Bringing Business to Retail: Recent Episodes

Salena Knight

Want a business that fills your soul AND your bank account? Retail Strategist Salena Knight, shares information, inspiration and interviews with business leaders, to help you create a more profitable, sustainable and dynamic retail or eCommerce business.

Ever had that fantasy where your business suddenly blows up online and everything changes overnight?

In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Sjöblom—a digital growth strategist and operations expert—to unpack the real story of what happens when your business goes viral. Together, we talk about the traffic surge, the customer service avalanche, the unexpected pressure on operations… and the surprising truth that more eyeballs don’t always mean more sales.

Lisa brings her no-fluff take on digital scaling, and I share what I learned from my own viral moment—the good, the chaotic, and what I’d do differently next time.

If you’re building an ecommerce or retail brand, and dreaming of your “big break,” this is your reality check. Because visibility without preparation can cost you more than you think.

💬 We talk about:

What actually breaks when your content takes off
How to prepare your backend before growth hits
The hidden costs of virality
Building a business that’s built to last—not just built to go viral

Let’s get into it.

—Sal

What if your audience knew exactly when and why to buy—without you constantly reminding them?

In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Santini, founder of Sew Hungry Hippie, to unpack how she turned her loyal followers into paying customers—from day one. With no marketing degree, no fancy funnels, and no burnout, Natalie built an engaged community that buys because she shows up consistently, with value and joy.

Here’s what we cover:

How Natalie “trains” her audience to purchase without being pushy
The secret sauce behind her repeat sales and live selling success
Her strategy for balancing life, business, and creativity
Why authenticity + simplicity is the new sales strategy

This is for every business owner who’s tired of chasing sales and is ready to build a community that wants to buy.

🎧 Subscribe for more insights like these every week.

Can we talk about something that's been driving me absolutely crazy? I keep seeing you amazing business owners setting these big, juicy revenue goals for your promotions - and I'm talking $10K, $50K, even $100K - only to watch you hit the wall halfway through wondering if it was even possible in the first place.

Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.

Here's the thing - I used to do this too. I'd get all excited about a new promotion, pull some round number out of thin air, and declare "THAT'S my goal!" Then I'd spend the entire promotion crossing my fingers and using hope as my strategy.

Spoiler alert: Hope is NOT a strategy, beautiful.

In today's episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on exactly how to stop guessing and start reverse engineering your best promotion ever. No more disappointment, no more wondering what went wrong - just achievable, data-backed targets that you can actually hit.

Remember, you've got this!

Sal

In this episode, I sit down with Cat (Catalina Viau), an inspiring entrepreneur who turned her passion for photography into a thriving, seven-figure photo booth business. We talk about her journey from a corporate insurance career to building a brand that truly stands out — focusing on branding, quality, and strategic marketing.

Cat shares her insights on finding high-value clients, differentiating her business in a competitive market, and turning a side hustle into a full-fledged enterprise. If you're curious about entrepreneurship, branding, or just looking for some real inspiration, this episode is packed with lessons you won’t want to miss.

Connect with Catalina: Photo Booth Business (Canada/US/Australia): https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

Connect with Salena: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/

Podcast: https://salenaknight.com/podcast-2/

Accelerator Program: https://scale.theretailacademy.net/sysa862128

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to grow your retail or e-commerce business? You’re in the right place.

Welcome to Bringing Business to Retail, the show where I, Salena Knight—retail strategist, speaker, and former multi-store owner—share real, unfiltered strategies to help you scale with clarity, confidence, and cash flow.

Each week, you'll get:

Behind-the-scenes lessons from my own 7-figure business journey
No-fluff strategies to boost sales, build high-performing teams, and streamline operations
Candid conversations about the real challenges of leadership and growth
Interviews with industry experts, retail rebels, and powerhouse entrepreneurs who’ve been there and done that

Whether you’re managing a bricks-and-mortar store, building an online brand, or juggling both, this podcast is your go-to guide for turning hustle into healthy, sustainable business growth.

Because retail doesn’t have to be so hard when you’ve got the right plan (and the right people in your corner).

It’s time to stop playing small and start scaling smart.

Let’s do this.

— Sal

I watched a wealthy man hand his trash to a hotel staff member and tip him for it. That moment changed everything about how I think about business.

In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset shift that helped me (and my clients) stop selling to price-sensitive shoppers and start attracting high-value customers who expect to pay more.

I’ll walk you through why the mid-market is risky territory, how the rich make buying decisions, and the three steps you can take this week to start repositioning your brand for premium success.

If you’re done competing on price and ready to be the go-to for customers who value what you offerthis one’s for you.

I didn’t start my business to answer customer emails at midnight or manually post to social media—and I’m guessing you didn’t either. But somehow, those “little tasks” have taken over your calendar, your energy, and your vision.

In this episode, I’m talking about what it really takes to step out of the day-to-day and into the role of CEO. I’ll share how to figure out what’s draining your time, how to delegate or automate smarter (yes, even with AI!), and how to build systems that support real, scalable growth.

This isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter, leading better, and letting go of the things that are keeping you stuck.

Let’s reclaim your time and get you back to being the visionary your business needs.

— Sal

🔗 Learn more & access the resources: https://salenaknight.com/podcast-2/

Join the accelerator Now: https://scale.theretailacademy.net/sysa

When it comes to promotions, there’s one word that can either make you cringe... or cash in: FOMO. In this episode, I’m sharing why FOMO isn’t a dirty word — it’s actually your secret weapon for getting customers off the fence and into action, without sounding pushy, salesy, or desperate.

I’m telling you a story about one of the worst marketing decisions I ever made (spoiler: it involved a dusty TV screen and a golf club), and what it taught me about creating real urgency the right way. We’re diving deep into how to use urgency and scarcity ethically — with tips you can actually apply today, like:

How to create momentum even if your numbers are small
Why your first and last day emails matter more than anything else
How to leverage SMS and real-time tools to boost last-minute sales
Plus, how one of my accelerator members turned a personal birthday into a brilliant, heart-driven campaign (that her customers loved!)

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling “icky” about selling, or worried you were being annoying by sending that extra email…

This episode is for you.

Let’s reframe FOMO — from pushy to powerful — together.

See you inside,

Sal

In this episode, I’m getting real about the different types of support you think you need—and the ones that actually move the needle.

I’ve invested over $45,000 (plus multiple trips to the U.S.) to be part of a mastermind that’s been absolutely game-changing for my business. But it wasn’t always like that. I’ve worked with coaches, joined programs that didn’t deliver, and realized—sometimes too late—that I was asking the wrong people for the wrong kind of help.

So today, I’m breaking down:

The real difference between a coach, mentor, strategist, and mastermind
When each one is the right fit for your stage of business
How to avoid feeling overwhelmed, underwhelmed, or out of pocket
The questions you should ask before you invest

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsupported, or unsure about your next move—this episode is your roadmap to clarity.

Tune in to learn how to align the support you choose with the results you actually want.

I’m embarrassed to admit this… but I once spent nearly $100k on a business coach who didn’t actually help me grow.

Not because he was bad—but because I hired the wrong kind of help for where I was at in my business journey.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing the real, unfiltered story of the investments I’ve made over the years—some that paid off massively, and others that felt like throwing money into the void. From joining masterminds and hiring strategists to making costly mistakes, I’ll walk you through exactly what kind of support helped me at different stages—from startup mode to multi-million dollar growth.

If you’re wondering:

“Should I hire a coach or join a program?”
“Is this the right investment for my business?”
“Why am I still stuck, even after spending so much money?”

This episode will help you get clear.

Because the truth is—it’s not just about investing in your growth. It’s about knowing what to invest in based on where you’re at and where you want to go.

Let’s talk strategy, missteps, and the lessons I wish someone had told me earlier.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I just need more customers to grow my business” — this episode is for you.

The truth is, chasing new customers isn’t always the answer. In fact, it can drain your time, money, and energy faster than you think. Today, I’m unpacking exactly how you can increase your revenue without spending more on ads or hustling to attract fresh faces.

We’re diving deep into:

How to plug the hidden leaks in your sales funnel - Small, powerful tweaks that instantly boost your conversion rates - Why your checkout process might be costing you sales (and how to fix it) - The silent impact of your average order value - How to attract customers who actually value what you sell

This is the episode where we stop obsessing over vanity metrics and start focusing on what really moves the needle in your business.

Plus, I’m sharing a free resource to help you calculate exactly where you can increase your profits today!

🎧 Hit play and let’s get into it.

Until next time, Sal

What if one overheard sentence could change the entire trajectory of your business?

In this powerful episode of Bringing Business to Retail, we share the moment everything shifted—not during a strategy session or a big launch, but in a quiet, unexpected instant.

We dive into:

How a single sentence triggered a total business rethink
Why being "booked out" isn’t always the dream
The connection between burnout and pricing strategy
How to rebuild a business that aligns with your values and lifestyle

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on empty or building a business that doesn’t quite feel like yours anymore, this episode is your sign to pause, listen, and pivot.

🎧 Tune in now and start bringing your business back into alignment.

Overwhelmed by your to-do list? I was too—until I turned to AI. In this episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, I share how I opened Asana and was met with more tasks than I could handle in a year (yep, a full year). Instead of spiraling into busywork, I turned to my custom-built ChatGPT for support. What happened next surprised me.

You'll hear how I used AI to ask myself four game-changing questions that helped me clear the mental clutter, prioritize what actually matters, and realign my work with my long-term goals. I’ll also dive into how tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and calendar blocking helped me identify tasks I shouldn't even be doing.

Whether you're running a business, leading a team, or just drowning in digital post-its, this episode will give you practical, strategic tools to take back control—and get back to deep work that truly moves the needle.

Are You Paying Rent on Your Own Inventory? What if I told you that some of your inventory is quietly draining money from your business every single month—without you even realizing it?

And what if I told you that freeing up cash flow in your business has nothing to do with selling more, running ads, or tweaking your pricing—but everything to do with understanding when your stock stops making you money?

So when Christine broke it down for me, I was hooked.

Here’s the deal: Every SKU you own is paying rent. Whether it’s sitting in a fulfillment center or in the corner of your office, at some point, that inventory shifts from being an asset to a liability. And the longer it sits, the more it eats into your profit.

I used to think of inventory as something that just existed until it sold. But after this conversation, I see it differently—and I think you will too.

Listen in and let me know what you think.

Sal

00:01 - The real cost of inventory nobody talks about 04:25 - How long should you really keep stock? 09:40 - The inventory mindset shift that changes everything 15:30 - When to discount, when to restock, and when to cut it loose 22:10 - The formula for knowing exactly when a product stops making you money

What if I told you there’s a way to make more money in your business—without changing your products, pricing, or marketing budget? And what if I told you this strategy has been quietly influencing financial markets, human behavior, and even retail trends for years?

So when Lucy Bloomfield asked me if she could come on the show and discuss something she’d been putting into action to create more sales and money, I was interested.

So we jump on a call to discuss, and she tells me, the secret is… we need to start syncing our sales and marketing efforts with the moon.

Yep, you read that right. The moon.

Trust me, I’m a logic girl through and through.

SHOW ME THE DATA!

I went into this conversation with a very healthy dose of skepticism. But as Lucy explained how women’s hormonal cycles impact spending habits—and how financial markets have long documented the influence of lunar phases—I couldn’t help but lean in.

Here’s the gist: there are certain times of the month that are the prime time for selling—your customers are more inclined to buy, spend impulsively, and say yes to your offers.

There are other times - not so much. That’s when resistance is higher, spending slows, and conversions take more effort.

She’s been tracking sales data across multiple businesses, and the results? Eye-opening.

So, if you could make twice as much during the right two-week window—without spending an extra dollar on ads—would you at least give it a shot?

Listen in and let me know your thoughts.

Sal

Introduction and Podcast Setup 0:01

Understanding Cycle Syncing 1:47

Personal Experience and Business Application 4:25

Implementing Cycle Syncing in Business 6:53

Testing and Validating Cycle Syncing 11:04

Challenges and Adjustments 18:26

Practical Steps and Tools 25:59

Conclusion and Call to Action 33:30

Full Article: https://salenaknight.com/can-the-moon-really-boost-your-revenue-lucy-bloomfield/

Google Ads—it’s a game-changer for retailers and eCommerce brands. But what happens when your ad account gets shut down without warning? No explanation. No help. Just gone... In this episode, I sit down with Google Ads expert John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, to uncover why ad accounts are getting flagged, suspended, and even banned—and what you can do to protect yourself.

What you’ll learn: ✔️ The most common (and unexpected) reasons ad accounts get shut down ✔️ Why even legitimate retailers get flagged as “suspicious” ✔️ Step-by-step instructions to recover a suspended Google Ads account ✔️ The key things you MUST do to avoid getting shut down If you rely on Google Ads to drive sales (or even ig you don't right now, but are planning too!), you need to hear this before it’s too late.

Introduction and Overview of the Podcast 0:01

John Horn's Background and Stub Group 2:13

Reasons for Google Ads Account Shutdowns 3:23

Challenges of the Appeals Process 6:10

Common Policy Violations and Compliance Tips 8:20

Handling Trademark and Reseller Issues 18:22

Strategies for Successful Appeals 21:48

Final Thoughts and Contact Information 27:26

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/the-google-ads-nightmare-you-might-not-see-coming-john-horn/

My first foray into commerce was selling reusable nappy-making fabrics on parenting forums. I would import these massive rolls, cut them up, and sell them to the mums (and dads) on the forums. This was back in 2008. Before “eco” was cool

According to a 2022 NielsenIQ study, 78% of global consumers say that companies should be environmentally responsible. That sounds amazing, right? But here’s where things get interesting—if that were really the case, why are businesses like Shein and Temu thriving?

Clearly, something isn’t adding up.

And when the amount of sales that Temu turned over was in the double-digit BILLIONS, then, you have to ask yourself… “Do customers really care about sustainability?”

Here are my thoughts… (from an eco-pioneer)

Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast 0:01

The Success of Fast Fashion Giants 1:24

Consumer Behavior and Sustainability 3:40

Testing and Tracking Sustainability 6:07

Financial Considerations of Sustainability 9:32

Starting Small with Sustainability 11:35

Conclusion and Call to Action 12:40

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/do-customers-really-care-about-sustainability/

In this episode, we’re tackling what I call The Hamster Wheel of Hope—that frustrating cycle of crossing your fingers and hoping: 🚨 Hoping more customers show up 🚨 Hoping your next sale makes enough to cover the bills 🚨 Hoping your marketing finally works The truth? Hope isn’t a strategy—but a plan is.

In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ The real reason you feel stuck (and how to fix it) ✅ How to stop guessing and start making money-smart decisions ✅ The 5 essential steps to building a revenue plan that actually works ✅ Why random sales and social media trends won’t save your business—but these strategies will

This episode is your roadmap to breaking free from the hustle-for-hustle’s-sake cycle and finally building a profitable, sustainable business.

Hit play now and take the first step toward real business growth!

Breaking Free from the Hamster Wheel of Hope 0:00

Identifying the Hamster Wheel 1:49

Step One: Understanding Your Numbers 3:11

Step Two: Setting Realistic Targets 5:48

Step Three: Understanding Your Customer Journey 9:22

Step Four: Planning Intentional Promotions 10:35

Step Five: Reviewing, Refining, and Repeating 12:29

Conclusion and Call to Action 13:42

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/breaking-the-hamster-wheel-of-hope-creating-a-sustainable-revenue-plan/

Building a business that lasts isn't just about speed—it’s about getting smart with your systems, having the right mindset, and pushing forward, even when things feel slow. In my own journey, moving fast wasn’t always the best approach, and I’ve learned to focus on building solid foundations for growth. If you’re feeling stuck or like things just aren’t moving as quickly as you’d like, this episode is packed with lessons on how to take a step back and work smarter—not harder. Plus, if you’re ready to make real progress in your own business, I’ve got some exciting news about a new program that could be the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for. If you're interested in joining, or heck, you're just curious, head to this link.

Scaling Business and Personal Growth 0:01

Realization and Overhaul 2:12

Challenges with Project Management 3:40

Implementing Detailed Planning 9:31

The Importance of Patience in Scaling 9:49

Introduction to the Accelerator Program 12:42

Application Process and Final Thoughts 14:16

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/i-was-wrong-about-this/

Have you ever felt like you’re just... stuck? Not sure where to go next in business, life, or maybe both?

Your social feed is filled with posts about how life should be vibrant and relaxed, which can make you feel GUILTY when you don't feel the same. (Spoiler alert: No one has it all figured out, myself included.)

I recently sat down with Leigh Burgess, and we got into a deep conversation about boldness—and how it’s not about being fearless or having it all together. Instead, it’s about making a conscious choice to keep moving forward, even when you’re uncertain. We’re all just figuring it out as we go.

Leigh shared some amazing insights on how reflecting on our beliefs and energy can change the game. It’s not just about knowing yourself, but truly understanding how your energy impacts how you show up in the world.

It’s not enough to just know this stuff—you’ve got to put it into action. I’m great at brainstorming and figuring things out in my head, but the real power comes when you start taking those bold steps. After all, being bold is one of our core values, and not doing this, is against the rules!

So, if you’ve been waiting for that nudge to stop second-guessing and start stepping into your boldest self, this episode is for you. If not now.... when?

Core Values and Defining Bold 0:02

Introduction of Lee Burgess and Bold Industry Groups 1:42

Leigh's Career Background and Burnout 5:29

The Bold Framework: Believe, Own, Learn, Design 11:54

Implementing the Bold Framework in Daily Life 18:40

Designing Your Next Steps 34:29

Examples of Bold Definitions 47:39

Conclusion and Resources 53:17

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/lessons-learnt-from-living-a-bold-life-leigh-burgess/

For months, I thought we had our systems dialed in—project management software, workflows, communication tools, you name it. But no matter how “good” everything seemed on the surface, I found myself constantly angry, frustrated, and stressed. The worst part? I knew that every mistake—whether it was a podcast episode going out unedited or a broken download link—was a direct reflection of ME. My brand. And that feeling of letting it slip through my fingers was enough to keep me up at night. The pressure was real, and it was taking a serious toll on my mental health, my bank balance, and my business growth. But what if I told you that even after all this, we lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential revenue just because I didn’t trust our systems enough to take a leap and launch new projects? In this episode, I share how I hit a breaking point and had to confront the hard truth: to grow, I had to let go of tasks and empower my team in a way I hadn’t been doing. You’ll hear about the pivotal moment when I realized I was running the show like a dictator, and the frustrating journey we’ve been on to turn it all around. Joed (our Business Manager) joins me to give you an inside look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of implementing systems that scale. If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in the weeds of your own business, or like you’re drowning in tasks that aren’t helping you grow, this episode is for you. Tune in to learn from our mistakes, our wins, and how we’re finally building a business that’s ready for the next level.

Systems and Processes Breakdown 0:01

Identifying the Problem and Seeking Solutions 3:59

Implementing Nick Sonnenberg's System 7:33

Challenges in Implementation 14:11

Improving Communication and Efficiency 16:47

Empowering the Team and Ensuring Quality 35:45

Progress and Reflections 39:01

Final Thoughts and Advice 39:17

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/putting-systems-in-place-might-kill-your-business/

Welcome to the start of a brand new year—whether you're cozying up with a hot drink by the fire or soaking up the summer sun like me (and yes, I’m definitely living off icy poles right now!), I’m so excited to kick things off with you.

In this episode, we’re diving deep into how you can make this year different—in the best possible way. No fluff, no overused "goal-setting" advice. This is all about taking a fresh, honest look at what’s working, what’s not, and how to set yourself up for a year that’s not just successful, but aligned with your true business goals.

If you’re ready for a reset, we’re talking about three key questions that will help you reflect, plan, and take action. I’m talking systems, customers, and a vision for how you want this year to feel (spoiler: it’s not about just the numbers!).

So, grab a pen, your phone, or just listen in—this episode is one you’ll want to revisit as you go through the year. Let’s make 2024 your best yet!

Kicking Off the New Year with a Positive Mindset 0:00

Reflecting on Systems and Habits That Held You Back 3:00

Fixing Broken Systems and Unproductive Habits 5:49

Attracting and Retaining High-Value Customers 8:27

Designing Your Business and Life for Success 15:00

Recap and Call to Action 19:29

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/business-breakthroughs-your-best-year-yet/

Hey and welcome back.

I hope you all survived the Christmas day crazies and are ready to hit that reset button.

If you’re feeling like the holiday season took it out of you (because let’s be honest, it totally did), then this episode is for you. I’m sharing some real talk about how to reset, refocus, and get ready to tackle 2025 like the pro you are.

Whether you’re in recovery mode or just looking for a little inspiration to close out the year, I’ve got you covered.

So grab whatever’s left in your cup—eggnog, champagne (I won’t judge)—and let’s get into it

Holiday Season Recap and Introduction 0:01

Auditing and Adjusting Inventory 2:05

Checking Financial Health 2:55

Resetting Mindset and Taking a Break 4:26

Final Thoughts and Looking Forward 7:01

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/post-season-recovery-for-retailers/

Are you ready to turn the Christmas chaos into your secret weapon?

With just days left, now’s the perfect time to step up and make the most of these final shopping days.

In this episode, I’m sharing five powerful strategies you can implement right now to boost your holiday sales. I’ll show you how to create urgency with 'last-chance' messaging, offer irresistible flash sales, and promote digital gift cards as the perfect last-minute solution. If you offer local pick-up or delivery, now’s the time to highlight that convenience.

And don’t forget to tease your post-holiday sales to keep your customers engaged long after the season ends.

Ready to finish strong? Make it easy for your customers, create urgency, and you’ll set yourself up for a big start to the New Year!

--------------------- Leveraging Urgency with Last Chance Messaging 0:01

Offering Flash Sales to Create Excitement 3:50

Promoting Digital and Physical Gift Cards 5:36

Making Local Pickup or Delivery a Selling Point 7:22

Teasing Post-Holiday Sales to Build Excitement 9:58

Recap of Strategies to Maximize Sales 11:16

Final Thoughts and Call to Action 12:44

--------------------- Full article: https://salenaknight.com/last-minute-sales-strategies-to-maximize-holiday-revenue/

As the year comes to a close, it’s tempting to slow down, but what if the actions you take now could set the stage for your most profitable year yet?

In this episode, I’m sharing three simple, actionable money strategies that you can implement today to ensure a strong start in January and beyond. These aren’t just tips; they’re game-changing moves that will help you:

Uncover hidden profit drains
Free up cash flow
Mapout growth that fuels sustainable growth in 2025

These tips come straight from my own strategy sessions as I map out my goal to scale to $10M.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or simply don’t know where to start, this episode is packed with clarity and practical advice to help you take intentional action—no matter how busy the holiday season gets.

🎧 Ready to start 2025 with purpose?

Reflecting on the Year and Planning for the Future 0:00

Tip 1: Check Your Profitability 2:19

Tip 2: Free Up Cash Flow by Clearing Dead Stock 4:34

Tip 3: Make a Plan for Reinvestment 7:03

Final Thoughts and Call to Action 10:51

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/money-tips-to-set-you-up-for-a-profitable-year/

Ever been so overwhelmed by your own ambitions that you didn’t know where to start?

This episode is for you.

Join me as I take you behind the scenes of my journey into a high-level mastermind—a $45,000 investment, 2 a.m. calls, lost luggage, and all. I’m sharing the raw, real moments of self-doubt, growth, and the unexpected lessons I learned about leadership, clarity, and what it truly takes to scale a business.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How feeling awkward and out of place can actually be a sign of growth.
The power of giving yourself space to think (and fell - ugh!) and why it’s essential for clarity and focus.
How to shift from feeling overwhelmed to creating a clear plan for your business.
Practical strategies for mapping out your goals and staying on track, even when life feels chaotic.

This isn’t just a story about my experience; it’s a challenge for you to rethink how you approach growth and success in your own business. If you’re ready to lean into discomfort, think differently, and take bold action, this episode will give you the insights and inspiration you need.

Joining the Mastermind and Initial Feelings 0:00

Investment and Travel Challenges 2:42

Arrival in LA and Improvised Solutions 8:24

Travel to San Diego and Further Complications 11:47

First Mastermind Event and Initial Impressions 15:07

Mapping Out Business Goals and Strategies 20:40

Forming Accountability Groups and Overcoming Overwhelm 22:00

Reflecting on the Mastermind Experience 26:36

Closing Thoughts and Call to Action 27:31

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/i-spent-45k-to-join-a-mastermind-heres-how-im-feeling/

Tired of running promotions that feel like they’re falling flat? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the little-known strategies that can transform your next campaign from “meh” to mind-blowing. And here’s the kicker: it’s simpler than you think.

What you’ll uncover:

The One Step Most Businesses Skip—and how it’s costing them BIG during the holiday rush.
Why Your Promotions Might Be Working Against You: Hint—it’s not about how often you promote but how you structure them.
The Holiday Hustle Hack: My insider formula to crush Black Friday and Cyber Monday without breaking a sweat (or your budget).
Your Customers Are Telling You Everything: How to decode what they really want without spending hours in spreadsheets.
Quick Wins You Can Implement Today: Simple shifts that get your emails opened, your products flying off the shelves, and your team laser-focused.

This isn’t about boring, soul-sucking data; it’s about finding the magic in your promotions and giving you the tools to keep the momentum going.

Measuring Holiday Promotion Success 0:00

Establishing Promotional Goals 2:05

Using Historical and Industry Benchmarks 2:39

Segmenting and Analyzing Data 3:40

Setting Up Regular Reporting 4:55

Actionable Insights from Data 6:08

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/make-your-holiday-promotions-more-successful-doing-this/

In less than 15 minutes, this is a short but powerful episode is packed with the tips you need to plan your holiday marketing effectively! If you’re looking to make this Holiday Season your best yet, I’m here to show you exactly what to promote and when to do it, so you can increase sales without bombarding your customers.

Here’s what we cover:

The Power of Planning: I’m sharing why your holiday timeline matters and how strategic pacing—alternating between promotions and value-based content—keeps your audience engaged and avoids burnout.
Catering to the Early Birds: Believe it or not, nearly half of your customers start holiday shopping before Halloween! Here’s how to reach those early birds, start building interest, and grow your customer list before the peak sales days hit.
Mapping Your Holiday Shopping Calendar: From big Black Friday offers to last-minute gift pushes, I’ll walk you through each stage of the holiday season so your promotions are always relevant to what your customers need.
Mastering “Promotional Pulsing”: Say goodbye to sale fatigue! Learn how to create excitement with a rhythm of offers and story-based content that keeps customers engaged and coming back without feeling overwhelmed.
Harnessing FOMO: Urgency sells! I’m breaking down how to use genuine scarcity in your messaging—without overdoing it—to boost clicks and conversions.
Meeting the Last-Minute Shoppers: In December, it’s all about ease and convenience for those of us buying gifts last-minute. From fast shipping to easy returns, learn how to appeal to procrastinators like me who value efficiency above all else.

Let me know if you like this bite-sized format.

Holiday Season Promotion Strategy 0:00

Email and SMS Promotion Strategy 2:07

Holiday Shopping Calendar and Early Promotions 3:44

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Promotions 5:53

Late December Promotions and Gift Cards 7:37

Promotional Pulsing and FOMO 10:49

Planning and Leveraging Scarcity 12:15

Final Thoughts and Call to Action 14:19

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/what-to-promote-when-during-the-holiday-season/

If you’ve ever faced the struggle of figuring out when to buy, what to stock, or how to avoid costly dead stock, you’re in for a game-changing episode. I’m joined by retail strategist Carla Penn-Kahn, who shares her expertise on building a profitable buying strategy that lets you keep cash flow healthy and inventory lean.

From her journey in investment banking to launching her own retail tech solution, Carla has honed strategies for making every product decision count. We’re talking about nailing down which products are driving profits, mastering the timing of your buys, and learning exactly when it’s time to discount—or clear out—for maximum returns.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

High-Impact Product Secrets: Learn how to pinpoint which products aren’t just bestsellers, but true profit drivers—and when to invest in them.
Timing That Works for You: Carla breaks down when to buy, when to hold off, and how to keep your cash flow steady in every season.
Discounting Done Right: Why strategic discounting matters—and how to avoid costly markdown traps.
Seasonal Inventory Tips: Get ready for Black Friday and the holidays with tips on when to stock up on bestsellers and when to move out slow movers.

Why This Episode is a Must-Listen: If you’re a retailer ready to level up your inventory game, Carla’s insights will help you buy with confidence. No more second-guessing what to stock or fearing dead stock. Her strategies are easy to implement and geared toward helping you buy smarter, stock better, and keep your cash flow strong—even in the busiest sales seasons.

Whether you’re looking to ace Black Friday, get ahead of holiday trends, or just make every buying decision work harder for you, this episode will change the way you look at your entire product strategy. Ready to start making smarter buys? Hit play and let’s dive in!

Learn more about Profitpeak.io

Get my Black Friday Bundle here

Carla Penn-Kahn's Retail Journey and Early Career 0:02

Transition to E-commerce and Entrepreneurial Background 3:01

Early E-commerce Ventures and Challenges 4:57

Building and Optimizing Inventory 15:32

Strategies for Managing Slow-Moving and Dead Inventory 24:17

The Role of Data and Technology in Inventory Management 28:31

Preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 43:47

Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Listeners 46:15

Want to know exactly what to post this Black Friday?

Tired of scrambling for content ideas when big sales roll around? I sit down with Michelle Gifford, the social media strategist who’s cracked the code on exactly what to post to make your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales pop. In this episode, Michelle lays out her no-guesswork plan that takes you from attracting new eyes to getting that final sale—without overwhelming your audience.

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll learn:

Michelle’s exact “Black Friday Blueprint”: A complete breakdown of which posts to share each day, with email templates, SMS drafts, and more to save you time and maximize engagement.
The 3-phase content strategy: Learn the ideal post ratios to captivate, engage, and convert—from now through Cyber Monday!
Secrets to connect authentically with your audience so they’re eager for your posts (even the promotional ones)!
A strategy for every type of post: We’re covering everything from Stories to Reels, so you’re prepped to show up everywhere your customers are.

If you’re ready to finally feel in control of your social strategy for the busiest sales season, this is the episode for you. Get ready to boost your sales and make every post count! Ps - want to grab Michelle’s Blueprint? You can do so here.

Leveraging Social Media for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 0:02
Evolution of Social Media Platforms 4:44
Using Instagram for Sales and Engagement 7:04
Content Strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 10:20
Posting Frequency and Content Types 17:14
Maintaining Engagement Post-Black Friday 26:06
The Role of the Face of the Brand 30:53
Leveraging User-Generated Content and Influencer Marketing 35:09
The Content Cup and Final Thoughts 38:03

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/your-black-friday-social-media-strategy-michelle-gifford/

💸 Could an extra 20% revenue be hiding in your marketing strategy? This week, I sit down with affiliate marketing expert Zane McIntyre, co-founder of Commission Factory, to uncover how even the smallest brands can tap into the power of affiliate marketing—and drive up to 20% more revenue without massive upfront costs.

