We visited a special “Art in Bloom” event at the Milwaukee Art Center yesterday. In addition to featuring some pretty amazing floral arrangements inspired by specific works of art, the event gave local companies the opportunity to set up vendor booths in the corridors. While many of those exhibiting were crafts people, a few were… Read More

Your preferred customer program, POS or even just your intuition should make it possible to identify those individuals who mean the most to your business.  It pays to give VIP treatment to these “regulars” whose loyalty is key to your success. 1) It seems like a simple thing, but greeting them by name is an easy… Read More

When we went into business in the distant, hip 1970’s, the concept of capitalism was not popular among our peer group.  That was probably one reason we didn’t pay any attention to being profitable — we wanted to run our store in a way that contributed to our community, provided meaningful employment, and brought well-designed… Read More

Hardly anyone seems to remember that Amazons were originally Greek women warriors described by an expert on this topic as “aggressive, independent man-killers.”  Rumor has it that Jeff Bezos chose the name because he wanted something that started with the letter A, which I suppose is as good a reason as any to choose a… Read More

We have had good success with applying a small amount of our ad budget towards promoting our Facebook posts.  As long as the graphic meets Facebook’s criteria (including having less than 20% text), you can “boost” a post to those who like your page, their friends, or a target group you create. It’s fun to play… Read More

When email became a prominent form of communication, many predicted that greeting cards would become extinct.  And while it is true that there has been a decline in card sales since the heyday, the Greeting Card Association reports that card sales have actually held steady in recent years. This is in part due to independent… Read More

What is 4” X 9” and found in tourist areas all over the country? The ubiquitous rack card, a promotional piece used to advertise shops, restaurants, events and attractions to visitors.  These vertical cards usually have a strong, brightly colored graphic on the front in order to stand out from the competition. The attractive sample… Read More

The “for lease” sign finally came down on a vacant storefront on our shopping street last week, and according to the new sign we are now going to have a boxing studio as a neighbor.  At the same time it was announced that another vacancy is being filled by a holistic vet clinic. Don’t get… Read More

We’ve all been watching the national discussion about minimum wage carefully, because payroll is the largest expense after rent for most retailers.  Last year Wal-Mart announced that it is going to raise all employees to at least $9 an hour, and it has been interesting to see how this played out.  Wal-Mart stock fell more… Read More