Most shopkeepers who give up on billing software do it inside the first month. The software usually worked. It just did not fit the way that counter actually runs. This guide is a checklist for avoiding that, written so you can take it into any demo, including ours.
Start with how you bill today
Before you look at a single screen, spend ten minutes writing down how your shop works right now. The answers decide which features matter and which are noise.
- How many bills do you raise on a busy day, and how many people raise them?
- Do customers buy on credit? Roughly how much is outstanding at any time?
- Do you sell the same item at different rates to retail and wholesale buyers?
- Do you sell loose items by weight, or packed items by piece, or both?
- Does your internet ever drop during business hours?
- Who files your GST, and what do they ask you for each month?
Keep that list next to you. Every item on the checklist below maps back to one of these answers.
The ten-point checklist
1. It keeps billing when the internet goes
If your connection is ever patchy, this is the first thing to check. A purely online system stops raising bills the moment the line drops, and a queue forms. Ask the vendor to switch off the Wi-Fi during the demo and raise a bill. If it cannot, move on.
2. The GST reports are ones your accountant will accept
Every product claims to be "GST ready". What matters is whether your accountant can file from the reports without retyping them. Ask for a sample GSTR-1 and 3B summary, and show it to your accountant before you buy.
3. It has a proper credit book
For many small shops, money lost on credit is a bigger problem than slow billing. Look for party-wise outstanding, a list sorted by how old each balance is, and reminders that go out without you remembering to send them. WhatsApp reminders get read far more often than SMS.
4. Your printer already works with it
Bring the model number of your thermal printer to the demo. Check both 2 inch and 3 inch if you might change later, and check that A4 invoices look presentable for your wholesale buyers. Replacing a printer to suit the software is an avoidable cost.
5. Barcode billing, and search that is quick without one
Scanning is the fastest way to bill packed goods. But plenty of items in a small shop have no barcode, so item search matters just as much. Two or three letters should find the item. If it takes a menu and a scroll, the counter will slow down.
6. It handles your units and price lists
A hardware shop sells by piece, box and kilo. A grain trader sells by bag and quintal. Check that one item can carry more than one unit, and more than one rate, without creating duplicate items.
7. Your staff can read it
If the people at the counter are more comfortable in Hindi, the software should switch language. A screen staff do not fully understand is a screen they will work around.
8. You can take your data with you
Ask what happens if you stop paying, and whether you can export everything to Excel. Good software keeps your old bills readable and lets you leave. If the answer is vague, treat that as the answer.
9. Somebody answers the phone
Call the support number before you buy, during business hours, and see who picks up and how long it takes. That call tells you more about the next three years than any feature list.
10. Someone sets it up for you
The slowest part of switching is not learning the software. It is entering hundreds of items with their rates, tax and opening stock. Ask plainly who does that work. If the answer is "you", budget several days of staff time for it.
Questions worth asking in a demo
- Can you raise a bill with the internet switched off?
- Can you show me a GSTR-1 summary from sample data?
- What does the second year cost, and can I have that in writing?
- Is there a charge per extra user or per extra counter?
- Who imports my items and opening stock, and is that charged?
- Is installation and training included, and is it in person or online?
- When GST rules change, is the update free?
- If I stop paying, what happens to my data?
A vendor who answers all eight clearly, without needing to "check and get back to you", is usually one you can work with.
Mistakes that cost shops the most
Choosing on features you will never use. Payroll, manufacturing and multi-warehouse modules look impressive in a demo and add nothing to a single counter except complexity.
Going live without the item list ready. Starting with an empty item master means the first week is spent typing, bills are slow, and staff decide the old register was easier.
Comparing only the first-year price. A low introductory price with a steep renewal, or a one-time licence with a yearly maintenance charge, can cost more over three years than a plain yearly plan.
Skipping training because "it looks simple". One hour at the counter with your own staff and your own items prevents most of the calls you would otherwise make in the first month.
Work out the three-year cost
Ask every vendor for these numbers and fill in the table. Do not compare headline prices; compare the three-year total.
| Cost | JashERP Business | Vendor you are comparing |
|---|---|---|
| Year one licence or subscription | ₹2,000 | … |
| Installation and setup | Included | … |
| Data import | Included | … |
| Years two and three | ₹4,000 | … |
| Maintenance or AMC | None | … |
| Extra users (up to three) | Included | … |
| Three-year total, before GST | ₹6,000 | … |
Printers, scanners and computers are separate everywhere, so leave them out of the comparison.
Where JashERP fits
We built JashERP Billing for exactly the shop this guide describes: one location, up to three counters, a mix of cash and credit customers, and GST to file. It bills offline, sends credit reminders over WhatsApp, works with 2 inch, 3 inch and A4 printers, switches between Hindi and English, and exports everything to Excel. The Business plan is ₹2,000 a year with setup, data import and training included. You can read what that plan covers in detail.
It is not the right choice if you need manufacturing, payroll or several branches under one account. Our Enterprise plan covers branches, but if production planning is central to your business, a full ERP will serve you better and we will tell you so.
We install in person across 55 towns around Haridwar, including Haridwar, Roorkee and Dehradun, and online anywhere else in India. If you want to run this checklist against our software, book a free demo and bring your questions.