We’re pulling back the curtain on the strategies big brands use, but rarely share, to build consistent revenue through authentic partnerships. Plus, Zane’s sharing must-know Black Friday tactics and real-time predictions that could be your secret weapon this holiday season.

🎧 Whether you're new to affiliate marketing or looking to up your game, this episode is packed with actionable tips and insider insights to help you build a long-term revenue stream, foster genuine connections, and turn your affiliate marketing into a powerhouse strategy. Don’t miss this deep dive into one of the most overlooked and rewarding marketing channels!

Early Days of E-commerce and Affiliate Marketing 0:02

The Evolution of Affiliate Marketing 7:38

The Role of Influencers and Affiliates 21:39

The Financial Impact of Affiliate Marketing 32:25

Strategies for Successful Affiliate Marketing 33:10

Preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 41:10

Final Advice and Insights 53:41

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/the-dont-pay-until-you-get-sales-channel-youre-overlooking-zane-mcintyre/

Feeling overwhelmed trying to plan your Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategy this year? You're not alone.

Should you be discounting? Who should you send your offers to?

How much should you be spending on paid ads (heck, should you even bother????)

From deciding how much to discount to figuring out the right marketing channels, there are so many moving pieces that it can make your head spin 😵‍💫

You know that I’m committed to giving YOU the latest info on what’s working and what’s not.

That’s why I’ve put together this BF/CM series, to give you the behind the scenes, first hand info.

In this episode, Yotpo’s Rad Mitic (Head of Brand Advocacy) and Rob Hewetson (Senior Engineer) pull back the curtain on the strategies top brands are using to stand out from the competition.

You'll discover:

How to effectively segment your customer base and craft personalized promotions (beyond just discounting)
Innovative loyalty program ideas that go way beyond points - and actually drive sales
Yotpo's game-changing "multi-message campaign" feature that can automate your email and SMS marketing
Plus, Yotpo have been kind enough to share with you, their Ultimate Black Friday Email Marketing Guide - download it for free here

Whether you're struggling to decide where to focus your efforts or just feeling lost in a sea of Black Friday/Cyber Monday options, this episode is packed with actionable insights that can make a real difference for your business.

Introduction and Background of Salena Knight 0:02

Introduction of Guests and Their Backgrounds 2:43

Yotpo's Innovative Approach and Team Dynamics 7:16

Challenges and Strategies for Black Friday Cyber Monday 14:59

Practical Strategies for Email and SMS Marketing 31:19

Final Tips and Encouragement for Business Owners 40:44

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/the-insider-strategies-top-brands-use-to-dominate-black-friday-cyber-monday-with-rad-rob-from-yotpo/

As we hurtle towards the biggest retail event of the year, I knew I couldn't just give you my opinion. You need the insider scoop from the experts who are in the trenches, day in and day out. That's why I sat down with Toby Cumpstay, Shopify's Senior Merchant Success Manager for the APAC region, to get his no-holds-barred advice on how to leverage Black Friday and Cyber Monday to drive serious sales and growth for your retail or e-commerce business. Toby's been there and done that - he founded and grew a hugely successful retail and e-commerce business before it was acquired. So he knows firsthand the challenges, the strategies, and the opportunities that come with navigating the Q4 madness. In this episode, we dive deep into:

Proven pre, during, and post-BFCM strategies to maximize your results
How to reverse-engineer your goals and budgets to avoid getting caught out
The power of segmenting your customer list and offering tailored promotions
Innovative "anti-pattern" BFCM campaigns that build brand loyalty (think Patagonia and REI)
Toby's #1 Shopify app recommendation to boost revenue

If you're ready to dominate this holiday season and set your business up for an incredible 2025, you won't want to miss a single minute of this episode. Strap in, because Toby and I are about to take you behind the scenes of Black Friday and Cyber Monday like never before.

If you're overwhelmed with putting together a BF/CM campaign, this program I created can help you put it all together in a weekend.

Introduction and Overview of the Podcast 0:02

Toby's Journey into Retail and E-commerce 2:52

Challenges and Decisions in Building the Business 8:35

Scaling the Business and Customer Experience 10:37

Marketing Strategies and Customer Engagement 15:38

Pre, During, and Post Black Friday Strategies 18:23

Reverse Engineering and Customer Acquisition Costs 29:27

Anti-Patterns and Brand Differentiation 33:33

Final Recap and Key Takeaways 40:54

Favorite Shopify App and Closing Remarks 41:21

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/shopifys-insider-secrets-to-crushing-black-friday-cyber-monday-toby-cumpstay/

I'm always on the hunt for the latest strategies and tactics to help ecommerce brands drive sales and revenue.

And let me tell you, my latest podcast guest John Garguilo from Ready Set Digital Agency did not disappoint.

John has worked with some of the biggest names in e-commerce, and he's seen firsthand what it takes to win big during the critical Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping season.

In this episode, he pulls back the curtain and shares his insider secrets, including:

The importance of creative diversity and testing your ads WAY ahead of time (don't wait until the last minute!)
How to leverage AI-generated content to scale your video ads without killing your team (his new platform Airpost is fascinating)
Proven ways to take care of your best customers and keep them coming back, even when the discounts are flowing

If you're an ecommerce brand looking to dominate Q4 and maximize your holiday sales, you won't want to miss this episode. John drops so many valuable insights that you can implement in your business right away.

John Garguilo's Career Journey 0:02

Challenges in the Restaurant Business 3:20

Transition to Tech and AI 4:50

Introduction to Airpost and Its Purpose 6:18

AI's Role in Airpost 14:18

Concerns About AI and Realness 25:30

Insights on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 25:45

Sleepless.ai and Additional Resources 34:47

Final Thoughts and Future Outlook 35:40

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/creating-content-that-sells-john-gargiulo/

Ever felt like the marketing you're doing bears an uncanny resemblance to that phrase "throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks?"

I can relate. For me, it looked like this: Eleventy billion ideas (that's a real number btw), not enough time, and the budget? Well, that’s a whole other story.

But despite slogging away, it can sometimes seem like nothing moves the needle. Or if that needle is moving, it’s ever so slowly.

It's taken me many years to work out how that you can't afford to throw 'marketing spaghetti' at the wall, UNTIL, you've got consistent sales and revenue coming in. It's just not financially doable otherwise.

If you've ever felt like YOUR marketing doesn't work, here's how to fix that. Even better, you can get through this episode quicker than it takes to boil a pot of noodles.

Marketing Challenges and Business Metaphors 0:02

Identifying Successful Strategies 3:08

Reflecting on Past Campaigns 4:16

Analyzing and Reverse Engineering Obstacles 7:06

Planning and Executing Effective Campaigns 8:10

Focusing on Core Business Activities 9:33

Final Thoughts and Call to Action 10:10

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/feel-like-your-marketing-is-more-miss-than-hit-heres-your-fix/

If you're looking to get more sales, more customers, and master your e-commerce marketing, this episode is a must-listen.

I sit down with e-commerce expert and Strategy Coach here at The Retail Academy, Kerry Clark, who shares the surprising #1 thing holding most online businesses back.

And it's not what you think!

Fix this one critical issue, and you could unlock higher conversions and more revenue.

In this value-packed discussion, you'll discover:

The free tool Kerry uses to instantly audit website speed (and how to improve it)
The hidden mistakes in your product taxonomy that are frustrating customers
Why hiring an e-commerce manager is one of the best investments you can make
The mindset shift Kerry says is crucial for e-commerce entrepreneurs to make

If you want to take your online store to the next level, you can't afford to miss Kerry's top tips.

Tune in now to get the insights that could transform your business.

E-Commerce Essentials and Kerry Clark's Introduction 0:02

Kerry's Journey into E-Commerce 3:04

Common E-Commerce Obstacles and Quick Wins 4:41

Website Speed and Optimization Tools 7:38

Navigational and Taxonomical Challenges 13:27

Understanding Product and Customer Journey 15:50

The Role of E-Commerce Managers and Email Marketers 24:23

The Importance of Long-Term Vision and Delegation 31:38

Overcoming Control Freak Tendencies 32:10

Final Thoughts and Advice for Business Owners 44:36

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/an-ecom-experts-top-tips-for-a-higher-converting-website-kelly-clark/

When you’re in the thick of running a business, it’s easy to feel like you’re the first/only person going through a particular problem.

Trust me. I’ve seen it all. After auditing literally thousands of retail/ecom/product businesses, I know that there are a handful of hurdles, brick walls, and cliffs that you’re likely to encounter.

Instead of me sharing what I think those are, I invited Daniel, one of my Strategy Coaches, to come on the show and share with you, firsthand, the obstacles he sees in so many of the businesses we work with.

Daniel is no ordinary business advisor and strategy coach. He's a serial entrepreneur who's built multiple successful 7-figure companies, from a hearing protection brand for kids to a thriving pickleball equipment business.

I asked Daniel to come onto the podcast and share the biggest obstacles he’s seen with the retail and e-commerce brands we work with, and of course, how we’ve solved them.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was how focused Daniel is on empowering business owners to understand their numbers. As Daniel put it, "knowledge is power" when it comes to the financial health of your business. Too many business owners get caught up in the day-to-day and lose sight of the bigger picture.

But Daniel showed how diving deep into your profit and loss statements, inventory levels, and other key metrics can unlock a whole new level of growth. It's not about being a math genius - it's about having the courage to face those numbers head-on, understand them, and USE them to drive strategic decisions.

He also went through several other areas (you’ll have to listen to find out what they are) and perhaps most importantly, Daniel emphasized the power of having the right support system around you. As he put it, "Being a business owner is a very unique journey" - one that's filled with both highs and lows.

Surrounding yourself with other people who "get it" can make all the difference. Whether it's a trusted mentor, a mastermind group, or even just a few like-minded peers, tapping into that collective wisdom and experience can be a total game-changer.

Honestly, I could go on and on about the insights packed into this episode. But the bottom line is, if you're a retail or e-commerce business owner looking to take your company to the next level, you need to give this a listen.

Daniel's story is a testament to the power of persistence, resilience, and a willingness to take calculated risks. And his advice could be the missing piece that helps you break through to new heights of success.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to tune in to the full episode now. Your business will thank you.

Want Sal, Daniel, and the rest of the Retail Academy Team to work with you to scale YOUR business? Click here to speak with us and see if we can help.

---------- Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast 0:02

Daniel Gibney's Background and Business Journey 4:07

Challenges and Common Issues in Retail and E-commerce 8:23

Importance of Agility and Adaptability in Business 14:33

Overcoming Financial and Marketing Challenges 18:37

The Role of Mindset and Perspective in Business Success 35:50

Implementing KPIs and Targets for Business Growth 41:16

The Importance of Networking and Support in Business 46:58

Final Advice and Encouragement for Business Owners 48:29

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/challenges-our-retail-ecom-business-owners-are-facing-right-now-and-how-to-solve-them-daniel-gibney/

As an e-commerce business owner, there's nothing more frustrating than discovering your website or product images have been cloned and are being used to scam your (potential) customers.

It's a nightmare scenario that's all too common in today's digital landscape - I even ended up almost being scammed myself!

In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Steven Weigler, an experienced IP attorney from Emerge Consult, to discuss strategies for protecting your brand online. You'll learn:

The key legal tools every e-commerce entrepreneur needs, including trademarks, copyrights, and domain protection
How to quickly take down clone websites and counterfeit product listings on platforms like Amazon and Shopify
The importance of having a proactive IP protection strategy in place before issues arise
Tips for working with an IP attorney to build a cost-effective legal foundation for your business

As I discovered firsthand, website cloning, and product counterfeiting are major threats that can do serious damage to your brand and bottom line. But with the right knowledge and preparation, you can fight back and protect what you've worked so hard to build. Don't wait until it's too late - tune in and learn how to safeguard your e-commerce business today.

---------- E-Commerce Website Cloning and Initial Reactions 0:02

Legal and International Challenges in Intellectual Property 2:48

Building a Strong Brand Identity and Protecting It 5:27

Trademarks, Copyrights, and Patents: Tools for Protection 12:31

Dealing with Infringement on E-Commerce Platforms 14:45

Strategies for Addressing Infringement and Protecting Assets 28:00

The Role of Platforms in Intellectual Property Enforcement 28:48

The Importance of Early Action and Prevention 32:46

Final Thoughts and Actionable Steps 33:01

Resources and Contact Information 33:13

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/ecom-store-cloned-by-scammers-heres-what-to-do-steven-weigler/

Are you feeling overwhelmed, bored, or disconnected from your business? Feel like no one can do things as good as you ever could? Maybe, your business just misses you, and it's crying out for attention, just like a toddler after nap time. In this eye-opening episode, I'll share my personal journey PLUS my steps to help you take back control of your business and reignite your passion. Discover how to identify the current "season" of your business and make strategic shifts to maximize your upcoming peak sales period. Learn the mindset shifts and team management tactics that will transform your business from a source of dread to a fulfilling venture. And how to embrace the challenges, to take away stress and overwhelm (and even the boredom).

---------- Preparing for Q4 and Peak Season 0:02

The Importance of Business Seasons and Control 3:42

Tina's Story and Business Overwhelm 5:29

Reclaiming Control and Business Reflection 9:14

Challenges and Changes in Business 13:51

The Role of Challenges and Team Dynamics 17:35

Taking Action and Reflection 18:13

Final Thoughts and Call to Action 21:38

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/your-business-misses-you-and-how-to-find-your-way-back/

Just one of the advantages you have over a big box store is the ability to adapt to a changing marketplace.

Whether it's the economy, the latest TikTok Trend, or simply unseasonably mild weather, the simple fact is, YOU have the resources to give your customers what they want. In this episode, I'll walk you through some key ways to help you do just that.

You'll discover: • How to analyze customer data to identify emerging trends and adjust your product mix accordingly • Proven tactics for boosting average order value through personalization, upsells and cross-sells (that your customers will love) • The #1 e-commerce strategy that can turn struggling businesses profitable overnight (Hint: It's not what you think) • Surefire ways to increase customer lifetime value and keep your best buyers coming back again and again • Simple email marketing tweaks that can dramatically improve your open rates, click-throughs, and conversions

Whether you run an online store, a brick-and-mortar shop, or a blend of both, this episode is packed with actionable advice you can implement right away to recession-proof your business.

Economic Impact on Luxury Brands and Middle Class 0:02

Adapting to Economic Changes in Retail 3:00

Understanding Customer Needs and Tracking Inventory 5:08

Price Sensitivity and Product Adjustments 7:15

Increasing Average Order Value and Upsells 9:37

Optimizing Point-of-Sale and E-Commerce Upsells 14:43

Increasing Customer Lifetime Value 18:08

Testing and Measuring Email Marketing Campaigns 24:26

Adapting to External Factors and Continuous Improvement 29:04

Call to Action and Review Request 29:43

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/adapt-thrive-and-outsmart-your-competitors/

Hear the incredible story of Angela Fields - a woman who turned a traumatic hair disaster into the creation of an amazing fragrance-free, natural haircare line that's transforming the lives of women across the country.

After a horrific experience at the salon left Angela's face severely burned and blistered from a chemical mishap, she knew she had to find a better way to care for her hair. What followed was a year-long journey of experimentation, research, and passionate product development - all done right in her own kitchen.

You'll be amazed to learn how Angela overcame the challenges of launching a small business, from figuring out the right messaging to capture her target audience to using data and customer feedback to continually improve her products.

And wait until you hear about the surprising shift in her customer demographics that led her to develop an entire course on navigating hair health through menopause!

This episode is packed with invaluable insights that any business owner can apply. (oh, and if you're ready to ditch the harsh chemicals and revive your hair's natural beauty) You won't want to miss Angela's incredible story. Listen now!

---------- Angela's Traumatic Hair Experience 0:02

Medical Intervention and Recovery 3:22

Research and Product Development 8:09

Transition to Entrepreneurship 14:57

Messaging and Marketing Challenges 18:34

Metrics and Customer Insights 23:30

Product Line and Customer Feedback 33:21

Future Plans and Expansion 37:07

Final Thoughts and Contact Information 39:30

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/ep-440-marketing-how-curlycoilytresses-worked-out-what-made-their-customers-buy-angela-fields/

As we gear up for the holiday rush, I know you've got a stockpile of promotions ready to unleash.

But wait!

Before you flood those inboxes, spend a ton of money on ads, and rearrange your merchandise, let's talk about a real threat to your marketing efforts: A little thing I’ve named: Promo Burnout. It's when your customers start treating your emails like that one relative who always overstays their welcome at family gatherings. Not good, right?

Nearly 70% of users unsubscribe from emails because the business sends too many. It’s a balancing act. Not enough emails, you’ll lose sales to your competitors. Too many, they unsubscribe and that's a lot of potential holiday cheer (and sales) walking out the door.

In this episode, I'm sharing five strategies to keep your promotions fresh and your customers engaged. They’ll be great to roll out over the peak season, but really, you can use these any time of year.

Let's dive in!

---------- Avoiding promo burnout in marketing efforts. 0:02

Holiday sales and promotions, with tips for planning and executing effective campaigns. 2:38

Holiday marketing strategies for retailers, including timeline and promotions. 7:35

Strategic marketing campaigns during holiday season. 13:20

Promotional strategies for small businesses. 17:53

Measuring data for promotions, including tracking customer acquisition cost, cart abandonment rate, and product performance. 23:20

Promotional campaign planning and debriefing for holiday season success. 28:18

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/how-to-avoid-promo-burn-out/

How would you feel, if you knew you had everything you needed, to make this your most successful quarter ever? Everything that you need for a prosperous peak season. Well, grab your notebook and pen, because that’s exactly what I’m going to share with you on this episode.

For many retail & e-commerce stores, up to 70% of their annual revenue will come in between mid-Sept and mid-Jan. Let’s just put that into perspective. In just 4 months, you’ll make MORE than the rest of the year combined!

Now whether or not the bulk of your revenue comes in Q4 or some other peak period, I want to give you my BLUEPRINT to leverage the peak season and make it the most successful ever.

Make sure you've got a pen and paper ready, and hit SAVE on this episode because you're getting a mini masterclass!

Leveraging Q4 for retail success with a focus on setting revenue goals and breaking them down into manageable sections. 0:03

Inventory management for small businesses. 5:39

Holiday marketing strategies for small businesses. 11:29

Holiday marketing strategies for e-commerce businesses. 17:05

Planning for holiday season sales, including packaging, staffing, marketing, and KPIs. 22:28

Q4 success strategies for e-commerce businesses, including data analysis, website optimization, and technology management. 27:20

Planning for a successful Q4 holiday season. 31:53

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/steal-my-q4-success-blueprint/

Are you leaving money on the table in your retail or ecommerce business? In this eye-opening episode, I share the surprising secrets behind the success of top-performing retail and ecommerce businesses - and how you can replicate their strategies to drive a massive boost in sales and revenue.

You'll discover the often under-utilised marketing tactic that's generating up to 30% of total revenue for leading brands, plus proven techniques for personalizing your customer experience, streamlining your operations, and making money while you sleep. If you're ready to take your business to new heights, you won't want to miss this.

Tune in now and get ready to transform your business now.

---------- Email management and birthday gift shopping. 0:02

Email marketing's potential for retail and ecommerce businesses. 4:21

Personalization in email marketing, with a focus on customer loyalty and retention. 9:21

Email marketing strategies for businesses. 13:23

Automating email workflows for increased revenue. 16:53

Email marketing strategies for retailers to increase revenue. 21:48

Email marketing strategies for e-commerce businesses. 27:33

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/30-of-your-sales-should-come-from-this/

Would you let an ads manager spend thousands of dollars every month, even though you’re not getting any new customers or sales?

How about having to fire a friend or family member, because they're just not what you need to move you to the next level?

Or, would you let a poor-performing employee, bankrupt your business?

Believe it or not, these are just 3 scenarios I’ve encountered with retail & ecom business owners over the last couple of weeks, that could potentially bankrupt the business.

But even having the threat of going bankrupt hanging over your head, isn't always been to push a business owner to make a decision.

So it got me thinking. If bankrupting your business and losing everything that you’ve worked so hard for isn’t enough of a motivator, what is?

Join me as I walk you through a real-life scenario of what happens when you make this hiring mistake, plus the advice I gave and of course the happily-ever-after (or is it?).

Common scenarios that could potentially bankrupt a business. 0:02

A furniture store owner struggling with work-life balance and financial difficulties. 3:11

Marketing and inventory management for a struggling business. 8:32

Business constraints and potential solutions for a struggling fashion retailer. 12:31

Poor operations management in a business, leading to low sales and aged inventory. 17:25

Improving business operations through delegation and process updates. 21:52

Managing an underperforming employee in a small business. 27:21

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/avoid-this-hiring-mistake/

As business owners, we're always looking for the next best thing.

Faster results. Better ROI. More customers. More sales. More profits.

In a world that moves fast, it can sometimes be difficult to make the best decision. Do you make the best decision for now, or the best decision for the future?

When I interviewed Kristine Zwick, of Curated Dry Goods about her phenomenal growth, she dropped this little inspo bomb.

I hope it helps you when you're making decisions moving forward.

Entrepreneurship, business growth, and setting goals. 0:02

Business diagnostics and profitability for independent retailers. 5:01

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/make-better-decisions-with-this-simple-hack/

I walked into a cute little boutique the other day. The store windows were gorgeous and there was a pink top on the mannequin which had caught my eye.

Excited that I had stumbled across a piece of clothing that was my "season" (Clear Spring if you were wondering - SOOOO hard to find with all the muted colorways everywhere), I entered the shop and... this probably sounds a little woo-woo, But the energy was just... All Wrong I couldn't pinpoint it at the time, but as I quickly walked around looking for the pink shirt (which I never did find), it all felt a little off. So off is exactly what I did. I headed out of that store, with my money in my wallet.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, and I was chatting with Dean and he was telling me about how music makes such a difference for retail stores. It was during this conversation, that it all clicked. I didn't realise it at the time, but that "cute little boutique" felt dead, because there was no music - no ambiance.

But the real kicker came when Dean told me that stores with THE RIGHT playlist, typically see an increase in sales of TEN PERCENT.

Say what now? 10% more sales, just for knowing what to play? I'm all for that.

But how do you know "what's right", so you can cash in?

Listen in and find out.

The impact of music in retail stores. 0:02

Starting a music business, 34 years in the making. 1:43

Music in retail stores and its impact on staff and customers. 7:12

Using brand archetypes to inform music choices for a clothing brand. 12:55

Leadership, creativity, and music preferences. 18:17

Music's impact on retail sales, with studies showing positive results for "right fit" music. 21:38

Music selection and censorship in retail stores. 27:41

Music licensing and compliance for retail stores. 32:26

Music and digital signage for retail stores. 38:42

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/a-retailers-secret-weapon-how-a-simple-playlist-can-increase-sales-by-10-dean-cherny/

Money Tight? I can safely say, after weathering the GFC, that the economy WILL pick back up. And I want your business, to still be here when that happens. In tougher economic times, every dollar counts. This must-listen episode reveals the 3 key areas I think retail and e-commerce owners should invest in to drive sales, increase customer loyalty, boost efficiency, and outmanoeuvre the competition. Discover: * The #1 marketing strategy that will give you an edge over big-spending rivals * Automation hacks to streamline your business and save on staffing costs * Cutting-edge AI tools that can revolutionize your customer experience

Don't let this natural part of the economic lifecycle, run you out of business. Tune in now and learn how to leverage this part of the rollercoaster that is running a business, for long-term success. --------------- Reducing ad spend and competing in the market. 0:02

Marketing strategies during economic downturn. 2:17

Marketing strategies for e-commerce businesses. 7:12

Marketing KPIs and automation for e-commerce businesses. 13:33

Automating tasks and software for business growth. 19:53

Identifying and addressing key business bottlenecks to improve efficiency and profitability. 22:04

Marketing, staffing costs, and AI implementation for business growth. 26:42

Using AI for customer service chatbots and personalized product descriptions. 31:50

Leveraging AI, marketing, and automation for business growth. 36:58

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/what-should-you-spend-money-on-right-now/

Are you struggling to manage your workload as a busy business owner? Feeling stuck in your routine and lacking creativity? This episode will show you how to boost your productivity and change your results.

I'll be sharing my own experience burning out while trying to keep up with tasks. I'll discuss how taking a break from my office to work in a new environment completely transformed my output. Discover how changing your surroundings can clear your mind and spark fresh ideas.

Find out how making small adjustments to your routine or environment can lead to big changes in your business. Take your next step towards success by listening now.

----- Managing workload and avoiding burnout as a business owner. 0:02

Productivity, creativity, and networking while on a coastal trip. 4:19

Wealth, travel, and ease among older, wealthy individuals. 9:39

Surrounding oneself with supportive people for personal and professional growth. 14:50

Pursuing dreams despite lack of support from loved ones. 18:23

Changing environment to improve work results. 22:58

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/change-your-environment/

If you're like most independent retailers and e-commerce store owners, SEO can feel like a never-ending battle. No matter how hard you optimize your site, tweak your content or experiment with keywords, it seems like the big brands always outrank you. In this episode, that's all about to change.

My guest Amanda King, is sharing the insider SEO secrets that will level the playing field.

Amanda is a leading search engine optimization expert. She's worked with some of the largest brands and retailers optimizing their online presence - and in this podcast, she's finally spilling all their best-kept tricks. You'll learn how to hack the hidden structures within platforms like Shopify to skyrocket your rankings.

Amanda will show you exactly how to manipulate categories, collections, and product pages to fool Google into thinking you're a bigger player. She'll also reveal how to leverage user-generated content like reviews to rank for highly competitive keywords.

Plus, you'll discover the one sneaky trick that Google has publicly denied but Amanda knows for sure works!!! Don't let the big brands keep these strategies to themselves. It's time to take back control and get found online just like the huge retailers. Tune in to discover the insider SEO secrets that will boost your traffic and sales today.

--------------- SEO for eCommerce with tips for category and collection pages. 0:02

Optimizing collection pages for e-commerce sites, with a focus on relevant content and customer needs. 7:49

SEO strategies for e-commerce websites, including internal linking and content optimization. 12:12

Using AI to rewrite product descriptions for e-commerce brands. 18:41

Optimizing Shopify stores for search engines using structured data, prioritizing product URLs, and leveraging content details. 24:27

Optimizing Google Shopping listings for promotions and reviews. 31:19

SEO strategies for e-commerce businesses. 39:48

Full article: https://salenaknight.com/seo-strategies-the-big-brands-dont-use-but-you-should-amanda-king/

Today I've got a real go-getter on the show, Rebecca from Weft and Warp Fabrics. She is no stranger to challenges - she opened her store while still teaching full-time! But with the support of her husband and some creative promotions, she's really leveling up.

I was blown away when I heard about Rebecca's secret sale. She took Dionne's epic clearance to the next level with bundles, mystery, and gamification. The results? Over $7k in the first hour! She crushed it. But it wasn't all smooth sailing - she had to get real with herself about staffing as the biz grew.

What I love most is that Rebecca is always looking to improve. She's not afraid to admit when she needs help either. Her insights will have you feeling inspired to level up your store too.

_______

Promotions and inventory management with a retailer who received a five-star review. 0:02

Opening a fabric shop, husband's support, and personal growth. 5:06

Body image and clothing fit, with a focus on tailoring and self-expression. 10:53

Sustainable fashion, fabric sourcing, and opening a physical store. 15:48

Adapting to online retail during COVID-19 lockdown. 20:44

Challenges faced during COVID-19 pandemic and how a sewing business adapted and grew. 25:08

Business ownership and seeking help to overcome challenges. 30:29

Preparing for a warehouse clearance sale, using gamification and email marketing to attract customers. 42:28

Marketing strategies for a fabric store during a sale event. 48:31

The success of a clothing sale and the importance of changing stock to keep customers engaged. 53:16

Setting goals and overcoming slumps in business. 57:32

Marketing strategies for a small business, including email marketing, promotions, and gamification. 1:02:54

Leadership, growth, and systems for business success. 1:08:45

Full episode: https://salenaknight.com/rebeccas-5-5-promo-you-need-to-copy-rebecca-harper/

As a retailer, I know you're feeling the pressure right now - sales are down and customers are tightening their belts. You're probably wondering how you'll survive this economic storm.. But I have good news! Your competition is cutting back... Which means YOU have the chance to acquire (poach?) more customers and market share. Want to know how? Then this is an episode you can't miss. In this episode, I'm sharing strategies that are wokring in the current economic climate, to bring in more sales. * I'll reveal how one of our retailers completely changed their game by gamifying their entire sale process.

Their results? Off-the-chart sales and raving fans. You'll be itching to try it yourself! * How Big brands have perfected the customer experience and you can use their makret research to implement what works. Find out what Rolex is doing behind closed doors 9and you can too) to build unshakeable loyalty. * And if ads aren't working for you, get ready to boost profits without more spend. A simple tweak could save you thousands each month. This isn't your average podcast it's a masterclass on marketing like a pro even in tough times. Walk away with FOUR impactful ideas you can start using today.

Moving house, outbid at auction, more time to prepare for sale. 0:02

Personalized marketing recommendations for businesses. 2:23

Personalized marketing and customer experience. 6:50

Personalized customer service and targeted ads for small businesses. 10:53

Abandoned carts and interactive experiences in e-commerce. 16:50

Gamification and loyalty programs in marketing. 21:39

Marketing strategies for independent retailers during economic downturns. 27:25

For full show notes, visit https://salenaknight.com/4-tactics-working-right-now-to-drive-more-sales/

My coconut body wash does more than make me feel like I’m going on holiday. It also showcases a number of ways that business owners could be increasing their profits.

That seems like a lot to get from a $25 bottle of body wash, but trust me, it’s just the start (and yes, it really is a vacation in a bottle). It’s seen me through a lot, including something I’ve personally struggled with and had to overcame to make my business boom.

Listen to this week’s podcast as I discuss the 7 things that a business owner can do to increase their profits without losing customers. (You could be doing some of them RIGHT NOW!)

Take it from someone who started a business during the GFC, I know business is challenging right now. I’ve been there. BUT it won’t last forever, and if you still want to be in business in 12 months, you’ll want to hear how to turn this difficult season into a golden opportunity.

Yes, business is challenging but with every challenge comes opportunities, and in this podcast, I focus on how and why business owners should be jumping on those rather than blaming the economy or buying into the media’s doom-and-gloom.

Discover how I’ve shifted my own mindset to seize opportunities and some of the business opportunities waiting for you.

