Retailers are always the first port of call for organisations that are looking for donations, because they have tangible products that can easily be displayed and therefore, are much easier to sell tickets or take bids from consumers.
But as a small business, you can’t afford to be donating to every single cause that comes your way. But saying no to every request that comes into your store, doesn’t mean that you have to be a Grinch, and not give back.
Saying no, especially in person, can make you feel guilty, deflated and feeling like you should do more.
But it’s ok to say no, as long as you’re not a jerk about it.
To start off, it’s important to detach yourself form the request. It’s likely that you’re not the only business that’s been asked and most people that request donations know that they aren’t going to be successful with every company they ask.
Here are a few things that you might like to consider when choosing a cause to give to
Are they a registered charity?
More at: https://salenaknight.com/retail-56/
There comes a time when you know that you have to bring someone (or multiple someone’s) onto your team, cos let’s be honest, you can’t do this by yourself.
IN this episode, I’ll admit I’m not going down into the nitty gritty of hiring. I mean, hiring is the biggest module of the boutique academy – there are 6 videos and multiple worksheets that help you work out exactly who,, when and HOW to hire the exact right person for your retail business.
Today, I’m going to address the 6 things that I find retailers just completely overlook when it comes to hiring. And that leads to stress, overwhelm, and ultimately, hiring the person that’s available, rather than the right person.
So, just what are they?
For more click here
I don't watch an awful lot of tv*. And the stuff I do watch is vary rarely live. Thank goodness for catch-up, right?
So Shark Tank, I mean, business, startups, and a healthy dose of reality tv. What more could an entreprenur want from a tv show?
Sitting down last night, with the TV all to myself, glass of wine in hand, I was ready.
Watching the show, though, I could see some major factors that were letting down the contestants (is that what they're called?)
In fact, I was so stirred up, I grabbed a ratty old envelope and a pen that were on the floor, and started making notes.
So, here are my take-aways. What a business can learn from Shark Tank
Disclaimer - there is nothing new here!
Read more here
More at: https://salenaknight.com/podcast/60/
A bad review is generally posted because what they buyer expected, was not what they received.
Now that doesn’t mean that the product was bad, or that your service was bad, it just means the product wasn’t right for them.
And lets face it, we all have had that happen. You buy something, you get home, and it’s not quite what you expected it to be.
So what should you do when negative feedback comes your way.
First off, make sure you’re actually monitoring what reviews come through your store. This will allow you to respond as necessary.
If you can identify the customer who gave the negative review, pick up the phone and call them. Get some more information from them. Offer to solve the problem however you can.
More at: https://salenaknight.com/retail-53
Everyone needs a break from their business.
It’s necessary for your mental health, your relationships and your physical health.
If the idea of taking a holiday from your business freaks you out, Today, let's talk about
What you need to do, so you can have some much needed time out
My first step that you need to do, before you can take a break from your biz, is boring, tedious, but, super necessary.
Read more at: https://salenaknight.com/retail-52
Listen at: https://salenaknight.com/podcast/58
Why your competitors are important,
I was recently asked, “Should I block the competition from following me on social media”?
I was perplexed. Why would you bock your competition, I asked?
Ad I got the reply “so they can’t see what I’m doing”.
And therein lies a deep-seated fear in so many retailers. Worrying whether they’ll be copied, or compared.
No matter where we are in business, we’re always comparing ourselves with others. Sometimes you’re the one comparing, and other times, you’re probably getting looked up to by others.
read more at: https://salenaknight.com/retail-51
What you will learn in this episode:
More at: https://salenaknight.com/podcast/bbtr57-the-importance-of-accepting-set-backs-in-business-salena-knight
I’m a hairdresser/beautician/massage therapist, so I’m not a retailer
This was the conversation I has with my beautician recently
So I pointed to the shelves full of products, and asked if she sold them.
Of course she did. Well, they were for sale, but she didn’t really sell them.
She didn’t want to be pushy.
She’s once worked for a beauty chain, where everything was about targets and upsells, and she vowed never to be like that to her customers.
I have a secret I want to share with you today. I call it the rule of threes, and it will definitely help you get more sales.
It’s easy to fall into the old line of “can I help you” when a customer walks in the door. But you know the answer is most likely going to just be “I’m just looking”, right?
Don’t pepper someone as soon as they walk in
Forgo the “can I help you” and try “what brings you into the store today”
Listen at: https://salenaknight.com/podcast/spice-up-your-wardrobe-alma-barrero
Why You aren’t getting sales out of Facebook.
