In 2011, pharmacy point-of-sale looked a bit different. There were lots of different options for software functionality, but the general footprint for all systems was pretty much the same. PC, monitor, receipt printer, barcode scanner, signature pad, cash drawer, fingerprint reader and maybe a customer display thrown in. If you wanted to shrink down the footprint or do something different, an all in one system was used to eliminate some of the hardware needs.

Yes, you read that title right. We're closing in on the last few weeks of 2018. Well 3 weeks and some change, but we'll round down to allow for at least a few days where we'll hopefully all be munching on cookies and celebrating the season.

And yes, I really do mean that there are a few extra things you can get done before the year end. But don't worry, they won't cut into time set aside for attending holiday parties or spending time with family.

The calendar doesn't change. There are 12 months in a year, and 2 of those months are always spent in a flurry of holiday and year end activity. It doesn't seem to matter how much we think about preparing for it. No sooner has the Halloween sugar rush wears off, we're jolted again by the sudden flip of the calendar into November. Thanksgiving month. The month of family gatherings, too much food, and of course the holiday retail marathon that starts on Black Friday.

Outside of any deals you intend to nab on Black Friday, the day won't likely matter too much to you from a business perspective. In fact, it might even be a bit slower than normal for retail pharmacies open on November 23rd. Black Friday is a day for retail giants with huge marketing budgets and margins big enough that price slashing won't hurt their bottom line.

But black Friday isn't the be all, end all of holiday shopping. Instead, focus your efforts for kicking off the holiday shopping season on Small Business Saturday.

Originally launched in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday is a nationwide event that gains support and momentum every year. If you aren't quite convinced that Small Business Saturday is for you, here are a few helpful facts about the holiday shopping season to help.

Running a business today isn't just about what you sell. In fact, it's probably less about what you sell than it's ever been before. More and more, customers are looking to identify with the companies they do business with. They want to understand what drives your business and learn your story.

Customers also want to know that the money they spend isn't just lining pockets, but actually doing some good in their community. This is where charitable giving in your business comes into play. A 2015 study showed that 70% of millennials state they'll spend more with companies that support charitable causes. This isn't a number that can be ignored, and it's not the only benefit to charitable giving.

Pharmacy point-of-sale is way more than just a cash register. And we spend a lot of time talking about that fact.

But as much as all the cool features and integrations might seem more innovative and interesting, the fact remains that every single dollar spent in your pharmacy still goes through the point-of-sale. And how you accept those dollars matters.

Major chains spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising each year. With TV, Radio Spots circulars and direct mail and social media, they have their bases covered. There's no denying that chains have a lot more resources dedicated to driving customers 

through their doors.

So as a smaller independent business, how do you compete? You're certainly outmatched on paper. But that doesn't mean you're outmatched overall.

From time to time, we all get that irritating feeling that there's something we've forgotten to do. Whether it's an email we didn't send before the end of the day, or something we forgot to grab at the grocery store, or a neglected deadline, it doesn't matter at the moment. Everything is an unseen iceberg waiting to sink you because this unknown problem is eating away at you. 

The key of course is detecting that unknown problem or underlying issue. Once you know what's going on, you can make a plan to take corrective action. But in the case of a complex pharmacy business, how exactly do you get to the root of inefficiencies and problems?

This weekend, the news hit that a childhood staple since 1957, Toys R Us, may be closing the doors of all locations. Fierce competition and dwindling profits may have gotten the best of something that I always viewed as something of an institution. Despite already announced store closures I guess I always figured it would be there, offering much the same experience to my kids as it did for me. 

The quote "knowledge is power" has become a well-known saying since its origins in the 1500's (or maybe earlier depending on who you ask). Although somewhat cliché, it's certainly a truth that needs to be considered. Especially when it comes to our businesses. The simple fact is, the more you know about your pharmacy business, the more power you have to influence a positive change and succeed.  

You probably have a baseline for how your pharmacy operates. You know about how many cashiers and pharmacy technicians you need to staff each day. You know an average number of prescriptions you fill each day, and how much money your pharmacy earned each year. But it takes more than that to really see where any business is on a larger scale.