Keep in mind that you are not even on the radar screen of the mega--stores. You are not competition to them, yet they are competition to you. To survive, you must learn their weaknesses and develop your strengths.

Their Weaknesses

• Their sheer size makes them slow to move and adapt.
• They have information about national market trends but they may be weak about some specific local market conditions.
• Their management decisions typically come from corporate headquarters. This may include which products to stock, which price to charge and how to display merchandise.
• Customer service is sometimes a weakness. However, the mega--stores have improved in that area last over the last few years.
• Products are not always priced. Sometimes the mega--store employees are just too busy or have a “That’s not my job” mentality. There is nothing more aggravating than being interested in an item but not knowing how much it cost. Some customers will go to the customer service area and ask what it costs. Others will just leave without buying the item they were interested in.
• Some people just don’t like them. For whatever reason, some people just will not shop at the mega--stores.

• You are small. You can adapt to market conditions more easily, especially your local market.
• Customer service is your biggest strength. Learn more about it. Go the extra mile. Develop a more personable atmosphere in your store. Greet customers within 10 seconds of entering your store. Smile. Learn their names and call them by name. When they leave your store, say “Thanks for stopping by”, or “Have a good day”. Smile again. As a small store with few employees (or maybe just one!), they will learn to recognize you. They will feel more comfortable with someone they have dealt with before.
• You are small enough that your merchandise displays are very manageable. Make sure they always look nice. Make sure your customers can easily find what they are looking for. Make especially sure they can see the price of every item.
• Some customers will shop at a small locally owned business instead of a mega--store just as a matter of principle. It’s their way of protesting against the ‘big guys’. Give them a good reason to come back. Give them great customer service combined with excellent products.

• Learn from the mega--stores. They spend millions of dollars on research and marketing. Visit their store and observe how they do things. You should be able to pick up a few tips that you can use. For instance, there is a reason that milk is normally at the back of the grocery store. There is a reason that impulse items such as candy and magazines are near the checkout stands where you are normally waiting. Notice how the very newest releases are at eye level in the video store. Notice the paint colors used in various mega--stores. Different colors evoke different emotions. Listen to the music played in stores. Be observant. There is a psychology to marketing and merchandising. Learn how to use some of it to help your business without being manipulative. You want your business to be a customer--friendly place.
• Listen to your customers – they give you your best market information. They will tell you what they like and don’t like. They will sometimes ask for a product that you don’t normally carry in stock. Maybe even the mega--store doesn’t carry it. If a few customers ask for it, you may try getting some to see how they sell. You are flexible enough that you can that. The mega--store normally cannot or will not.
• As big as the mega--stores are, they don’t carry everything. Or they may just carry a small selection of a particular product group. You can find your niche by studying the mega--store in your area. You can find that product group where they are weak.
• Don’t give customers too much of a selection in products. That may sound odd but it really depends on your product line. Sometimes, too many choices are not good --
  No More Gold Watches
  When people from my grandfather’s generation retired after being with a company for decades they got gold watches. Gold watches no longer exist as far as companies are concerned. Now companies give out pink slips (a.k.a. their walking papers) after 25 years of service. We are living in a different world but it is humorous to me in a way.Companies no longer have loyalty to those employees that have been loyal to them for years and years of service. When it is clear that companies no longer care about their employees in most cases, it is funny to me when the management of a company gets upset when the employees are no longer loyal to them either. They still expect the employees to be loyal without givin
  ock, which price to charge and how to display merchandise.
• Customer service is sometimes a weakness. However, the mega--stores have improved in that area last over the last few years.
• Products are not always priced. Sometimes the mega--store employees are just too busy or have a “That’s not my job” mentality. There is nothing more aggravating than being interested in an item but not knowing how much it cost. Some customers will go to the customer service area and ask what it costs. Others will just leave without buying the item they were interested in.
• Some people just don’t like them. For whatever reason, some people just will not shop at the mega--stores.

