As Data Age continues to lead the way in the market as the preeminent software provider we are constantly looking for ways to add more value for our customers. In concert with enhancing our stable and highly diverse product set, we have impacted our customers on every level of their business for almost 30 years. Our flagship product, PawnMaster, has been at the center of this, ensuring speed at the counter and robust functionality to fit your business-specific needs as well as having hundreds of very useful reports. These elements have been baked into the system for years but over the past five years, we expanded our breath to assist customers in driving more sales and traffic into their shops via our marketing and e-commerce tools. Highly productive and very profitable tools not requiring a big capital investment or revenue sharing to employ them.
Q: How are employee messages used?
A: “Message”, is located in tools and can be used to send a message to all employees or just one. Click “Add” to start and check “All Employees” if needed or select a specific employee. Type in the message and add a stop date if desired. Now when the target employee logs in, the message will be displayed.
Visit Booth #525 NPA Pawn Expo 2017
NPA is right around the corner and we’re getting excited to see our customers! We love having the opportunity to put faces to names and collaborate, sharing the ideas we implement throughout the year to make our software even better for you!
Peace of Mind… That’s Priceless
Here at Data Age, we’ve built a reputation on being #1. The area that always meant the most to me is Tech Support. Data Age held the rank of #1 in the industry when I started here almost seven years ago. When the torch was passed to me as Support Director, I set out to ensure it was maintained, not only at that same standard of excellence, but with the expectation of becoming world class through continuous improvement.
Q: What is the “Fast Fill” button on the item screen?
A: Pure awesomeness! This is used for items frequently seen in the shop that has a Brand or Model, such as watches, tools, and firearms.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance: Crucial for Small Businesses
According to a recent study, more than half of all claims filed for employment-related liabilities are against employers with fewer than 50 employees. Alarmingly, the study also reveals that not even 2% of small businesses have employment practices liability (EPL) coverage.
PawnMaster – Working for You, Not Against You
Many of you may know me or have chatted with me over the years. As the Director of Operations, I get the chance to connect with many of our clients. Closing in on 3,300 customers here at Data Age means I get the chance to hear so many success stories and how many different ways our brokers operate their businesses. There is no one way to operate a business, we know that here. That’s why our approach is to offer the flexibiliity to mold everything we do around tailoring each of our products and services to help drive our customers’ success.
Q: What is the purpose of the “Firearms Discrepancy” report?
A: Tracking firearms movement in and out of the shop is very important, so PawnMaster records the acquisition and disposition of every gun in two separate databases. The first being the PawnMaster main database and the other is a separate database called the electronic gun log.
Find Your “Special”
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to make my mark on the world. I wanted to be something interesting and in some cases, extraordinary and more importantly something special. I was born and raised in Milwaukee and moved to Chicago to pursue my acting career when I was 21. I earned my sag/aftra status 90 days after moving to Illinois for an appearance in a BBQ Chex Mix national TV spot. I auditioned as much as I could, I worked a lot, made friends and had fun.
I was fortunate to work with Milton Berle, Florence Henderson, Ed McMahon and Kevin Bacon along with many others on a CD-ROM trivia game I hosted called You Don’t Know Jack Vol 2. I worked on an Oprah TV movie of the week for ABC called There are No Children Here, Basic Football with Burt Reynolds (punter), Early Edition on CBS with Kyle Chandler (twice), Turks on CBS with William Devane and the MGM feature film, Return to Me with Bonnie Hunt and David Duchovny. I worked hard, cared about my craft, auditioned, observed and cared about the people I worked with and for.
I was special and I was born to do something special and while I was feeling special, I bartended, sold electronics and even catered bar mitzvahs, birthday parties and weddings on weekends and weekend nights. We’ve all worked hard and had to start somewhere, do what needed to be done and continue to work hard.
I approached my career early on in the refining industry (when gold was $256 toz) very much the same way. It just felt right, you know. I never have missed a day or not shown up, I’m rarely sick or sick enough not to work, I don’t use up my allotted vacation days and I’m available always. I worked hard, learned, listened, observed and cared about everything and everyone from the start. I felt like a kid in a candy store; excited to see what was around the corner. I came in everyday ready to work and be there for clients and everyday I prospected for new clients who I knew, if I could earn their trust and their business, they would be better off.
I think those of us in our industry as a whole, whether you’re a jeweler, pawnbroker, refiner, diamond broker…. It is a passion. You open up your shops everyday wanting to be great and be better than yesterday and the day before that. There is something great about what we do and who we are. I think every one of my clients, their families, businesses – are special. Good people who work hard. It’s a blessing, isn’t it !?
We are fortunate in so many ways; fortunate to make a living, have longevity in a career and not just punch a 9-5 job. I work well beyond 50 hours a week as my clientele will attest to. I love taking calls on Sunday afternoons – it means I’m being thought of and my assistance is needed. That is a great feeling.
If you want something done; give it to a busy person. We all know the harder you work, the luckier you get. What makes you feel special? Is it helping people in need? Providing your families with a roof over their head and food on the table? Helping your employees and their families? A nice car? A vacation?
Whatever it may be; that is with you. Give your days the best you have, treat people right. It rolls into your personal life. Go above and beyond even if it’s one time per day. It feels great; it will come back to you for the good in so many ways.
Q: What is Mass Update of Pricing?
A: This is another powerful and often overlooked tool in PawnMaster. This utility can be used to adjust the sale price of all items, specific types of items, items in a specific location (Bin), aged inventory and precious metals that do not include stones.