Want to know the secrets to getting 25 times your money back from Google Ads? Tune into my latest podcast where I sit down with digital marketing expert Raj from Web Eagles. He'll reveal how one ecom brand saw massive growth through strategic campaign optimizations. I grill Raj on their specific tactics, from keyword research to site changes to budget allocation.

You'll be on the edge of your seat learning new tools and techniques to boost returns. Did you know dynamic campaigns could transform results?

Find out just how on this episode, along with actionable tips to up your game against competitors. Don't miss my informative discussion with Raj - you'll leave with strategies to take your Google Ads to the next level and grow your bottom line.

Are you working yourself to the bone for your business with nothing to show for it?

Do long hours and no life have you on the fast track to burnout?

In this episode, I'll reveal how I almost ended up in the hospital from stress - and how you can avoid my mistakes. You'll learn why working more doesn't mean more money, and how to double your sales in just 90 days without sacrificing your family or your sanity.

-- >> JOIN THE DOUBLE YOUR SALES IN 90 DAYS CHALLENGE NOW

Yesterday marked my 20th wedding anniversary.

I met Ed in a pub, after getting some life altering news. We went on a date 2 nights later, got engaged THREE WEEKS LATER, married FOUR MONTHS from the day we met. No, I wasn’t pregnant. Yes, his parents asked “who to” when he said he was getting married…

What the heck has this got to do with how much you should be earning?

-- >> JOIN THE DOUBLE YOUR SALES IN 90 DAYS CHALLENGE NOW

In this episode, I'll be sharing some overlooked strategies for finding new customers that don't involve expensive ads. Discover how to leverage LinkedIn, partner with suppliers, and host virtual events to access untapped audiences - all with minimal cost.

** Sign-up for the challenge here.

Back when I first opened my business, the economy looked a lot like it does now.

It was the Global Financial Crisis, people were tightening their belts, interest rates were rising…

But there were still things that would sell.

And for me, it was these super cool wet/dry bags that i used to import from America

(fun fact, nearly 20 years later I STILL use those same bags, but I digress).

I started out selling them for $29.95, but with exchange rates blowing out, fuel price increase affecting shipping prices and import duty, I had no idea how one of my competitors could still be selling them for $29.95.

What were they doing, that I wasn’t?

Click to find out

Want to Double Your Sales in 90 Days? Join my FREE Challenge here

I remember it like it was yesterday (how can I ever forget). I was drowning in debt, exhausted from pouring everything I had into my struggling business. How did it all go so wrong?

Back when I first started out, I was so naive about finances. Despite growing up poor, watching every penny come into and leave my bank account, that all went out the window when I opened my first store. Even with a business degree, accounting was a total mystery to me (I failed accounting - twice!).

Register >>HERE

Too scared to dream big? This episode takes you on a wild ride following Stephen Pastor's entrepreneurial journey. Starting out as a DJ in Australia, Stephen stumbled into the neon sign business by chance. You'll hear how he turned a side gig into a full-time venture, finding the courage to take his business international. Stephen shares gripping tales from those early days, like expanding overseas with just a virtual office in Vegas. Get ready for edge-of-your-seat stories of last-minute orders, tight deadlines, and transcontinental deliveries against all odds. Through the ups and downs of being his own boss, Stephen's passion for facing fears and grasping opportunities shines through. Beyond the thrilling adventures, Stephen also drops serious wisdom. He offers invaluable lessons learned on diversifying your offerings to find new revenue streams. Stephen shares how he built trust with huge clients like the NFL through outstanding service. And he proves that sometimes in business, you just need to take the plunge to see how far you can fly. Listen in for an inspiring story of chasing success through courage, tenacity and a willingness to take bold risks. Stephen's journey shows how living your dreams is possible when you follow your entrepreneurial spirit.

Discover the one weird trick freight companies DON'T want you to know!

Logistics expert, Carolina Montanez, reveals how to uncover THOUSANDS in hidden shipping costs draining your profits every year.

Find out how optimizing your supply chain could transform your bottom line WITHOUT any extra work.

Listen now to learn the freight industry secrets that could save your business!

TayTay has left the building, but is it too late to capitalize on her tour? Heck NO!

Truth is, if you’re NOT leveraging TS right now, then you’re missing a huge opportunity.

I don’t care if you sell clothes, furniture, beauty, shoes, or even adult toys!

(not that I’m suggesting Ms Swift owns the latter…)

Billionaire Swifty can sell your products - for free.

Want to know how?

Meet today’s guest on the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, who’s just blown my mind about how PR can be your secret weapon in getting your brand, and your story, the kind of attention it deserves.

Chriss Mannix of Soda Communications has got the GOODS.

After 25 years in the PR game, her no-bulls*** approach is just the wisdom we need to use PR smartly to maximize our business’s opportunities.

Wisdom like:

What Taylor Swift has to do with your brand’s golden PR opportunities
What makes news, and how to make your story newsworthy
The tiny changes that can turn a closed media door into an open platform
Turning negative online complaints into positive (spin!) opportunities
How to position yourself as THE expert to have on call, time and time again
Where too many business owners are wasting their marketing $$

There’s no reason the next Apple News alert you get can’t have your business’s name on it.

Listen now to find out how YOU can sell more with Taylor Swift!

Scale your retail business with marketing secrets from Lululemon and Pottery Barn!

Learn how to plan campaigns across channels, focus on newness over discounts, and steal strategies from big brands. Jessica Shirra shares insider tips from working with top retailers. Discover how to stand out from the crowd and drive sales with intentional, multi-channel marketing.

In this podcast, I reveal how to avoid buying the wrong products and wasting money through strategic inventory planning and analyzing sales data, trends, and customer requests. Learn my secrets for negotiating the best deals from suppliers and stocking inventory that actually sells fast.

If contracting one of the rarest remaining diseases early in my business taught me anything, it’s this: nobody’s safe from the 4 B’s of Business.

Bottleneck. Burn-out. Breakdown. Bankruptcy. It’s common for one to follow the other. If you’re starting to see the warning signs of one, it’s time to urgently find a solution… because the others are close on its heels.

In this episode, we’re looking at how these 4 B’s feed off of each other, what we can do to keep them away, and what’s at risk if we don’t take them seriously. We can’t afford to be silent about these risks. And you can’t afford to miss this conversation.

Tired of small profits and imposter syndrome?

In this podcast, learn how Kristine went from barely breaking even to increasing revenue by 2000% by facing her fears and learning her numbers.

Discover her simple tactics for doubling conversions, boosting margins, and way more - all without losing your creative spirit. It's time to stop playing small and start scaling up your store!

Are you still looking to take your retail or e-commerce business to the next level this year? This episode might be the one you need. When it feels like everything has just snowballed and you've got a lot of things to do, how do you know which one to focus on?

As my business have grown, my views on spending has definitely changed.

In this episode, I share some thoughts from a Facebook Live I did while waiting for a flight to an event. I chat about the treats I now indulge in. I also explain why these splurges provide great return and help me take things to the next level.

Hoping this gives you some inspiration for rewarding your own hard work as your business succeeds!

What’s cheaper - keeping a returning customer or finding a new one?

Keeping customers coming back to shop with you again and again is SO much easier (and cheaper!) than the marketing you need to bring in a constant stream of new customers.

And around here, we do things the easy, smart way, not the difficult, expensive way.

I first shared this conversation last year, but it’s so important that I’m assigning it to the top of your 2024 listening list…

… Because if you don’t understand your customers AND the value you bring to them, then you’ve got some big problems on your hands, my friend.

Problems like old stock clogging up space. Empty promotions cost money, not generating profits. Unstable cash flow that keeps you up at night. No sense of where it is you’re going, or how you’re going to get there.

In today’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, I’m giving you the tools you need to keep your customers shopping every day of the year, even in the chance of a recession.

These strategies have nothing to do with the news headlines, and everything to do with the value you offer. And guess what? That’s always going to be in your control.

Some of my favourite retail and eCommerce origin stories go like this:

Someone stumbles across a problem when they’re trying to buy a product.

They search high and low, but they can’t find a solution to what they’re looking for.

So…

… They make the solution themselves!

Today’s podcast guest, Dionne Keen, did just that. When she couldn’t find any clothes for her 6yo son that offered the quality and variety she was after at a price point that worked, Little Kinfolk was born.

Kids’ clothing is a highly competitive niche with all kinds of low-quality, cheap items - so how was Dionne able to build a killer business that generated more than $30,000 of revenue in just a single weekend?

She found Scale Your Store, and she listened to every secret we had to offer about how to do exactly that.

In today’s Bringing Business to Retail episode, Dionne’s spilling her own secrets about how she was able to not only launch a brand into a highly competitive industry but one that had a full-time salary built in from the very beginning.

Plan your own sell-out weekend in 2024 with this overload of tips and tricks - we won’t even chase you for commission!

I'm sorry to tell you this, but you aren't good enough to build a multi-mullion dollar business on your own. Growth comes when you find your key people. And once you find them, you need to encourage them to stay.

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you what I’ve been doing over the years and how it has evolved when incentivising your team.

For those of us who own retail and eCommerce stores, December’s all about demands and pressures. Plus, so many of us have found 2023 rough… and it’s so easy to let these situations hold you down.

But what I’ve learned is that while you can visit the misery and the frustration, you can’t live there.

Visit, sure. Live, no.

In today’s podcast episode, I will share with you the simple things I do to get through those tough times that don’t cost a thing but could be the hope you need as we reach the end of this year.

If you're feeling like 2023 was a bit (or a lot) rough - here are my words of advice... the breakdown often comes before the breakthrough. You may not see the breakthrough coming when you’re in it, but little by little, it’s on its way.

Tune in to this podcast episode to find that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Ok, I’ll admit it: I’m a total TikTok skeptic…

… At least, I was until today’s episode, when my guest Tom Moult changed my mind for good!

If you can’t decide whether or not TikTok is right for your business, this is THE next thing you need to prioritise on your to-do list - because if you’re a skeptic like me, you could be leaving serious money on the table.

In this week’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, Tom Moult, co-founder and CEO of Buttr Marketing, shares 3 simple tactics that will convince even the biggest cynics amongst us.

Because TikTok isn’t just another social media platform. It’s a total revolution in customer engagement.

Tom’s here to tell us why an organic presence is the most important investment you can make (yes, before diving into paid advertising!), as well as the secret weapon of a cascading ad strategy that’s alllllll about driving up those results.

So you can either keep thinking TikTok’s just a throwaway platform that’s not for you…

.. Or you can steal Tom’s secret strategy and see ACTUAL cash in your bank account from taking it seriously.

This episode has everything you need to leave your doubts behind and start winning on TikTok. You can’t afford to miss it!

The kinds of strategies that send Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales through the roof can be used ALL year round in your business…

… And if you’re not using them, you’re leaving money on the table.

Whether you’ve met your goals or not over the recent spending extravaganza, it’s time to keep your foot on the pedal.

Here’s the fuel you need to hit that next stretch goal, the one after that, and the absolutely audacious goal you never thought was possible.

Jump into this week’s Bringing Business to Retail podcast episode to find:

How to set goals (and why you need them)
The promotions that can really shake things up
Why you don’t need to discount to boost your sales
The secret weapon you can use ALL year-round to create urgency (how does a 300% increase on last year’s results sound?)

The hardest decision you’ll have to make is – which one are you going to use first?

Ever found yourself in the midst of a pushy sales conversation?

It’s no fun being on the receiving end of it… so why do we think we need to BECOME the pushy salesperson to successfully land a sale?

I don’t know about you, but it’s a big no from me.

There’s a reason sales have such a negative perception around them. Most salespeople?

They suck.

They’re trying to push a sale, all without actually understanding the person they’re talking to.

Their customer isn’t a human - they’re just another number, and another opportunity to make more $$.

Being good at sales DOESN’T mean being good at being pushy.

In fact…

… it’s the total opposite.

In this week’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, my guest Bob Marsh takes the whole sales process off the table and reframes it: now, we’re giving customers the ability to make decisions about what they ACTUALLY want… and when they can do that, they BUY MORE!

Your job is to help your customer make a decision. It’s not to pull the wool over their eyes and trick them into spending money with you.

If you’re sick of feeling ‘salesy’, you can’t miss this. Enjoy this episode and leave the sticky sales agendas behind!

Why are we so quick to devalue our own products?

Fear of overcharging is a major hurdle for retail and eCommerce store owners, often leading to a discounted race to the bottom.

In this episode of Bringing Business to Retail, we're joined by strategic coach and former retail business owner Catlyn Calder. Having successfully built and sold an eco-refill store in New Zealand, Catlyn has firsthand experience in overcoming the challenges of growing a retail business.

She shares her journey navigating the highs and lows, and preparing her business for a successful exit within just one year. Catlyn gets real about the money struggles and mindset shifts she battled, from giving too many discounts to not tracking marketing ROI.

She also shares her top tips on delegating tasks, staying focused on strategic work, and avoiding the busywork trap.

Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with practical insights from the front line. Tune in to learn from Catlyn's journey of turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

Do you know the four things you need to do to triple the value of your business?

Sure, you might not be thinking about selling it today… but what about down the track, when seasons change, priorities move, and you’re ready to dream a new dream?

Don’t let your hard work crumble into a house of cards. These four steps are free, simple, and can set your business up for a potential future sale for a price that’s not just satisfying… it’s sexy.

Dive into this week’s episode to discover the 4 things you need to triple the value of your business.

Your customers don’t care about your products.

After all, why should they?

In a world full of countless product options, yours is just another one they scroll past.

Your job, as a retail or eCommerce store owner, isn’t to find the best products.

It’s to give your customers a reason to STOP the scroll, pay attention, and press ‘buy now’.

On this episode of Bringing Business to Retail, I’m joined by powerhouse John Chan from Berge Farrell to talk about the secret weapon you have in capturing your customer’s attention: packaging.

As the most overlooked and least utilised owned channel, packaging is the sales activator you’ve already got lying in your hands. It’s your walking billboard, the first touchpoint your customers have that sells your overall product experience.

We’re talking about how packaging is your silent salesman, what you can communicate through design, the shopper vs the consumer (and how you can meet their different needs and desires), strategic packaging for retailers, and how you can stand out in the crowd through thoughtful packaging tweaks.

Dive into this episode and hear John and I spill on how you can revamp your packaging to influence your customers’ buying decisions - more yay, less nay!

If you truly believe that you need more customers to grow your business… Then how much time have you ACTUALLY spent creating, marketing and building advertising campaigns that actually focus on driving more traffic to your store or website? In the always-changing world of retail and eCommerce, you’ve got to be nimble to grow and survive. I’m taking a nimble approach to hacking your customer growth with these three under-used, overlooked strategies to get more customers without spending a single dollar: Cutting through the noise isn’t about a bigger ad spend. It’s about knowing who you’re looking to reach, why, and what will make them pay attention. Jump on into this episode and find new ways to grow your customers without increasing your spend - you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

If you don’t have a game plan for the holiday shopping period, you’re leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table -

and there’s NO chance for a do-over.

With so much doom and gloom in the media about ‘how terrible it is for retailers’ right now, it’d make sense if you felt like your customers were more likely to keep their wallets in their pockets…

… But spoiler alert that’s not what the data is saying

SPENDING IS UP!

And customer wallets are indeed open.

Our Retail Academy retailers are telling us about record-breaking months in their retail and eCommerce businesses in every single one of our weekly meetings.

They’re KILLING it across the board.

I went digging into the data to find out HOW, and the numbers I found won’t just surprise you, but they’ll completely change how you approach the holiday shopping period. When 70% of your income can take place in just a few short months, this opportunity is just too big to miss.

Join me in this week’s podcast to look at what you need to do RIGHT NOW to set up your profit and revenue for the next 12 months. This is not a drill!

I can’t believe I got to interview a guy who looks like The Rock, only to find that his whole background was JUST like the Rock in Ballers - only instead of NFL players, he’s helping eCommerce businesses to make millions! What a perfect storm!

Ok, to be honest, I don't have a crush on The Rock… but I’m absolutely giving my guest for this week’s episode, Wayne Richard, kudos for building a massive money empire.

If you want to learn how to make money, hit play right now. You’ll get all the secrets you need from Wayne ‘could-be-the-Rock’ Richard, and then some. The co-founder of Bean Ninjas, Wayne’s never met a financial problem faced by an eCommerce business he couldn’t solve. Grab your notebook, people - Wayne isn’t here to play, but he IS ready to spill the beans (see what I did there?).

It's 7:59 am, and I'm just about to hop on to our daily team meeting. Our meetings are pretty light-hearted, we share a joke, walk through issues that have come up and review what's happened over the last 24 hours. When my coach told me I HAD to implement them, I did so begrudgingly. But, he was right. Daily team meetings have changed our business and really increased team engagement. But I got a little complacent... Because the meetings were going so well, I stopped looking at our daily CEO dashboard. Cue end of month, I grabbed the figures and I was a little shocked that half of them were missing. It was at this point, I could have gotten really annoyed and called the team to task. But the reality is, leadership is my job. And when the team don't perform, it's my responsibility. Learning to become a leader isn't like learning your times tables. It's a trial and error thing. There will be times when you slip. There will be things you suck at but still have to do. SO I wanted to share with you the 4 areas of leadership that I find myself tripping up over and over again, through the 15+ years I've been in a leadership role. To show you that even though I've been doing this for years, I still sometimes get it wrong. BUT, a great leader knows the signs and corrects the course as soon as possible. So the team stays on track. And they respect you for it.

How prepared are you for the upcoming spend-fest that is the holiday season? Are your advertising and marketing campaigns ready? Or are you just going to rely on what you’ve always done (hint: that’s NOT going to work this year)?

Joining me to uncover where and when to invest your money to maximize your sales this holiday season in this collaboration episode with the National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Sam Thompson (Bench), and Ming Kang Chen (Sheet Society).

Who doesn't want a sale?

As a consumer, its always a yes! But as a business owner, its usually a no. But there will sometimes come a time that you need to get rid of your stock and get that cashflow boost to get new things in.

Join me and Ashley as she shares how she got rid of her stock and generated $60,000 in just a few days!

Who doesn't want to make $17,500 in just 5 hours?

Listen to one of our conversations over at the recent The Retail Academy Live and find out how Cynthia made this happen!

Have I ever told you the story about how I hired someone to work in my shop, and about a year later, found out she’d started her own online business the week after she got the job in my store.....essentially selling the exact same stuff?

Find out...

-why she WASN'T a bad hire

-who to hire as your business grows

-the simple equation for the right hire (almost) every time

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with a fabulous retailer in New Zealand about her business.

She was doing well...

She had significantly increased revenue since purchasing the business...

She went on to tell me about how she listens to the podcast on her drive into the shop and excitedly tells her team about what she learned and all the things they need to implement.

I'll admit, it's always heartwarming and flattering to hear someone say they get value from the podcast.

But, even though I had that warm fuzzy feeling in my heart, ALARM BELLS were going off in my head...

Because this was THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO that I had once found myself in. And it was one of the worst days of my business life.

Listen in for what happened next.

Want to know how to reclaim hours of your work life and get stuff done FAST (and even on autopilot?)

In this episode, you'll learn from one of the founders of AI, Josh Bachynski, on how you can use AI to streamline your Retail/Ecom Store.

Saying no is challenging, and to be honest, it made me feel like a failure.

But I'm here today to tell you that if you want to say no to the same things I've said no, the world doesn't end. You might actually find yourself thinking, I should've done this a long time ago.

In this episode, I'll share with you that 5 things I've said no these past few weeks and how it helped me.

Lately, I have been seeing too many bad stories about businesses sending products to influencers, but got NOTHING in return.

We're too obsessed with using influencers.

Its time for YOU to think of yourself as an ambassador! Find out how you can increase your sales through YOU!

The simple fact is, I'm good (some may say, great) at making people money and scaling businesses. It's my Superpower. But, I can give you all the (proven) strategies in the world... What I can't do, though, is MAKE you implement them. Changing the way you think, being receptive to change and let's be honest, being damn right vulnerable when it comes to MAKING HARD DECISIONS, is why most people simply stay stuck. They don't want to feel uncomfortable. They avoid making those hard decisions. But Mavis, she deserves a freaking medal for plowing through uncomfortable, being open, honest and vulnerable, in her determination to scale. And she's going to share her story with you.

    It’s not very often I’ll tell you to take financial advice from a teenager.  But, this is one of those moments in life, where you think, “OM, I did ok at this parenting thing”  Not only did you teach your child something valuable, BUT THEY LISTENED!!!!  This conversation with my teen is worth sharing.  Can you celebrate this proud parenting moment with me...please!  Listen in and share this rare moment (who knows when it will happen again!)

If you are still wondering how to move your stock, then you SHOULD listen to this week's podcast.

Dionne walks you through everything she did to create that CRAZY SUCCESSFUL sale that has people lining up around the block and waiting 2 hours to pay!

I don't know about you, but over the pandemic, my spending habits changed. A LOT. We bought a lot of food. Not just groceries, but things like the fanciest ice cream, because cooped up in a house, unable to leave, we had to find the "fun" in the mundane. Fast forward a year and it feels like once again, we're changing our spending habits. But are people still buying the fanciest ice cream? And avocado on toast? Like most people, you're probably very critical of where you're spending your money (at home and in business). Just like you, your customers shopping behavior may have changed and you might be wondering WHERE can you find those people who are cashed up, or at least spending on what you sell? In this episode, Michael and I sit with our virtual cup of tea and discuss how to effectively find, connect with and convert those elusive, yet eager, spenders and be able to thrive in today’s competitive market.

Here’s how I made our Scouts fundraiser MORE money, increased their profits, and made life easier for their customers.

Best of all, you can do it too.

I’m going to talk about something really controversial, and I may get some haters for it.

6-figure goal. Then 7 figures.

The magic million.

When I ask people why - it's more about the vanity metrics, or that society has built this urban myth that 7 figures is the golden land but I want to break it down and tell you why $1M isn’t enough.

Prepare to improve your marketing game with this episode!

You'll be eager to try out Jason Williamson's creative yet practical and actionable strategies to draw in new clients and help boost your sales.

Jason discusses how to interact with your audience in ways you thought would most likely piss customers off. But with his tips, you'll learn how to be able to respond favorably and use it more effectively.

Join me and Jason, as we talk about one of my favorite marketing tools. Don't skip this enlightening episode and find out what it is!

Have you ever jumped on a trend and it didn't sell the way you wanted?

Get ready to tune in to this episode with Michelle Sherrier as she shares her insights on the retail industry and how important it is to know your customers. With 45 years of experience in retail, Michelle is a wealth of knowledge and provides valuable tips for both bricks and mortar and eCommerce businesses.

I have to admit I thought chat marketing has died.

It was only until Daniel Pinne and I had a conversation about how chat messaging will not piss people off and increase your sales as well.

My passion is to help independent retailers like YOU to have a profitable retail business – without burning out.

Business doesn’t have to be all about stress and hard work – you can achieve success and enjoy the journey.

In this episode with Ecommerce Profits with Joshua Chin, I shared how I developed the five pillars of retail success that help build a profitable retail brand, and how to outperform competitors with your pricing.

Change doesn't need to be big and world-changing. It can be tiny tweaks that can compound and grow your business overtime. Find out in this episode what are these small things, why we shouldn't resist change, and why do we need to slow down in order to scale your business.

Ugh, creating content for social media is SUCH drain - are you with me on this?

Well, if you're anything like me, then today's episode with Jenn Donovan is going to help you avoid the hassle and create content with ease (ok, maybe not ease, but less struggle!)

If you've ever tried a discount promotional campaign only to be met with crickets, then this episode is for you. It's actually a bonus training I'm releasing inside of my clear out your old stock inventory masterclass that I created after having a couple of people say they were "hoping for something shiny and new". Truth is, if your sales campaigns aren't working THESE are the reasons why. Here's-my-sales-strategy-that-isn't-a-sales-strategy.

The people who love your product doesn't want a discount. They value your product, your experience and your entire brand. So how much do you value your products? Join me and Jordan as we discuss the importance of customer service and building a community for brands which develops trust and loyalty contributing to the success of your business.

It is time to ask yourself... Are you always firefighting in your business? Are you always feeling frazzled? Do you feel like you are putting in so much effort but you are not having the progress that you want? Here's why.

It’s incredibly brave, and humbling to admit when your business is a roaring success but it can be all too much to cope with.

Sharing her story, the highs and the lows, and how you come back smarter and more resilient when it all implodes, is such an inspiration.

Join me and the talented Georgia Perry as we have this insightful, relatable conversation.

Want to know the secret behind the HIGHEST EVER CONVERTING Klaviyo pop up? You're going to find out EVERYTHING that went into building it.

Joshua and I went into this episode with the plan to talk about lifecycle marketing. We got there, but not before he casually mentioned that one of the pop ups he created was the highest ever converting.

Um, wait a minute. Stop right there. Let's dig into this more...

Remember that time you put a post up in a Facebook group asking for advice.

You got 172 comments (yay for engagement) but now you’re more confused than ever about what to do.

That free (but well meaning) advice could end up sending you bankrupt.

Here’s what to do instead.

How the heck do you get customers to buy again and again with only ONE product? Well, that's what the male beauty brand Krete has successfully managed to do. Sure, they now have a total of TWO products, but so much can be learnt about how to attract, convert and keep customers in this episode with founder, Jake Rosenberg.

Not only does he share the exact strategies he uses to get customers in, but also how he manages to solve the age-old customer retention problem of having customers beg for more.

Have you ever heard me talk about "growing broke"? If you've ever felt like you "just need more money" in your business, then this podcast is for you. Alvin Narsey & I dive deep into understanding, optimising and leveraging money in your business.

What would happen if you looked at business like a game? And you were the coach?

Let's jump in and find out!

Ever hired (or tried to hire) a copywriter and found the entire exercise a complete waste of your time?

Could well be that you've got the wrong person for the job.

There are actually severally different types of "copywriting" and it's rare that one person is great at multiple styles.

So if you're looking to boost your sales or conversions and you need help with copywriting, find out everything you need to know before you spend a dollar.

Samantha Burmeister is the founder & lead copywriter at Nomad Copy Agency. At Nomad Copy, every business receives custom copy to help them turn their sales process into a hands-off, high-conversion experience.

Truth is 80% of your customers will keep you poor now. More customers don't mean more sales. But there are ways for you to raise the bar of your customers so that you can raise the money you are bringing in. In this episode, I'll share with you the steps you can use to get those great customers in your door.

We have a problem.

Right now, You have too much on your plate.

Too many things, too many ideas, too many projects.

And it means you’re working too much and not making the money you should be.

This time of year, a lot of the retailers I’ve been speaking to are...

So. Freaking. Tired. They feel like the past year flew by and the New Year just seems like a big obstacle looming.

The good news is, we can fix that, find out how in today's episode.

I recently binge-watched Ted Lasoo... I'd put it off because I'm really not a fan of watching sports. Eventually, I gave in and started watching. As it turns out, even though the series is about a soccer team, what it's really about is growth.

Throughout the entire series, I just kept thinking "this is like what happens in business".

So today's episode is all about what binge-watching Ted Lasso taught me about building businesses.

If I was to ask you if you were in control of your business, or controlling your business, what would you say?

today’s podcast isn't another strategy.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been scrolling through my feeds and just like you, my competitors' ads have been popping up. Now these days, I tend to be more curious, than furious, when I see one of their ads, but I know there’s definitely been times in the past, when, I’ve wondered how some businesses are able to rapidly grow their business, be all over social media, have ad campaigns that constantly flood your facebook feed AND look like they haven’t lifted a finger in the process.

Today I pose the question - are they controlling their business or are they in control (and is there even a difference).

With the new year just a few weeks away, hopefully, you're thinking about what you want from your business and what you'll need to do to achieve that success.

In this episode, I want to share with you what I think it will take, for retail & e-commerce stores to scale in 2023.

Growth happens when you take the time to reflect on the lessons that life has thrown at you. How you choose to apply what you've learned can be the difference between happiness and heartache.

So in this episode, I want to share with you the life-changing conversations that have come my way in 2022...

How they affected me (positively and negatively) in my business, my marriage, and my friendships, and how I'm moving forward in 2023.

Can this simple hack guarantee to increase your sales? I think so.
There are a thousand reasons why a customer won’t buy from you. But there might just be one key thing that you're missing, that could leverage this peak selling period and convert more sales both online and in-store.

Hop into this episode with me as I guarantee how you can get more sales!

I'm sorry to tell you this, but you aren't good enough to build a multi mullion dollar business on your own.
Growth comes when you find your key people. And once you find them, you need to encourage them to stay.

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you what I’ve been doing over the years and how it has evolved when incentivising your team.

Not up for standing in a pit of tiger snakes? Me neither! Luckily Kath Clarke's done it for us and she's going to give us the insight on how that moment translated into building brands.

The fact is, your brand is often built around you. But as you scale, it can end up being diluted.

Find out how to forge a strong brand, even as you scale, both within your team and also externally for your customers (or even investors!)

How prepared are you for the upcoming spend-fest that is the holiday season? Are your advertising and marketing campaigns ready? Or are you just going to rely on what you’ve always done (hint: that's NOT going to work this year)?

Joining me to uncover where and when to invest your money to maximize your sales this holiday season in this collaboration episode with the National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Sam Thompson (Bench), and Ming Kang Chen (Sheet Society).

Join me in this fun episode and find out how to attract the worst customers ever!

Today, I’ll be sharing with you 11 ways to attract a Karen! (hopefully that's not just an Aussie phrase - google it)

You’re probably asking why right? Well, if you're feeling stuck, or you're not quite sure where you should be putting your focus, this episode is for you. I'm flipping things up, which might be just what you need.

This is my super fun episode on how to make more money!

Making money is a non-negotiable in business.

No money, no business. Simple.

But too many retailers approach making money as something that's difficult when in reality, it's not.

Former vintage clothing appraiser (I mean, how cool is that for a job!) Aimee Lopez and I will chat about how to do exactly this.

I will say, if you have a chance to watch the video of this, it's well worth it, because Aimee is THE most expressive person we've had on the show, and you can't get the full effect of the awesomeness of this episode in audio alone, but we'll try super hard to!

Covid definitely upped the game when it comes to online shopping. And the biggest customer complaint is always around delivery.

Good fulfillment solutions not only affect your customers, but they also affect YOU!
Great fulfillment solutions can help you save you thousands, through actions like efficient picking and reduced freight costs

How to leverage your entire network for delivery, combining distribution centres with stores acting as fulfillment locations and even leveraging fulfillment from suppliers and drop ship providers.

In collaboration with the National Online Retailers Association, in this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I’m joined by Matt Neale (CTO, EstarOnline) and Nick Blatt (Head of Ecommerce & Digital Customer Experience, Chemist Warehouse) in this episode discussing the art of fulfillment.

