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Other Added - The Small Retailer's Survival Guide - Part 2 - Go Local!
Q & A - Is It Necessary? YES - Absolutely - No Doubt About It! •Do you run out of time therefore leaving no time for questions? •Do you have time for questions but not enough time to answer everyone? •Do you end your presentation with questions? If you answered yes to any of these questions (no pun intended) then you need to read this article. The goal of your presentations is to be able to answer "no" to each one.Why questions are important 1.You need to give your audience what they need, but you won't know what they need unless they ask you. 2.Someone may give you a testimonial or tell you that they agree with everything you are presenting. This helps go get buy-in from the rest of your audience.
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment
We all know that good customer service is paramount to growing a business and increasing profitability. What many managers are failing to realize, however, is that rapid changes in technology have lead to equally rapid changes in the delivery of quality customer service.In addition to the basics we all have heard time and again, there are five new areas of customer service that should be addressed to keep customers happy.What do customers say? 1) Preserve me from auto-attendant hell! Customers are becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with having to sift through a multitude of options and press numerous buttons – only to be told that the desired service is only available through the company’s website.
The big chains have often toyed with selling products that are made in the locality. Some even have a small sales area dedicated to local products. They have never mastered the art of doing this and probably never will. This is mainly because their head office resource simply couldn't stretch to closing deals with individual suppliers on behalf of individual stores. As often is the case, the head office contingent is reluctant to allow individual outlets carry out their own buying negotiations. Just as local buying may be advantageous to the independent, the big chains see the opposite argument. Their great power lies in their ability to offer high volume to their suppliers in return for low prices and other advantages. By fragmenting volume lines into smaller deals, they will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. This is where you come in. Your independent local store will never have significant buying power so you do not need to play that game. You can play a quite different game that will leave the big guys standing on the sidelines looking on.
What I am suggesting is not easy. If it were easy then it wouldn't be fun, would it?! Just about every local store will have a production facility somewhere up the road. First rule: forget the production facility up the road. Why? Because, if it is a big employer in your town, then the chances are that the products they sell can be obtained from local sources other than a shop. If this (very) local production facility is a jam factory, for example, then the chances are that most people in town will have obtained as much jam as they need because they work at the factory or have friends or family that work there. I am suggesting you go a little further down the road. Four or five miles radius from your store and beyond is more like it.
Once you have identified the producers that are in your area, contact them and just put the idea to them that they can have another outlet for their goods. Transport costs would be negligible and they would have a great place to try out new products and ideas. Sometimes goods are produced that, for whatever reason, are not wanted by large customers. You may consider selling these goods. I am not suggesting selling sub-standard goods. In fact, this would not be a good idea. Often products do not meet a large customer's specification but are actually fine. They just do not happen to be the right shape, or color or are unwanted for some other innocuous reason. It is very common for producers to over-produce. Sometimes it is more efficient for them to finish off a production batch, leaving some goods over. In these situations you will be probably be able to negotiate some good deals. If a producer wants to test a product's selling potential you may be able to negotiate a sale-or-return deal.
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment i
Lawn care business is one of the most unique business ventures where there is seldom a shortage of demand. New customers are being created on a regular basis as more new houses are being built each year. With each house having its own lawn, someone will need to maintain them. Not all house owners have time to maintain their own lawn which in turn lead to a higher demand for quality lawn care services from lawn care companies. Thus a lawn care business is actually quite lucrative if it is being operated properly.One of the best things about lawn care business is that you don’t need huge capital to get started. You can easily start on a small scale and expand when there is a steady increase in sales. However, it is imperative that you have a
The big chains have often toyed with selling products that are made in the locality. Some even have a small sales area dedicated to local products. They have never mastered the art of doing this and probably never will. This is mainly because their head office resource simply couldn't stretch to closing deals with individual suppliers on behalf of individual stores. As often is the case, the head office contingent is reluctant to allow individual outlets carry out their own buying negotiations. Just as local buying may be advantageous to the independent, the big chains see the opposite argument. Their great power lies in their ability to offer high volume to their suppliers in return for low prices and other advantages. By fragmenting volume lines into smaller deals, they will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. This is where you come in. Your independent local store will never have significant buying power so you do not need to play that game. You can play a quite different game that will leave the big guys standing on the sidelines looking on.
What I am suggesting is not easy. If it were easy then it wouldn't be fun, would it?! Just about every local store will have a production facility somewhere up the road. First rule: forget the production facility up the road. Why? Because, if it is a big employer in your town, then the chances are that the products they sell can be obtained from local sources other than a shop. If this (very) local production facility is a jam factory, for example, then the chances are that most people in town will have obtained as much jam as they need because they work at the factory or have friends or family that work there. I am suggesting you go a little further down the road. Four or five miles radius from your store and beyond is more like it.
Once you have identified the producers that are in your area, contact them and just put the idea to them that they can have another outlet for their goods. Transport costs would be negligible and they would have a great place to try out new products and ideas. Sometimes goods are produced that, for whatever reason, are not wanted by large customers. You may consider selling these goods. I am not suggesting selling sub-standard goods. In fact, this would not be a good idea. Often products do not meet a large customer's specification but are actually fine. They just do not happen to be the right shape, or color or are unwanted for some other innocuous reason. It is very common for producers to over-produce. Sometimes it is more efficient for them to finish off a production batch, leaving some goods over. In these situations you will be probably be able to negotiate some good deals. If a producer wants to test a product's selling potential you may be able to negotiate a sale-or-return deal.
