Wow! Now that’s a comment! A bit harsh but well written and probably one of the most impressive and useful comments I’ve gotten so far!
Please don’t get this the wrong way, I really appreciate your input as I do appreciate your time you put into this.
I’m going to try and respond to your points in the best way possible:
- (Website): I understand your point of view since you’re a developer and as a developer you’ll definitely have different expectations etc. but this website worked for me to express my idea & designs (at least I thought it did until now). Comparing my website to other similar companies services, (which I did), I didn’t find it horrible, but that’s only my opinion.
You pointed out the “Donate” button. Is that what makes the website horrible or the entire concept of it? I would appreciate your opinion if you’d be willing to share.
- (Screenshots & Design): When I started this post, I didn’t even have a website to showcase my ideas. After the website went “live” then I added the link to it for anyone who’d be interested in more information. I tried to include as much information as possible on the website while also trying to protect my idea & designs. You can find a lot more screenshots, descriptions and other information on the website besides the “Donate” button
As far as prototype videos, there are none as there is no prototype. The “demo” video above is a very early, expiramental stage of the supposed product.
- (10 Reasons why): I don’t make stuff up and just put them in a marketing video…
I might not be a developer myself, but I do know the market I’m targeting. I am an active POS Reseller, and a Sales Rep for Credit Card Processing, had my own pizza shop, worked as a manager at another, and now I’m out there with restaurateurs, seeing problems, costs (upfront, recurring), seeing services provided by competitors, and basically I’d dare to say that I have a pretty good idea how this specific industry works, as I’m already a part of it.
- (Product): No you haven’t missed anything here, as this is not an actual product but concept only. Which I make sure to say that, everywhere I mention this project. This is a startup company.
- (Raising Money) Lol no, I didn’t get that number out of my “hat”, even though I wish I could get the money out of it
The total estimated cost for a 100% completion of the project including all testing and quality assurance, is around the 2.2 mil. This is a final quote from the development company I’ve been working with on this project. No we have not started development yet, but they have spend way too much time on this project for putting everything together in the “white pages”.
- (Different Solution/Innovation): If you haven’t seen anything new here, the website has way more information about this project. This post here is only a reference so yes, it does not include all the information. Even the website doesn’t include everything.
What I want to create, is a one stop shop for POS, that will be nothing less than outstanding, in every aspect of it. I don’t want to create one more system because the existing 160 are not enough but because less than the 1% of the existing systems gets anywhere close to what restaurants need. I want to make a difference!
Bells & whistles? Yeah sure, why not? Since we can have it, why not take advantage of it? Since you are a developer then you have a pretty good idea of how advanced the technology is today and how behind are the systems we’re using for our day to day operations.
There are options where no signature is required on a credit card slip, options for the customers to pay at their door or with other ways (e-wallets etc), which can eliminate the chargbacks because the payments & information are handled only by the customer, yet 99.9% of the businesses, not using any of these options and are still trying to fight chargbacks!
There is the PCI Compliance which is a mandatory service since 2006 and 12 years later people still have no clue what PCI DSS stands for or what is its purpose!
There are options such as starting a petition and submit it to the federal trade commision to change the law that protects Yelp & other similar services against the fake online reviews, but no one is taking action. Not that it will change anything, but its a start and who knows what the outcome would be.
There are over 75,000 pizzerias in United States alone and only 4,000 members signed up in PMQ.
There is the “Cloud” and the offline backups. However, when the Internet goes down in most cases or if the “Server” computer breaks down in all cases, hands are tied up and businesses are kneeled and no one seems to care enough about it to fix that problem. They are getting your money anyways I mean. So what if you can’t work few times in an entire year? not their problem!
There is the Voice Ordering Application of Domino’s. What is that really? So, I have to go to the web ordering first, choose what I want and save it as my favorite, and then use the voice ordering app to order what I saved in my favorites? Yes, that’s innovation!
There are POS that offer applications for drivers. But they can’t accept payments at the door? So you’re going to the water fountain but don’t get to drink? That’s nice…
There are options where you can accept payments at the door… But they don’t update the order to your POS as the payments are handled by your processor directly. Yeah, that’s helpful!
Hopefully you’re getting my point…
As I said, I want to make a difference and offer something unique. I don’t enter the POS world to compete with others. I’ve seen the mistakes first hand and given the chance, I’ll try to correct them. I wouldn’t settle for anything less, and I would NEVER sell myself short just to make a quick buck. I’m 46 years old, and I have fought for what I wanted ever since I can remember myself. Still doing it and I won’t give up now!
I said that I’m a POS reseller and a credit card processing sales rep already. So, with one of my customers who wanted to sign up for online ordering, the service that was integrating with his POS asked for $900 setup fee plus $89 monthly fee. That was what they would charge me as a reseller and I had to charge the customer extra if I wanted to make a profit plus the processing fees, plus the support fee. I was like, whaaat?!? That’s too much money! But they don’t care… nobody does care that a pizza shop owner’s work time doesn’t stop with him leaving the store but follows him around, no matter where he would be. Long story short, I refused to offer their services to my customers. Anyways, this is an other subject and a long conversation for another time.
My point is that if I was to be like that, I would have been already. I have the means.
I joined this forum as a recommendation from one of my customers who told me I should post my idea here. But since then, I really loved it, the whole connection between people, the knowledge, and just about everything in here, and I’m really glad that got the chance to be here.
As far as innovation and ROI I would say that this project, if ever becomes a product, it would benefit a lot the businesses who would use it as the only fee besides the initial purchase of the software would be the monthly support fee. A fair and acceptable fee that will allow me to give for free the online ordering, the digital menu integration, and a lot more services along with providing remote & phone support around the clock.
The point where businesses wouldn’t have to pay extra to process gift cards, offer loyalty & rewards, have online ordering, and many other services, since they would all be included in the initial purchase of the software, that alone would have been a huge factor in ROI.
Also, being the only one system that would not depend on a “Server” computer to run, have a “Voice Ordering Application” way more functional than Domino’s or Starbucks, have the option to accept credit cards at the door and scan ID for verification, have Facial Recognition, run on Computers & tablets, be a self efficient system and include many other options as well, I think that it should qualify as innovative.
I have already included in my calculations all the expenses including what you’ve mentioned above (rent etc.)
I didn’t say that I will be making a product that would not be taking in any money. But I also wouldn’t charge “$100/month for support plus “X” amount for online ordering, plus gift cards, plus loyalty, plus plus… or $300 upfront for 3 hours of support, or basic support package 9am - 5pm and no weekends at $900/year, or $30/month for online ordering plus 3% for over “X” amount of orders, or requiring the credit card processing to offer services”, or whatever the list of the ridiculous charges is, which I could go on and on about it forever.
There is a huge difference in making a profit and ripping people off.
By posting my idea here, I had no intentions of offending anyone, and I’m really sorry If you feel that way. I didn’t came here to offer just promises, which you’re right btw, since this is what I do, but I had an idea, I worked on it for the last 3 years now, and when I had everything (except the money) in place, I decided to make it publicly known.
If it’s a dream? Yes it most certainly is! But I have done a lot of the homework that is involved with it, and I just hope for the best. Nothing else I can do.
Again, thank you so much for your post, you gave me a lot to think.
I really hope I have covered few of your points.
