After nearly 9 years of working with small and midsize independent retailers all across the country implementing high impact marketing campaigns to increase cash flow there has been one major lesson I've learned:  there are too many business owners focusing on the wrong things with their respective businesses.

This even holds true with the retail businesses I've spoken to that I have NOT worked with.

I have always broken down success in the retail environment to some very basic priniciples, and if these principles are not consistently being worked on, then there will always be missing pieces in the business.  Here is an overview of these principles:

1.  Finance - do you have adequate funding to operate successfully?

2.  Operations - do people come to your business BECAUSE of the business or because it's convenient and the bigger box stores in the area were out?

3.  Marketing - what regular systems do you have in place to not only acquire new customers, but also keep previous customers coming back in ready to buy time and time again?  What about signs?  Do you use them and are they effective?

4.  Merchandising - what does your inventory consist of?  Do you keep it moving and looking fresh?  Is it positioned the best way to induce purchases?

5.  Salesmanship - what are you saying to the customers you have? How can you improve it?

6.  Exit - Do you have an exit strategy in place?

These are the principles of success in their most fundamental form.  Further defining and perfecting these principles is what I teach my clients.

Whether you're new in business or whether you've been in business for many years, if you are struggling to win at the retail game at a high level, then you must have a plan in place to hone these principles and put them into action.  It all starts with cash flow and market visibility.  When it comes to an immediate and dramatic surge in cash flow to a retail store you must think BIG and DRAMATIC if you want BIG and DRAMATIC results.  A properly conducted high impact Sales event will do that.

Over the years I've watched more and more people come into the market place to help the small and midsize independent retailer succeed, and I believe the Gift and Home Channel is on the right path as well.

I look forward to being a part of this community to provide a qualified voice and opinion in hopes of helping every small and midsize retailer create a Winning Retail environment every day in their store.

http://www.WinningRetail.com