We interviewed Bryan Muñoz, one of the owners of Palomon, a popcorn and snacks business that has been running for one year and has been using Loyverse since day one. 

Could you please introduce your business?

I am the co-owner of a snack business along with my brother. We opened on July 22nd of last year, and since then, we have been using Loyverse as part of our operations. We produce popcorn in a variety of flavors and recipes. Our flavors are quite popular in Mexico, ranging from butter, cheese, caramel, strawberry, cherry, grape, and more. We also sell corn-based snacks, potato chips, and nachos. Our customers often choose us for movie nights at home, to take snacks to school, and more. We have daily customers and are currently in the process of expanding.

How was your initial experience with Loyverse?

At first, it was challenging because we were learning how to use the Loyverse POS features from scratch while starting the business. Despite the challenges, from manual tools to a virtual system, I liked the information it provides because it is complete and has been a great help from the beginning.

What tools are you currently using?

I subscribed to the employee management feature for one year, allowing my employees to log in with their email and password as they have the administrator role. Since I’m not always present, my employee is responsible for starting the shift and acts as the cashier, having access to the necessary functions.

Another feature that has been very helpful is the customer purchase history and database. My customers also love the option of earning cashback (Loyalty) points with each purchase. They often return after a couple of visits and ask if they have enough points to redeem a free popcorn.

What was the main reason you subscribed to the employee management feature?

I specifically wanted to separate the cashier function since my employee would only handle transactions. There are also days when I’m not at the store, and one of the employees needs access to refunds or handle more responsible tasks. On one occasion, a regular customer requested a combination of items we didn’t have in the system, and my employee was able to create a new item directly from the POS and make the sale. This makes my work easier when I return to the store. It's worth mentioning that it was simple for my employees to learn how to use the POS.

Was there a specific feature that made you choose Loyverse?

I’ve tried other POS systems and helped others manage them, but when I came across Loyverse, I realized it was the best fit for my business. The way it displays items, and the ease of adding a shape, color, or image was very appealing. It was a quick decision because many people recommended it. When I started my business, I bought the hardware (printer and cash register) on Mercado Libre, and there were comments about Loyverse POS. Then, I searched for videos on YouTube, created the account, made test sales, reviewed the reports generated by Loyverse, and saw that it worked very well. That’s when I decided to continue using Loyverse. It’s an intuitive POS, which is essential for this type of application, and I’ve recommended it to a friend.

Have you ever used the reports to make any decisions?

I do that often, as we are seeking the business’s break-even point. I need to see what my actual sales, costs, and profits are. When I create an item, I can add the price and the real cost, and Loyverse shows me the difference. I can check the net sales and gross profit. Once a month, my partner (who is my brother) and I review what sells the most, and what sells the least, and we examine the costs and margins. Based on this, we look for new suppliers to reduce costs. If we see that certain items aren’t selling well, we decide whether to continue restocking or create discounts to clear out that inventory.

Loyverse helps us determine whether the business is truly profitable. We set an acceptable profit margin percentage for each item. In our case, the minimum value is a 30% profit margin.

Why have you recommended Loyverse to other entrepreneurs?

I’ve recommended it because it helps control sales, analyze inventory movements, manage discounts, review profits, and provides all the necessary information for a business to thrive. Using employee profiles allows them to operate the POS without accessing the Back Office. In the short term, we plan to expand with a new store, so we need the information provided by Loyverse to understand how long it will take to reach the break-even point and to assess the average sales at our current store. In the long term, we aim to establish several franchises, and Loyverse has significantly impacted that planning due to the valuable information it provides.

Would you like to leave any inspirational message or story that could help other entrepreneurs overcome difficulties?

When we started the business, we set a goal to recover our investment and had expectations for reaching the break-even point. Every month, we hold an analysis meeting. By month five, we had no profits, experienced days with few sales, and still had expenses to cover. My partner was very negative and wanted to abandon the business. However, I pointed out that the employee salaries, rent, and goods were all being covered by the business itself. I wanted him to understand that the business was self-sustaining. So, I logged into the Back Office and showed him the sales history from when we opened until the current date. Even after accounting for expenses, we could see the stability we had achieved in a short period.

This experience showed me that Loyverse saved my business. The story I’d like to share is about patience. The results in a business are not immediate, but with patience and hard work, it’s possible to succeed.