We've heard about eco friendly products, sustainable marketing, etc. But what is circular economy, really?

With production and consumption hitting the limits of natural resources and the ever-increasing waste problem, the age of circular economy is here. Customers are becoming more conscious about their product consumption and waste reduction.

In collaboration with the National Online Retailers Association, in this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I’m joined by Yasmin Grigaliunas (CEO & Co-founder, The World’s Biggest Garage Sale) and Kirsten Kore (Co-Founder/Co-CEO, DesignerEx) in this episode.

Ever wondered how some businesses just seem to be an overnight success and others are still pootling (yes that's a made-up word) along, year in and year out?

Last night, over pizza and wine by the beach, my friend Gina asked me why I thought some business owners succeed and others don't.

Find out what I told her.

Keeping customers coming back to shop with you is so much easier and cheaper than marketing to and attracting a constant stream of new customers.

In this episode, I'm sharing how you can dig in and really understand both your customers and the value you bring to them that will keep them shopping with you when they may be tightening their belts or limiting their spending.

  If I told you the exact formula guaranteed to sell more products, would you implement it? You're probably thinking "hell yeah", but I know the answer is, 99% of you won't. But, I'm still going to share it anyway. The only catch - you've got to let me know what you implement and the results you get. Deal? ps - I'll also share with you WHY you won't implement it, and it's got nothing to do with time or money.

(send me a DM, email, or FB message - we read them all!)

Want to know how to turn a family business into a multi-million dollar business, and the country's largest online store in your industry, well, that's the story you want to hear, right?

And doing it with NO outside investment - that's certainly an achievement. One that Dean Salakas is happy to share, so you can do it too.

** There are 9 strategies I use when helping retail/e-comm businesses move their stock fast so they can reinvest that money into new business. Head over to http://salenaknight.com/stock to know exactly what those 9 strategies are and how I use them.

You've been there, right? You've asked someone on your team to do a task, you come back and check...and it's not done.

Why oh why won't people (aka, our staff) just do as they're asked?

The fact is, you need your team. You can't grow without them.

But if you've ever felt frustrated and like it's just easier to do things yourself, you NEED this podcast episode.

For today’s Bringing Business To Retail podcast, Daniel Murray will help you understand why your staff do what they do.

HINT: it's probably NOT the reason you think.

He’ll show you a completely different perspective that builds an intentional culture for your staff to be the team player that you (desperately) need.

Would you rather buy from a supplier who makes a lot of effort to send customers your way AND make it easier to sell their products...or one that just takes your money?

If your suppliers aren't helping you grow, it might be time to move on and find new ones.

Adaptability and profitability go hand in hand as the landscape changes for retailers and ecommerce store owners. So having the most suitable suppliers to help you is more important than ever.

In this week’s episode, Masha and I discuss not only her journey with her luxury lingerie brand Titov, but how she's actively working with her retailers when it comes to marketing.

Masha Titova is a Designer, Founder, and Consultant in the luxury retail space. After working for companies such as Marc Jacobs and Kanye West’s Yeezy Brand, she set off to create a luxury lingerie brand called TITOV.

Her vision focuses on lingerie that is comfortable, but still sexy. Pulling from inspiration from her own life living in major cities, she’s able to cater to a unique customer with one-of-a-kind designs.

During her time receiving her MBA, she began helping companies launch as well as joining the board of a non-profit, MPerfectly. In her spare time, she is a mentor at her alma mater and is a teaching assistant for Scott Gallaway’s new company, Section4.

Born into the Internet era and raised on social media there's no denying Gen-Z will have a pivotal impact on the retail industry.

In collaboration with the National Online Retailers Association, in this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm joined by Kim Zorn the Global Performance Director at youth fashion label Princess Polly where we Decode Gen-Z.

With a background in marketing and digital media in the UK, US, Asia, and Australia Kim oversees over 20 organic and paid media channels for Princess Polly and has been tasked with optimising and scaling existing channels whilst working on global expansion.

Do you struggle with how to sell your products?

Do you find yourself giving discounts to people who don’t ask for them, or feeling like you HAVE to put in extra items when someone orders?

I’m sure you’ve got great products, so imagine if you (and your team) could be sales ninjas AND be completely authentic.

Find out how to tap into your Soul Language with Lisa Dadd.

Wondering why your sales seem ok, BUT there seems to be less money in your bank account?

Find out why and how to fix this fast.

Ever felt like your business is not fun anymore?

It's the reality for so many business owners once they get past those first 18 months - 2 years. I call this the "business honeymoon phase".

Imagine if you could get to the spot where your business supported your life instead, of consuming it. Find out how in this episode.

After the loss of her husband, Kris Ward returned full-time to her work as a marketing strategist. She was relieved that her business had not only survived her absence but was growing. Now, Kris has completely changed the landscape for entrepreneurs by sharing the successful practices that allowed her absence. Kris is the founder of the Win The Hour, Win the Day philosophy.

Want tips on how to simplify your marketing? This is for you!

In this episode, I'll take you behind the scenes as we work through the problems that retailers, just like you, are facing when it comes to maximising your marketing without having to maximise the time you spend on it.

>> We're busy putting the finishing touches on not one but TWO huge events. TRA Live is coming to Melbourne in September 2022. We are beyond excited to be finalising our VIP packages and guest presenters. If you have a golden ticket you can book your space >> HERE <<

But before then we'll be at REED GIFT FAIR (also in Melbourne) in from July 30th. Jump in now and book your FREE retail strategy session at scaleyourstore.com/reed

Getting Covid has been a game changer for me. It actually helped me push that reset button. It was scary but join me as I walk down memory lane and see how is it going so far.

We're busy putting the finishing touches on not one but TWO huge events. TRA Live is coming to Melbourne in September 2022. We are beyond excited to be finalising our VIP packages and guest presenters. If you have a golden ticket you can book your space >> HERE <<

But before then we'll be at REED GIFT FAIR (also in Melbourne) in from July 30th. Jump in now and book your FREE retail strategy session at scaleyourstore.com/reed

Nicole De Larzac is a product development and marketing coach who helps (predominantly female) entrepreneurs launch and scale their product based businesses.

This makes her uniquely placed to share her experiences and knowledge around white labelled brands and introducing self-branded product lines that are guaranteed to boost sales and diversify your income streams. Without reinventing the wheel!

The benefits to promoting your own branded products are significant and far reaching with benefits that reach far beyond boosting the sales within your business.

If you've ever considered promoting your own branded products or need any kind of convincing your own product line is a great idea, you won't want to miss this episode.

We're busy putting the finishing touches on not one but TWO huge events. TRA Live is coming to Melbourne in September 2022. We are beyond excited to be finalising our VIP packages and guest presenters. If you have a golden ticket you can book your space >> HERE <<

But before then we'll be at REED GIFT FAIR (also in Melbourne) in from July 30th. Jump in now and book your FREE retail strategy session at scaleyourstore.com/reed

The key to creating wealth in your business is to minimise risk – discover this often-overlooked strategy that most business owners never use.

Guy Naselli will let you in on one of my most favourite diversification strategies.

Guy is a Director of NSL Property Group offering outstanding performance and productivity in all facets of the property including but not limited to, vendors, purchasers, landlords and prospective tenants. Guy understands the vital elements and relationship between performance, productivity and profitability for all parties in commercial real- estate transactions.

You can reach Guy at guy.naselli@nslpropertygroup.com.au.

We’re heading to Reed Melbourne on July 30-August 3. To grab you free retail strategy session, jump over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book your place today.

Online shopping has never been more popular. With its growth, customers are expecting more and more. One important aspect to look at is how can you translate an instore experience to the virtual world of shopping.

In this episode, Tim Bucciarelli will be giving us tips on how we can let our customers feel like they are shopping instore but right in the safety of their homes.

From the early days on an Apple IIe, to engaging in the nascent internet via AOL, to composing college papers on the first Apple Macintosh model, Tim has always been interested in technology and the ways it can make our lives more efficient, more entertaining, and more connected. His varied career path includes working in satellite communications, web development, specialty food and eCommerce business management. All of this informs the work he does today - helping businesses make the best decision for their eCommerce operations. When there's a fit between their needs and the services Tim offer, Tim starts on the journey of ensuring their digital technology investments by delivering the desired returns.

We’re heading to Reed Melbourne on July 30-August 3. To grab you free retail strategy session, jump over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book your place today.

Check out our scale.theretailacademy.net/stock to get access to our stock management masterclass.

I love properties. And I’m always on the lookout for my next one!

Just like with your products, putting up your business as an Airbnb needs some marketing to get noticed and booked. So let me share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned from my landlady adventures.

Here are the review tools I personally recommend, loox and okendo.

If you want to take a quick getaway, check out my beach house here.

We’re heading to Reed Melbourne on July 30-August 3. To grab you free retail strategy session, jump over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book your place today.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Have you tried asking yourselves why 5 times before buying a product? Why do I need this? Why do I want this? Why would it be helpful for me? Why am I attracted to this? Why will I spend my money on this? These are just sample questions that you can ask before purchasing something. And as business owners, sometimes we tend to forget this simple approach. By also asking these questions, we get to understand our customers better and be able to target them with better product descriptions.

Christopher Melotti is a well-established and renowned Australian Content Marketing and Copywriting Professional who lives by the motto, "Continually challenge, consistently grow, constantly humbled, confidently show."

Catch Christopher and Salena talk about how simplicity is key to understanding your customers and bridging your products to them!

We’re heading to Reed Melbourne on July 30-August 3. To grab you free retail strategy session, jump over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book your place today.

Check out our shop page to get a copy of our business builder workbooks.

Sales is important in running your business. But just like seasons, businesses go through cycles. Sometimes it’s up up up! Sometimes it’s down or just slooooow. I’ll be sharing some scenarios and quick tips as to how to tide you over the slow season. Come join me in this episode and keep on learning how to scale your store!

Michelle Kvello has a personal love of driving entrepreneur success because early her career she realized there was a need for founders to have access to good commercial and strategic financial support. Often the health and hygiene compliance work was sorted and they had the clever tax advisors involved, but the missing piece of the puzzle was the partnering support to help the business really grow. She is the founder of Lantern Partners with the vision of being that partner. Since its launch, they have worked with a range of companies, large and small, including traditional retail and ecommerce. Their specialty is helping businesses understand their financials, offering strategic and commercial finance advice, and providing hands-on support to ensure they achieve their goals. Growing a business is exciting! And it’s in those acceleration stages where she loves to work with founder CEOs to take their business to the next level. Let’s listen to Michelle as she advises us on how to keep our focus on growing your business and money altogether. Who doesn’t want money right?

When starting out in business most people don’t have a big goal in mind. Instead they prefer to play it safe by staying small. Before long they’ve convinced themselves their big goals are out of reach. But what if I asked you to think BIG for a moment and tell me your magic number. The amount of money that would make you feel like you’d really made it in business. Would it be $500,000? $1,000,000? Maybe $50,000,000. You’re only limited by your imagination!

In this episode we’re going to dive into how to find your magic number and what you need to do in your business to make it a reality. Here’s the secret: it’s not as hard as you might think. And it’s 100% achievable. Even if your dream number is crazy BIG!

Don’t let playing small stop you from reaching your number. I can’t wait for you to join me.

This week's episode comes to you from NORA (the National Online Retailers Association). I'm joined by Paul Erskine, Head of Digital and Data Delivery for Strandbags Australia and Alex Luscombe, Head of Customer Success at Search.io.

We don't often get to see behind the scenes of enterprise-level retail businesses and as independent retailers, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the big end of town has all the answers. This panel discussion sheds light on the fact that no matter what size your business is, retailers are all going through the same problems.

In this episode, we discuss what's working in eCommerce and what's not. How to test and measure, what metrics are the most successful.

I know you'll come away from this episode with at least one little tip you can take away and implement in your business and start seeing results from, right away.

We're heading to Reed Sydney in April. To grab your free retail strategy session jump over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book your place today. << For more click here

If you operate your eCommerce store through Shopify it's a given you'll have questions about the rollout of the new Shopify 2.0 upgrade.

Do you need it? What will it do? How do you do it? How long will it take? And most importantly will it improve my business?

In this episode, I'm joined by Anna Tillotson from Shopify design and build agency, House Of Cart. Together we'll walk you through everything you need to know about upgrading to the new Shopify platform and the enormous benefits it will have for your business.

For more click here

Retail can be a lonely business and in my experience the people who move their business forward, scale, grow and become hugely successful are those who have a bunch of people in their corner. In this episode I'm taking you behind the scenes of one of 1:1 clients coaching calls so you can see what happens when people surround themselves with other people and start taking action - not just thinking about it!

Growing is not done alone and I'm super pleased to be able to help you on your journey.

If you're in Australia and heading to the Reed Gift Fair in Sydney jump on over to scaleyourstore.com/reed and book a 1:1 strategy session with me or one of my team to talk about how you can get clear on what you need to scale and grow your retail business.

For more click here

It's no secret being an entrepreneur can help you connect with some amazing people. However, it can also be really hard on friendships.

People you used to confide in and connect with suddenly have no idea what you do, they question your choices or are threatened by your success or income. When your business becomes tightly intertwined with your private life it can feel like nobody really shares the same interests as you anymore. Before you know it life has become very lonely.

In this episode I'm sharing how my friendships and personal connections have changed over the years I've been in business, some steps I recently took to put myself back in the friendship game and how I've come to realise to do something great you sometimes have to leave something average behind.

I can't wait for you to join me! For more click here

If you're most like business owners who have built a team around them you'll have staff or contractors to deliver key outcomes for many of your business pillars.

Perhaps you have a bookkeeper or accountant, you probably have a team of sales staff, and maybe work with a buyer or agent to source your stock. However, for lots of retail CEOs Marketing is your self-appointed domain.

Whilst you can balance your two roles you're undoubtedly saving yourself the expense of two wages. But how much is your business losing when you suddenly find you don't have time to complete all those marketing tasks you have on your plate?

In this week's episode, I'm sharing an experience I had recently that enlightened me to just how much money I was missing out on by not bringing on extra staff to help me and the rest of our team deliver some very important KPIs and how I worked to bring on new staff before I could afford it.

For more click here

  In this episode Nate Regier, CEO, co-founder and owner of global leadership advisory firm Next Element, shares with me how conflict doesn't have to be a negative experience but an opportunity to take the energy missing between what your customer wants and what they're experiencing and use it to create more positive interactions. Stick around til' the end to hear me doing some Angry Customer roleplaying!             For more click here

How many times in the past month have you gone browsing for things you don't actually want to buy? Probably not many. The reality is when consumers go shopping they generally have a problem they need solving and though they may not know exactly what it is that will do that, if they're putting the energy into finding a solution they're going to get their money out if they find it. In this episode, I'm exploring why it is retailers are continuously telling me they hate selling to their customers and how their fear of taking other people's money is stopping their business from thriving.

If you're ready to go from salesperson to solutions person and nail your sales targets you'll want to join me.

For more click here

I'm guessing you've often asked yourself how you can make more money. But have you ever asked yourself why you're not making the kinds of sales or generating the levels of revenue you need to make your business truly successful?

You probably believe the answer lies in simply increasing your social media traction or aiming for a bigger marketing budget - after all, that's what all the big guys are doing. In this episode I'm sharing why neither of those strategies are a magic fix and what will actually help you hit your revenue goals.

Tune in to discover more about busting out of poor shopkeeper mode and what actions you need to take to really boost your sales.

For more click here

The start of the year is always a flurry of exciting new ideas; goal setting, planning, list-making, and if you're a good CEO it will also involve eliminating things out of your business that just aren't working for you.

When you clear out the old, you open yourself up to new opportunities. But how do you know if those opportunities are going to help you transition or grow? Or if they are just another bright shiny thing to distract you from the real work you need to be doing?

In this episode, we're digging into the most effective ways you can assess new opportunities and make sure you invest time and energy into those that are going to bring you closer to your goals.

For more click here

What happens when you spend your day doing something you love but it just doesn't bring in enough to pay the bills and put food on the table?

In this episode, I'm joined by designer and digital marketer, co-founder of Electric Eye Agency and the former bass player from the band City Lights, Chase Clymer. Using his creative experiences Chase has become an expert in helping eCommerce brands scale and grow and market to their dream customers.

Join me as we chat about building the perfect marketing funnel based on attraction and conversion and why ignoring your customer pillar will stop you from going next level with your marketing. For more click here

Nobody wants to think their customers are shopping with someone else, especially after all the time and effort you've put into attracting them to your store. But the reality is, they probably are.

Promoting that you are unique or offer great customer service or stock only quality products simply isn't enough to cut it in today's competitive market. You need to be offering something with more impact if you want to attract and keep a loyal customer base.

In this episode, I'm sharing why your customers are shopping with your competition and the number one thing you need to do be doing differently to stop it from happening.

For more click here

Every now and then a retailer comes along who doesn't just listen to your advice, they jump on it and run with it! Jill is one of those retailers.

Days before Christmas Jill made a snap decision that earned her an extra $2,500 in sales, in only two hours, on the slowest trading day of the year. In this episode, I'm going to share, step-by-step, exactly what Jill did and how you can do exactly the same thing in your store and get the same awesome results.

For more click here

Are you tired of downloading resources or cheatsheets, joining webinars and masterclasses, listening to podcasts or investing in courses that seem to deliver unbelievable results for everyone else but achieve nothing for you...?

In this episode, I'm sharing the secret of making anything you invest in pay dividends. Seriously. You don't need to be smarter, or richer or more committed. You just need to do this one, single thing. Join me to find out what it is!

For more click here

It's easy to drop a lot of money on paid advertising, without really knowing if you're getting a good return on your investment.

If you plan to focus on your marketing pillar in 2022 and want some bite-size strategies to help you tackle your paid Ads moving into the new year, that's exactly what I'm focusing on in this episode.

Plus you'll get a sneak peek into the bonus live training we do if you join me for Scale Your Store Live in '22.

For more click here

Know you need to attract new customers in 2022 but not sure how you can do it without breaking the bank? In this episode I'm sharing a bite-sized strategy you can implement in the new year which will help you hit the ground running with a tribe of your perfect customers. Plus get a sneak peek into the bonus live training we do if you join me for Scale Your Store Live in '22.

For more click here

Ever wondered what goes on in our Scale Your Store Live sessions? In this episode, I'm giving you a sneak peek inside one of our bonus training calls and sharing one hot strategy for getting more customers to buy from you, even during the busiest time of the year.

For more click here

One of our highest converting Facebook ads tells the story of Emma and Sam who sold $14,000 of dead stock in 7 days, using strategy #3. So what exactly IS strategy number three, and could you use it to move the idle, damaged, or surplus inventory in your own store.

In this episode, we're going to spill the beans on exactly what Emma and Sam did to move thousands of dollars worth of stock that was choking their cash flow and stopping them from investing in products that their customers actually wanted. And how we tackled their concerns around cheapening their high-end products or turning off their dream customers with substandard products.

For more click here

Small business owners & leaders hire Diane to help them create strategies that work. Her superpower is being a pragmatic possibilities thinker. You can do anything you want; you just can’t do it all at the same time!

With Diane’s guidance professionals decide on goals, create an action plan, and implement that plan. She walks alongside them like guardrails, keeping them from falling off a cliff. Diane is also the author of Succeed Without Selling and the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast. Diane is a member of the Newsweek Expert Forum, and a member of the Board of the International Association of Sales Trainers.

For more click here

Michelle Dickinson is a wellbeing strategist, TED-X presenter, and author of a memoir entitled Breaking In To My Life, about her experiences living with a mother with Bi-Polar.

Michelle is passionate about helping people get comfortable with mental health before a crisis hits and providing the tools and strategies business owners need to enable them to move their business forward if their own mental health or those of their employees is suffering.

As more and more teams operate remotely Michelle shares strategies around fostering trust and connection with staff in a remote workplace. And helps outline the balance between showing up as honest and vulnerable, whilst at the same time modeling good emotional health care for others in our communities.

For more click here

If you're tired of trying to convince people to engage with you on social media, to open your emails, to listen to what you have to say, and of course introduce more people to what you are selling, you're going to love my conversation with Brandon Lucero.

In this episode of Bringing Business to Retail Brandon and I talk about the power of brand messaging and getting aligned with what you as an entrepreneur are good at and focusing on connection and service with your customers.

We cover leaning into what your customers are asking for and how important it is to also focus on bringing the money in.
There are so many takeaways in this episode, I can’t wait for you to listen in.

For more click here

Real estate investing has been part of Brad’s life since his college days. He earned his undergraduate degree in Finance with an eye towards commercial real estate, interning with one of the premier large commercial property portfolio companies in the Northwest. He purchased his first rental property within months of graduating college, and quickly added several more.

His experience includes management of hotel and vacation property, development of retail and hospitality space, and raising capital from both domestic and international investors. He's been exclusively focused on capital raising for commercial syndications since 2017.

For more click here

Got a premium brand and wondering if that excludes you from Black Friday / Cyber Monday? With over 86% of US and UK retailers taking part in the largest sales events of the year and retailers realising an average 500% increase in traffic to their store - you'd be well placed to consider enticing customers to your store.

When it comes to premium brands, most retailers don't want to be seen to be cheapening their brand by giving discounts - and fair enough too. In this episode, I share with you how you can create promotional opportunities that cashes in AND stays true to your branding guidelines.

For more click here

Michael Haase and his team at Plant Jammer are on a mission to help 1 billion people have a positive impact on the planet; by providing an innovative new way to cook and eat more sustainably.

Using state of the art tech, the Plant Jammer app matches ingredients and recipes to the personal likes and dislikes of the user, eliminating the frustration of missing or need for alternative ingredients and the environmental impact of food waste.

On this episode Michael shares how Plant Jammer have created a unique three way relationship with their customers and affiliates by creating marketing opportunities from data collection and building social connection.

I can't wait for you to join me for our conversation about building a highly engaging customer experience through collaboration, collection and connection (all the C's!).

For more click here

Most people think that the key to a successful brand is great marketing, but what if you are a successful marketer already? Does that mean that your brand is instantly going to become an overnight success?

In today’s episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I speak with Sarah Greenway from Lava Tribe. She shares with us her journey, the importance of knowing you are not alone and the only person making business mistakes and how confronting her biggest fear propelled her business. I can’t wait for you to join us.

For more click here

Quite often when people hear stories about successful retailers and E-commerce store owners they are intrigued to know where they came from and how they got there.

What was their secret and what wins and challenges they encountered on their way to success?

In today’s episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I’m thrilled to be talking to Stephanie Mitchell who shares her retail journey and the importance of knowing who your customer is and what not knowing can cost you!

She also shares the importance of investing in herself and how it made her business thrive.

I know you are going to love hearing Stephanie’s journey!

For more click here

Have you ever lay in bed at night wondering what the difference is between you and those business people who seem to make it look so incredibly effortless?

It's easy to let yourself believe they got lucky. Or know something you don't. That they went to a different school. Studied more. Had a raft of investors or a rich benefactor.

I want to let you in on a secret. It's got NOTHING to do with luck and EVERYTHING to do with mindset.

In this week's episode, I'm sharing the TOP THREE mindset changes you need to make to scale and grow your retail or eCommerce business. I think they might surprise you!

Listen to the full episode here

It’s no secret that buy now-pay later a has changed the retail landscape forever, but most retailers see it as just another payment gateway like PayPal or Stripe, but one that costs more! So, is there a way that you can create a win/win?

A win for your customers who love using buy now-pay later and a win for you, the merchant who, let's be honest has to absorb these costs. Today I've got George Bland from Klarna - one of my favourite buy now-pay later providers, to talk about how you can leverage your relationship with the buy now-pay later payment gateway providers.

For more click here

Adam Lean knows exactly how it feels to be under financial pressure; following a short career as an Accountant he started a sporting goods enterprise. A few years in he realised he was in significant financial trouble, despite having the background to have seen the warning signs.

Adam has combined his accounting and entrepreneurial experience to create the 4 Step Process; Path To Profitability, where he works with other independent business owners to ensure their business is financially healthy. Discover;

Why it’s important to understand the financial cycles and patterns of your business
What financials to track and measure
How to set goals for each area in your business
Why financial management must be a non-negotiable task for every business owner
Practical ways to increase the profit in your business

For more click here

Genevieve Piturro, is the author of 'Purpose, Passion and Pajamas' and the Founder of the Pajama Program.
She was a successful television marketing executive until she dramatically changed the direction of her life.

After asking herself the question "If this is the next 30 years of my life, is this enough?" Now her work and her passion are to help empower people to create a more fulfilling life and be a more purposeful and impactful leader.

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, Genevieve shares with us her story, one poignant moment and conversation that helped her find her purpose and shares with us her tips on how you can do that in your life and your business too.

I can't wait for you to join us.

For more click here

Are you tearing your hair out, spending money on Facebook or Instagram Ads or perhaps both and getting poor or even worse, no results?

Is what you have been doing, no longer working? Well, the fact is that what you have been doing isn’t going to work anymore. Fear not, in this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I cover everything you need to get your Facebook Ads working hot for you right now.

Let’s dive in!

Excited but still feel like you need a little help?

Check out how we can implement and manage your ads for you by heading over to our website https://salenaknight.com/services/. Scroll down to Facebook Ads Strategy and Management.

For more click here

When was the last time you audited your customer experience?

Does it measure up or does it fall short?

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I’m sharing how you can turn your customers from just happy customers to drumbeaters – customers that shout your praises for you!

I walk you through 4 tips that integrated into your customer journey will make your customers feel like royalty, return time and time again and tell the world about it too!

For more click here

Does the idea of adding another pop-up on your website make you shudder?

You’ve probably experienced many websites that bombard you with the same repetitive pop-up every time you click through to another page - annoying as that might be, it doesn’t mean you should forgo pop-ups on YOUR website.

In this episode of Bringing Retail To Business episode, I share with you 4 pop-ups guaranteed to increase conversions, NOT annoy your customers and provide a better customer experience.

For more click here

  Feel like you're a slave to your business? Work hundreds of hours but pay yourself for only a fraction of them? In this episode I'm exploring when and how to start drawing a wage from your business and sharing strategies to ensure you earn an income AND stay solvent, even if you haven't kicked all your financial goals.            For more click here

On the latest episode of the Bringing Business To Retail Podcast we dive into playing big and ask the question: “Does the word risk make you run away and hide?”
From doughnuts to dumbbells, I share some fun stories, strategies and tips and discuss how innovation is worth the risk.

Join me as I walk you through the 3 things to do before you are ready, the actions that will break you free from playing small and how embracing the right risks will scale your business and have you reaping the rewards.

I can’t wait for you to tune in.

For more click here

On the latest episode of the Bringing Business To Retail Podcast I ask the question: “Are you measuring the wrong things in your business?

Are you sabotaging your business growth, by focusing on the wrong things? Are you putting in the EFFORT and not seeing the RESULTS you want? Join me ask I walk you through a MINDSHIFT change to help you REFOCUS and help you go from self-sabotage to success!

I can’t wait for you to join me.

For more click here

Vanessa Van Edwards is a Behavioural Investigator who specializes in psychology and the thinking behind what makes people behave in the ways they do, particularly when it comes to sales.

Using a winning combination of charisma and body language, Vanessa can help retailers sell just about anything to anyone. And she's also a gun at picking a shoplifter from their body language alone.

As one of my most requested and most downloaded episodes, I'm super keen to share Vanessa's wisdom with you again on Bringing Business To Retail.

For more click here

Colin McIntosh is the Founder and CEO of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brand in the $12B US bedding space Sheets & Giggles. Disrupting the market with their revolutionary eucalyptus lyocell sheets and duvet covers.

With a desire to make a significant change in the world Colin kickstarted his environmentally focused brand, with a $284,000 crowdfunding campaign and to date has attracted over $2m.

In our time together Colin shares his thoughts about doing business differently, what makes an awesome kickstarter campaign, his belief that playing to your strengths means knowing your weaknesses, and why recruiting the right team is key to being a successful CEO.

I can't wait for you to join us.

For more click here

Mitch Russo is a business coach, author, software developer, and podcaster who is passionate about helping entrepreneurs rapidly scale and grow their businesses.

With a drive to help people and make a difference, Mitch knows success comes from focusing not on what you do but on why you do it. It's this philosophy that has helped unhappy business owners reposition themselves in their chosen market and achieve great success.

Mitch and I spent our time together talking about the importance values, vision and passion for your customers play in running a successful business.

I can't wait for you to join us.

For more click here

Jewellery Designer and star of TV shopping, Victoria Wieck is a household name in the US and the head of a $500m business empire.

This is the second in a two-part conversation with Victoria about how she went from printing and hand delivery low cost look books to big name retail stores in LA to becoming one of the most recognised faces in US TV shopping and head of a multi million dollar jewellery empire.

In this episode we pick up right after Victoria decided to try her hand at 'retirement' (spoiler; things didn't quite go as planned!) and explore her secrets to goal setting and how she uses these strategies to continuously take specific action in her business and grow.

I can't wait for you to join me.

For more click here

Jewellery Designer and star of TV shopping, Victoria Wieck is a household name in the US and the head of a $500m business empire. But it wasn't always that way.

After immigrating as a child from South Korea, Victoria taught herself English before taking on several different jobs. By accident she fell into jewellery design, thinking it would be a stop gap before moving onto something else. But instead it was the start of a 30-year love affair with jewellery design. In 1998 she joined the Home Shopping Network in Florida, where she stayed for over 18 years.

Victoria lives by the philosophy of creating to meet the needs of the customer, whilst focusing on quality, value, connection and legacy. It's a mindset that has served her well. Along with her belief that we all make our own luck and many small actions can create big impacts.

Victoria was so generous and inspiring and shared so many amazing stories during our time together I've decided to split our chat into two episodes, so you get the entire unedited experience. I can't wait for you to join me.

For more click here

A former magazine editor-turned-digital maestro, Kyle has also written for Outside, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, VeloNews. He is obsessed with all-things online. As an expert in onsite optimization, email marketing, and digital brand growth, Kyle has successfully grown the online divisions of many well known brands, most recently surging online sales for Dr. Martens by increasing the web channel 38% year-over-year, doubling Speck Products’ online sales within 18 months, and establishing many lifestyle brands in the marketplace, from OOBE Brand to Ariat, KEEN Footwear to Xterra Wetsuits.

He’s also re-platformed many websites to be industry-leading sites, such as Chrome Industries, Hlaska, Nau, and more — even earning an Honoree Webby Award in the process for Best Practices along the way for Speck. His ability to massage the work of copywriters and art directors into a cohesive style and tone, and then mix it with the right audience and add a dash of sales is why Entrepreneur magazine once said of him, “Kyle made a career of growing online sales.”

