Quickbooks POS End of Life Deadline Approaching FAST

October 3rd is Coming Up Quick – Have You Made the Switch to a New POS?

Quickbooks POS has an end of life deadline of October 3, 2023, and that deadline is approaching FAST! For those who are currently using this program, there will be some BIG changes after this deadline if you choose not to change to a new POS. 

For instance, after October 3, technical support will no longer be available. This includes the development of security patches, which will then put your system at risk of malicious cyber attacks and data theft. Since this is a big problem in today’s digital world, now is not the time to be vulnerable. If you wish to stay on your Quickbooks POS licensing, it is imperative that you adopt a third-party data protection strategy. It’s also important to note that even with a third-party data protection strategy, an attack can still slip through unpatched software when a patch is not available. This means that even with a data protection strategy, your POS system will still be at a level of risk that could have costly consequences.

Another important change to note is additional seat licenses will no longer be available for purchase. This means that if you add on an additional selling station, or want to expand to an additional location, you will not be able to add on licensing for these instances. In this scenario, you will have to get a completely different POS provider to add licensing to these locations, which will then cause you to have two separate point of sales systems. This is a less than ideal situation for retailers…

Learn more about the different changes you can expect to see after October 3! 

The good news is that our team of experts can help get you switched over from Quickbooks POS to a different system seamlessly. We’ve partnered with some of the top POS providers in the industry, giving us the ability to guide you towards the RIGHT system for YOUR retail business. 

Book a complimentary consultation with one of our professionals today to learn more about the different options available, and let us take care of the nitty gritty details of getting you switched over!

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CRS Welcomes Zahid Iqbal to the Professional Services Team!

Everyone here at Canadian Retail Solutions are extremely excited to announce our newest Professional Services member – Zahid Iqbal!

Zahid joined the CRS professional services team with an extensive background in different retail solutions, specializing in Retail Pro. Given his long list of certifications and project experiences, Zahid is ready and able to take care of all your Retail Pro support needs! 

Welcome to the team, Zahid! We look forward to working with you for many years to come! 

About Our TEam

Single-Use Plastic Bylaws in Canada and the Effect on Retail

The Next Steps in the Single-Use Plastic Bylaws Directly Effect Retail Stores

Over the course of the past couple of years, provinces across Canada have been gradually adapting to the single-use plastic bylaws. We’ve seen the plastic bags in grocery stores disappear with reusable and paper bag options taking its place, we’ve watched plastic straws and cutlery from restaurants switch to biodegradable paper products, and now we’re starting to see take out containers and other commonly used single-use plastics becoming phased out. All of this is to contribute towards the Canadian Government’s goal of zero plastic waste by 2030. 

As part of this single-use plastic bylaw, each province has begun to introduce additional fees for paper bags, reusable bags, and even utensils from restaurants. In most cases where these fees have been implemented, you’re seeing an average of $0.15 per paper bag and $1 per reusable bag. By January 2024, these fees may rise to $0.25 per paper bag and $2 per reusable. 

As retailers, we will all have to adhere to these bylaws and charge our own customers for reusable or paper bags, if we haven’t started to already. Make sure you read up on your province’s current and upcoming single-use plastic bylaws so you’re well informed of the date you need to begin charging your customers! A great resource for this is directly through the Government of Canada website, where you can find a complete overview of the entire program and what to expect in the coming months.  

Now, with all of that being said, we wanted to reach out to our customers to let you know that we’re here if you need any assistance with getting this set up on your point of sale! Get in touch with us today and we’ll gladly walk you through the process!  

We’ve Changed Email Platforms!

And With That, We’ve Also Made Some Changes to Our Weekly Newsletter….

Earlier this year, we made a drastic shift to a new ticketing system to better support our customers…and now, we’ve made a similar shift in our email marketing platform! In order to provide the best and most effective email delivery system to our customers and subscribers, we’ve changed from Constant Contact to Klaviyo!

The team here at CRS has also taken this as an opportunity to make some changes to our weekly newsletter! Here’s what you need to know:

– Our newsletter will change from a weekly newsletter to a monthly newsletter

– You can now expect your monthly newsletter on the first Friday of each month

– Our Industry News section will now also contain Tech Talk and Marketing Tips & Tricks under the ONE content umbrella (were previously 3 separate sections)

– Our landing pages have been completely overhauled and have a much easier navigation to the different pages on our website

In Memory of Tim Parker

It is with extreme sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the untimely passing of our Professional Services team member Tim Parker. Tim was more than just a member of a team – he was a member of our CRS family – and he will be profoundly missed by each and every one of us. 

Tim was with our company for roughly a year and a half, and was our first point of contact in support. If you’ve been one to call in for support in the past, you’ve likely been greeted by Tim’s friendly voice and customer-first attitude. Around the office, Tim would always greet us with a smile, offer a helping hand whenever needed, and was generally an absolute pleasure to work with.

Rest in peace, Tim Parker. You will always be remembered.