Looking for a way to bring shoppers into to all of the stores in your tourist area, neighborhood or Buy Local district?  Consider this charm bracelet promotion adapted from the quilting stores of Nebraska. The idea is that shoppers buy a charm bracelet for a nominal amount (such as $10), and then they receive a… Read More

“Diversifying is a good way to play it safe.”  “It doesn’t matter what you want, it only matters what your customers want.” “There’s no such thing as a safe bet.” These are three of my favorite entries in the 53 Ways to Become a Better Entrepreneur list that serial business-owner Neil Patel posted in a… Read More

The predictions of a paperless society appear to have been premature — most of us have desks and filing cabinets overflowing with invoices, tax forms, bank statements, receipts, advertising tear sheets and more.  The sheer bulk of all this paper can easily begin to overwhelm the space allotted, and make it difficult to find what… Read More

“Buy American” is a wonderful goal, but chances are good that a very high percentage of the items in your shop are made in China.  Any changes in the availability and pricing of Chinese-made merchandise could have a big impact on what you are able to offer to your customers, and thus to the viability… Read More

Every small business owner needs a trusted mentor from time to time to help face the challenges posed by today’s economy — but it isn’t always easy to know where to find one.  If you haven’t checked out SCORE, you should definitely see if this organization can give you the assistance you need. They have… Read More

Time is sometimes as precious as money to today’s shoppers.  A high school friend recently posted this on Facebook: “At retail stores and the supermarket, why not have an express line based on time and not the number of items…..? PLEASE let me leave with my 5 items in 60 seconds. No checks, no ’20… Read More

It is the most powerful four-letter word in advertising, and perhaps the least widely used in our field: FREE!  The expression “don’t give the store away” has frightened a lot of retailers, and kept them from giving anything away for free — but as a promotional tool, free can be very cost effective. A classic… Read More

I’ve heard that some people actually fish with it (including, I’m sure, my nephew Ben). But for those of us in the retail trade, fish line — or monofilament, as it is properly called — is a an essential tool for doing displays. Crate and Barrel makes extensive use of monofilament in their in-store and… Read More

Monday seems to be the new Sunday, with ‘closed’ signs in the windows of numerous of small shops and restaurants. I empathize with the business owner who feels the need for a day off, and decides to close on Monday since it’s the slowest weekday.  But as a friend recently said to me, “If I… Read More

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few words can really help you tell a display’s story.  The store next door to ours, Art Gecko, has recently added some compelling text to their colorful and engaging window displays. I happened to walk by one evening and watched their graphic artist at… Read More