Business software integrations, one connected hub
Get your business tools talking to each other with First Essential. We are a UK team handling your business integrations end to end. We work out which connections you need, set them up alongside you, and stay on hand when you have a question.
Works with the tools you already use
What are business software integrations, and why do they matter for UK businesses?
An integration is a connection between two pieces of software so they can pass information to each other automatically. When First Essential EPOS and the supported card payment, website, email and First Essential One tools agreed for your setup are integrated, a sale rung up at the counter, a booking taken online or a new enquiry from your website all land in the same place, without anyone re-typing the details into a second system.
EPOS connections under this service cover First Essential EPOS only. External EPOS/POS systems are outside scope. We confirm compatibility, supported actions, permissions and failure handling before agreeing the work.
Most small businesses end up running several separate apps that do not speak to each other. That means the same customer typed into the till, the accounts package and the email list by hand, three chances to get it wrong, and hours lost every week. Joining those tools up removes the double entry, keeps your numbers consistent, and gives you one honest picture of the business. The connections can be one-way (one tool feeds another) or two-way (a change in either updates both), and we set up whichever your workflow actually needs.
One-way feed
One tool pushes data to another. Good for sending finished orders to your accounts package, for example.
Two-way sync
A change in either tool updates the other. Contacts, stock and payments stay matched on both sides.
Triggered automation
An action in one tool kicks off a step somewhere else, like a text the moment a booking is made.
First Essential EPOS and your connected business tools
Plan the connected services around the way your business works. Because First Essential supplies EPOS, card payments, kiosks, AI and websites, the supported connections are set out in your agreed configuration, with First Essential One holding it all together.
Integrations grouped by the part of your business they run
A growing range of connections across the categories below. Run a tool we have not listed? Tell us and we will look at adding it.
Accounting and finance
Pass supported sales, invoice and payout records into your accounts workflow with less manual entry.
Payments and card machines
Card payments, online checkout and settlement tied straight to your First Essential EPOS and reports.
Ecommerce and online ordering
Online store, click-and-collect and delivery orders dropping into the same system as your shop floor.
First Essential EPOS and stock
Tills, inventory and product catalogues kept in step across every till and location.
Marketing and messaging
Email, SMS, WhatsApp and Viber wired to your contacts so the right message goes out automatically.
CRM, booking and storage
Customer records, appointments and cloud drives linked into one hub through First Essential One.
One hub that keeps every connected tool in step
Supported connections pass selected updates between the tools included in your agreed setup. First Essential One links them for you, and there is a UK team behind every connection if you need a hand.
Connected business tools, built around how you actually work
No more copying the same details from one app to the next. First Essential One links your tools so a change in one carries through to the rest on its own.
Supported data sync
Supported connections pass selected information between tools, with update timing, duplicate handling and exceptions agreed for your workflow.
Learn moreData handling and security requirements
We agree the data involved, access permissions, processing arrangements and security responsibilities for each supported connection.
Learn moreCustom workflows
We build the connections around how your team actually works, not off a fixed template.
Learn moreMulti-platform
CRMs, payment processors, messengers and cloud drives, all linked into one connected hub.
Learn moreEvent-triggered notifications
Set up event-triggered alerts through supported email or messaging channels.
Learn moreDedicated UK support
A real UK team that helps you set everything up and scales it as you grow.
Learn moreSet up with you
Tell us which tools you run today and we will figure out and build the right connections together.
Learn moreHow we set up your integrations, step by step
No technical know-how needed from you. We map it, build it and stay on hand. Here is the plain-English version of how a connection goes live.
1. We map your tools
Tell us which First Essential EPOS, payment, accounting, online-store and messaging tools are in scope. We work out which connections give you the most back.
2. We build the connections
Our UK team wires the tools together through First Essential One and shapes the workflow around how your team actually works.
3. We test, then go live
We test the agreed data flows, update direction and failure handling before launch, with support set out in your service terms. You are never left to wire it yourself.
Take the busywork off your team with connected automation
Connect First Essential with the tools you already use, from marketing to payments to automation. Supported automated updates reduce repeated entry, with exceptions and manual steps identified in your workflow.
How our business integrations differ from a typical supplier
Plenty of platforms will sell you a connector and leave you to figure out the rest. Here is how we compare on the things that actually trip businesses up. We have kept the other column general on purpose, because terms vary by supplier and you should always check your own contract.
| What you care about | First Essential | Some other providers |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it up | Our UK team maps and builds it with you | Often self-serve, or extra setup fees |
| Where support is based | Real UK people, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00 | Frequently overseas or ticket-only |
| The whole stack from one supplier | EPOS, card payments, kiosks, AI, web and platform | Usually a single product, you join the rest |
| Two-way sync | Built to your workflow, less repeated data entry | Often one-way only unless you pay more |
| Data handling | Service-specific safeguards and processing terms | Varies, check where your data is held |
| Card machines through our payment partners | Yes, when you take EPOS with us | Rarely offered |
We will only ever quote what applies to you. Card processing rates are structured around what you take, and rates vary by card type and business, confirmed at setup.
All your connected tools in one dashboard
See the connected tools and information included in your agreed dashboard. Bring supported contacts, payments and messages into the agreed view, with update and exception handling defined for your team.
Integrations that grow with your UK business
Start with the connections you need now and add more as the business grows. We agree processing arrangements and security responsibilities for the selected connections, with support from our UK team under your service terms.
Business software integrations: your questions answered
What are business software integrations?
Which tools can First Essential connect to?
Can you connect my existing accounting or ecommerce software?
Is there an API, and what if my tool is not listed?
Are the integrations GDPR-compliant and secure?
Will I be locked into a long contract?
How do I get started with business software integrations?
Let us connect your business, end to end
Book a free, no-obligation consultation and we will connect First Essential to the tools you already use, with a real UK team setting it up alongside you.
Book a free consultation