It will cost you more for features you might expect to be standard (reservations, customer loyalty, and online ordering to name a few) which can run up your monthly bill. There are fewer integrations available which is a blessing for easily-overwhelmed new business owners but a curse for quickly growing restaurants.

If your business only takes cash and runs on a small scale, you can probably get away with a traditional cash register or cash box. But with the prevalence of card/contactless payments, we would still recommend a basic card reader and POS system.

Many kinds of businesses fall under the “food service” umbrella, including full-service restaurants, quick-service establishments, bars, and food trucks (or other mobile food operations). Some of these benefits will be better suited to one kind of eatery than another.

Every payment processor you research will have some form of fee you have to pay for every successful transaction. The best POS systems for small businesses offer reasonable flat-rate charges or interchange-plus fees. Small businesses will benefit from flat-rate payment processing, while high-volume businesses should consider interchange-plus processing for the best rates.

When applying for a loan, a potential lender is going to consider both your credit report and credit score, so it’s extremely important that you know your credit report and score beforehand.

It’s worth noting one more key difference between credit reports and credit scores. Credit bureaus are legally obligated to give you a free credit report once a year, whereas there is no law requiring them to provide a credit score. This means you’ll have to pay a fee to access your credit score through one of the “big three.”

GoDaddy POS is a great option for businesses just getting off the ground or looking to add eCommerce/marketplace sales to their revenue. The pricing of GoDaddy POS is difficult to understand and even harder to get a clear answer on, so make sure you read your merchant agreement and any other legal documents thoroughly before you decide to sign any contracts.

If Toast seems pricey or too restrictive, check out one or more of the restaurant POS systems on this list. Most of them offer a free trial or free demo that you can use to test out the system before committing. A lot of these Toast competitors offer month-to-month contracts (or no contracts at all) making it easier for you to move between systems if needed to find your perfect fit.

Laundromat software and POS systems must have specialized features for everything required to run a successful laundry business. These features include in-person transactions, inventory management, and tracking for services like dry cleaning or wash and fold.

Sole proprietors can protect their businesses by taking out business insurance. Start with general liability and commercial property policies, and then talk with your insurance rep about any recommended additional coverage.