Merchant Method Retail Trends

16: Business Failures: Recovering From vs. Redefining Them

5/22/2019

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?

Spoiler alert: (Even) I hate this question!

Hindsight is 20/20. It gives us a less tender opportunity to learn from past mistakes, oversights, and failures. As someone who’s fascinated but learning from her own history, I know there’s more to get out of hindsight — like learning how to fail up.

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15: Confidence, Clarity, and Being a Small Business CEO

5/8/2019

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A common thread that connects business owners and CEOs across all organizations, in all industries — regardless of business size — is a desire for both confidence and clarity.

The leadership role can feel isolating. It takes a lot of work to hold down the fort, to have or find answers to your challenging business questions, and to take big leaps toward growth.

The reality is that many things out of your control. But there’s a lot more you can sway… if you know how.

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14: The Overlooked Aspects of Event Planning

5/1/2019

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We’re entering a selling season when the reasons for buying are broader than they are during other times of the year.

Between seasonal holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, non-holiday seasonality associated with school graduation and sports, and the general energy that comes from experiencing warm weather, customers open their wallets more freely since fourth quarter.

It’s no wonder that pop-up events and outdoor markets are aplenty this time of year.

So how are you event planning for optimal profit?

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13: Merchandise Life Cycle for Small Retail Businesses and Small-Batch Manufacturers

4/25/2019

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When I started working in a retail buying office, I found it to be an exciting time in my life. I adored being part of the decision-making that shaped what customers bought. Specifically, I enjoyed learning how to understand my customers so deeply that I could shop of them — thousands and thousands of them.

What you and I have in common is that we excel at translating visual or emotional inspiration into something a customer will pay for. We also have strong presentation skills — from visual communication to store merchandising to selling. Like you, I love this large portion of the job being a merchant!

During this early part of my career, I could have left the rest of the merchant role behind. Believe me when I tell you, I tried and here’s how it went!

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12: Handling the Administrative Work that Goes Into Your Retail Business

4/17/2019

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There are a handful of essential questions I always ask clients and students because they effectively reveal valuable information about a business like its size, general revenue bracket , and state of growth.

When it comes to receiving business support as an entrepreneur or small business owner, sharing as much as you can about your operations is more revealing — and actionable — than sharing how much annual revenue your brand drives.

So here’s the million dollar question...

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