Build for merchant needs

Clover Merchants -- by type of business

• Accounting: Merchants process payroll weekly or bi-weekly, pay quarterly taxes, and ensure that expenses are balanced. A business owner may do this herself, or work with a bookkeeper or accountant.
• Inventory Management: Merchants must add new and seasonal items to inventory, update prices, keep track of what’s in stock, be notified of items to be ordered, and easy re-ordering of stock items.
• Menu: Restaurant owners create and update their menus, add seasonal appetizers and entrees, and set prices for regular items and specials.
• Sales: Merchants and their employees spend time with customers to find out what they like and need. Merchants must also attract new customers and repeat customers more frequently with discounts and specials to increase sales.
• Social Media: An important marketing tool for merchants is social media. Therefore, many merchants post regularly to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media about specials, events, and other news. They also respond to Yelp reviews and Foursquare check-ins.
• Employee Management: One of the most important activities for business owners is to recruit, hire, and train new employees, in addition to tracking employee performance.
• Cash Flow: Merchants monitor their cash flow so they can pay vendors and follow up on accounts receivable.
• Customer Service: Providing good customer service is a top priority. This includes recognizing and rewarding loyal customers, and handling special orders and requests.
• Marketing: Merchants get the word out about their business via advertising and social media. In addition, business owners network and interact with the local community.

Quick Service Restaurants

Order and pay at the counter

• Café
• Sandwich Shop/Deli
• Take-out pizza
• Dive bar
• Food truck
• Full Service Restaurants

Order and pay at the table

• Diner
• Fine Dining
• Sports bar
• Sit-down Pizzeria

Restaurants have reported these needs:

• Bar tab app: tallies orders
• Drink recipe app: allow servers or customers to create a drink recipe
• ID verification: swipe and confirm that an ID is valid
• Menu with photos: helpful for visual identification of items, especially if language is a barrier
• Order ahead app
• Recipe-based inventory: track inventory based on the components that make up a menu item
• Table mapping: visual representation of restaurant floor plan
• Tip out percentage: help calculate tip distribution
• Two-touch (fast pay): bars/nightclubs want to complete a transaction in two touches. 1) “Vodka Martini”; 2) “$15 cash”

Retailers

• Jewelery store
• Convenience store
• Pro shop
• Clothing boutique
• Game store
• Liquor store
• Toy store
• Furnishings
• Shoe store
• Gift items store
• Musical instruments
• Sporting goods
• Auto parts
• Bike store

Retailers have reported these needs:

• Average cost per unit for all stock in inventory
• Consignment tracking: track information about the consigner and commission for each item
• Layaway management: track items on layaway, amount paid and remaining balance
• Lottery payout: ability to give customers lottery winning and be reimbursed by the lottery organization
• Purchase order management
• Rent-to-purchase (e.g. musical instruments): track payments and remaining balance
• Track commission-based sales

Services

• Hair stylist
• Chiropractor
• Auto repair
• Boxing gym
• Catering
• Plumbing repair
• Dental/Medical office
• Nail salon
• Personal trainer
• Music school
• Bowling alley
• Motel
• Skydiving

Services have reported these needs:

• Daycare sign-in: parents sign child in/out with a PIN
• Invoicing, for recurring membership
• Membership tracking
• Membership verification, via barcode scan
• Rental management: tracking what items are in and out, who has it, how long, and charges (flat or percentage; late)
• Repair order tracking: track parts, labor and payments, assign to employee/customer