For more click here

Michelle Seiler Tucker, considered the Top Closer in the US and author of Exit Rich, is my guest on Bringing Business To Retail this week.

Starting her career in Sales and Development Michelle soon realized she was closing more deals than any of her colleagues. Ready for bigger challenges she set up a consultancy, partnering with business owners to help build scalable, saleable private companies and broker business sales.

Having sold a business, I was fascinated to hear Michelle's views on how many business owners have an exit strategy, how many actively work towards selling their business in the future, and the new stats showing the businesses are at greatest risk of closure, aren't startups.

Join Michelle for an episode packed with knowledge, strategies for preparing your business for sale, and an awesome free offer that will help you exit rich; whether your selling next year or in a decade.

For more click here

Kyle Tolzman is a serial entrepreneur and presenter of the podcast Above All Average, where he interviews guests from a variety of backgrounds to discover little tips and tricks that make a big difference in business and life.

I was thrilled to join Kyle on his show to chat about where my passion for helping independent business owners came from, the importance of having a birds-eye view when it comes to business and life, and exactly what happens when you stop doing the things you love and start to focus on what you're rubbish at.

I can't wait for you to tune in!

For more click here

It was my great pleasure to join Kurt Mueller on this episode of The FLiP Podcast/

Jump in and join us for a great conversation about how the Five Pillars of Retail Success work in practice, provide clarity and confidence and help you to stop playing small.

If your money pillar is a work in progress, you'll be pleased to know we dig a bit deeper into some financial strategies; working capital, investment and supply chain disruptions. And we explore the importance of knowing the impact you want your business to have in the future so you can set yourself up to financially support your dreams and aspirations.

I can't wait for you to join me so you can start focusing on the pillar of your business that will have the most impact.

For more click here

I'm yet to meet an independent business owner who doesn't want to make more money. But constantly surprised by how few have a real handle on what money flows into and out of their business.

In this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm exploring why it's so important to stay in control of your money pillar and how to bring more money into your business with a handful of easy to implement changes.

If you're serious about earning more money, this is for you.

Looking for even more FREE business growth strategies? The Retail Breakthrough Video Series is open for just a few more days. You can join right HERE

For more click here

Have you ever wondered why, despite putting so much time and energy into growing your business, you're still not seeing results?

On this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail, we're digging in and getting real on what it is that's really stopping you from growing.

Whilst you're there you'll discover the embarrassing secret I just figured out about myself and why fear and control are Enemy #1 for any business owner.

After the conversation head over and join the 4-part Retail Breakthrough video series that's happening right now. It's totally FREE to join. Best of all you'll come away with a whole lot of great ways to step up and grow your retail or eCommerce business, that you can start implementing straight away.

Join the Breakthrough Series HERE

For more click here

Would you ever consider yourself the CEO of a business (let alone your own business)?

Maybe you don't think your brand is big enough or successful enough to warrant such a grand title. Perhaps you don't think you've got what it takes to step up into that kind of serious role.

This week on Bringing Business To Retail we're talking about the single most important role in your business and exactly who needs to fill that position and why.

If you've been struggling to push your business forward or feel like you've been stuck in a holding pattern for years. Chances are this is exactly what you've been looking for.

After the show join the conversation on Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast in an independent production in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

This week's episode is proudly supported by The Retail Breakthrough Series. Join me for this FREE training from now until 26th February 2021. Sign up at https://salenaknight.com/breakthrough

For more click here

So you're pretty sure you need a Marketing Manager to help you tell the world about your brand.

But what does a Marketing Manager actually do, what kind of outcomes can you expect when you bring one into your team (or outsource) and what are they going to need or want from you to ensure they deliver the results you're looking for....?

The answers might surprise you!

Tune in to this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail to discover more about the roles others can play in growing your business and increasing your profitability.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

For more click here

2020 showed us how important it is for brick and mortar retailers to diversify into eCommerce in order to survive. But how can you leverage, grow and generate profit through that side of your business without taking yourself away from the part of your business you really love?

On this weeks episode, I'm sharing how to choose the right person to bring into your business, what roles they should be handling and how to avoid adding more work to your plate.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

You've taken a break, created your five year plan, got all inspired and ready to do great things in 2021. You, my friend, are firing on all cylinders.

Then you head back to your desk or back to your store and BANG. Nothing. ZERO motivation. All plans out the window. You're back on the treadmill.

Me too!

On this week's episode I'm sharing how to bust off that damn hamster wheel of hope and give your mojo a kick in the pants. Here's the hot tip - you're going to have to put that 5-year plan right to the back of your desk draw. Do you think you can do it...?

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram and tell me what's going to get you out of the rut you're in.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is the Setting Yourself Up For Success Workbook. Usually priced at $79, I've extended the $29 sale to the end of January. Grab your copy HERE.

To access my FREE quiz head over to salenaknight.com/quiz. When you're done you'll be super clear on what you need to focus on in your business and have the roadmap to help you get there.

For more click here

For a lot of years now I've dreamed of owning a beach front property! Right now that dream is totally out of reach. But does that mean I've sat back, thrown my hands in the air and declared it an impossibility? No way! A few years ago I dipped my feet into the coastal property market and the risks I took are starting to pay dividends.

"What's this got to do with retail?" I hear you ask. I hear retailers tell me all the time about the big dreams they have for their store. Then I hear them say "but that's so far out of reach I have no idea how to get from here to there". Successful retailers don't declare their big dreams an impossibility, they take small, achievable steps towards making it a reality.

On this weeks episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm sharing what measuring, planning and taking action looks like in real life. I want to show you how these three steps combined will get you closer to your big dreams.

For more click here

Now more than ever before customers are demanding exception levels of customer service from eCommerce brands including; multi-channel communication, real-time order updates, hassle-free returns, relevant recommendations and above all fast personalised service.

On this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm joined by Jackie Yap from our December podcast partner Gorgias. The helpdesk platform streamlining customer service and turning it into a profit opportunity.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch through Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

Now more than ever before customers are demanding exception levels of customer service from eCommerce brands including; multi-channel communication, real-time order updates, hassle-free returns, relevant recommendations and above all fast personalised service.

On this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm joined by Jackie Yap from our December podcast partner Gorgias. The helpdesk platform streamlining customer service and turning it into a profit opportunity.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch through Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

For more click here

For as long as we can remember physical stores have relied on local footfall to bring in new customers. But with fewer people hitting the shops this is no longer a strategy business owners can rely on; now or moving into the future.

To compensate I see retailers running themselves into the ground, throwing money, time and energy into poorly planned marketing activities that simply don't increase the numbers of customers making their way to their physical or online store. Or convert to sales.

If you own a retail or e-commerce business and you're ready to get customers back spending instore or online this weeks episode of Bringing Business To Retail is for you. I'm going to step you through the fundamentals of creating a marketing strategy that doesn't rely on constantly generating new leads, increases your revenue and creates the kind of customer experience customers are desperate for.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram
The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month we're proud to be affiliated with Gorgias, creators of the sexiest eCommerce helpdesk integration we've ever had the pleasure of using. If you need to streamline your customer service experience head over and check out how to make it a million times easier than whatever you're currently doing.

For more click here

Email marketing is both inexpensive and highly effective. With significantly higher returns on investment than social media or print advertising. And the bonus of increased customer loyalty and brand awareness. It's the package that has it all.

And yet so many retailers continue to put email marketing in the too hard basket.

This week on Bringing Business To Retail I'm sharing my simple formula to help get your email content flowing; from setting the intention of your emails down to the action you want your customers to take when they get to the end.

Start creating emails that generate income and have your customers waiting to open.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

For more click here

Never have we been more aware of the social and economic importance of local business. The desire of consumers to show their support for retailers in the community is evident in the enormous increase in search terms like #shoplocal #buylocal and #supportlocal.

When you're so used to creating marketing that pushes against the big end of town how do you communicate, highlight and leverage the hyper awareness and desire to support local; in a way that promotes sales, builds support for your store and delivers what customers are looking for?

On this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm joined by Executive Director of the American Independent Business Alliance, Derek Peebles. Derek generously shares his resources and strategies for developing systems that will help your business create an impact in your local community.

For more click here

Ever wondered what six, seven and eight figure businesses are doing that you're not?

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm sharing the five things next level business are doing that you too can do in your business, without working harder or hustling more.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's episodes are bought to you by our new marketing agency The Retail Strategists. Find out how we can help you create marketing that connects and converts at The Retail Strategists.

For more click here

You've heard it before "What got you here, is not going to get you there".

For the vast majority of retail and eCommerce brand owners, what got you where you are right now is an exceptional ability to lend your hand to anything and everything your business demanded of you. You deserve to celebrate that.

But what happens when doing everything leaves you crushingly overwhelmed. Managing a team or staff who stand around doing nothing whilst you still do every tiny task. Or spending the time you could be building and scaling your business doing tasks that could be outsourced to someone else?

Continuing to fill your time as the Master of Everything is not going to help your business to flourish and grow into the future. So what will?

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm sharing my top tips to breaking free from the cycle of overwhelm.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and our new marketing agency The Retail Strategists, where we deliver tailored marketing campaigns and brand strategy that communicates, connects and converts your customers.

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With Black Friday | Cyber Monday just weeks away and Christmas close behind, the next few weeks and months are, for many retailers, brands and businesses, the most crucial trading period of the year.

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm sharing clever tactics and strategies you can use in your store to leverage these huge promotional opportunities, without resorting to massive discounting.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy and The Retail Strategists.

Be the first to take advantage of our Black Friday special on Workbook Bundles. Click HERE to purchase and SAVE!

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Understanding how money flows into, through and out of your business is something that makes many business owners extremely uncomfortable. Fearful even. They think if they ignore the balance sheet and there’s enough to pay the bills at the end of the month, they can breath easy - even if things constantly feel tight.

The reality is a fear of money isn’t going to build a saleable profitable asset, which is what you want your business to be (or become). In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, we're talking money and focusing on what no one tells you about debt.

Listen in to learn how you can use the financial tools available to you to leverage and grow your business.

After the show, I'd love you to join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Doubling Your Sales Business Builder Workbook. You can grab a copy and start injecting 20, 30 or 40% of lost revenue back into your store.

For more click here

What difference would it make to your business if you could add an extra $40K, $50K or even $60K to your turnover this quarter? That's exactly what Tegan Mel, from Soul Quartz has just done.

Before you start thinking she must have worked 3x harder or spend 3x more to 3x her turnover. She didn't. In fact, over the past eight weeks, Tegan's worked less than ever before. No magic tricks, no hustling harder, no thousands of dollars ad spend.

On this weeks episode, Tegan's sharing how she has made phenomenal growth in her brick and mortar and eCommerce store a reality.

After the show, I'd love you to join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Doubling Your Sales Business Builder Workbook. You can grab a copy and start injecting 20, 30 or 40% of lost revenue back into your store.

For more click here

I'm excited to be joined by Damon Burton, SEO expert and Director of SEO National, on this week's episode of Bringing Business To Retail.

Busy and pushed for time many retailers fall into the habit of copying product descriptions or content directly from their supplier's websites. Whilst it does the job, it fails to engage both customers and the SEO Gods. What if you could increase the number and quality of the people hitting your website, show up in more searches AND connect with your customers with just a few small changes?

Damon generously shares his advice and tips for;

creating unique content about products (when everything's already been said 100x)
understanding how to use tags and meta descriptions
the top SEO mistakes he sees on e-commerce sites

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

So you've got big dreams to scale your business but you think high six or seven-figure growth is just for brands with big teams, big budgets and way more experience than you have.

In this weeks episode, I'm joined by Lewis Fausett, a partner in two successful businesses that have rapidly grown from six to seven figures.

Lewis shares

the biggest obstacles faced in achieving successful growth
how to optimise the social media channel that resonates most with your ideal customers
the mindset shifts that help build confidence and control
the importance of having a team around you and what roles they play
what your job as the CEO entails

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Getting your product in the hands of a big name influencer is the only way to get noticed on social media.

That's what most business owners believe and so they spend time, money and energy working hard to get their products in the hands of the latest Instagram or TikToks lifestyle face.

But what if I told you, you probably already have the best kind of influencers available, in your network of customers, staff and followers? Influencers who not only know your product but have an affinity to your brand and are able to authentically and genuinely market your store or products to their networks.

I'm joined on Bringing Business To Retail this week by Neal Schaffer, digital marketer and author of the book "The Age Of Influence". Together we discuss the power of micro and nano influencers and the tools you can roll out in your business to capture those people and use them to enhance your marketing.

For more click here

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They're like swear words in my business. Black listed. Peril will befall those who even dare whisper them.... (ok so maybe not that..!)

Have you fallen victim to the two words crippling smart, savvy business owners the world over?

Jump in to this episode of Bringing Business To Retail to discover what they are and why they're so powerful?

For more click here

When Stephanie opened her store in 2016 she told her husband it would take at least five years to be profitable. After two years she realised working 80+ hours a week in her "retirement job" and barely making ends meet was NOT what she wanted from her business.

Fast forward 18 months and both she and her store are hardly recognisable.

I hear so many retailers say they don't believe the "freedom business" hype. They don't believe they can grow their business or become profitable. They don't believe there's a way to change that doesn't require them to work harder or hustle more.

I asked Stephanie to join me and share the biggest breakthroughs in her business. To prove it CAN be done!

Stephanie shares how she took her store from struggling to highly profitable (even with a natural disaster, her husbands open heart surgery AND a pandemic to slow her down). What she now considers her role in the business. And how she has achieved being included in Shopify's top 1% of store owners (with a brand new and pretty average online store).

If it feels like you'll never own the store you dreamed of or that you're destined to be overworked and underpaid for ever; this episode will empower you to see that with the right knowledge and commitment it CAN be done.

For more click here

If you're like everyone else, 2020 will have felt like the longest year ever. Until I tell you the holiday season is a mere THREE months away. And then suddenly it feels like time has flown.

Even if gift giving and festive season promotions are the last thing on your mind right now, customers are desperate to feel joy. And giving thoughtful, unique gifts is one of the most powerful ways you can do that.

Now more than ever savvy retailers need to embrace their points of difference and work to promote the solutions they have for their customers in the lead up to what might just be the most unusual holiday period ever.

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm sharing FIVE easy steps to developing a Christmas marketing strategy that will help you stand out from the crowd.

After the episode join the conversation on Facebook or Instagram.

To access more great business building strategies head over and join me in The Retail Breakthrough Series.

For more click here

Most Independent Business owners I meet start their store for one of two reasons; to escape the 9-5 corporate grind and spend more time with their families or doing other things they love. Or to provide the opportunity to use their talents for their own gain or to give back to others. To me both of those things represent "freedom".

Thing is, before long people realise being a business owner holds more responsibility and requires more than just showing up to work each day. Before you know it those endless lists of tasks start eating into that freedom you left a well paying job or time with your kids to achieve. And in walks GUILT. Boots and all.

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I want to share how guilt played out in my business and share some ways you can tackle your own feelings so you can get back on track to achieving the freedom you were searching for when you first started out.

For more click here

Most retail and ecommerce store owners believe their customers know best when it comes to selecting stock. So when it comes time to order new stock or curate their range that's where they turn for advice.

Whilst you might get a whole lot of commenters and a bucket load of advice, it doesn't usually translate into sales. And all that idle stock is costing you BIG money.

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm sharing how you can curate a range, that doesn't involve reaching out to your customers for their advice but has people lining up to buy.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Most businesses owners have heard the terms brand and branding thrown around but are often unsure of what they mean and how they can leverage both in their business.

This episode I'm joined by experienced Brand Strategist, Designer and Copywriter (and our own Creative Director), Elizabeth Guthrie for a light hearted look at how brand and branding work together to provide customers with the perfect experience.

We explore what your brand should represent and how you can effectively communicate those things through the visual elements of your business (ie your branding!).

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

There's nothing more annoying than hitting a great website, only to be bombarded with pop-ups, free-shipping and mailing list sign-up forms. All before you've even had a chance to find out if they're the right store for you.

But does that mean you should forgo pop-ups on YOUR website?

On this weeks episode I'm sharing why pop-ups are a powerful tool (when used properly) and four that are guaranteed to increase conversions on your site (without pissing people off).

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Setting Yourself Up For Success Workbook. Re-calibrate your focus and plan to slide into Christmas 2020 in front. Click >>HERE<< to grab your copy today.

For more click here

When most retail & ecommerce store owners want to make more money, they focus all their efforts on selling.

They post 4 times a day on Instagram, make Tik Tok videos, spend hours tweaking their website, then they start running ads on Facebook.

Whilst they might get a small increase in orders their profit needle never seems to move. And still they believe more offers = more sales.

If you're not seeing the sales you want, and you’re are doing a lot of what I just described then I can't wait to share this episode of Bringing Business To Retail with you; Why Posting On Social Media Isn't Going To Make You More Money.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Have you ever felt you're doing really well, leading your business forward, only to wake up one day and realise you've slipped back into your old habit of doing all the things (even the ones you promised you'd never do again!)? All of a sudden you're the employee again, struggling to find your way off the shop floor (or away from the packing bench) and back into the role of CEO.

I know the feeling because it recently happened to me (I swear it's a Covid thing!).

In this episode I want to share with you how you can start making small changes to regain control of your business and move towards the place you want to be. If you're ready to start enjoying success right away, not in a year or two, I'd love you to join me.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram. The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Do you get a whole lot of traffic to your online store but struggle to get people to buy?

On this weeks episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm digging deep into the top strategies to drive traffic to your eCommerce site AND convert customers once they're there.

I'm joined by Shopify Web Designer and Director of Curious Themes, Elle McCann who will help you understand how to optimise your site for repeat customers and the importance of understanding your customer journey. We'll share with you the number one thing to focus on when sending customers to your site and help you leverage the extraordinary power of User Generated Content.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram. Whilst you're there join me for my EXCLUSIVE behind the scenes video series where you can discover more about how to scale and grow your 7-figure retail or eCommerce brand even further.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Have you ever asked yourself what it is those amazingly successful 8-figure retail and eCommerce brands have that you don't?

On this weeks episode of Bringing Business To Retail I'm throwing a light on the strategies and tactics those stores leveraged to take themselves from 7-figures to 8-figures and beyond. And here's a hint, you don't have to do ANY of them.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram. Or join me for my EXCLUSIVE behind the scenes video series where you can discover more about how to scale and grow your highly successful retail or eCommerce brand even further.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

If you've been around a while you'll know I talk a lot about providing your customers with relevant, targeted email marketing to help improve their customer experience. Part of producing that content involves segmenting or breaking your contact list up so you can send the right information to the right people at the right time.

Many retailers struggle to know exactly what segments to break their lists into and what information to collect from their customers. So in this episode I'm sharing how my team and I recently segmented our own email list; our motivation for doing it, what segments we decided on and why the process didn't go perfectly.

After the show, I'd love you to join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Over the past few months online delivery has surged, with an estimated 300% growth. In many sectors this has lead to massive supply issues. Whilst at the same time, many other retail segments that were locked down with a great deal of inventory stuck in stores are now dealing with a major oversupply.

As we speak billions of dollars of stock are being liquidated or moved to short-term warehouse space to free up room for new shipments or new season stock. Far from being a problem for just the big retailers, over supply is a very real threat to retailers of every size.

In this episode I'm sharing the pros and cons on the most popular strategies for moving stock in your retail or eCommerce store so you can get clear on the options you have for your inventory and the inventory flowing into the market place from other retailers.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook and Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

For many retail and eCommerce brands the past few months has seen unexpected benefits. But for many more it's mean financial stress and hardship.

In this episode of the Bringing Business To Retail podcast I'm joined by our resident finance expert, Adam Lean. As owner and director of the CFO project Adam is perfectly placed to share how you can build financial resilience into your business and provides simple, easy to implement strategies you can start using today to ensure you stay on top of your biggest financial priorities.

After the show, join the conversation or simply sy in touch on Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Last week Facebook announced the roll out of it's latest product Facebook Shops. A new omni channel shopping experience that will link business to customers and customers to products and services.

Facebook Shops undoubtedly will herald the biggest change to the online retail experience we have seen in a very long time. With over 160m small businesses using Facebook and it's associated aps to connect, converse and sell to their customers, this new technology will be a game changer.

Whether you're new to eCommerce, thinking about starting an eCommerce store or have an established platform, join me as I talk you through how this roll out will impact your retail business moving forward.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

Have you reached a point in your business where you need more than one (or two or three) people to grow. Maybe you need someone to handle your social media, manage your inventory or put your marketing plan into motion. Perhaps you simply need someone to sort through the thousands of emails in your inbox.

In todays episode I'm chatting with Nathan Hirsch former partner of recently acquired freelance recruitment platform Free-Up and now director of Outsource School.

Together we explore the benefits of hiring freelances and VAs, how to bring remote staff into your business, where to find them and how to interview them. We dive into the management process and how to make a remote team feel connected to your vision and your business.

If you've been exploring ways to grow your team and want to avoid the common pitfalls. Or have a remote staff but are sick of flaky hires or losers who stop showing up after a couple of weeks; this episode is for you.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

You started your business because you knew there was a better or different way to solve a problem or provide a product. You invested everything in to growing that business; nurturing it, carrying it, making it all look effortless and easy.

And then one day you wake up and it's not enough any more. You've hit a plateaux. You want more. Then what?

On this weeks episode I'm super excited to be joined by Michael Bernoff, speaker and author of Average Sucks. We work through the steps you need to take to move what you have, closer to what you want and explore why being happy with Average will stop you from realising your dreams.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

You've worked hard to build an eco friendly, socially aware or sustainable brand and then at the end of the process you find yourself sending your goods in a horrible old plastic courier satchels.

I'm so excited to be joined this week by Rebecca and Kate from New Zealand based business the Better Packaging Company. Despite only two years in business these girls are rocking the establishment with an extensive range of 100% home compostable, AS Certified, plant based packaging products specifically designed for retail and ecommerce businesses.

This is the guilt free alternative to mountains of standard issue courier bags.

Kate and Rebecca join me and share the motivation behind their business, how they're offering retailers and ecom businesses an alternative to standard plastics and how you can make a positive impact with even the smallest of business decisions.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

For more click here

With the price of Facebook ads going up, you want to ensure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

By using inbuilt Facebook ad functions that you might not have known even existed, you’ll be able to optimise your ad spend, and get better ROI.

In this episode, I‘ll share 5 simple tools that don’t cost a thing, to help you do exactly this.

For more click here

You've heard the whispers about selling on Amazon, but is it really the golden opportunity it's made out to be?

I put this question and many more to Stephen Sommers, online educator and expert on all things Amazon around the globe.

Join me as we unravel crazy statistics (like of the 14% of shopping that's done online 50% of those purchases are made through Amazon and the 100,000 new employees Amazon is hiring). And we explore the nuts and bolts of using Amazon as a platform to entry into an online market place or as an additional distribution channel for your existing retail business.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook or Instagram

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Product Descriptions That Sell Business Builder Workbook. Grab yourself a copy and start creating profitable product descriptions at a fraction of the cost of a professional copy writer. Find it in the Retail Academy Store

There's a lot of bleak out there in the world at the moment. So I'm bringing you a spot of positivity! This week on Bringing Business To Retail I catch up for a virtual coffee with my friend and editor of Inside Retail Magazine, Jo-Anne Hui Miller.

Join us for a good old chin wag about where consumer behaviour is at right now, where it's headed post 2020, what buying and shopping habits consumers are going to pick up during their time in isolation (what will stay and what will go). Like a good coffee date, we go all over the place!

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

Got some spare time on your hands? I'm opening up my breakthrough series. Head over and reserve your place. https://salenaknight.com/breakthrough

Are you a stats person or a sick your head in the sand type? Overwhelmingly most retailers tell me analysing statistics regularly gets put in the too hard basket.

But can you afford to just stick your head in the sand, when it comes to the health of your business?

In this episode I'm sharing why statistics are so important to the future of your store and defining the five stats you can't ignore, if you want to grow your business.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

Ready to learn more strategies to scale and grow your retail or eCommerce business? Check out our courses and resources at the Retail Academy Shop

For more click here

Live from Inside Retail, I'm joined by Alita Harvey-Rodrigeuz, founder and General Manager of one of Australia's leading Digital Marketing Training Agencies, MI Academy.

In this weeks episode we're exploring Applied Creativity and the enormous impact it can have on your business, how you can implement creative new ideas in ways your customers engage with (and in ways that convert), how to use dynamic content to personalise your customer interactions and the importance of segmenting your email list so you can apply creative concepts to the right people.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch on Facebook or Instagram.

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Re-engaging Your Email List Business Builder Workbook. Grab your copy and start reconnecting and communicating with your customer via email. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

For more click here

It seems everyone has just discovered their email database. But what if you want to connect with your customers in a more personal and more relevant way than simply saying "this is what we're doing about Covid-19"?

In this episode I'm joined by Sarah McIntyre, digital marketer and email marketer. Together we explore;

the importance of building a community away from the changing sands of social media (ie via your email database)
ways you can genuinely connect and help your customers during this time
why understanding your customer is pivotal to every piece of content you produce
how to get people to look at your emails, open them and click through to purchase

For more click

Now, more than ever, independent business owners need to step up (or step into) the role of CEO in their business. It's time to take control. But taking on a leadership role in your own business is challenging even at the best of times.

Last month I heard Julie Mathers, CEO of the worlds largest Vegan eCommerce store Flora and Fauna, speak at Inside Retail Live. I came away from our time together motivated and empowered by her passion for purpose driven business and the leadership role she has carved out for herself.

At short notice, Julie kindly agreed to chat to me this week about Unleashing Your Inner Leader. We cover a lot of ground. Including;

how long it took her to become the CEO of her business
the differences she found between independent & corporate retail
how they've built the best team for their business
the importance of defining your purpose
why experience & failure make you a great leader

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/]

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Re-engaging Your Email List Business Builder Workbook. Grab a copy today and start leveraging your customer database https://theretailacademy.net/shop

For more click here

Covid-19 is already impacting the supply chains of some of the worlds largest businesses, which is understandably making retailers nervous. Is your business equipped to navigate this period of change and uncertainty?

In this episode of Bringing Business To Retail, I'm sharing how independent retailers can work to find proactive solutions to the economic and social impacts of the Coronavirus, before crisis point hits.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight/ and https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/
The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month our feature product is my workbook Re-engaging Your Email List. Sick of sending out emails that only get opened by a handful of people. Re-invigorate your database with this easy to follow step-by-step workbook. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

For more click here

Inside Retail Live 2020 didn't fail to live up the being the leading retail and eCommerce think tank in Australia and New Zealand. On this week's episode I'm sharing my Top Take Aways from the conference with thoughts and ideas from enterprise level retailers, global eCommerce superstars, tech and product developers and thought leaders, with a focus on how we can work together to build a robust and prosperous future for retail.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight/ and https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/
The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Re-engaging Your Email List Business Builder Workbook. You can grab your copy today to work step-by-step through the strategy required to reconnect with your email database. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

For more click here

Live from Inside Retail 2020; Yasmin Grigaliunas shares her experiences running a business with passion and purpose at the core of everything they do.

In 2013 Yasmin and her husband Leigh started Worlds Biggest Garage Sale. What was intended to be a one off event where they would sell dormant, unused goods, to raise money for charity, has grown over the last five years to raise more than $314k for charity benefactors and divert over3.3million kilograms of unused goods going to landfill.

Thanks to our friends at Inside Retail Live for permission to record this session.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight/ or https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Recovering Lost Sales Business Builder Workbook. Grab a copy today and start injecting 20, 30 or 40% of lost revenue back into your store. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

For more click here

In this, the third part of my series on Retargeting, I share my top tips so you can build an effective marketing strategy for your retail or eCommerce store that re-attracts customers and entices them to buy from you, exactly when and where they're ready.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight/ or https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/

The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Recovering Lost Sales Business Builder Workbook. Grab a copy today and start injecting 20, 30 or 40% of lost revenue back into your store. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

I'm excited to announce I'll be presenting at Inside Retail Live in Melbourne on 26th February. Use the code SK25 to receive a 25% discount off your conference fee. More information and bookings are at the following link ⇢https://retailweek.com.au/tickets/#insideretaillive

For more click here

Did you know 97% of online shoppers aren't ready to buy on their first visit? And at least 50% of in store visitors are simply browsing the first time they come to your store.

Re-targeting or re-marketing to those customers is a simple and cost effective way to capture sales from customers who were interested enough to come looking but not quite at the purchase point in their buying journey.

On this weeks episode I'm sharing the steps you can take in your eCommerce or retail store to successfully leverage digital technology and increase your turn-over.

After the show, join the conversation or simply stay in touch at https://www.facebook.com/thesalenaknight/ and https://www.instagram.com/thesalenaknight/
The Bringing Business To Retail Podcast is an independent podcast produced by Salena Knight in collaboration with The Retail Academy.

This month's feature product is my Recovering Lost Sales Business Builder Workbook. You can grab a copy and start injecting 20, 30 or 40% of lost revenue back into your store. Find it at https://theretailacademy.net/shop/

I'm excited to announce I'll be presenting at Inside Retail Live in Melbourne on 26th February. Use the code SK25 to receive a 25% discount off your conference fee. More information and bookings are at the following link ⇢https://retailweek.com.au/tickets/#insideretaillive

For more click here

Do you think customer database is usefull or useless? Do you have your own customer database?

In this episode we will talk about benefits customer database can bring you. You can get more sales and more profit just if you ask your customer to join your customer database.

I shared in this episode a lot of information so starting from today you should build your customer database.

As a business owner, you’re constantly juggling balls. If you’re just starting out, there might be more of those balls to juggle, but as you grow, even though you can delegate and outsource, there are still balls, and even more juggling.

So today, I thought I’d share with you the top apps that we use in our business and that my 1:1 clients have had success with. The ones that have helped boost sales, increase engagement, streamline systems, and generally make life easier.

For more click here

Understanding your customers; when they shop, how they shop and of course what they want to buy, is a vital component of running a successful retail or ecommerce business. In this episode I'm sharing four COST FREE ways you can discover more about your customers. And the ways you can use that information to drive more traffic to your store, increase your social media presence, create effective SEO and deliver the goods and services your tribe are looking for.

For more click here

Feel like you're a slave to your business? Work hundreds of hours but pay yourself for only a fraction of them? In this episode I'm exploring when and how to start drawing a wage from your business and sharing strategies to ensure you earn an income AND stay solvent, even if you haven't kicked all your financial goals.

Listen here

In this week's podcast episode we have one specific topic to talk about. It’s all about a national crisis. You will have a chance to learn:

How to create a crisis plan
Should you run your Ads during a crisis
Should you talk about your business when the is a national crisis

All of these and many other useful tips you will learn if you listen to this podcast episode.

