test sale so no fees lost.  Plus you can see if he Phone app which would be similar to a tablet app is what your looking for.