• You are small. You can adapt to market conditions more easily, especially your local market.
• Customer service is your biggest strength. Learn more about it. Go the extra mile. Develop a more personable atmosphere in your store. Greet customers within 10 seconds of entering your store. Smile. Learn their names and call them by name. When they leave your store, say “Thanks for stopping by”, or “Have a good day”. Smile again. As a small store with few employees (or maybe just one!), they will learn to recognize you. They will feel more comfortable with someone they have dealt with before.
• You are small enough that your merchandise displays are very manageable. Make sure they always look nice. Make sure your customers can easily find what they are looking for. Make especially sure they can see the price of every item.
• Some customers will shop at a small locally owned business instead of a mega--store just as a matter of principle. It’s their way of protesting against the ‘big guys’. Give them a good reason to come back. Give them great customer service combined with excellent products.

• Learn from the mega--stores. They spend millions of dollars on research and marketing. Visit their store and observe how they do things. You should be able to pick up a few tips that you can use. For instance, there is a reason that milk is normally at the back of the grocery store. There is a reason that impulse items such as candy and magazines are near the checkout stands where you are normally waiting. Notice how the very newest releases are at eye level in the video store. Notice the paint colors used in various mega--stores. Different colors evoke different emotions. Listen to the music played in stores. Be observant. There is a psychology to marketing and merchandising. Learn how to use some of it to help your business without being manipulative. You want your business to be a customer--friendly place.
• Listen to your customers – they give you your best market information. They will tell you what they like and don’t like. They will sometimes ask for a product that you don’t normally carry in stock. Maybe even the mega--store doesn’t carry it. If a few customers ask for it, you may try getting some to see how they sell. You are flexible enough that you can that. The mega--store normally cannot or will not.
• As big as the mega--stores are, they don’t carry everything. Or they may just carry a small selection of a particular product group. You can find your niche by studying the mega--store in your area. You can find that product group where they are weak.
• Don’t give customers too much of a selection in products. That may sound odd but it really depends on your product line. Sometimes, too many choices are not good -
  Nameplates – Use of the Chemical Etch Process
  Certain Industrial nameplate products last longer than other. This article discusses one of the choices that can be made for Industrial nameplates used in tough environments.Harsh climate, rough weather, extreme heat, direct sunlight and corrosive chemicals, are a few of the tough conditions name plates must endure to survive and prove durability. Whereas materials used are important, the printing processes utilized play just as critical a role in making nameplates more durable. The process used is a critical determining factor influencing the durability of your nameplate, and ultimately your brand name or logo inscribed on it. To get maximum benefit out of your nameplates, one such process to be relie
  bout it. Go the extra mile. Develop a more personable atmosphere in your store. Greet customers within 10 seconds of entering your store. Smile. Learn their names and call them by name. When they leave your store, say “Thanks for stopping by”, or “Have a good day”. Smile again. As a small store with few employees (or maybe just one!), they will learn to recognize you. They will feel more comfortable with someone they have dealt with before.
• You are small enough that your merchandise displays are very manageable. Make sure they always look nice. Make sure your customers can easily find what they are looking for. Make especially sure they can see the price of every item.
• Some customers will shop at a small locally owned business instead of a mega--store just as a matter of principle. It’s their way of protesting against the ‘big guys’. Give them a good reason to come back. Give them great customer service combined with excellent products.