It probably comes as no surprise that I'm an avid listener of podcasts, right? So I thought I'd share with you my top 6 podcasts that I listen to all the time, that are perfect for you, the independent retail & ecommerce store owner.

I through in some strategy, some marketing and even a little bit of woowoo, for those of you who are happy to think (and operate) outside of the box.

I hope you enjoy them!

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In today's episode, part 2 of my Summer Series, Elizabeth Gillam from Franchisee Success and I chat about

How to systemise yourself out of the business
Managing Cashflow – forecast and know what happens in your industry
Getting your team to upsell and monitor your stats like Average Sale Value
Inventory management tips
Things you need to put in place before you hire staff
How to enable your staff

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Join me today in this Summer Series as I get interviewed by Tracy Harris from Mums With Hustle and we talk all about customers and cashflow, including
How to retain current customers
How to acquire new customers through effective marketing
Key strategies to unlock cash flow
How to maximise Christmas sales

Make sure to check out Tracy's awesome podcast Mums With Hustle and head over to her website if you want great advice on social media strategies (particularly instagram).

Listen the episode here

Merry Christmas
Sal

Welcome to my Year Of Failure. I'm celebrating my last live episode for the year with a warts and all look at 2019; what went wrong, what I'll be doing differently in 2020 and why I gave my business a big fat F in it's end of year report.

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So you want to get your amazing product into retail stores...? In this episode I'm sharing retailers top must have's when it comes to getting your products into the range and onto the shelves of your dream stores, wether you're a Product Creator, Wholesalers or Distributors. If you're a retailer looking to expand your range or bring in new products, you'll also gain great insight into what you should be looking for when you sign up a new brand.

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Do you have loads of lookers but struggle when it comes to buyers? Are you trying to tackle your low conversion rates with more and more advertising? Does the stock on your shelves fly out the door or sit languishing for months?

In this episode I can't wait to share how you can curate a range of products customers are itching to get their hands on. How to turn your focus to selling more of the right stuff to the right people. Insider information on calculating your opportunity costs and how to use strategies like price anchoring successfully.

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Your website's looking shmick. Your product descriptions are top notch. So why is it so hard to write your About Me (or Us!) Page? And does it really matter if it's a bit rubbish?! In this episode my guest, copy writer Jay Crisp Crow, is going to answer your most pressing questions about website copy. How to make it sing. How to make it resonate. And in particular how to write an About Page that sells whilst it tells.

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In the current retail climate customers can choose to shop any time of the day from just about anywhere. So what do you, as an independent retailer, offer up that makes their shopping experience different?

In this episode I can't wait to share with you three seriously simple (but super effective) personal touch points that will enhance your customers experience shopping in your store.

 Are you ready to take your business from Super to Superstar but just can't figure out how to do it? Do you lack the money, energy or time to focus on all the things you think you need to change in your business? Perhaps you're stuck in a rut, sitting on a plateaux or your business never really got off the ground in the first place..? In this episode I share the 5 fundamental pillars of a successful business and help you understand how a weakness in one of those areas will hold your business back from growth and success. Then we work through how you can focus on the one area of your business that will move you towards growth and superstardom.         Listen here

When Florence (Floss) Kelly and her two business partners Drew and Mark, opened online tile company Tile Cloud, they completely disrupted the stalwards of the tile industry. In this episode Floss shares with us how they've taken their business from super to superstars, in a mere three years.

Learn what they did to build trust, brand awareness and deliver on an exceptional level of customer engagement. And discover their secret to connecting with DIY Rennovation influencers Three Chicks.

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Got a premium brand and wondering if that excludes you from Black Friday / Cyber Monday? With over 86% of US and UK retailers taking part in the largest sales events of the year and retailers realising an average 500% increase in traffic to their store - you'd be well placed to considering enticing customers to your store.

When it comes to premium brands, most retailers don't want to be seen to be cheapening their brand by giving discounts - and fair enough too. In this episode I share with you how you can create promotional opportunities that cashes in AND stays true to your branding guidelines.

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In the lead up to the holiday season I'm joined by David Dundas, director of social media agency Hello Convo and creator of Instagram hashtag app Tribe List. Together we explore how Instagrams sophisticated algorithms rely on the power of hashtags and unique content that resonates with your customers. Join us to discover the power of Instagram TV, hashtags, influencers and the much anticipated roll out of Instagram Shopping to grow your retail or ecommerce business.

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In this episode I'm joined by Rob Hango-Zada, co-founder and co-CEO of Australian order fulfilment company Shippit. Providing shipping and order fulfilment services for some of Australia's biggest retail names including; Sephora, Kathmandu, CottonOn and Temple & Webster, Shipit has build a brand where innovation and customer experience are at their core.

Join me to get the inside story on how Shipit succeeded where so many have failed. Discover if the journey from start up to superstar was all smooth sailing and share an honest story about risk, friendship, sacrifice, self-awareness and the lessons Rob learned along the way.

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Make 2019 the year you don't leave your Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales campaign to guess work. In this episode I dive into my top tips for ensuring you run a well planned and profitable promotion in the lead up to the busiest time of the retail year. Plus give you access to my free Black Friday / Cyber Monday download.

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Live from The 2019 Sydney Retail Festival I'm joined in a panel discussion by retail industry leaders Andy Homan, Jo-Anne Mui-Miller, rob Martell, David Bush and Yianni Giovanoglou.

The landscape of retail is changing, providing unique opportunities for retailers and brands to come together and create exciting partnerships. In this discussion we explore how Retailers and Suppliers Can Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships. Including;

The biggest obstacles in retailer / supplier relationships
How to extend your partnership beyond the transactional
Store design
Customer attraction and engagement
Working together to weather an economic downturn

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Vanessa Van Edwards is a Behavioural Investigator who specialises in the psychology behind what makes people behave in the ways they do. A few years back Vanessa joined me on the podcast to discuss how retailers can use charisma and body language to sell just about anything to anyone and why it's important to be the perfect blend of approachable and knowledgable when it comes to sales.

This has become one of my most listened to episodes, with dozens of retailers writing in to tell me how much value they gained from Vanessas insights. Especially when we start stepping through how to spot a shoplifter simply by watching their body language!

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Adam Lean knows exactly how it feels to be under financial pressure; following a short career as an Accountant he started a sporting goods enterprise. A few years in he realised he was in significant financial trouble, despite having the background to have seen the warning signs.

Adam has combined his accounting and entrepreneurial experience to create the 4 Step Process; Path To Profitability, where he works with other independent business owners to ensure their business financially healthy.

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Starting a retail or e-commerce business often unleashes a whole raft of secrets you wish you knew before you went into business. None seems to hit quite as hard as discovering working for yourself can be a very isolating and lonely experience.

As humans we're hard wired to connect with other people - even if we actually really like our own company. But sometimes that's easier said than done.

Today I'm throwing some light on one of the dark secrets haunting retailers and getting serious about how you can find business and personal connections that will help you thrive and prosper as an independent retailer.

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With your customers inboxes bulging with everything from invoices to out and out junk mail, how do you send emails that not only connect and generate sales but actually get opened in the first place?

In this episode professional copywriter Megan O'Leary shares her experiences writing copy for some of the biggest names in the marketing business, including why email marketing is still one of the best investments you can make in your business.

How to maximise your email subject line to get your emails to stand out from the crowd. And how you can ensure your brand voice is communicated if you outsource your social media or copywriting to a professional.

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Even with massive advances in online and social media advertising, email marketing remains the strongest and highest returning method of communicating directly with your customers.

In this episode I'm busing open the top three email marketing secrets no one else is telling you. Tune in to find out how you can use these secrets to increase the traffic to your store AND start making money with every every email you send.

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How much thought do you give the entire journey your customer passes through - from attraction and acquisition, through to purchase and retention?

In this episode Digital Marketer Louise Griffith shines a new light on what she refers to as the eco-system of the customer journey. Tune in and discover how you can increase your sales and retain customers by focusing on a more holistic version of online marketing and meeting your customers where they are with the information they're looking for.

Louise generously shares;
- the importance of having a well planned digital strategy
- where to focus your energy
- knowing what stops your customers from buying
- why empowered staff are your strongest retention tool
- how to develop, manage & nurture online communities

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Economies have a cycle, and it doesn't take much to see the world is perched on the edge of a downturn. As a retailer this means more than ever, you need to be constantly innovating, surveying your customers, analysing your product mix and keeping on top of your cash flow.

But what exactly are customers looking for and what will you need to do to stay on top of your game moving into the future?

In this episode I'm sharing my top predictions moving towards 2020, based on the take-home messages being shared at the recent Online Retailer.

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If you've ever worked with me 1:1 you'll know I love Brand Archetyping AND I love Brooke Lawson!! Which is why I'm super excited to have her on the show with me this week.

Former graphic designer turned branding expert Brooke is now director of Filament Branding, where she helps entrepreneurs not only discover their unique voice but helps them use it to attract customers to their business.

In this episode Brooke and I explore how you can unlock your brand archetype from the 12 set out by Carl Jung, begin to understand draws people to you and your business, and why being your amazing, unique, kickarse self is the very best branding strategy you can use.

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Losing weight isn’t something I often talk about but after shifting about 9kg (20lbs) in the past six months I’m ready to share how what I’ve learnt through this journey has impacted on a series of other aspects of my life and business.

This is a lesson in how doing ‘all the things you’re supposed to do’ is sometimes the least effective way of reaching your goals.

Listen in to find out how my weight loss lessons can translate into your business.

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Have you ever considered pitching your brand at the billion dollar wedding industry? Join me as I chat to wedding and events PR expert Meghan Ely.

With more than a decade in the bridal industry Meghan opens up about what makes brides tick, what makes them buy and how you can get a piece of the action. Listen in to catch Meghan's inside tips on packaging your products and promoting your brand, even if you're not selling a front line wedding product.

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Do the locals high tail it to the big city to do their shopping, passing your store on the way out of town? Would your customers prefer to pay higher shipping costs than support your small town store? Tearing your hair out trying to keep stock your entire town will like?

It's time to stop 'geo-blaming' and start making it big in your small town.

In this episode, I'll walk you through the fundamentals of running a successful business in a country town or regional center.

We'll chat all things financial planning, why the whole town isn't your ideal customer, why embracing change isn't optional, how to get out of towners into your store (even if you're not a tourist destination) and how to grow through collaboration.

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Do you employ staff in any part of your business, or are considering doing so? If the answer is yes (or you'd like it to be yes!) you're going to find my conversation with Sarah Riegelhuth both informative and inspiring. As the CEO of remote employment specialists, Grow My Team, Sarah has a unique view of the employee / employer relationship. Together we discuss;

the benefits of hiring a remote employee
why employing a VA often ends badly
why you need to get clear on exactly what you want
the importance of employing for skill and personality
the benefits of performance based salaries

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It's a retail catch 22. You know if you could just get more customers in the door or drive more traffic to your e-commerce site, you'd make more money. But how do you attract those elusive new customers when you don't have a whole lot of money to splash around on customer acquisition?

In this episode I'm going to let you in on my 5 most popular strategies for getting new customers into your store, without spending a cent. And not just any old "give me your stuff and see ya' later" customers. We're talking the kind of customers that stick around for the long haul, love your brand and sing your praises from the roof tops!

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Over the past six months I've had the great pleasure of getting to know Anna Wythes, as she's worked her way through my small group coaching program.

Anna's story will resonate with you; school teacher by day, ethical fashion retailer by night, Anna is a Retail Superhero juggling single parenthood, work and running a business she's passionate about. Anna uses her store to make a difference to others and share her message about ethically produced fashion.

You will be inspired by Annas story of embracing change, rolling out automations and using technology to lighten the load and understanding the importance of making a profit in order to afford to keep giving to others.

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Five years after opening her bespoke letterpress business, Sara McNally realised things were no longer working out the way she planned. Rather than close her store she made the brave decision to completely pivot and recreate a new version of her business Constellation and Co. Including opening a store front, on a whim! Join Sara and I as we chat about;

new opportunities that have come from changing direction
why reinvention should be a constant activity
the importance of connecting with people who understand
how running a business impacts on mental health
how mental health impacts on your business
why building a customer base at the expense of your own value and worth is one of the most damaging things you can do

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I love talking to industry experts, picking their brains on your behalf for their hot tips and the kind of know-how you have to pay crazy town dollars to get as a consulting client.

Kurt Elster from Ethercycle just went very close to the top of my Most Enjoyable list! Kurt is a Senior Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify merchants (like Jay Leno’s Garage) uncover hidden profits in their websites.

He very kindly took time away from his own show; The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, to chat to me on the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast. Join us as we talk about why "beautiful" design doesn't mean profitable design, three strategies you can roll out this afternoon to improve the conversion rate on YOUR website and a fun look at what features Kurts retail e-commerce site of choice has that others don't.

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When you start a business, you can manage most things. Bust as your business grows, it’s easy to crumble under the pressure of wearing all the hats.

It’s a question that I’m sure many of you have asked yourself over time, maybe many times a day even.

So if you’re struggling, whether it’s with your business or your home, your health or your mindset, this episode is for you.

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Having issues with your Facebook Business page? You're not alone. The past couple of weeks I've fielded several calls from clients asking me to help them with everything from not being able to post any content or make comments on their business page, through to not being able to access their page at all.

Given so many of you use Facebook as your primary point of contact with your customers, you can't afford to let this one slide. This week on the Bringing Business To Retail Podcast I'll be sharing my top suggestions for keeping your business Facebook page up and operational.

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Getting away is important for you, your staff AND your business. But what if the idea of taking a holiday fills you with equal parts desire and dread? How do you take a holiday without losing money or momentum? Do you close your store or not?

Start gathering your travel brochures and thinking about your capsule wardrobe. This week on the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast, I'm sharing my top tips to get your business vacation ready.

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This week I had an email from a listener who wanted to know how the heck she can keep on top of her social media when there always seem to be hundreds of other jobs to do AND an actual business to run.

Hands in the air if you feel like keeping on top of your socials is like a full time job? Pretty much all of you right.

Well I thought it might be useful to share with you some of the tips I gave Katie about how you can conquer social media, WITHOUT burning out.

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Go on! You know you want to know what in the heck I could possibly have learned from the kitsch filled, angst ridden, girl power themed Bad Moms movie!

Listen in as I share the top three things I took away from my recent night in front of the TV. Join me for this super fun episode and bring a few laughs to your day!

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Episode link: https://salenaknight.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=12878&action=edit Not every business is going to be smooth sailing, all of the time. Maybe you'll have problems with your employees. Perhaps there will be issues with your suppliers. But one of the worst case scenarios is running of money. It's so easy to think "this is it - my business journey ends here". But does running out of money mean the end of the road? In this episode of the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast I share with you my personal experiences from being in this very situation. Join me as I share; 1. What I did to move myself out of this very stressful situation 2. My strategies for advertising an e-commerce or retail store without any money 3. Why believing in yourself & your ideas is vital to your success

Yes it's possible and yes you can get great results! If you're one step off giving up on your business dream, you owe it to yourself to listen in. For more click here

Selena Soo is a publicity and marketing strategist helping business experts, authors, and coaches go from "hidden gem" to admired industry leader. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including; Marie Forleo, Danielle LaPorte, Pat Flynn and Laura Belgray. In this short episode Salena talks to me about how retailers can move from simply selling a product or being an e-commerce brand to being the face of their brand. Selena will show you how to; 1. share your story with your customers 2. how you can create a deep connection with your audience 3. why being the person who shares past experiences will attract the attention of your listener 4. how focusing on one specific top you're really good at will benefit your publicity

Listen now and join the long list of Salena Soo fans who have benefited from her knowledge and expertise. For more click here

**Ugh, copycats, right? 

Some days, it can feel like with every swipe of your insta feed or every scroll of your Facebook feed, you stumble across another business or person, copying your hard work.**

Perhaps it the product photo shoot images you spent days putting together, or it’s the product descriptions that you wrote, deleted and rewrote for hours on end. If you’re lucky enough o be a designer, having your style ripped off can feel like you heart is being ripped out.

So how do you deal with business copycats?

**In this episode, I’m getting raw and real about how they affect me I’m going to share you with you exactly what I do when this happens (and it’s not what you think) 

Plus I’ll give you the tips that I use, literally on a weekly basis, to cope with the endless copying

If you’ve ever suffered the anger that comes with being copied and you want to know what to do when someone copies your work, then this episode is for you.**

For more click here

Should you invest in PR? Is it worth the money? What do you do when you finally have people checking out your stuff? How do spot a dodgey deal from a great publicity opportunity?

Today I’m chatting with former TV reporter turned PR Guru, Christina Nicholson. Christina uses her no nonsense strategies to help independent business owners, solopreneurs and entrepreneurs all over the world gain and leverage publicity.

Together we cover off how you can get PR for your retail store without spending the big bucks. Everything from how to measure the real ROI from your PR, why PR is more powerful than traditional advertising, the importance of a great pitch and why Twitter is as good as an expensive media list. Plus Christina spills on her Top Three Tips for PR success.

Time Stamps

Why your real ROI is what you DO with publicity not where you get it [8:31]
The power of PR over advertising [10:26]
How to spot a journo from a content hack [13:02]
Ways to leverage your publicity to get more [13:32]
The importance of a good pitch [16:06]
Why timeliness is so important [18:02]
Be prepared for success [24:02]
Top 3 tips for PR success [28:22]

For more click here

If you use Mailchimp and Shopify, you would have received this message in the last couple of days.

Chances are, 1 of 2 things happened.

You didn’t actually open the email, so you’re not really sure what the fuss is about.
You opened the email, thought hmm, I probably need to look into that or
You thought holy crap-balls, THIS IS BAD

And the winner is……
number 3!

Not that I want to tell you what opinion you should have, but the truth is – if you weren’t thinking number 3, or some version of it, then you are seriously underestimating how much an email list does for your business.

Fact is, when you use email well, your email list should be generating a lot of money for you!

Take this example

So, what’s the answer?

Well for most of you, I’m going to recommend Klaviyo. If your business is purely ecommerce, fashion, homewares, jewellery, skincare etc, Klaviyo is for you.

I made this little video to show you just a handful of the cool things Klaviyo will do for you (that Mailchimp never did).

OK, so how is K different to MC.

To put it into perspective, at its core MC was designed to send email newsletters. IT wasn’t built to be an ecommerce marketing platform. Sure, you can use it for ecommerce marketing, you can add apps to it and hack it to do the things your business needs, but it’s trying to be all things to all people.

K, however, was solely built for ecommerce marketing.

In fact, Klaviyo says Over 3,700 Mailchimp customers switched over to Klaviyo last year, and they saw an average increase of 46% in total store revenue.

Let me tell you just a few of the reasons that I recommend Klaviyo to my customers and install it into my 1:1 client retail and ecommerce businesses.

First up, let’s just get an insider look at why Klaviyo is so powerful.

You know how you can install a Facebook pixel on your site, or link GA, so it tracks your customers every move? Well Klaviyo does that for your ecommerce store. It keeps tabs on what your customer looks at, how long they spend on specific pages, what they purchase and what they click through to in an email. All the while, building a powerful, personalised customer profile.

Imagine being able, with a touch of a button, to send a product email, that was completely tailored to each recipient. What I see, is different to what you see, based on our buying and browsing behaviour. Well that’s exactly what Klaviyo does, with a simple click of a button. Cool right?

Ok, so the next reason I love Klaviyo, is segmenting. Unlike MC, where you have multiple lists, and duplicate funnels and emails, with Klaviyo you can segment based on products purchased, website browsing behaviour, how long ago a person has purchased, or not purchased, whether they’ve opened and emails recently, or not.

Why is this important.

Because, gone are the days when we can just send out newsletter blasts and hope people buy. The number one

Let me throw some stats at you

Personalized email messages improve click-through rates by an average of 14% and conversions by 10%. – Aberdeen

Only 39% of online retailers send personalized product recommendations via email. – Certona

Oh, and imagine being able to run Facebook ads to those segments – with Klaviyo, you 100% can, and even better, those segments are updated in real time. No more exporting lists to csv and then uploading them into fakebook business manager.

But probably my most favourite thing about Klaviyo, is that all of the funnels that everyone tells you need, well, they’re already there. Sure, should go in and tweak the email text to be more in line with your brand, Yeah, they’ll do much better if you spend some time customising the emails, but if you don’t have the time, you can just literally press go on the done for you flows and they’ll start working immediately

I know I’m sounding like a complete fan girl of Klaviyo, but that’s because I KNOW it makes you money. With its Shopify integration, it can create dynamic coupons, you can report on your sales and customers, you can integrate with Facebook and Instagram – it truly is da bomb

If your business is a kind of a service kind of ecommerce, say, like a solar hot water company, or a customer shade sail business, where you need to include a CRM, then I’m going to suggest Active Campaign.

Now, the questions you’ve all been waiting for – PRICE.

Klaviyo is free for up to 250 subscribers. Sure, it’s no Mailchimp-free-for-2000 subscribers.

But there’s a reason for that.
Comparing the 2, is like comparing an exercise book for inventory management, to a full-spec point of sale system.

Sure, they can both manage inventory, but the exercise book requires a lot of input from you.

If you have under 1700 customers, you’re looking at $75 per month.

But Klaviyo stats show that Shopify uses make around $85 for every dollar they spend on Klaviyo and to me, that’s a no brainer.

The truth is, if you’re using Shopify and mail chimp right now, you need to find something else. You’re going to have to migrate your data and customers over anyway, so why don’t you take this step and jump into Klaviyod

For more click here

Sarah Santacroce is passionate about helping business owners spread their unique message and brand through LinkedIn. She believes the former corporate connector is a fundamentally under utilised platform for retailers and entrepreneurs across the board. Over the past few years LinkedIn has become a powerful tool to bring your unique brand to industry professionals, influencers and customers alike.

If, like a large percentage of business owners, you think LinkedIn won’t bring additional value to your retail business, within the first five minutes of our conversation, Sarah will convince you otherwise!

Sarah’s the first to acknowledge LinkedIn can seem like an intimidating space. But with her focus on Social Serving, rather than Social Selling Sarah provides the tools to help you successfully communicate and connect with markets and customers you may be overlooking on standard social media platforms.

If you opened a LinkedIn profile years ago and haven’t touched it since, you’re going to want to open it up and start making changes right away, whilst Sarah generously shares with you her knowledge on:

Why LinkedIn is such a powerful tool
How LinkedIn will give you the edge on your competitors
Ways to increase your status, professional standing and credibility as a retailer
The importance of personal branding
Ways to use LinkedIn to move your brand forward
Tips for developing connections and content

TIME STAMPS

Is Linked in a social networking platform or a B2B connection point [7:27]
Are you a good fit for LinkedIn [9:32]
The importance of developing relationships & partnerships [10:36]
The customers you are missing out on by ignoring LinkedIn [11:42]
Getting the edge on your competitors [13:02]
Increase your status, professional standing and credibility [13:32]
The importance of building a professional AND personal brand [13:52]
How to use LinkedIn to move your brand forward [16:12]
Tips to increase your page views [18:41]
Developing network connections [22:24]
Who to connect with and what to say when you do [24:12]
Developing, using and searching for keywords successfully [34:02]
Content to include on your LinkedIn account [35:10]

If you’ve ever wondered how to make Google ads and pay per click advertising get the best ROI - this is the right episode for you. In this episode, marketing expert Quentin Aisbett is going to share his insider secrets to help you reach your advertising goals.

Quentin shares his best marketing strategy for retailers when it comes to Google marketing.

We also jump into understanding how google ads (including google shopping) work and how to optimise them

Click here for more

Copy writer and branding expert Lee Rowley has more than a decade experience writing sales copy and creating brands. But he’s the first to admit, his copy hasn’t always hit the mark!

Following a personal tragedy Lee felt compelled to find an alternative to the churn style copy his counterparts were using. Ignoring the “experts” he started creating copy and brands that made real, deep, connections with the people buying the products he was tasked with selling.

Over time this lead to Lee developing the Avatar Immersion systems, a series of connection points that helps business owners find the intersection between their own stories and the stories of their customers.

Lee is passionate about encouraging businesses owners to tell their own unique story, understanding customers and their needs and the importance of making the customer the focus of your sales copy.

For more click here

Alissa Daire Nelson wants you to do what you do best, every single day!

As a certified Strengths Coach, Alissa knows from experience how our past career choices and education play such an important role in what we do now. Alissa herself has reinvented her career several times; from dietician, to nurse, to direct sales consultant, to business owner and now a professional coach all of them adding a different dimension to what she can now offer her clients.

In this episode of the Bringing Business to retail podcast Alissa and I chat about how you can harness your efficiency and productivity by finding exactly what makes you tick. Using a tool called the Strength Finder Alissa works to find five core strengths that highlight your uniqueness and how you best operate.

We discuss in detail how this psychometric tool is used to identify and celebrate your positive strengths and helps stop Limiting Beliefs. At the same time knowing what makes you tick can help you identify gaps in your knowledge, which enables you to surround yourself with the employees and consultants you need, in order to grow personally and professionally

If you have an e-commerce store (even if you don’t) you won’t want to miss the episode.

The power of discovering and celebrating your strengths, using the Strength Finder [9:29]
Identify your top 5 strengths from a potential 34 settings using the Gallup website [16:14]
How your unique strengths profile will help bring on the best employees and consultants [18:22]
How you can harness what you already know are your strengths to build better customer connections [24:42]
4 steps to “Break in Awesomeness” [27:06]
Breaking the habit loop - how you can do it right now! [29:54]

For more click here

Chris Daly has over a decade of experience working as a Digital Marketer. During his career he has worked with some of the biggest names in e-commerce, helping drive traffic to their websites creating content that generates exceptional conversion rates.

After increasing the organic traffic to one of his clients website by triple but failing to increase sales, he hit on the importance of Conversion Rate Optimisation. Chris now works exclusively creating and testing e-commerce content that converts into sales for his clients.

In this episode Chris shares with me the importance of your home page and what you should include on it to ensure you customers buy. We check off the six ares of a website that should be converting for you and three tools you can use to test your conversion rates without breaking the bank. We also talk about my favourite topic; knowing your customer, and why split testing several versions of your key pages is integral to finding out exactly how your customer will interact with your website.

If you have an e-commerce store (even if you don’t) you won’t want to miss the episode.

Chris shares tips on what should be on the home page of your e-commerce website [9:32]
Find out what’s distracting people on your site and putting them off buying. [15:10]
What information do you need to show on your website and where do you need to show it. [21:45]
Is your website causing people to become anxious? [29:46]
What is the home page existence test? [45:07]

For more click here

Thomas Duran was going to be a fire fighter, that was until he realised he could turn his real passion for video, into his job. For the past thirteen years Thomas has worked as a professional video cameraman and producer, helping corporate clients sell their message and products through moving images.

In this episode Thomas shares how you can leverage, one of the most powerful marketing tools available and use video to sell to your customers and scale your business. We chat about ways you can avoid having your own face on camera, how to shoot iPhone videos that stand out in a congested market place, aps that help you edit your videos so it looks like a pro did them and what kind of budget you should be setting if you’re working with a professional production company.

No matter if you’re a start up producing DIY sales videos or scaling to seven figures and considering a highly polished branding video, Thomas shares how video delivers so much more to your customer in a way photos don’t.

Video is considered to be the most powerful marketing tool available to retailers today, and is no longer a bonus option but an expected addition.

For more click here

It's still an early period of the new year, and we are still setting goals for our business and we started to work on some, but if your business isn't where you think it should be you are going to love this episode and you will get many answers how to change that.

Steve Olsher is known as the world’s foremost reinvention expert. Famous for helping individuals and corporations become exceptionally clear on their WHAT – that is, the ONE thing they were created to do – his practical, no-holds-barred approach to life and business propels his clients and presentation attendees towards achieving massive profitability while cultivating lives of purpose, conviction, and contribution.

Interesting thing is that we talk about WHAT and not the WHY for the first time, and you are going to learn the difference that could help you and increase your business, skills, and profits.

For more click here

Are you overwhelmed with all the talk of goal setting that happens this time of year. Maybe you're feeling anxious you reach your goals from last year and now you're feeling the pressure to add more?

This weeks episode of the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast is for you!

My guest this week is self confessed serial entrepreneur, experienced retailer and personal development coach Peggy Sealfon. Peggy and I sit down to chat about the power of setting Intentions, rather than traditional, closed end goals and how powerful a shift of mindset can be for both your business and your life.

We also talk at length about how you can create a balance between your home life and your business, the importance of mindful decisions and how to make your own well being a priority when there are so many things vying for your attention.

For more click here

In this episode with us is amazing Jane Lu from Showpo and it's real pleasure to have Jane in the show.

Jane is a real synonym for success. Her business grows from a small garage shop to 60M USD in just 7-8 years.

It's not easy to grow like that and there are many hurdles but it's important to have a goal you want to achieve, Jane shared with us her inspirational story about everything she experienced during this period from nothing to success.

For more click here

This week is reserved for business strategies for independent retailers and currently, I am in America where I am helping retailers to grow their business. With me today is Jen Geale from Mountain Bikes Direct.

This interview is in New York where is currently a big NRF retail show. Retail’s Big Show is a marketplace for ideas and relationships. A chance to forge new partnerships, try out best-in-class experiences, and learn from some of the biggest players transforming retail today. An event guaranteed to drive impact.

Jen is one of the owners of MBC and actually, her husband starts that business from the garage, so a very inspirational story is in front of us also you will hear how they move from the garage to work only online and remotely. Jen shared with us many great tips and you need to listen to this episode.

For more click here

Here I have a guest on the show who is going to talk to us about how to grow 50 percent without setting any goals. I am a little bit skeptical because I am very much focused on give yourself a target if you want to call it a goal a goal give yourself a target so that you have something to aim towards and you can test and you can measure and you can make sure that you are on track.

In this episode you will learn:

Everybody has something that they can leverage in their own skill set that could increase the business, Philip told us how a procedure is important. If you don't have your own listen to this part and start working on it
How to motivate your employees
How to learn a skill at a very early age
How to attract and treat your team of people

For more click here

A new year is always time to sit down, grab a piece of paper and pen and start writing. Usually, we write our wishes, our goals, and our plans.

Maybe we are not always in a position to get our goals, but we need to set them and go straight to them.

Today on the show we have Laurie Shopland to help us with how we can actually the right goals and how we can get the right goals.

Listen to the episode, grab your piece of paper, be inspired and start working on your goals.

For more click here

What you will learn in this episode:

How to make things easier and automated
How to create great product descriptions
What is the best way to find content for your retail store or e-commerce shop
How technology can help you with your retail business
How to sell more?
How to turn your 404 error page in something very strong for your retail business

For more click here

Recently I was the guest on The Next 100 Days Podcast and I really enjoyed.

