Good advertising is a necessary part of a successful business, but don’t think that advertising only entails out-of-store promotions. In-house signage is just as important for rapid turnover, and you should strive for high-quality, informative signs inside your store as they are one of the important measures that persuade...
Fresh & Easy, the new 10,000-square-foot food retailer, has opened 120 stores in the western United States in less than two years, and plans to open 200 more. The stores focus on quality prepared foods, fresh produce, everyday items at low prices and average $500 in sales per square...
As a business owner, you should consider your Employer Identification Number (EIN) as the Social Security number used to identify your business entity. This means you need to protect it as such, in order to ensure your confidential and sensitive information (such as financial records). Don’t become the tools...
If this economic downturn is like previous ones, the weak will get weaker while the strong get stronger.In recessions, companies with lots of cash tend to do better than companies with lots of debt, because they can step up to the plate to take advantage of fire-sale opportunities on...
A great joint promotion proves that one plus one equals six and sometimes more. Joint promotions get you more for your promotional dollar by increasing awareness, especially in markets you haven’t yet tapped into. Utilizing existing relationships and establishing new partnerships can provide a unique channel for your business’s...
Amid these stressful economic times, independent natural products retailers can feel good about at least four things. While many other businesses, and entire industries, are suffering huge sales hits and major restructurings, natural products retailers are staying relatively healthy. Instead of growing at the typical 8% to 10% per...
The natural products industry is full of small business owners for whom the threat of big chain stores constantly looms on the horizon. While studies demonstrate people tend to purchase a greater percentage of their groceries and other merchandise from these larger stores, many smaller businesses do succeed. Recently,...
Which would be better for the natural products industry: an Obama or a McCain presidency? Political intelligence from our representatives at the Natural Products Association (NPA) in Washington, D.C. says that either a McCain or an Obama administration is likely to be less favorable to the natural products industry...
With soaring gas prices, real estate value dropping and jobs hard to come by, it’s clear the economy is going through hard times. Although only half of U.S. economists are forecasting recession, nearly all agree the United States will go through a period of protracted slow growth, which the...
Before a new competitor comes to town, you can fix the weak spots in your store. Is your facility clean and well-lit? Are your floor and ceiling in good condition and your walls freshly painted? Do your refrigerators and freezers work properly? Have you changed your window displays recently?...
RSS
