Your first 30 days: setting up a new outlet's POS

Opening day is stressful enough without discovering that half the menu has no prices or the receipt printer won't connect. Spreading POS setup across the month before you open turns a scramble into a checklist.

Before the 30 days: the paperwork

Registration steps take time, so start them early and confirm the details with your LGU and accountant. A typical sequence for a sole proprietor:

1. Business name: register with the DTI through its online Business Name Registration System.
2. Barangay clearance: from the barangay where your outlet is located.
3. Mayor's (business) permit: from the city or municipal hall. Food businesses usually also need a sanitary permit and a fire safety inspection certificate.
4. BIR registration: register with your Revenue District Office (Form 1901 for sole proprietors), then register your books of accounts and invoices. Under the EOPT Act, the old ₱500 annual registration fee was removed in 2024.
5. POS registration: your POS needs to be registered with the BIR before it issues invoices. Ask your vendor what they provide.

Week 1: Products and prices

• Enter every product or menu item with its price, category and variants (sizes, flavors).
• Add modifiers and add-ons with their prices.
• Cost your top items so you know your margins from day one (see menu pricing).

Week 2: Hardware and payments

• Set up the register, receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner (for retail). Test-print an invoice.
• Activate card and QR Ph acceptance with a business account, and run a real ₱1 test payment.
• Decide your opening float and write down the closing procedure.

Week 3: People and permissions

• Create a login for every team member, never a shared one.
• Set permissions: who can void, refund, discount and close the register.
• Run the one-afternoon cashier training with each cashier.

Week 4: Inventory and soft opening

• Receive your opening stock into the POS with quantities, lot numbers and expiry dates.
• Set low-stock thresholds using reorder points.
• Hold a soft opening for friends and family. Process real orders, close the register, and fix whatever went wrong.

After opening: the first reports

For the first two weeks, review sales, voids, cash differences and stock alerts daily. Early patterns, such as a slow item, a cashier who needs support or a supplier who's always late, are much easier to fix in week two than in month six.

Key takeaway: start registrations early, then spend one week each on products, hardware and payments, people, and inventory, with a soft opening before the real one.