When you need an effective technology solution, sometimes the answer is to build it yourself. As Jeremy Peterson was opening the second location of Family Hardware in Florida, he hit a snag with the company’s existing POS company. He discovered that his current company couldn’t support the system in the new store. After researching several other POS providers, he couldn’t find a good fit for his company’s needs.
So, he used his self-taught IT background to develop a solution: He built his own POS system. Peterson says he does not have a formal education in IT but grew up surrounded by technology and enjoys experimenting with innovation.
“At the time, I was redesigning and updating the company website, and the backend was similar to what we need for the POS system,” Peterson says. “So as we were building out the store and getting it ready to open, we were building out the website with the developer. We were able to get the new POS system ready for launch on day one of the store opening.”
While going out on his own was a big risk, for Peterson, his willingness to create his own solution paid off with a successful system that he also implemented into the original location.
“We learned that just because you pay for a service, doesn’t mean it is always going to work for you,” Peterson says. “There is a sense of pride in knowing that our system fulfills our needs.”
