In the world of small businesses, the journey to success often involves overcoming numerous challenges. Meet a dedicated entrepreneur whose journey has been significantly transformed with the help of Loyverse. This exclusive interview provides insights into the experiences of a loyal Loyverse customer in the automotive industry. Dive into this inspiring story of success as Mr Sadiq, the owner of Jioni Automotive, offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on the cusp of their retail journey.

Can you briefly describe your business?

We are an automotive business. We are selling repairing parts for three-wheelers. I started my business around three to four years ago, and at that time, I was not using Loyverse. I chose this type of business because, at that time, I was not employed, so I started looking for something to help me get income. When I started this business, it was giving a good profit at the start. The main problem that appeared was how to manage the shop. I started as a small shop. Initially, I used Excel to record my sales, but I could not check the profit with Excel. This is why I started to look for another program. Two years later, I found a POS software I thought would help me. I was required to buy a computer to use this program. While searching for a laptop, I came across a friend, and as I shared my situation with him, he introduced me to your system. This is how I started to use Loyverse. Officially, I implemented the software in my business in April of this year. 

How has technology, specifically the Loyverse system, impacted your retail operations and overall business efficiency?

Loyverse has helped me a lot. Now I have an employee working in the shop, and I can pay him the salary on the 25th of each month. Now, I don’t have to give the employee different dates or come up with different situations like this day is not a good day, but now I know my business; I know what I am doing. I know I am making a profit for the first time in three years. The Back office reports have helped me a lot to understand what is happening. I like that Loyverse compares each selected period with the previous one, so I can know if I did better this month than the previous one. Having the reports at my fingertips has allowed me to have long-term goals. Knowing how much profit I make monthly, I can make predictions and take new steps, like applying for a loan and knowing I can pay it. 

Loyverse has also given me the opportunity to manage my business remotely. Even now that I am talking to you, I am not in my country, Tanzania; still, I can see what is happening in my store, which items have been sold, and even know which items are in low stock. 

Your software has changed my life. Now, I can see the business from a different angle. 

For almost four years, I was doing business just to provide money for food. But now, using your software, the tools you offer, and the reports you provide, I can really say that I am a businessman. 

Are you using Loyverse in one or multiple stores?

I actually have three stores, but they are small stores with a limited number of items. Each store is set up to serve a particular customer base. I always wanted to have a chain of stores, but many times, I have thought of closing two of the stores and keeping only one because I thought I needed more money to afford the three of them. 

However, using Loyverse and seeing the reports and the profit for each store, I understood that the profit I was making in each store was covering the costs. So, I had no reason to close any of the stores. Loyverse made my dream of having multiple stores up and running a reality. 

I can see that the features that made a significant impact on your business have been the reports in the Back office. Is there any other Loyverse feature that has been useful for your business? 

The most important features are the Back office and the Dashboard where I can check the sales daily. In addition to that, I want to mention the inventory management feature as well. I can see the stock of my items quickly and easily, and the system notifies me whenever an item is low or out of stock. This feature is essential for me because my stores are small, and I have one item of each kind in inventory. When this item is sold, I must go to that store and substitute it. 

Did your employees need help learning how to use the Loyverse POS system?

No, they did not have any difficulties. I uploaded all the list of items in the system. My employees need to go to the sales screen, see the list of items, and make the sale. 

I also connected a barcode reader to the system. All my items have barcodes; the employees just need to scan the barcode to find and add the item to the ticket and charge. 

Also, I did not have to worry much because if my employees faced any difficulty, they could get assistance from Loyverse immediately through live chat support. That is one of the most amazing things Loyverse offers. You will get your reply within one minute. I have never experienced this before with any other company. They always limit the questions you can ask them or reply very late. Nothing compares with your customer service. I have searched to find a loophole, and I have not been able to find any. 

Now, I am helping my friend to install Loyverse in his business. He has been testing Loyverse for a week and can already see the positive impact. 

Have you created a customer base in your Loyverse account?

Yes, I have added my customers in Loyverse since we have a regular customer base, and of course, we also have new customers coming in every day. I have introduced customers to the Loyalty program. We have customers from different cities, and they sometimes ask for a discount. In such cases, I have trained my employees to offer customers to register in our system by providing some basic information. They will get bonus points for every purchase, which they can use later to get a discount. 

Customers really appreciate the Loyalty program, and they can understand what we give them compared to other shops. Loyverse has helped us to stand out from the competition with this feature. Customers are used to having a loyalty program in the supermarkets, and they are astonished to find such a feature in a small shop. 

What are your plans for the future?

I want to continue improving and expanding the stores with the help of the Loyverse system. In the future, you never know; I might also open a different business. If I do, I will use Loyverse there as well. Before using Loyverse, I was always jumping from business to business, thinking that I must try different businesses to see which is more profitable. And I did not understand that the business I had could be profitable if I managed it properly. By using Loyverse, I have understood that if you put effort into what you are doing, it will make money. 

Is there any advice or words of wisdom you would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own retail business?

I can say from my experience that when you start a business, you try your best not to use a lot of money because you don’t have money to spend. But there are some things that you need to spend money on so that they can help your business. For example, a good investment is the Loyverse POS system. If you use a system since the beginning, you can measure the results of what you are doing. I learned about your system three and half years after I started my business. I wish I had known about your system before. For new business owners, my advice is to use this system. If you use it, it will help to grow your business.