As you head off to the trade shows this summer, your smart phone may be as important a tool as a good supply of business cards and comfortable walking shoes.  Think of the phone as a mini computer and camera in one, and plan ahead to make the best use of these features. The New… Read More

Independent retailers nationwide are basking in the glow of the attention focused our way by Small Business Week. A full roster of activities in major cities around the country is being sponsored by the SBA, and many local organizations are saluting the top small businesses in their area. Google is even providing a place for… Read More

Did you know that YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world? The first is of course Google, which not accidentally owns YouTube.  If you want your shop to have a robust presence online, you undoubtedly already have a web site with good SEO (search engine optimization) so that your store comes… Read More

Setting prices is sometimes more of an art than a science, but MAP pricing is a tool that manufacturers use to try to standardize the retail prices for their products in all outlets.  MAP stands for minimum advertised price, which is different than MSRP — the manufacturer’s suggested retail (or list) price.  Suggested retail prices… Read More

“Start your day a little bit better” was a sales slogan for cereal back in the day (here’s a video, in case you’re curious).  But unless you are running a big box store that is open 24/7, your store could undoubtedly benefit by getting each day off to a little bit better start — and… Read More

When it comes to fashion, the web site Quora states “Color blocking isn’t for the faint of heart…or for the short of stature.” Happily neither of these cautions apply for retailers wanting to use color blocking in window and store displays —  good news for those of you, who like me, are not very tall!… Read More

An excellent image of your storefront can be useful in so many ways: on your Facebook home page, in your print advertising, on your web page, in entries in competitions such as the Gifts and Decorative Accessories Retailer Excellence Awards, and even on your business cards. Professional photographer Peter Patau recently took the stunning photo… Read More

Looking for a way to experiment with owning your own shop, for a short foray into retailing, or for a way to test (or introduce) a new product line?  Perhaps instead of using a kiosk or cart, you could open a pop up shop. These temporary retail outlets often take advantage of vacant storefronts (which… Read More

BABY ON BOARD With Mother’s Day coming up soon, this is a good time to take a look at your store’s maternity leave policy.  Ideally you should have a policy set in your employee handbook before you need it, and you should think about including adoption and paternity leaves too. Your goal in creating a… Read More

Customer service is one of the most important factors contributing to the success of independent retailers. And of course a cornerstone of good service is product knowledge.  You won’t find in-depth information about merchandise in most big-box or discount stores (if you can find someone to help you, that is).  But online retailers provide access… Read More