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment
I have been running a small business for nearly ten years and have used various forms of marketing ideas to help promote my services and to attract new customers. In this article, I write about these marketing strategies which I hope will benefit the people who read it.When I was twenty-three, I had what I believed was a good business idea. I was going to offer a speech coaching service as I had managed to overcome a speech impediment and believed that the techniques which had helped me could help other people as well.It is all well and good having an idea but if no one knows about the service you are offering, it is basically worthless. I had no real business experience and was unsure on how to proceed. By reading a number of books
What I am suggesting is not easy. If it were easy then it wouldn't be fun, would it?! Just about every local store will have a production facility somewhere up the road. First rule: forget the production facility up the road. Why? Because, if it is a big employer in your town, then the chances are that the products they sell can be obtained from local sources other than a shop. If this (very) local production facility is a jam factory, for example, then the chances are that most people in town will have obtained as much jam as they need because they work at the factory or have friends or family that work there. I am suggesting you go a little further down the road. Four or five miles radius from your store and beyond is more like it.
Once you have identified the producers that are in your area, contact them and just put the idea to them that they can have another outlet for their goods. Transport costs would be negligible and they would have a great place to try out new products and ideas. Sometimes goods are produced that, for whatever reason, are not wanted by large customers. You may consider selling these goods. I am not suggesting selling sub-standard goods. In fact, this would not be a good idea. Often products do not meet a large customer's specification but are actually fine. They just do not happen to be the right shape, or color or are unwanted for some other innocuous reason. It is very common for producers to over-produce. Sometimes it is more efficient for them to finish off a production batch, leaving some goods over. In these situations you will be probably be able to negotiate some good deals. If a producer wants to test a product's selling potential you may be able to negotiate a sale-or-return deal.
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment
Teleseminars and teleconferences are a wonderful cost effective way of attracting qualified leads to your business to attract more clients and delivering profitable solutions to your current clients.I often get asked questions about the recording technology I use for my teleclasses and teleconference programmes such as for Biz Growth Live where I interview experts from around the globe on the subject of developing you brand and growing your professional services firm.The solutions available depend on your vision and strategy for deploying teleconferences and teleseminars in your business.Here are 4 options for recording your teleseminar or teleconference.Option 1 – using a teleconference bridge liney need because they work at the factory or have friends or family that work there. I am suggesting you go a little further down the road. Four or five miles radius from your store and beyond is more like it.
Once you have identified the producers that are in your area, contact them and just put the idea to them that they can have another outlet for their goods. Transport costs would be negligible and they would have a great place to try out new products and ideas. Sometimes goods are produced that, for whatever reason, are not wanted by large customers. You may consider selling these goods. I am not suggesting selling sub-standard goods. In fact, this would not be a good idea. Often products do not meet a large customer's specification but are actually fine. They just do not happen to be the right shape, or color or are unwanted for some other innocuous reason. It is very common for producers to over-produce. Sometimes it is more efficient for them to finish off a production batch, leaving some goods over. In these situations you will be probably be able to negotiate some good deals. If a producer wants to test a product's selling potential you may be able to negotiate a sale-or-return deal.
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment
Making a career change no matter what your age is can be hard, but when you're 40, making a career change can lead to sleepless nights and stressful days. As you get older you have more responsibilities to consider. Not only is your age a factor, but your level of skills, education, training, family, and finances have to be taken into account when making a career change.If you’re thinking about making a career change after 40 don’t do it alone. You need the support of the people close to you both physically and mentally. When you change careers not only are you changing your job, but your life as well. Having a strong support system will make your career change easier on both you and your family.Be sure to make a self assessment of
Many producers have a shop attached to their premises where these kinds of products are sold. Many others, however, do not. You would be either adding a new outlet for them or would possible replace their current outlet, depending on their situation. It costs nothing to ask. Ok, then it does cost. It costs you a lot of time, and your time is precious. The time this takes, however, is your investment in the company. Like any investment, it may yield disappointing returns. On the other hand, turning your store into a showcase of local products may bring some or all of the following results:
i) Bring your store the attention of the staff and management of the producers whose goods you are selling. You may win some new customers ii) Give you the opportunity to merchandise products that other stores do not routinely sell iii) In many cases you would probably be able to offer bargains that other stores could not match iv) You would be able to demonstrate your environmental credentials by featuring products that have not travelled far distances v) Although many products you try out will not take off, it is inevitable that one or two will stick. You could then become a valuable outlet to your supplier and may become a niche retailer for certain products
Some of you may like the idea selling a whole range of local products. Other may be less enthusiastic. If you are a food shop and you have found a great source of fresh carrots that are better than those you were buying previously from wholesale and you can achieve the same or better margins, then surely this, on its own, would have been well worth while. If you sell kids' toys and a local person happens to make their own glove puppets then you just may have found yourself a niche market to operate in. Who else would be selling the same puppets? Answer: nobody.
Competition from large companies is surely never a bad thing. You can always be more nimble and faster moving than they can be. You can adapt to change and try out new ideas. Better still you can be the instigator of change instead of the reactor to it. Selling local products is your secret weapon that the big boys will never be able to match. Wouldn't it be fun if a Wal-Mart executive walked in your store and said "where did you get the glove puppets..."
More articles on this subject will follow - watch this space.
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