Is Insight a web based program?

In the few month this is the most common question we get. Lately there have been a handful of companies that have taken their software completely web based. If you are thinking about purchasing a web based software to manage your business, think again! Below we have outlined just a few reasons to avoid these companies:

• Reason #1: Security - Salon and Spa owners are concerned about their staff gaining access to client information and leaving to go to another business. With a web based system, your data is out on the web and anyone with a password can access it...from anywhere! There is nothing to stop an employee from accessing your systems from at home, after all, that is the main selling feature of web based software...work from anywhere. Staff can take all your data from the comfort of their home and move on to another business. The only way to avoid this potential security nightmare is to not give anyone access to anything and that defeats the purpose of having software in the first place. With web based software, the potential for sabotage is enormous.
• Reason #2: Where is your data? - Some other company owns all your information and if they go out of business you might too...even if their server goes down for a couple hours your business could be seriously affected. Do you really want to entrust the success of your business to the success of someone elses business? If they can't make a profit, what stops them from raising your fees until they can? They hold all your data and can potentially hold it for ransom.
• Reason #3: Internet Problems - You might think that your internet works all day but you might be surprised. Try surfing the web for 12 hours straight and see how often you get significant delays or even dropped connections. Most people don't realize that your "always on" internet connection can fail many times a day and that is just one connection. There might be six to ten different connections between your business and the computer where your data is stored and any of them could fail.

The bottom line is that web based software has one "advantage" (work from anywhere) but that simply cannot overcome the major flaws in the business model. If you really need to be able to work from home, Insight provides a very inexpensive Remote Data Access module (look for it in the Add-Ons menu of our web site) that will give you all the benefits of working from anywhere without the risk. You still control EVERYTHING!

Why do we price our software the way we do?

Many years ago, Insight was sold at one price level very similar to the price of the Insight Professional Full user version today. However, we quickly discovered that only the larger than average businesses were able to afford to purchase Insight. What we decided to do to remedy this was to break the software down into 3 user versions and to discount the software depending on the overall size of the business. The smaller your business, the larger our discount. Remember, no matter what size your business, you receive the same full featured software, but at a price point that you can afford.

• Insight Renter Edition - For individuals who are on their own or rent a "chair" from another business.
• Insight Partner Edition - For businesses with 3 employees or less.
• Insight Small Business Edition - For businesses with 12 employees or less.
• Insight Unlimited Edition - Just like the name says...no limits.

We also found that many businesses don't want some of the advanced features built into Insight. In order to accommodate these needs, we developed two versions of Insight. Insight Standard and Insight Professional. Just choose whichever version has the features you require and the user version that best fits your business.

The difference is clear. Our pricing model allows smaller businesses to afford Insight while still giving you access to all of the time saving functions and advanced features that will help your business to grow. We are focused on giving you all the tools you need to maintain and grow your business and we want to be an integral partner in your continued success.

What is the difference between Insight Standard and Insight Professional?

Insight Professional includes all of the features in Standard as well as:

• Payroll commission calculations.
• Payroll deductions calculated (for USA and Canada only).
• Multi-Part appointments (break a service up into parts to allow different parts to be done with different employees).
• Package booking wizard searches a range of dates instead of a single day.
• Automated e-mail confirmations of appointments.
• Dedicated assistants for technical or finishing services.
• Time Clock.
• Clients can pay for transactions on account and then pay off account balances.
• Recurring billing feature (charge clients a set amount at regular intervals - requires credit card integration module).
• Many more reports.

What if we start with Insight Standard and then want to upgrade to Professional?

Any time you want to add the extra functions included with Insight Professional you will only be required to pay the difference between Standard and Professional. There is absolutely no penalty for doing the upgrade to Professional after you have been using Insight and the upgrade can be done in a matter of minutes over the phone.

What happens when we outgrow the user version we purchased?

Exceeding the number of employees available in the user version your originally purchase is a sure sign that Insight is helping you succeed. When you need to add more employees but have already reached the maximum allowed, you will need to purchase and upgrade to the next higher user version or add more employee licenses. Insight allows you to add one employee at a time if necessary in order to reduce your cost in moving to the next higher user version. Your sales representative will also be happy to work out payment terms if required at the time of the upgrade.