Facebook ads are da bomb. You hear this all the time, but every time you try Facebook ads, you end up just wasting your money.
Sound familiar?
I’m sorry, It’s not Facebook it’s you.
When I was lamenting to a fb expert this week, that my favourite ad strategy had completely been changed whilst I was away for a few weeks.
Her answer was “Facebook is like a foster puppy, never get too attached, because it’ll be changing any day now”.
And you know what, that is the perfect analogy. Like anything, marketing and advertising require constant attention and tweaking.
Ok, so I’m just going to dot point these out – that’s point one.
and more at: salenaknight.com/podcast/bbtr54-how-a-brand-ambassador-can-grow-your-business-jesika-mullins/
Does this sound familiar to you? You’ve just sat down in front of your computer. There’s a cup of tea, or maybe a sneaky glass of wine by your side, and you’re ready to settle into an evening of online shopping.
Then, the kids start crying, or there’s some kind of random emergency that seems to befall your household, just when you’ve sat down.
Right? Happens to me All. The. Time.
One of the most disastrous things that can happen to your business, is losing all of your data.
No longer able to access your customer database, your sales records, your inventory, your images and files, could potentially ruin your retail store. In the least, it would set you back weeks, trying to recover all of the lost information, and the lost sales that would happen as a result.
I know businesses that have lost thousands of dollars in lost sales, when their website has been hacked, others that have lost tens of thousands of dollars in lost time, and not to mention, the potential legal issues that can arise, when you don’t have access to your business files.
We’re talking about your point of sale system, your website, client information, internal files, employee data, bookkeeping files, images and blog posts, all gone.
What would that do to your business?
Read more: www.salenaknight.com/retail-46
"Passionate about design, I love seeing our concepts brought to life at an event. I'm fascinated by psychology and like to workshop ideas that can change the way clients interact with their audience.
I find it rewarding to know that I'm able to help increase the return my clients get from a show by helping them address each phase of the process to transform their experience."
If there is a fire in your store, do you and your staff know what to do? How about if you suspect a customer of stealing. How do you tackle the subject (pun completely intended!)
No one wants to find themselves in an emergency situation. And for that matter, what actually constitutes and emergency situation? And just exactly what steps should you and your staff take, when the situation arises?
As a small business retailer, there’s a good chance that you’ve overlooked some processes. Not deliberately of course, but simply because you’re so busy doing so many roles in the business, and no one has brought them to your attention.
Until now.
It’s your legal responsibility to ensure a safe environment for your employees, and your customers, so I’m asking you to mark a date in your calendar, where you will sit down and map out your emergency procedures.
Find out more at www.salenaknight.om/retail-45
Kim Krajci plays well with words. As a professional writer, social media marketer, public speaker, and podcaster, she uses words to shape
ideas. She publishes blogs and produces podcasts, including her own On the Table - Topics for Toastmasters http://onthetablepodcasts.com and
Toastmasters101 http://toastmasters101.net.
As a result of her involvement with high school speech and debate programs and Toastmasters, she strongly believes that communication is
the foundation of leadership. This has become her message in her professional speaking career.
Kim lives with her husband and family in Ohio, USA, in a household that is slowly reducing in size as the kids head off to their own adventures.
She's good with that.
Everyday, we have to make thousands of decisions. From when to brush our teeth, what to wear today, what to make for dinner, through to all the decisions you have to make at work. All of this before lunch time! It’s no wonder that so many customers suffer from indecision and the lack of purchasing power.
When you’re under stress, your body reacts in several ways. Your attention span gets shorter, you can have increased anxiety, and, quite often, have a fear of making decisions.
Couple All of these external influences that your customer is making everyday along with being bombarded by the same information from every single retailer, and your customer, can move into a state of stress and anxiety. And this leads to overthinking the purchasing decision, letting fear creep in, and eventually, just walking away from the whole buying experience.
So, how can you, the retailer, conquer the indecision barrier?
You have to pull down those barriers. What you need to do, is create a zone of security and here’s how you can do it.
Find out more at: www.salenaknight.com/retail-44
Trade fairs are a whirlwind of people, products and hopefully, sales. You’re high on excitement, surrounded by thousands of potential customers. You’re ready to sell anything and everything. But trade fairs are a funny thing. Customers are oftened hyped up and ready to spend, and the old fear of missing out, drives them to buy things that they may not normally have purchased. Now, the reason you do trade fairs, is mainly to attract new customers, right? But a new customer once, is not going to change your bottom line.