Kevin Natapow For those of you who received the Best Seller’s list this year (if you did not please email me and I will get it to you) you will see of the 10 store reporting ½ were down and most were flat. It was an interesting year for retailers and one theory
Kevin Natapow This ties into the VM discussion earlier in terms of how you arrange the store- make sure you don’t create any blind spots, or at least minimize them. Keep the flow and floor plan open. One element that often gets overlooked in this area is customer service. Have your employees out
Kevin Natapow This is always a good one but VERY subjective and store specific at times. Sarah was able to create a VM photos folder that I think will be super helpful in sharing ideas for how to display products, set windows, and other creative ways to arrange shops to have effective VM
Does anyone put a sign on the door? I find good customers make good employees and often have good recommendations. However, I've only ever hired part time folks. We get a ton of traffic on FTF's job board -www.fairtradefederation.org/jobs. Feel very free to message me with your posting and I'll put it up!
I'm talking to folks about a new POS this week. Kevin Natapow I get the sense from most clients I talk to that their merchant services provider, especially is they are using an integrated one, have been quite supportive and helpful in making sure they are compliant and have the right
(1) There is a lot of good info from LOHAS in Boulder, CO but focuses on the entire consumer trend.
KEVIN: In the past we've sold Putumayo cds and uploaded samples cds to an iPod to play over speakers in the store on an unending loop. We've had some ongoing communication problems w/ Putumayo and in our particular store cd sales have been negligible (plus the fact that with technology cds are on the way
KEVIN: If you are interested in selling your business, I think one of the best ways to go is to find a manager/potential manager who is looking to own their own shop. Hire them and slowly train them to take over your business with a strategic buy out plan. Slowly transfer interest in your business
KEVIN: Great question- many of you who have attended my workshops know that I put a great deal of importance on choosing a good location. Over 50% of your “out of the gate” success will be tied to your location (second most important thing is inventory control). Don’t skimp- start small but go prime! Find
Kevin Natapow This is a good question and good discussion. Some of it has already started but I will add my 2 cents to the mix. There are some good platforms out there to easily sell your merchandise online but I am a strong advocate for not mixing your online inventory with your