It’s trade show time. ☺ You come back from trade shows with so much NEW…new lines, new items, new ideas and new enthusiasm. Right? Imagine today is your first day back at work. You are pumped up! As you pull up to your store you are thinking, “Just wait until my team hears about all the great new items I … Read More
Officer Joe tells us What every Shoplifter does NOT want us to know.
What every Shoplifter DOES NOT want you to know! Great call with Officer Joe –lots of “ you should always” and “you should never”s and how to stay safe! Thieves don’t want to be recognized. Officer Joe suggests: -Say hello to everyone who comes in the shop. How to discourage shoplifters? Use signage on your front door and around the … Read More
10 Top Tactics to Manage Your Cash Flow Better
After having been in retail for over 30 years, there are proven tactics that work well in keeping your finances and operations going smoothly. Each one is tried and true. Most come from mistakes that I have made that I don’t want you to make. There is such value in getting an outside perspective on your own business. It’s why … Read More
Three tips from Chance The Rapper!
Do you know Chance the Rapper? In case you don’t… Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, has become one of the biggest breakout stars these past couple of years, claiming his fame in such a unique and unorthodox way. All of his music is free and he has avoided major labels that wanted to sign him. … Read More
Amazon Prime Day
Yay!! It’s Almost Amazon Prime Day! Why should you care? It is a great opportunity to develop goodwill with your customers. Don’t miss the chance to take advantage of the cultural fanfare there will be about it. What is it really? On Monday July 15th and Tuesday July 16th, Amazon is celebrating their own holiday. According to the company, Prime … Read More
Why I Love a Bad Employee
The beauty of having bad employees is that it points out a problem. Right? When you see a problem, you have 2 options. Whine about it or address it. As I always say, there are only 2 kinds of retailers – whiners and winners. You are a winner…so let’s address the problem, shall we? The root of the problem is … Read More
Increase Your Sales Right Now
This is an actual conversation that I had with a retailer… “Cathy, my business stinks. What can I do?” “I would love to help you. Send me some information so that I can see what strategy you should take to explode your profits. In the meantime, can I give you one REVENUE-BUILDING-GUARANTEED tip?” “Please anything, I will do anything! The … Read More
A Retailer’s Guide to Margins: What Retailers Need to Know to Build a Profitable Business
No word is more important to retailers than Margins. It is crucial to building a profitable business. However, this most critical term is also the most misunderstood. What is Gross Margin? Margin refers to the retail term Maintained Markup (MMU) which is the same as the general accounting term Gross Margin. It is the difference between sales and cost of … Read More
It’s Hard To Think Past Christmas I Know But If You Don’t You Will Miss Out
We are all so focused on next week, right? It’s hard to see beyond it. Yet if you don’t start planning now, you will miss out on two key money making opportunities. The first is about scheduling your physical inventory. “How does that make money for me? Doing inventory is just a pain in my a__!” you say. The single … Read More
7 Reasons Why Team Meetings Are a Waste of Time
Just last week, I had a retailer tell me that staff meetings were a waste of time. I was shocked. I have heard many excuses why retailers don’t do them – but never heard anyone say that they weren’t worth doing at all. I asked why they thought so… and all the reasons were spewed out! Some were valid and … Read More