New legislation introduced on Sunday 6th April will allow businesses to write-off up to £50,000 of plant and machinery purchases (including IT) against that year's taxable profits. The new Annual Investment Allowance is designed to encourage small businesses to invest in new technology and equipment and help them compete in an increasingly tough environment.

According to a recent survey of retailers from research firm Martec, any technology investment is likely to concentrate on in-store technologies. 81 per cent of those interviewed said that in-store systems were a priority, making it the most important area of IT spending in retail.

And with increasing demand from consumers to have chip-and-pin access in-store even in small shops, several businesses may take this opportunity to invest in a complete Electronic Point of Sale solution and touch screen till. Investing in EPoS solutions, like AccuPOS 2008, removes the day-to-day headaches of running your business by providing easy control of inventory, fast access to customer information and the ability to automatically update your accounts programme.

"Investing in in-store technologies can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Many small businesses find they spend more time in the back-office doing accounts and taking inventory than doing what they love, selling their product or service", said El-Azar Levy, European Manager of AccuPOS UK. "EPoS solutions are a great time-saver and productivity booster, allowing business owners to focus on important areas such as customer service, and taking their company forward".