I have a couple of things to share with you today, and definitely, you are going to learn some new retail tricks.

"Retail is changing, you better change too"

Here are my Retail Breakthroughs:

You Need an ONLINE presence
Make Sure You CUSTOMISE Descriptions
Use Facebook Audience Insights for FREE to Get a lot of Data on Your Customers
Add an Upsell to Your Thank You Page
Customise the Your Order is On Its Way Emails
Be Sure to Get Your Customers to Buy What They Need
Don’t Outface People With Too Much Choice

Listen to the episode and figure out more.

For more click here

In this episode, you are going to learn

What is logistics aggregator [9:50]
What's unique about UShip system [11:27]
We talked about prices as well, learn some fresh information from Mike when it comes to shipping prices [20:35]
Mike shared an example with us how they care for your products [27:55]
Tips for retailers [31:36]

For more click here

Australia’s largest global retailer Cotton On Group, known for fast-fashion, on embracing ecommerce, sustainability, and the power of connecting with the next generation…

Brendan Sweeney, General Manager of Ecommerce for Cotton On Group (an Australian retail chain, known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children) joins Pavan Bahl and guest host Salena Knight (retail strategist, and host of the “Bringing Business to Retail” podcast), on location in Sydney, Australia at Online Retailer City and Nora Network, for a conversation presented by Fluent Commerce.

In this episode:

Cotton On Group’s seven retailer brands mainly in fast-fashion, plus apparel and gifting brand, 1400 stores around the world
Cotton On Groups’ explosive growth in last ten years
Prioritizing ecommerce
How Cotton On Group only built its first website 5 years ago

The title "Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible" is an interesting topic from the last month in the year.

Every day with your customers you can learn new facts about them, and you should put that as your priority.

In this week's episode, you will learn many tips and tricks in relation retailer - customer.

Click here for more

Giving the customer what they want, working with several trillion possibilities
A team of 200 people globally, headquarters in Los Angeles
Word of mouth is the biggest customer acquisition channel, and there are rabid fans
The issue with too much choice, too much newness/innovation, why Shoes of Prey is “toning it down”
Influencers designing pairs of shoes
Innovation is their thing
Core competency is on-demand customization—best in the world
Trend has been slower than expected in industry
Directing core competency to create value for customers,
“Cinderella costumers”, not in standard shoe width (2/3 of all women)
Why heels are so uncomfortable, brands cant hold inventory
Potentially higher value for customers with non-standard shoe sizes
Partnerships
Why manufacturing might move from Asia into local countries
Funding to pump money into new business opportunities

For more click here

Today's episode is a little bit different, and I hope you will enjoy this new format of the podcast episode. The holiday season officially starts in next couple of days with Black Friday.

Now it's time to use all your resources and get the best results in your retail store. Probably you will need some additional help and hire people during the season, so I am here to help you how to chose the right person and the best one.

My guest Dawn will try to help you as well. She runs the retail business but she noticed that she is really busy all the time, and she asks me to help her how to choose someone who will be the great fit and help with her business so she can have more time for things she likes to do and work to improve her business.

I hope you will learn new things today and rock this holiday season.

For more click here

I’ve got a question for you.

How many free things have you downloaded, watched or subscribed to in the last 6 weeks?

If you’re anything like me, the answer could be anywhere from a half dozen, to a hundred. Between the podcasts I listen to every day, the facebook lives, the free downloads and free trials, I would estimate I probably consume free stuff at a rate of around a 10-20 items a week.

When I recently got an email that a software trial that I had subscribed to was coming to an end and I would be billed if I didn’t cancel, it made me truly wonder about whether the time and energy that consuming free stuff, had actually made any impact in my life.

It was a bit of an a-ha moment, because I truly believe that you have to be constantly learning, adapting, improving, testing an measuring to grow yourself and your business. But, would I have made more progress would there have been more of an effect for me, if I’d paid for what I consumed.

So today I want to share with you how I think free is holding you back.

For more click here

A few episodes ago, I had the effervescent Rachel Miller on, talking all about how to get your Facebook posts to go viral.

And you guys absolutely loved it. It’s now one of the top downloaded episodes. I’ll link it in the show notes if you haven’t already heard it.

So with that in mind, I scoured the interwebs for other, awesome people who can help you take the virality, and inject it into other parts of your business.

And I was lucky enough to persuade Joseph Romm, author of “How to Go Viral and Reach Millions", to come on the show and share everything he knows.

For more click here

Sometimes it can be a little bit difficult to get your head out of that headspace when you're in a bit of a funk. So I brought along today's guest Alison Donaghey.

She's a radio host of the show think the opposite. She's the author of an international best-selling book also called Think opposite and she talks about using what she calls the domino effect to change your business to change the world.

And she's also a cause and effect strategist. And she's going to show us how you can expand your mind in ways you didn't think possible.

For more click here

When you get up this morning what was the thing that you thought just got in your way? Did you think Ah I'm so busy I just can't organize dinner? What's going to be for dinner? Oh I'm so busy I have to get the kids ready.

If I just had a little bit more money I could organize for somebody to be doing this thing that I don't like doing. We are always going to have stuff that get in the way. But today's guest Maxwell Ivey is an inspirational and motivational personal coach. And what I love about it is he also runs a business buying and selling carnival equipment and amusement park rides. Something a little bit different.

But Max gets what it takes when you're in retail. Max also has something else that he wants to talk to us about. It's about how we work on our goals, how we work on getting things done. But sometimes it's with a physical handicap and sometimes it's with a mental handicap. I'm not going to tell you anything because Max has got a fantastic story to tell. What I will jump in and say is I am already liking this guy because he has a greyhound cross Dalmatian called Penny a gray Mason.

I really want to see a picture of that. You've got to put that on the blog Max. I have a greyhound called Kav who I just had to kick out of the studio because he makes so much noise sighing. I don't know about your dog Max but my dog gets like an old lady comes to me.

For more click here

When you are growing your business you need to have a team. But sometimes you can't afford a full-time team so you might be working with a remote V.A. or you might have part-time people picking and packing for you.

And you got part-time social media person but sometimes it can feel like a luxury when you've got someone full-time and keeping all those balls juggling in the air and making sure everybody gets along can be really difficult.. So I've brought Jeffrey Davidson onto the show to help you help your team.

Click here for more

I know that we have been talking about scaling your business a lot over the last couple of weeks. And I thought it would be a really great opportunity to bring somebody on who has done a fantastic job of doing exactly that; scaling their business.

Kade Wilxoc is the co-founder. He originally founded it but now he is a co-founder of Primitive Social and may have scaled it from just a hundred thousand dollars in revenue a year to 4 million dollars in revenue in just four years. So I'm going to let Kade tell you the story about how he did it but I know that you are going to love this one because we are all about growth this month here on the bringing business to retail podcast.

For more click here

We could all do with more customers and we could always do with friends in the business. And I use the word friends with some quotes around them because growing your retail business is not about doing this on your own.

Erica will talk about how you can grow your business and improve your customer experience just by putting yourself out there and creating some partnerships and maybe even some streamlining some systems along the way

For more click here

Jaimie Slutzky integrates software systems for creative and out of the box entrepreneurs. So people just like you so that they can spend their time and energy creating content and engaging with their clients.

She thrives by removing tech as a barrier to letting her clients’ visions shine through. Jaime hosts the Tech of Business podcast where she showcases the role of software and technology in businesses of every size and shape.

For more click here

I know that if you are running a business any type of business on the side it can be a constant juggle between working out how much time you should put in and how much money you should put in and the stress that comes with juggling having a full-time job or even a part-time job and a family and then this business as well but I want you to know it can be done.

So, I have bought Carmel Griffith onto the show she is a real retailer just like you and she's going to talk about how she runs her what we call in the term side hustle even though I don't like that word

For more click here

Our guest started his career in marketing at the age of 16. The Wall Street Journal called him a top influencer on the web. Foltz says he's one of the top 10 marketers.

An Entrepreneur Magazine says he's created one of the 100 most brilliant companies.

He's a New York Times bestselling author and was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.

Our guest is Neil Patel

For more click here

I know that you often listen to the people on this podcast and you think man they seem so much further along than I am, well today I have Sherrie from lime lifestyle on and she is going to share with you exactly what she goes through in her business journey every single day.

In this episode you will learn:

Sherrie turn her store into a multi-million business but hear some of the obstacles that she face every single day?
Listen to some of the revelations that Sherrie has this year because she has got a really big year.
Learn from the example - shipping, should it be free?
Even independent business owner can be so lonely, so how do you combat that, how do you combat being in the school and working by yourself a lot of the time?

For more click here

Running your own business is fraught with danger. We all know that and sometimes we don't have access to instant legal advice. So I'm here to help you. And I've brought Anthony Verna on the show. He's a lawyer and he's going to help us really navigate what it takes. What you need to be doing and how to make sure that you stay within the law when it to running a promotion.

Anthony is the managing partner of a boutique law practice focusing on intellectual property, trademark and copyright registrations protection, domain name law, advertising and promotions law which is what we're talking about in this episode

For more click here

I saw Rachel on stage and she talked about how to make a Facebook post go viral. Now just, last week of the week before when we were recording this I had a Facebook post going viral in a group and for all intents and purposes, it potentially should never have done so.

But I want to get Rachel to give us the inside secrets, the inside scoop, on how you can make this happen.

For more click here

Driving traffic to your store can be such a difficult thing. So I thought who better to tell us about how we can do that but head of retail research James Cook

In this episode, you will hear and learn 6 dimensions of retail experience

For more click here

Retail is visual.

And when it comes to visual marketing, whether you feel creatively challenged, like I do, or you are super comfortable with creating images for your brand, we can always grow by having some expert advice thrown our way.

So I’ve brought Scott Tomas from creatively squared onto the podcast, to talk all things visual marketing.

Why visual content is important
What types of visual content you should be using
How to use visuals to improve results

And more... you will discover if you click here

Welcome to the podcast show, our guest is Matt Barnett, Matt's from Bonjoro and if you joined my retail breakthrough series you would know exactly what a Bonjoro is.

It is a personalized video message that I recorded over four of recently and welcomed every single person into the retail breakthrough series.

I really love this platform because of the way that it connects. So, I asked Matt to come on and talk to you about how personalized video messaging can be used to significantly retain your customers in your retail business.

For more click here

Hijackals - Have you ever had one of those people in your life? You know the type of person who you spend time with them and afterwards, you just feel completely drained. They just seemed to take so much effort to be around. And yet we still hang around them. Why is that?

For more click here

Today's guest is Jasmine Terrany and she is going to challenge your beliefs and your thoughts on motherhood parenting work-life balance and even success is all of this actually possible

Listen to Jasmin's story about childhood [06:41]
Can perfect childhood be one of the reasons to find the perfect partner [11:49]
As parents, we all often flow against decade, how to deal with that [27:07]

For more click here

I had a recent digital marketing conference, I know I've been harping on about it for quite some time.

At that recent tropic and conversion conference, one of the repeating themes that came up was that, in order to grow, it is super important to automate your systems But once automation is paramount to business growth, I feel like some brands have forgotten that customers are real people. And in the ever-changing digital landscape, never has it been more important to build relationships, especially with your customers and just databases.

So I have on the show Alexandria from Purpose Pioneer and she is going to talk to us a little bit more about why you are doing what you are doing and how you can use that essence to grow your retail show.

For more click here

Today's guest this week is Tommy Breedlove. Now Tommy chose to lead a very lucrative international financial consulting career to follow his calling to help others with the same securities and struggles he faces every day as a leader and as a man.

Today on the show Tommy going to share with you his wisdom and his tools to rediscover your brilliance to achieve meaning balance and true happiness without compromising your financial and professional success.

Because Tommy is great in the finance department and you are going to be really excited if you're in that middle-level point where you have hit a plateau in your business. Today’s episode is for you.

For more click here

When it comes to e-commerce email marketing, it can be really difficult to work out what you should be putting in those emails.

There's a big argument between transactional emails I like to call those buy my stuff emails and educational or informational emails and I thought who else better to have on the show then the lady who has been called the top one of the top ten ecommerce commentators in the world.

For more click here

We have been talking a lot about money in the last few weeks. We had money as one of our key features in the retail breakthrough series and here in Australia, it's pretty much tax time, so money is on everybody's mind.

So, I thought to myself who better to get on the show then someone who can just really iron out all the wrinkles when it comes to what you need to know in keeping your books straight clean. I don't know what the technical term is for it but keeping them in in order let's use that word

For more click here

We have all seen the stories of product brands that have been featured by people like Kim Kardashian and we wish that that could be us, we wish that we could just get a celebrity to take our product and flash it all over Instagram, but the fact, is that is not the beginning or the ending and there's a lot of technical stuff as well as legal stuff that we need to put in place before we use influencer marketing.

So, I have influencer marketing expert Jaime Lieberman on the show to share her tips and tricks and strategies to make sure that this avenue works for you

For more click here

You know as a small business owner that cash flow can be a rollercoaster not just for you for any business whether you're big or small and whether you're looking to grow or just to smooth out those peaks and troughs hands up who's had those me having access to external funds actually gives you and your business a little bit of breathing space, but when you're a business, it can be a little bit tricky navigating the paperwork and the legalese that comes with getting your business access to those external funds.

So, with over sixteen years of financial experience and a frequent contributor to radio and news shows, TV programs, magazines like entrepreneur and Inc and Forbes as well as the host of his own popular podcast Ty Crandall the business credit expert is going to show you how you can navigate your way to business credit success.

For more click here

the Internet has been a godsend for us it means that we can sell our products and services anywhere in the world, but as it grows it becomes a legal minefield so today's guest Richard Chapel is an internet lawyer and he is going to help us navigate just a teeny tiny part of the internet web laws that are out there we can't cover all of them. But I've asked him to talk about a few of the key ones that are going to be relevant to you no matter where you are in the world.

For more click here

Hello there. In this episode we've been talking a lot about PR and getting your brand out there, getting yourself out there in order to grow your business, but what happens when you just can't afford a PR agency well today's guest josh Ell edge is going to help you with exactly that he's going to share some fantastic tips on how you can generate your own PR.

For more head click here

JENNIFER PIERCE is an intuitive coach of coaches that is sought after by fellow consultants, entrepreneurs and coaches to launch, leverage and scale their new or existing businesses. Committed to the upliftment and empowerment of her clients, Jennifer honors the foundational truth that every client has the answers they seek.

Her foundation in soul centered facilitation supports the path to exponential success whether the challenge was an action based course correction or an inner alignment block. The result is a coaching method that delivers a lasting transformation of one’s inner AND outer reality for those clients who are truly ready to live in their authentic selves and sky rocket their authentic businesses.

For more click here

Trust me, you are really going to want to listen in to Today͛s episode, if you want insider secrets from someone who not only has successfully founded and sold multi-million dollar companies but has personally helped his top 15 clients amass revenues in the BILLIONS of dollars.

In today͛s episode with Thor Conklin, Profitability consultant, we delve into how jumping from one sales or marketing strategy to the next is costing you money, the importance of customer experience, how tenacity and belief in your product and taking specific action allowed Sarah Blakely, founder of Spanx to end up where she is today, and in amongst the feel good stuff, Thor also shares some hard life lessons - how even a successful business can fail, when the profit margins are lousy, how a business with a 3/4 million dollar profit can end up with only $8k of cash, when you should give up and walk away on a
business, including Thor͛s personal story of sinking millions of dollars into a business, only to have it sink like the Titanic

For more click here

Today's guest is Nate Regier. He's a former practicing psychologist. He's got a doctorate in clinical psychologist in Social, emotional intelligence and leadership, positive conflict. And that's something that my head was really thinking about.

Leadership, mind, body, spirit, health, neuropsychology, just to name a few. This guy is the business when it comes to all stuff brain related. And today we are going to be talking about conflict and customer service and a whole bunch of other stuff.

For episode details click here

When you have a team that loves coming to work, are the biggest fans of your store and are more than happy to go above and beyond, that enthusiasm shines through. Customers can feel the energy, it comes across in your social media, ion your website and if you have a physical shopfront, in the "feeling" that customers instantly connect with when they walk in the doors. Find out how you can build that kind of team.

For more click here

I’m always fascinated by the science behind how we humans behave. So when I interviewed a mindreader, I wasn’t quite sure what to think.
From my vast experience of watching the tv show The Mentalist many years ago, I appreciate that the concept behind mind reading is more about watching for behaviour cues, but, like a magic trick, I still don’t know how the heck they do it.

Listen in as Jonathon Pritchard, magician, mentalist and entertainer, shows you, how to read minds.

For more click here

What I love about people's stories is their stories are typically overcoming, you don't really hear about stories very much about people not overcoming obstacles or a lot of failing and that's what I love to help people see is that they're failures and I love hearing stories about failures because then we can turn them into success stories, we can turn them into where people can live joy filled lives and that's a thrill for me.

I love listening to people's stories because I mean we're all humans and we have that need for connection and our brains are wired for story you know that's how we connect. So I love it, story is everywhere you see.

For full episode click here

No one ever wants to confront conflict, especially in the workplace. It’s icky, it makes you feel tense and perhaps, even fearful. But we need to accept that there will always be conflict and discover how to lessen the pain and stress caused by unresolved conflicts, to truly cultivate a thriving workplace culture.

How to rectify bad mood and get rid of stress? [18:18]

How to get out of your own headspace? [23:06]

How do you react to people when you notice they are not OK? [26:12]

What do you think you can always resolve the problems? [42:13]

How to solve problems with your employees and how to recognize things are not good at the moment [43:11]

For more click here

    When it, comes to manufacturing, it only takes one mistake, to end up losing tens of thousands of dollars. Discover some of the most common pitfalls and hurdles that novice manufacturers make, plus hear whether onshore of offshore manufacturing is better for your product.   What is that actually entails? [12:02]

Using technology ability to talk to anybody anywhere in the world, the processes should be easier - is that true [14:02]

Hear the Krisztina's thoughts on manufacturing offshore vs onshore.[22:14]

How can you not have to reinvent the wheel? ? Is it possible? [32:11]

For more click here

One way to get ahead of your competitor, is to get straight into the minds of your customers.
Being inside a customer’s head, with no interruptions and no distractions, that’s what all marketers dream of. When you can do this, you develop a relationship. And it is possible, with a podcast.

How is podcasting working for a retailer? [17:41]
How can we take podcasting to become an expert to build your brand? [20:53]
How do you keep the momentum [27:14]
A guest style show or an individual show - what is the best option for the retailers [31:42]
How often you should release a show? [41:21]
Rob's top three tips for somebody who wants to start a podcast. [45:35]

For more click here

Today's guest Kathryn Moorhouse is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs grow their business using Pinterest and she is one of the leading experts on Pinterest marketing. Kathryn has become the go to expert for helping high performing entrepreneurs grow their audience and income using Pinterest.

Clearly, I'm so excited, I can't even speak properly. Best of all, what I'm really, really loving is Kathryn has also got her own retail store. So the best part about today is, she is going to blend in how she has grown her children's clothing brands in Logan00:48 and use her Pinterest strategies.

I'm sitting here, you can't see but I'm waving my arms around. I wonder if it's coming through in the intro. But she is going to show how she has used Pinterest to grow that clothing brand. So welcome to the show Kathryn.

For more click here

In this episode I interview Tabitha Carro, a former school teacher turned small business owner. She shares her experiences transitioning from her full-time teaching job, to selling teaching aids on the side, and then developing her smart-phone marketing business.

Tabitha is a veteran elementary school teacher who got her start as an online entrepreneur filling the need for educational materials to her fellow teachers. From there, she opened the Smartphone Marketing School, a blog and membership site that teaches a wide range of clients from Etsy shop owners to social media advertisers how to create professional visual content without expensive equipment or the need to outsource to a graphic design agency.

For more click here

Today we are going to be talking about something that scares the hearts and minds of just about every person who has ever opened an email in their life, today we're going to be talking about ransomware and cybercrime and I've got my friend Doug Endersbee back on the show to talk all things security and making sure that you don't get locked out and ransomed to your own information.

How to be safe from the cyber criminal? [05:30]

Is there any other kind of cybercrime that we should be worried about? [10:49]

What is that the best form of security. [15:56]

Backing up system, how to invest in that and keep your files safe[15:56]

Is it worth using any insurance broker [29:00]

Listen here

The best inventions are born of necessity. When Charles Palleschi purchased a site that sold popcorn, popcorn kernels, and popcorn related accessories ecommerce business, he quickly realised that he needed to scale and parts of his business. That need inspired Charles to create Spark Shipping, the leading dropship software which automates millions upon millions of orders for eCommerce and retail entrepreneurs every month.

00:02 Salena: Hey there, and welcome to this week's episode of the bringing business to retail podcast. The best inventions are born of necessity. When Charles Palleschi purchased a store that sells popcorn, of all things, popcorn kernels and popcorn related accessories, the e-commerce business was a stepping stone for him to realize that if he wanted to grow he was going to have to scale and automate parts of his business. And that need inspired Charles to create spark shipping, the leading drop ship software which automates millions upon millions of orders for a-commerce and bricks and mortar retailers every single month. I am really excited to be talking about drop shipping because it is something that a lot of retailers may not know that they are even doing. So welcome to the show Charles.

00:53 Charles: Hey, thanks a lot for having me on.

Salena: This is a New York accent am I right?
Charles: Close, from Australia, it may sound like that. But Boston you are very close to that.

Salena: Still getting use to my accents. Like Americans love Australian accent. We love all the individual accents.

Charles: You will hear it pretty quickly. It's very Boston.
Salena: 01:19 Great, okay. So tell us what exactly is drop shipping because I have a feeling that some of the people who are listening today will know what it is, but others will actually be doing it already in some sort of informal arrangement in their store. And they don't even know that they are doing it. So what is drop shipping?

For more click here

Trade Shows...Have you ever considered them in your store's retail marketing plan? If not now is the time to reconsider! We have Katie Hunt here today to educate us on using trade shows as a powerful retail marketing tool!

Katie is the founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp, host of the Proof to Product podcast, a business strategist, and mentor to creative entrepreneurs. Katie launched her wholesale line for Kelp Designs in 2009 and was selling in retail stores nationwide until 2016, when she decided to discontinue manufacturing and pour her time and energy into the TSBC community, and today we will learn all about getting ready for trade shows especially when you are a retailer.

Click here for more

Today we are jumping into to learn more about e-commerce strategies to make you more money with Jeff Wenberg from Smart Marketer. If you don't already follow Smart Marketer you must check them out. The team at Smart Marketer puts out some of the best content when it comes to what's working and what's not when it comes to e-commerce.

Jeff talks to me all about some of the best apps you can use to help grow your e-commerce sales and what actually stops people from investing in tools that will help them grow their business. Jeff even gives you some amazing tips that you can put into place immediately to boost your average order value, including the 1 mistake that people make when they want to drive traffic to their online store!

For more click here

With the ease of the internet, who doesn’t shop online in today’s world? It’s so convenient, quick and easy to get everything you need right to your door!

But have you ever ordered something online and then received it and it was nothing like you thought it was online? That’s no fun, right?!

So, What about your e-commerce shop? How do your shoppers feel when they are checking out all your store offers online? Can you really connect your products to your customers when they can’t physically see, feel or try your products before they buy them?

Today, you’re in luck because you don’t have to wonder anymore! We have Lauren Carnes on the show to guide you in exactly how to photograph your products to get amazing photos to share online with your customers. Lauren is photographer and a communication strategist who loves helping small businesses better connect with their audience.

In this podcast, Lauren is going to explain why not only is your product image background so important but also your packaging, branding and the online connection to your brick and mortar shop, if you have both. So get your cameras ready and check out all the valuable info Lauren Carnes brings!

For more click here

When thinking about advertising your business online most likely one of the first places you think of is Facebook Ads, and for good reason. With over 2 billion active monthly users your target audience is bound to be abundant there, right?! But the real question is are you doing everything possible to optimize your ads on Facebook or are you just throwing away money? Well, get ready to review your Facebook strategy because today I’m talking to Miranda Ivey of Mirandaivey.com.

Miranda is a not only an online marketing strategist but coach and Facebook ads guru. Today she’s bringing us tips on Facebook ad targeting, audience, budget, and more. Plus, Miranda’s even throwing in her little secret to creating an engaging page post for your audience and giving you her top 2 keys to getting the most impact from your Facebook ads.

So listen in now

In the last 2 episodes of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast we have been going through my 3 Days To Your Most Profitable Year Ever. If you’ve missed out and need to catch up check out Episode 1, where we discussed Cash Flow and discover how you can Stop Being a Shopkeeper and Start Being a Business owner in Episode 2. Plus, don’t forget to download the full 3 Days to Your Most Profitable Year.

In today’s episode we are going to talk about “YOU”, where you want to be in your business and how you can get there.

Think about your shop for a minute. Are you setting yourself, your team and your business up for success? How about what you want out of your business? Is the only thing money?! Or how about having personal freedom, being able to inspire others or is it something else?

Having that goal in mind let me ask you one more question... How do you feel when you start working every single day, are you positive and full of energy or do you hate to wake up and start your business day?

If you said you hate starting your business everyday then now is the time for you to make a choice to make some positive changes in your business this year. Just like anything else being great at business takes practice and mentoring.

You are more than capable of achieving all of your retail goals but just like any great athlete you can be even greater with a coach by your side to help guide you and cheer you on along the way. My past rockstars have seen this first hand and now it is your chance to make a choice to take control of your retail business. My goal is to guide you to success so you can not only achieve your business goals but feel great about what you do each day. Find out how to reach all of the personal and financial freedom you deserve here now.

For full episode click here

Today is day 2 of my 3 days to your most profitable year and we are looking at how you can construct a plan for profit. But before we get started if you haven’t yet head on over and check out day 1 here. There you can get jump started on reviewing your cash flow and brainstorming your 2018 “business word of the year.”

So think for a minute about your favorite store. Why is that store your favorite? What does it have that makes you just “have” to go there?

Now think about your shop? What’s missing? What little “thing” do you need in your store so people will feel the same way when they visit?

More often than not retail owners have a shop but not a brand. So, what really makes a brand? And why do you need something that will be “yours”?

Today’s podcast will help you with just that! I want to help you gain clarity for your store and allow you to take steps to not only define your brand but to also figure out where money is and how you can get there! So get your notepad ready and listen up day 2 is awesome. Plus don’t forget to download your full 3 days to your most profitable year now.

For full episode click here

New Year’s Resolutions. Did you make one for yourself? How about your business?

If you did you are in great company! The New Year is a time when everyone seems to be focused on their planning and goals for 2018. It’s a wonderful time to regroup and to help, I want to give you a great free to tool so you make this your most profitable year in your business.

So today, we are getting started on day 1 of my 3 day mini course, 3 Days to Your Most Profitable Year Ever and we are kicking off with Cash Flow.

Think about it...

For more click here

The holiday celebrations may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean your retail store profits have to as well!

Today I am guiding you on how to maximise your retail sales after the holiday rush so you can make the most out of this sometimes slow period.

Plus, in this week's episode I giving you a bonus guide to show you some great ways that you can put products together, products that are great for your customers and can make you some money fast. Be sure to grab your download.

Before we get started though, last week we talked about 5 products to promote post-Christmas that you don’t have to discount. In case you missed it, check it out now. It’s not too late to get those rolling for your shop, especially if your store offers products to Australian customers.

For more click here

After the holiday rush as retailers the biggest question is how do we keep that momentum going? How can you keep customers buying and get rid of seasonal stock just sitting on your shelves?

Well today, I've got a special guide just for you. To help guide you in using promotions to make the most from your sales post holiday.

First, it's important not to forget that people often have their sights on a particular things and if they didn’t get it, they might be inclined to buy it. Use this to do a retargeted ad with a promotion.

Next, gift cards, everyone is always in a hurry to redeem those after the holidays. You can use that to your advantage while optimizing the new year by promoting products to help people with new year's resolutions.

Lastly, school breaks. Kids around the world are often on break from school during and after the holidays. In fact, Australian children are on holidays for 6 weeks! So if you have anything that can help ease a parent’s soul during this time, promote it!

For more click here

Today's guest is Susie and she is going to share great tips for creating a great collaboration and partnership.

All business are better together and when they are connected with another business or person. No one wants to share customers with others (especially with competition) but there is good reason why you should collaborate, Susie gave us some great examples for that.

Partnership is still kind of new to marketing, but it doesn't cost a penny but offers several benefits.

Susie explained what attributes your partners should have so you can offer to partner with them. And she mentions that it is very important they have good reputation. And on first touch you can see if they are interested, if yes then continue if not leave them and try find some other partner.

Keeping your customers happy is one key to gaining loyalty with them. For Example, if you don't have an item in your store you can send them to one you know has that item. With that you can be sure that customer will get what they need, and at the same time you are growing partnership with other business owners.

For more click here

Louise loves helping people. She figured out how to promote a business using online tools and now she teaches other business owners in this kind of marketing.
In this episode, you are going to learn many useful tips how to upgrade your business using social media and online tools.

Louise teaches her clients how to properly create a strategy for an online marketing and what is the best place to start with online marketing. Also, you will learn what is not a great strategy for online marketing and social media. So, avoiding mistakes is always good.

Also, you are going to learn what is the best social network for your store/business or product? Social media is not only posting things, every post should have its own story, and especially she talked about social media photos and how to create a photo story.

How to build engagement? Learn tips how to manage your time that is productive and effective.

There are many scheduling programs for social media, the question is, is it good to use them, yes or no? Louise will give us a great answer to that question.
You will have a chance to visit her 30-day challenge (LINK) she developed, it’s useful for your social media.

For full episode click here

It’s easy to be drawn to the latest, shiny new thing.

Whether it’s a product, a new piece of software or the latest social media trend.

But the fact is, after the glitter and gloss has dies down, we always return to the place we feel comfortable, that feels familiar and that we don’t have to think about.

And guess what, it works the same with products in your store as well!

Yes, it’s important to keep up with what’s trending, but sometimes, the real money is in taking something that works, and amplifying it!

For more click here

Enlightened! So what does it mean to be enlightened and how does being enlightened help you or your business?

Well, listen up because today Karen Gunton and I talk about having that "aha moment" and how in that moment being enlightened can change the dynamics of your business, ultimately helping you and your business thrive.

In this episode find out more about:

We each have a purpose to discover and live. we each deserve to shine our light in whatever way we choose. we each deserve to feel accepted, and free, and fulfilled, and ignited. We are here to light up. - Meet Karen and her business.
Maybe you feel like you don't have a light to shine, how to find that light?

