“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”  This quote, attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, gets to the heart of what can make a boss either well respected or disliked.  Are you a leader who inspires your staff to do well, or a boss whose very presence… Read More

If your customers need ESP to determine the USP in your ads or signs (as in this fun example from New Zealand), then you are not doing a good job of conveying your message.  Keeping things simple makes it easy for consumers to understand what you sell — and why they should but it from… Read More

If your first inclination when merchandise isn’t selling is to mark it down, you may not be doing your bottom line any favors.  Try changing the location of the items in your display first to see if that will help spur some interest.  After all, the term visual merchandising is based on the premiss that… Read More

“Please write about stores asking their rep for exclusivity,” a sales representative asked me recently. “It just isn’t reasonable that one shop should demand to be the only one in their area carrying a line that has thousands of items.” In many other types of business, exclusivity means an agreement not to buy a certain… Read More

Your shop’s Facebook page is getting a makeover later this month, whether you want it to or not.  It would be a good idea to plan ahead so that you’re already updated the new design by the March 30 deadline.  If you don’t make the change, Facebook will do it for you (which is not… Read More

Coupon usage has been steadily increasing over the past few years, mostly thanks to the poor economy.  There was a time that coupons were predicted to disappear due to lagging newspaper sales, but according to the 2012 NCH Coupon Facts, these offers actually increased by 26% last year over 2007 figures, with 3.5 billion redeemed… Read More

Interest in Pinterest The newest player on the social networking scene is Pinterest, an almost exclusively visual site that allows users to create online bulletin boards, or “pinboards,” set up in categories such as home decor, food and wedding inspiration.  In addition to a photo or video, you can add a caption, price or link.… Read More

I’m an Independent Bookseller I created this “meme” as a tribute to my fellow shopkeepers who own bookstores.  Feel free to share!                                                                               All my best,  Carol Thursday, February 16, 2012 Carol “Orange” Schroeder… Read More

I’m an Independent Retailer I created this “meme” as a tribute to my fellow independent retailers.  Feel free to share!                         All my best,  Carol Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Carol “Orange” Schroeder… Read More

Europeans have a long tradition of valuing the work of industrial designers. In Denmark, for example, it is not unusual at a dinner party to be familiar with the name of the individual who designed the chair you’re sitting on, the fork in your hand, the plate in front of you and the lamp that… Read More