Do I have to do Credit Card Integration with Insight?

Credit Card Integration (CCI) is an extra feature of Insight but is not required. We offer many options for integrating the processing of credit card payments into Insight. CCI is a feature that can be included with your original purchase or added at any time after setting up your software. Even if you are already tied into an existing contract for CC processing equipment, it may be beneficial for you to consider an integrated solution.

Do I need high speed internet at my business?

You don't need it but it can be highly desirable. If you plan on processing credit and debit payments through Insight you can do this over a high speed connection in under 2 seconds and your cost on the CCI module will actually be lower. Having internet at the business also makes it easier to download Insight updates when they are posted on our web site as well as allowing our customer support department to invite you to an "internet meeting" where they can work with you on your computer to solve problems much quicker than regular telephone support. An investment in a high speed internet connection is not required but will be extremely beneficial to your business if you choose to set one up.

Is Insight touch screen compatible?

Yes, Insight is fully compatible with touch screen monitors. In actual fact, touch screens are a function of Windows and are compatible with any Windows software applications. A touch screen monitor uses advanced technology to determine where you touched the screen and moves the mouse pointer to that position and "clicks" the mouse on that spot. It is important to note that using a touch screen with Insight does not replace the need to have a keyboard attached to your computer (although technically you wouldn't need a mouse anymore). You will still need a keyboard to type things like names and addresses. Again, the touch screens make areas of Insight like Sales and Appointments easier to use, it does not remove the need for a keyboard.

Can I purchase different hardware?

The short answer to this question is "yes" but in general we don't recommend it unless it is absolutely necessary. Most receipt printers are very similar in their basic functions so Insight can usually print receipts properly on many different types of printers. However, advanced features are much more complicated to build into our software so we obviously cannot provide full support for every printer ever made. Cash drawers are less complicated since the only thing Insight needs to do is open them. Assuming that the cash drawer is plugged into a receipt printer, the brand and model of the drawer makes no difference as long as it is properly matched with the correct printer (certain drawers will only work with certain printers). When it comes to barcode scanners, Insight requires that the scanner be programmed in order to work as designed. We have provided "Quick Configuration" sheets to program the scanners we sell but if you have a different brand or model you should be able to contact the manufacturer to find out how to program it to work with Insight.

Can I purchase hardware from somewhere else?

Assuming that the hardware you purchase is the same brand and models that we suggest, there is nothing stopping you from purchasing those items from another supplier. However, it is important to note that our pricing includes all shipping costs and we will also have a customer support representative contact you to assist you in installing and setting up the equipment when it arrives. Part of our process in selling equipment to you is to ensure that the items you are purchasing will work well together and will attach correctly to the computer you will be using. If you purchase the equipment from someone else, there may be conflicts and in some cases, clients have received hardware that they cannot even attach to their computer. Our goal is to make sure that you are completely satisfied with your purchase so we do a lot of checking prior to shipping to ensure that you are getting exactly what you need and want.

Will Insight work with my existing hardware?

In most cases, we can get Insight to work with hardware that you were using with competitors software. There are some cases however, when dealing with very old or unsupported equipment where we simply cannot get it working as it should be. If you have already purchased Point-Of-Sale equipment and would like to purchase Insight, please notify your sales representative and they will have a hardware specialist contact you to make every effort to verify that your existing equipment will work with Insight before you make a final purchasing decision.

Why do you sell Acer computers?

We chose to become an authorized Acer reseller for a number of reasons:

• Quality - Acer is consistently rated as one of the highest quality manufacturers.

• Ordering Times - In many cases, you can order an Acer system from us and receive it within 48 hours. The systems are all pre-built and warehoused so there is no waiting for the system to be built before it can ship to you.

• Case Size - Acer is one of the few brands that specialize in compact desktop cases. The models that we carry are all compact in size because we know that space is precious at the front desk.
• Service - Prior to working with Acer, we sold Dell computers for over 10 years. Their specifications and prices were constantly changing and in some cases order were taking over 3 weeks to ship.
• Experience - We use Acer systems in our offices so if they are good enough for us, they are good enough for our clients.