Barcodes for Businesses
How using barcodes will help your small business thrive
Running your own small business is a whole new world. It involves learning an entire new set of skills. One of the first big decisions that small business owners must make is whether to invest in a barcode system or not. This is one of the most important decisions and is one that will influence the success of the business. However, they can be an intimidating prospect for small business owners. Barcodes South Africa is here to help you through this process and assist your business to thrive.
To install a barcode system into your business does involve a certain amount of cost, but it pays off in the long run. There are many benefits to using them and countless ways that barcodes will help your small business thrive. In the past, businesses got by without barcodes. However, in these modern times, it is becoming more and more necessary and useful to install them. Using barcodes in your business will lower the chance of errors and mistakes happening. It is so easy for retail assistants to ring up the wrong item or charge the clients incorrectly, leading to loss of profits for the business. The likelihood of the barcode scanner making a mistake is one mistake per 10 000 scans. Using barcodes in your small business will reduce training costs and training time and allow staff to make fewer mistakes and therefore increase productivity. Costs are lowered and staff are empowered to make the business thrive.
Effective implementation of barcodes assists in controlling assets and stock that move in and out of the business. In the past, stock control and stock checks were a long, manual and laborious process that took a lot of time and cost money since the whole business had to close down in order for it to happen. Bar codes have revolutionised this process. It gives you as the business owner complete control over what comes in and out of your business. Stock control is now a simple, easy and accurate process that does not involve the necessity of closing down shop during the process. This will save you both time and money, thus increasing your profits.
Barcodes store a lot of data and this data can be used to make decisions regarding the business, such as what products are more popular and should be re-ordered and what products to discontinue. It allows you to plan strategically how to make the most profit and how to ensure that your business soars.
In order to set up a barcode system in your business, you need to buy a barcode scanner. All scanners work in the same way. They scan the black and white barcodes and this information is transferred to the sell system on the computer. There are many different kinds of scanners available. However, a good choice to go with is a laser barcode scanner. This is the most popular and widely used code scanner. It works effectively with one dimensional barcodes such as EAN codes or UPC-A codes. These barcodes are used throughout the retail industry both here in South Africa as well as throughout the world. Another benefit of the laser barcode scanner is that it works efficiently in poor lighting. It is easy for retail assistants to learn how to use. Therefore it does not involve a lot of training.
The next step is to apply for your own barcodes for your small business. If you need barcodes for your retail business, you will need to apply to the GS1 or to a reputable reseller, please see our list of reputable sellers. These companies are the governing body that regulates the use of barcodes worldwide. In order to register for barcodes, you have to become a member of the GS1. By buying barcodes from one of our reputable resellers you will become a member of GS1 by proxy. They will provide you with all the different barcodes that you may need in your small business and they provide them at cut throat prices. Examples include EAN & UPC barcodes, Code 128 barcodes and QR codes. We will walk you through the process and assist you with whatever you need.