• Learn from the mega--stores. They spend millions of dollars on research and marketing. Visit their store and observe how they do things. You should be able to pick up a few tips that you can use. For instance, there is a reason that milk is normally at the back of the grocery store. There is a reason that impulse items such as candy and magazines are near the checkout stands where you are normally waiting. Notice how the very newest releases are at eye level in the video store. Notice the paint colors used in various mega--stores. Different colors evoke different emotions. Listen to the music played in stores. Be observant. There is a psychology to marketing and merchandising. Learn how to use some of it to help your business without being manipulative. You want your business to be a customer--friendly place.
• Listen to your customers – they give you your best market information. They will tell you what they like and don’t like. They will sometimes ask for a product that you don’t normally carry in stock. Maybe even the mega--store doesn’t carry it. If a few customers ask for it, you may try getting some to see how they sell. You are flexible enough that you can that. The mega--store normally cannot or will not.
• As big as the mega--stores are, they don’t carry everything. Or they may just carry a small selection of a particular product group. You can find your niche by studying the mega--store in your area. You can find that product group where they are weak.
• Don’t give customers too much of a selection in products. That may sound odd but it really depends on your product line. Sometimes, too many choices are not good -
  How To Find Legit Online Jobs
  There are many legit online jobs on the network marketplace, A legit online jobs must be founded on the following principle, People will earn money in direct proportion to the value of their contribution to the business company.Those people who are making money on the online marketplace are adding value to the community. Therefore, the secret to create wealth on the online marketplace and actually anywhere, is to provide something of value. If you want to make money on the internet or anywhere, then you need to provide something that the people need.Now, what do people value? well, the people value all the things which are beneficial to them in all the ways. Most of people make decisions
  . Give them great customer service combined with excellent products.

• Learn from the mega--stores. They spend millions of dollars on research and marketing. Visit their store and observe how they do things. You should be able to pick up a few tips that you can use. For instance, there is a reason that milk is normally at the back of the grocery store. There is a reason that impulse items such as candy and magazines are near the checkout stands where you are normally waiting. Notice how the very newest releases are at eye level in the video store. Notice the paint colors used in various mega--stores. Different colors evoke different emotions. Listen to the music played in stores. Be observant. There is a psychology to marketing and merchandising. Learn how to use some of it to help your business without being manipulative. You want your business to be a customer--friendly place.
• Listen to your customers – they give you your best market information. They will tell you what they like and don’t like. They will sometimes ask for a product that you don’t normally carry in stock. Maybe even the mega--store doesn’t carry it. If a few customers ask for it, you may try getting some to see how they sell. You are flexible enough that you can that. The mega--store normally cannot or will not.
• As big as the mega--stores are, they don’t carry everything. Or they may just carry a small selection of a particular product group. You can find your niche by studying the mega--store in your area. You can find that product group where they are weak.
• Don’t give customers too much of a selection in products. That may sound odd but it really depends on your product line. Sometimes, too many choices are not good -
  The Power of YouTube- How to Get Your Video Seen
  A viral video can launch your brand into the stratosphere. But with all the videos out there, how can you make sure yours gets seen? While you never can predict with 100% certainty which videos will be knock-out successes, there are a few things you can do to raise your chances. Here are a few tips for making your video a viral success.Make it short. People surfing online have lightning-quick attention spans. You may be able to do a longer video if you’re showing it on your business’s website for the purpose of instructing a select group, but on YouTube, it’s got to be quick and catchy to thrive. Your video has a better chance of surviving in the cutthroat online market if it doesn’t ask a lot of tim
  your business to be a customer--friendly place.
• Listen to your customers – they give you your best market information. They will tell you what they like and don’t like. They will sometimes ask for a product that you don’t normally carry in stock. Maybe even the mega--store doesn’t carry it. If a few customers ask for it, you may try getting some to see how they sell. You are flexible enough that you can that. The mega--store normally cannot or will not.
• As big as the mega--stores are, they don’t carry everything. Or they may just carry a small selection of a particular product group. You can find your niche by studying the mega--store in your area. You can find that product group where they are weak.
• Don’t give customers too much of a selection in products. That may sound odd but it really depends on your product line. Sometimes, too many choices are not good -- don’t add to their daily frustration. 29 different choices of blue paint color is okay for a paint store, but 29 different types or brands of CD--Rom drives for a computer store is redundant and can be frustrating for a customer trying to decide which to buy. Sometimes people just want to get in and out with what they need. Help them make their life simpler. Sometimes just two or three choices for each particular product should suffice. You could give them a low--end cheap choice, a high--end higher quality choice, and a middle--of--the--road good value choice. Use common sense – you know your business best.
• Always do the right thing. Don’t think you can get ahead by lying or cheating. You can’t. At some point, it will come back around. In addition to being wrong, it will hurt your business. Do what’s right and always treat people with respect and courtesy.