Listen here

Why Your Sales Associates Don’t Care About The Money

If you’re not familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, when it comes to the workplace, let me give you a brief run down. 1. Physiological Needs (basic issues of survival such as salary and stable employment) 2. Security Needs (stable physical and emotional environment issues such as benefits, pension, safe work environment, and fair work practices) 3. “Belongingness” Needs (social acceptance issues such as friendship or cooperation on the job) 4. Esteem Needs (positive self-image and respect and recognition issues such as job titles, nice work spaces, and prestigious job assignments.) 5. Self-Actualization Needs (achievement issues such as workplace autonomy, challenging work, and subject matter expert status on the job)

Yet many retailers think that as long as they pay their staff, they should be grateful for the job and work their hearts out.

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Today on the show we have Becky Mollencamp, and we are talking about how you can use LinkedIn how to upgrade your business.

Why should retailers use LinkedIn?
Is LinkedIn only for job seekers?
How people make mistakes using LinkedIn
How to optimize your LinkedIn account?

Listen here

When it comes to the holidays, there is no better time to maximise your sales and fill up your bank account.

A large number of retailers do the majority of their trade during the holiday season, and for some stores, up to 70% of revenue is generated during this time.

Whether the holidays are your lifeblood, or they just provide a nice little boost, making sure that you secure every possible sale is a must.

So let’s talk about how you can choose the right products, in order to maximise those sales.

When it comes to choosing a product to promote, my top 4 go-to categories are:

A High volume/high turnover product If a product already turns over quickly and it can be expected that this has the capacity increase then this is where I love to start

Why? The product has already been tested by your market, and they clearly love it. Creating a promotion around a high volume product should focus on adding benefit, through bundling and complimentary product upsells. You shouldn’t need to discount a product that already sells well.

A High margin product The holy grail of retail is a product with a high margin. This means that you sell if for significantly more than you buy it for, like triple, or quadruple.
These products give you a lot of leeway when it comes to creating promotions. You have the room to offer a discount (preferably on multiples), to utilise free shipping as an incentive, to bundle and to use as an upsell.

I personally love combining a high volume product with a high margin product

Listen here

If you want to know how to use media to drive customers to your store today's guest Jen is here to tell you how to exactly do that.

Listen to Jen's background and hear how she jump into PR business
Familly support, it's really important, learn how Jen gets her support from husband and family in her business and learn the smart strategy how to tell some important decisions to your family
How to prepare a strategy for media when you run a retail business?
Should you pay for a professional photographer and how photography can improve your business?
We talked about photography a lot, including celebrities and their images, so learn few tips how to focus your business based on photography

Listen here

It’s not hard to feel overwhelmed with all of the jobs you have running your retail business. Keeping all the balls in the air, whilst still having a life, can be completely exhausting. I have to admit, as much as I love working, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to business. I’m the queen of ousourcing. If I can get someone else do a job that I don’t want to, or can’t do, then I’m all for passing that job onto someone else. It frees up my time, it keeps another person employed and these results are usually better for it.
But outsourcing takes money, right. Not always a lot, but it still costs. So increasing your sales and profit is a key factor to be able to free up your time and give you the freedom that you started this business for.

And honestly, you’ll only increase those sales and profits, if you’re actively marketing your store. But many retailers are scared of marketing. They see it as an expense they can’t afford. But I’m here to tell you, you can’t afford to NOT advertise. Even if it’s just a small budget, you need to be filling up your sales funnel and encouraging sales.

Today I’m going to share with 5 signs that you need help with your marketing

Watch here

Today on the show we have Jake Nawrocki. As the founder of "Operation Self Rest", Jake believes everything we need to activate our own human potential lies within us – In the way that we think! Jake says "There is a decision we must all make and that decision requires us to change the way we think. It’s only when we actively decide to reset our thought patterns that we will ever see the desired change we want in our outcomes."

Listen now as Jake helps you answer:

How is education important to be successful in business?
How can you realize your potential when you are young?
How to convert from a shy to a progressive person?

Listen here

Today's guest, Jeff Kohler, is a master of video. Listen as he gives you some great tips on how you can use video to market your business and products. Plus, discover some of Jeff's first-hand experience with his company Marketing Videos Club. Listen now to find out:

How using video can help you to sell a product?
How get over the fear of being in front of the camera?
How to practice making your own videos?

Listen here

Today's episode is all about money. You will hear from Rebecca's angle how to organize budget, money, and investments.

Meet Rebecca and hear her story how she started with her financial advising business
Mums in business? Learn few tips how to organize your finance when you are preparing to have a baby and at the same time, you are running some business?
How much education you need so you can be your own financial manager?

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What you are going to learn today: * Today my guest is Stan Rosenberg and we are coming from live SHOP.org conference * Stan is going to tell us all about owning your own audience * How to own your audience? * What data you should track when it comes to your audience?

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Caroline is going to share with us today a unique coaching experience for personal brands. Listen to her story and how she moved from retailers to coaching business. We all want to reach the one goal and that is "Million Dollars", Caroline catch that, She is going to share that experience and feelings with us

How is passion important for your business?
We all make big decisions, maybe the biggest one is to switch from one to other business, especially when you have a super profitable business, learn few tips how to do that without pain.
How to fight with stress and fears in the retail business?
What is the difference between coaching and advising

Listen here

Kate Grainger shares her online marketing tips with us. Listen and learn Kate's tips and upgrade your business.

For More click here

On today's show, I am the guest of Petra Jones.

Today you will learn: * how I processed myself out from my business * how I became a retail business strategist * major mistakes I see retailers do * understanding who you are selling to * how to identify your ideal client

Listen here

Last week, I went to do my yearly taxes.

Now this makes most people cringe, but for me, it was uplifting.

Not only did it give me a chance to see how things have changed in my business over the last 12 months, but I also analysed where money was going out, where it was coming in, places where we could make more money.

I also got to take about my accountant about budgeting over the next 12 months. I have forecasted my earnings for the next year, but I also know that I’ll have to invest heavily over in that time, in order to move my business to the next level.

We talked about the tax implications of both of those. Where will the money come from.

Listen here

Rebecca from Sattwa Skincare shares her tips on how she has dramatically changed her brand and as a result, has significantly increased her sales, gotten featured in the press several times, created a product where demand regularly exceeds supply and her successful campaign to be stocked in a high profile store.

For more click here

Last week, I went to do my yearly taxes.

Now this makes most people cringe, but for me, it was uplifting.

Not only did it give me a chance to see how things have changed in my business over the last 12 months, but I also analysed where money was going out, where it was coming in, places where we could make more money.

I also got to take about my accountant about budgeting over the next 12 months. I have forecasted my earnings for the next year, but I also know that I’ll have to invest heavily over in that time, in order to move my business to the next level.

We talked about the tax implications of both of those. Where will the money come from.

We also talked about setting aside money for taxes. Here in Australia, we have this thing called provisional tax, whereby you have to pay a big lump sum of tax each quarter. We went through all of my income sources, including non business income and investments, and now I know how much I need to put aside each week, in order to not get hit with a massive tax bill.

Watch here

Today you will learn how to become a fantastic speaker.

Hear David's background and how he started his business
How to learn from your mistakes?
How can speaking improve your retail business?
What is 3PR

Listen here

When I started my first business, I didn't have the budget to hire a designer, so I started learning everything I could about building a website. I spent hours and hours on Google trying to figure it all out and make sense of all the conflicting advice. It was overwhelming to say the least.

Well, I finally figured it all out and along the way, discovered I had a passion for branding and design. Not only this, but I realized I had developed an easy, step-by-step system for launching websites that was perfect for entrepreneurs!

Now, that's what I teach!

What you will learn in this episode: Today on the show we have Louise Henry, and today we will learn how to create fantastic website for your business.

How she started with learning graphic design?
What is the best time to DIY your website
If we DIY our website what is the biggest mistakes people make?

Listen here

Today on the show we have Jillian Rosich Kendrick, and we are talking about automation system for your retail business.

How she started to work with marketing automation campaigns?
What is CRM?
Is there difference between CRM and email message systems?

Listen here

Remember the last time you saw a product on sale, for LESS than the price you could buy it for wholesale? It makes your blood boil, causes you to become a keyboard warrior in any facebook group you can asscess, and generally, makes you feel lik sh*t.
All this hard work that you’ve put in to building a reputable, ethical company, with sales staff that love your customers and are passionate about what they sell. It all goes out the window, if a customer can buy something retail, cheaper than you can buy it wholesale.

Or, does it?

There are many reasons why retailers sell below cost (or below the cost you could buy it for), so instead of being outraged, let’s take a look at how to leverage loss leader products.

So what are loss leader products, and why do stores waste time and money, having them?

Loss leaders are designed to draw you in, with the lure of a bargain, and the strategy to sell you more.

Watch full episode here

Today on the show we have Sarah Noked, and we are talking about hiring process and things how to improve your business. So you will learn...

Meet Sarah and learn how she become online business manager
In Sarah's opinion learn the best way to organize your business
How to use strategy in organization your working hours and working week

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Today on the show we have Chantal Khoury, she is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness coach with a passion to inspire and empower you and your family to lead a nourishing and thriving life.

What is gut health?
How do you know if you have poor gut health?
Which strategy should you use so your kids eat healthy?
How food can reflect on your mood

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I hear so many business owners talking about their store as "their baby". And every time I hear it, I want to cringe.
I want to shake them and shout "stop saying that".

Why am I so vehement that you should never call your business your baby?

Watch this week's video and find out.

ps - the Money Bootcamp Live is now closed, but you can still go on the Bootcamp waitlist here.

To watch episode click here

This is the part II of my talk with Annette. If you didn't listen last week's episode you do it here. Today we are talking how to win business award.

Why awards are great for business
Celebrating your wins, how that is important for your business
How to create your application for awards
What to do if you are in final and nominated but you are not a winner?

For more click here

Annette's Bio From her first foray into the world of journalism at 15, Annette Densham was hooked on sharing other people’s stories. A weaver of words and a hoarder of knowledge, Annette has written copy for websites, speeches, marketing and presentations and topics from forklifts to tax, to theatre lights and sport, to senior issues and health … she knows what makes news. With a 30 plus year career in newspapers – The Australian, Financial Review, and Daily Telegraph, magazines (print and digital) and corporate communications, this ex journo now uses her skills to teach small business people how to use their stories to connect with the world and build influential brands.

As the Publicity Genie, her work with small business has been recognised with national and international business and PR awards especially for her Be Your Own Publicity Genie Program and Genie Lamp Three Wishes program. She works with authors, speakers, retailers, service providers and entrepreneurs – because everyone can use their stories for great content to connect with the media and beyond. She has secured her clients over $4 million in free advertising through mainstream media. As an author, trainer, mentor and speaker, Annette weaves her story magic everywhere.

What you will learn in this episode: * How to teach small business owners to grow their business * How to create your story and give it to your customers and audience * How to create story about your readers? Not about you.... * Hot set the goal for your PR

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As a retailer, you know that it’s imperative to have a mobile ecommerce site.
Statistic show that a whopping x% of people will browse your web store before they come into your physical store, and if you only trade online, x% of people are browsing on a mobile device.

Whether your online store is you’re only trading platform, or it’s just one part of your omnichannel retail experience, there are ways to take it to the next level and get more sales in the process.

Make it easy to buy. Whilst a lot of people browse on mobile devices, statistics tell us that most customers actually purchase on a desktop. That’s because we know what to expect on each device. Fumbling with numbers, the @ symbol in our email and typing out a lengthy postal address is off-putting for most shoppers.
So they’re happy to browse, but will save the actual checkout process until they get back to the desktop.
This doesn’t mean that you should abandon the mobile cart process (pun intended!). Did you know that on many sites, you can change the keyboard that appears for different form fields? For example, having a keyboard that includes the @ symbol in the email field, is going to allow mobile customers to breeze through checkout.

Watch here

Nicky is going to explain us today what is difference between Facebook messenger chat, Facebook messenger adds and Facebook messenger chat bots and which one is going to work best for your retail store.

What you will learn in this episode: * How can we use bot chat in retail business * How chat bot can help you to grow your email list * How to use Facebook to communicate with your audience * How to avoid spamming

Listen here

Live from the Digital Marketer conference- How to give your customers more and have them love you for it (and get them to buy!)

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My passion is helping experts and business owners create online courses from start to finish. I've seen first-hand how an online course can generate additional income, free up your time and allow you to reach people all around the world—at any time of day.

I learned my trade working on products for Tony Robbins. Today my husband, Alex, and I work with online marketing mastermind Amy Porterfield, storyteller and speaker Bo Eason, and other leading experts.

What you will learn in this episode: Products are not the only things you can sell in your retail store. Yes, that's true, and more about that will tell us Gina. So today you are going to learn things like....

Products are not the only things you can sell in your retail store. You can also
extend your passion and mission with an online training course. So today you are
going to learn…
How should you present your content with audio and video?
How do you turn your experience and the products from your shop into an online course?
Why is it so important to speak with your audience and customers?

And more... listen here

Today I am going to tell you things I learned on digital marketer live conference.

Why you're loosing customers when it comes to using mobile devices?
People are looking products on mobile devices, but why they are not purchasing from there?
How to optimize checkout process?

For more click here

Bio: I started my first business at the age of 15 and from that point on, I was hooked. The whole idea for EB25 sparked during the first couple months of my second business startup, NUYU Juice Bar. During that time, it dawned on me that life is all about surrounding yourself with like-minded people who are running the same race you are. For me, that meant young entrepreneurs. But there was only one small issue… Hardly any young entrepreneurs were around me. And if that was the case for me, I figured it must be the case for other’s as well.

What’s the most logical way to solve this problem? To create a platform that attracts young entrepreneurs, of course! So, here we are with EB25.

EB25 interviews inspiring entrepreneurs who started their entrepreneurial journey at the age of 25 or under. I follow them through their journey of being an entrepreneur~ the ups, the downs, the fun and the sad. My hope is that their stories will inspire and empower you to live a life of freedom and balance while being a young entrepreneur.

What you will learn in this episode: I think toady’s guest is the youngest we’ve ever had on the show. Not that I grill guests on how old they are!

At the spritely age of 20, Chelann Geinger is already a serial entreprenueer. At the age of 18, she opened her first business with 3 partners, and has already launched the Entrepreneur Before 25 Podcast out of a desire to inspire and unite young and like-minded entrepreneurs together.

Is it possible teenage girl starte own business? Yes, Learn Chelann's story
How she convinced people to give them health coaching with her 15 years

For more click here

Tech problems shouldn't ruin your day. You know that those things happens to me, and this is the case when I won again.

I want to share with you today things I learned spending a whole day with a PR agent. You will learn today some fantastic things like:

How to turn your small budget into big investment
How to be clear with your goals
Tell your customers your story

For more click here

Yes, it's a big honour for me to reach the 100th episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast. Plus there are also the 'TV episodes' that get streamed, so I can say I have about 200 episodes recorded in last couple of years.

This episode marks a turning point in how the podcast is produced, with the introduction of Patreon, a platform that will allow you to have the opportunity to now only become a patron of the show, but also to have your business questions answered AND appear on the show (limited spots available).

This is my 100th podcast episode, and it's special for me. In this week's episode, I am interviewed by ....wait for it... my 8-year-old daughter, Lana.

Discover the questions that an 8 year old thinks are the most important, plus I ask HER a few questions on business.

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There’s a general consensus in the sales world, that the art of the “follow-up” is the most important part of the sales funnel.

Yet for some reason, as retailers, we seem to forget we too, are in the sales industry, and once someone walks out the door, it shouldn’t mean the end of the communication (and buying) process.

Retailers around the world, have lost the art of communicating, especially once a customer left the store.

Even worse, for those that do follow up, it’s often with an email, which is impersonal. Last week we talked about how email can be the most personal staff member in your business, today let’s talk about when you should just pick up the damn phone.

Here are my tips, to Mastering the Art of Customer Follow Up.

If you sell a complicated product, make it a procedure that the sales person follows up to answer any questions.

How many times have you been into a store, and the sales associate has handed over your receipt, with the platitude, “If you have any problems, give us a call”.

You know it’s not sincere, because heck, if you have problems, you most likely WILL call, to vent your frustrations.

Instead of setting up the customer to fail, how about you set them up to succeed, right away.

Watch the episode here

Laura Trotta is one of Australia’s leading home sustainability experts. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering, a Masters of Science (in Environmental Chemistry) and spent 11 years working as an environmental professional before creating her first online eco business, Sustainababy, in 2009.

Laura has won numerous regional and national awards for her fresh and inspiring take on living an ‘ecoceptional’ life (including most recently winning the Brand South Australia Flinders University Education Award (2015) for the north-west region in SA and silver in the Eco-friendly category of the 2015 Ausmumpreneur Awards).

With a regular segment on ABC Radio and with her work featured in publications like Nurture Parenting and My Child Magazine, Laura is an eco thought leader who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo.

A passionate believer in addressing the small things to achieve big change, and protecting the planet in practical ways, Laura lives with her husband and two sons in outback South Australia.

What you will learn in this episode: Laura is young person who achieved too much things in her life.

Meet Laura and hear her life story
How to work when you have baby at home?
Felling frustrated when you have a plan but others will not listen you in big corporation? Hear Laura's experience

Listen more here

As business owners, it’s easy to feel that automating something can be a saving grace when it comes to time saved, but it can also feel impersonal.

If you had a choice of a full time staff member to answer customers questions, or the option to automate, which would you choose?

Let’s take a look at how email can be the most personal staff member in your business.

Think about the time, effort and money, that it takes to on-board a new team member. Whilst you will have to put in some time, effort and potentially a small amount of money if you don’t already have an email service provider, your email systems won’t leave you, they won’t get sick, and they don’t get all ranty pants with your customers, if they’ve had a bad day.

For more click here

I’ve always been organized and somewhat OCD, but after five moves including melding lives with my husband, dog and eventually son, I wasn’t able to be as organized as I would have liked to be. I needed a simpler solution and was tired of having stuff just for the sake of having stuff. While I always thought I had simple habits, all the excess clutter accumulated over time proved that maybe I wasn’t living so simply.

So I joined the simplicity movement and went on a decluttering spree. But somewhere between paring down half my wardrobe and kitchenware, I realized there wasn’t just one way to simplify life. While I would have liked to keep things somewhat minimalist, I found it was difficult to do with a family. And quite honestly, I liked having my son’s artwork on the kitchen walls and a few blankets and pillows on the couch to cozy up to.

What you will learn in this episode: * Why we accumulate too much stuff * Why merchandising forces us to buy stuff we don't need * Lori's tips on decluttering (not what you'd expect!) * How to organize your life (and your stuff)

For more click here

As a retailer, you’re constantly trying to stay relevant, stay ahead of the trends and predict what your customer is going to want.

Know what your customers like

Sounds obvious, right.

Most retailers ‘innately’ know what products their customers like, and what they don’t. What they choose to buy each season, is all “up here” (in their head).
However, when I ask retailers to go through their sales data and see what groups of items sell the best, every single time, they’re always a little surprised at what tops the list.

Thinking you know what your customers like and having the data to back you up, can change your store from a good store, to a great store.

Have a team that accepts responsibility
Again, sounds like a no-brainer. Your team should know when something goes wrong, it’s their job to fix it, and to own the problem. If you have a team that runs to you every time there is a problem, or they’re quick to blame the customer, the pos system, the supplier, anyone or anything but themselves, it could be time for a bit of staff training.

For more click here

We help overwhelmed creative entrepreneurs create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business so they can build a profitable and sustainable business from their passion. We’ve got happy and hustling students from all over the world who are both brand spankin’ new and a little bit seasoned in their business. At Think Creative Collective we strive to pivot the creative community from keepers of secrets to givers of tactics and strategies. When we unlock something (anything) we’re ready to turn around and deliver it right to you so you can get to kicking business booty.

What you will learn in this episode: In today's episode, you will have a chance to hear two people at the same time, yes, for the first time. My guests are Abagail Pumphrey & Emylee Williams from the Think Creative Collective.

Hear how they met, such an interesting story
What is the Think Creative Collective
What works - when you switch from one on one teaching to team teaching
How a team can help to make processes easier

For more click here

The media loves spreading doom and gloom, when it comes to the economy, and retail. If you have a bad day, it’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole of despair and focus on anything negative that crosses your path.

But a poor sales day, does not have to equal a bad week, a bad month or bad year. It’s time to focus on the positive, so here are 10 facts about retail, that will instantly put you in a good mood.

it’s in the mail

I did some research, and according to Mailchimp, if you have an ecommerce site, the industry average is a 16.75% open rate, with a 2.32% click through rate. In the Retail industry, its 20.96% open rate with a 2.5% click through rate.

Compare that to Facebook’s current organic reach of around 2-6%, you can see that your email list is the actually the most valuable piece of real estate.
Which would you rather put the effort into, content that get’s in front of 2% of your audience, or content that gets in front of 20%?

For more click here

A little sass, a dash of smart-ass, and a whole lot of answers about the science of achievement, Ellen Goodwin is your middle-aged Action Hero, ready to provide you the swift kick in the @ss that you need to take action and empower yourself.

But Ellen wasn’t always an Action Hero.

A lifelong creative entrepreneur, Ellen didn’t know when to say when, and like many of us stayed too long in a career that was no longer fulfilling. When procrastination drove her to the brink of losing her business, Ellen woke up and began to ask “why.” Why wasn’t she in action? Why didn’t she have motivation? Why was she smack-dab in the middle of self-sabotage?

Ellen found that neuroscience held the not only the answers to her questions, but also the winning formulas for moving ahead. And thus an Action Hero was born with the power to harness natural human habits rather than fighting against them in order to create a game plan that squashes procrastination and enables us to get out of our own d@mn way.

Ellen will move into a new reality, supporting you every step of the way.

What you will learn in this episode: * Who are action heroes * Hear Ellen's story how she become real hero * How you can change other peoples world * Getting stuff done in 10 minutes, learn how

For more click here

The phone’s ringing, your laptop is beeping at you, an alert goes off, in the midst of all this, you get 3 text messages.

Busywork : 10 Productivity: 0 In 2015, I did a 15 day blog challenge, and one of those days ways to write about one tool that I use to be remove distraction.

And this one had me thinking. It was a bit of a toughie.

I talk a lot about productivity, and all of the apps that I use.
Asana for keeping my small but mightyteam n track

Google calendar, for running my life Facebook messenger, for my Rocjkstar clients who get instant access to me
Lastpass, to save me from having to remember eleventy billion passwords
And anymeeting, which allows me to meet with people, even if they don’t have Skype

I’m usually pretty good at removing distractions (like facebook) when I have to work.

For more click here

Melanie Miller is a lover of the unsexy side of business. After breaking up with the corporate world of soul sucking employers she became a business coach focusing on dishing up the hard unsexy truths of business to women. Two years ago tragedy struck when Melanie’s Mum lost an almost two year battle with breast cancer. Every thing changed. Seeing how short life really is Melanie decided to go all in on creating a lifestyle business driven by her passion to help women create Profitable, Live-able and Loveable businesses both off and online.

Today Melanie has a thriving online business generating in excess of $140K per year, a crazy fun community of over 8000 female entrepreneurs and is living nicely in what she calls her business "sweet spot".

What you will learn in this episode: * How to turn your investment into profit4 * How to organize your marketing step by step * Learn a few tips about optimising your newsletter

For more click here

Imagine this.

Your business is going well, your team seems happy enough, no one complains, they turn up for work and you haven’t been asked for a pay rise. So when a staff member comes to you and tells you their leaving, it’s a big shock.

You don’t quite know how to react, and the first question that you blurt out is probably “why?”. But you don’t know if you actually want to know that answer, because it will unearth a big flaw in your business.

People stop working for you because they are unsatisfied.
There are so many factors that can lead to not being satisfied if we’re speaking in general terms, the three reasons that people leave their jobs.

They don’t like the workplace culture
They don’t like the job they’re doing or can’t see any career path
They feel they aren’t getting paid enough.

So, how do successful retailers keep their team members happy, and secure them for a long period of time?

For more click here

Sarah's Bio: After working in finance for 8 years, I quit my city job and spent 18 months travelling the world, climbing Kilimanjaro, backpacking around South America and doing a ski season. I used this time to help me decide on what I wanted to do with my life.

I set up Tough Girl Challenges as a way of motivating and inspiring women and girls.

I'm the host the Tough Girl Podcast where I interview inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges.

I completed the Marathon des Sables in April 2016 and in 2017 I will be thru hiking the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days!

What you will learn in this episode: * This episode is little bit different, you will learn how life can be wonderful * Did you ever wonder what is point of my life, hear Sarah's story * How small thing in hard days can change your mood * Learn more about though girl challenges

For more click here

I was at the playground with my daughter recently, and whilst she was off on the swings, I was absentmindedly watching a group of toddlers play in the nearby sandpit.

I observed a little girl with pigtails playing with a dumptruck in the sand, when a boisterous toddler, a little older than her, thundered over, ripped it out of her hand, and started playing with it.

The mother came over to placate the little girl, and rescue the dumptruck, all the while soothing the tears with the promise of ice cream on the way home.

It got me thinking. So much of what we learned in preschool, can be translated into business. And quite often, we overthink the simplest things.

So today I’m going to share with you 6 things you learned in preschool that will help you sell more.

For more click here

Dr. Jen Riday is a Women's Happiness Expert, host of the Vibrant Happy Women podcast and a mom of 6. Jen helps women shift from frazzled to fantastic and from overwhelmed to overjoyed by helping them learn the art of self care, manage their time in a way that matches up with their priorities, and to live in a way that honors their passions and purpose while still connecting with loved ones in a balanced way. Jen lives in the woods just outside of Madison, WI with her husband and kids. In her spare time Jen loves to lie on the grass and soak up the sun, go to hot yoga class and meditate. What you will learn in this episode: * Today we are talking about happiness * How to win stress, and how to build your happiness * What to do when you touch rock bottom * Family support - Why that's so powerful weapon

For more click here

I was on holidays recently in a small beachside town. The family had a hankering for fish and chips, so I wandered down to the local store to order.

When I walked into the store, the first thing I saw was a big sign announcing that if I was using a mobile phone, I wouldn’t be served.

Even though I wasn’t using my phone, in fact, I didn’t even have it with me, I felt like turning around and walking back out. The only thing stopping me, was the promise of fish and chips for the family, and no other shop to buy them from.

But having a monopoly in a retail niche, does not give you the right to treat customers to a bad experience.

So here are 6 easy steps that you can employ, to master the customer experience.

For more click here

Weddings can be a time of intense love, optimism and hope. Yet the logistical realities of planning a wedding can take away from what should be a time of joyful celebration. I believe if couples are better informed on the pricing and value of services; better prepared for what is required to create the wedding day they envision; they'll have the space to not only create a shiz hot wedding, they'll be able to nurture their relationships with loved ones at the same time. They'll be able to share in a deeper level of love and connection. This gives couples a better chance to tap back in to the joy. The world will be the better for this. And more joy in the world is a good thing.

How looking outside your industry can bring amazing changes to your business
How surveying your customers can help you to refine your product range

Listen here for more

I was on holidays recently in a small beachside town. The family had a hankering for fish and chips, so I wandered down to the local store to order.

When I walked into the store, the first thing I saw was a big sign announcing that if I was using a mobile phone, I wouldn’t be served.

Even though I wasn’t using my phone, in fact, I didn’t even have it with me, I felt like turning around and walking back out. The only thing stopping me, was the promise of fish and chips for the family, and no other shop to buy them from.

But having a monopoly in a retail niche, does not give you the right to treat customers to a bad experience.

So here are 6 easy steps that you can employ, to master the customer experience.

For more click here

When I tell my retailers, that they need to spend a week keeping tabs on what their customers are wearing, most look at me a bit strangely. But after that week, they realise there’s a method to this madness.

You see, when you look at what your customer is wearing, it tells you more about them than you could ever imagine.

I know, I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I’m not saying you should treat any person in your store any differently, but when you keep a keen eye on what types of clothing your customer is wearing, it could just change your whole retail offering.

What we wear, says a lot about our values. It shows the world a version of ourselves, that we want to be seen as. So paying attention to your customer’s outfits, tells you who they are, what they like to buy, what their value system is when they shop and how much they’re prepared to pay.

So let’s talk about that a bit more.

For more click here

In this week’s episode you will hear what our guests answered in the past on Sal’s great question “What makes you go wow when you walk into a retail store”

We have Diana Holwerda and Michelle Keefe

'' Because I have a marketing background, I love anything that is showing that the store has actually spent some time in attracting people into the store. So, the window layout is very important to me, if they have done an awesome job on the windows. And I also like colours, so if there are appealing colours, not too bright but quite interesting which would probably impress me quite a bit and also the quality of the product. But, for me it's always the window shopping, so if the window looks quite interesting then I will go inside, otherwise I would probably not put a foot inside. If we look at all the big department stores, look how much money they spend on their windows and I think that small retailers should base their design and marketing skills on that. So, as an advice, see what the big stores are doing because they are the ones that are selling and they are getting the customers in so there is nothing preventing you from copying a little bit of what they are doing. ''

'' The biggest thing, for me, that makes me go wow is the customer service. When I walk through, and someone looks, smiles and says good morning or good afternoon. It's the atmosphere that the individual provides in the store. It's the customer service, that experience that they provide that makes me remember the store and makes me come back.''

For more click here

Utilizing the manufacturers description is a simple, quick and easy way to get products up onto your website.

Yet standard descriptions hold you back in a few ways.

Firstly, the Google Gods prefer it if you have fresh content – you’ll rank higher in searches, than the stores that simply copied-and-pasted.

Secondly, by customising your product descriptions, you’re in a better position to move the customer one step closer to buying. Because if every website has the same picture and the same description, the customer only has one other thing left to choose on – price (and we’re not about competing on price!)

Click here for more

Seven years ago I was bit by the brick and mortar bug. I was managing a small boutique so I was starting to understand the process and I had met someone that I knew would be a good business partner. Most importantly, I had an idea for a shop that I felt would stand out and that would add value to my neighborhood.

When my business partner Meredith and I got serious and finished writing our business plan, what emerged was a lingerie boutique that made shopping for underthings a not-terrible thing to do. So many of our friends had awful, even traumatic experiences when shopping for bras, (knowing that something fits correctly isn't a knowledge that we're born with!) and we wanted to make the process easy, fun and empowering.

In 2010, we took the leap and opened what is now our pride and joy,

What you will learn in this episode: * How to build successful partnership * Ho Rachel get into retail - listen her impressive story * How much planing is important for your business * How to plan business with business partner

For more click here

Have you ever been into a store, only to find out that they’ve run out of the thing you came in to buy?

The store assistant assures you that stock is arriving in the next few days, and that they’ll take your details, put on aside for you when the delivery occurs, and give you a call.

The days, then weeks pass, and you hear nothing. In fact, you may have even forgotten about the order, and bought the product somewhere else.

Weeks later, the shop calls you to tell you that your order has arrived, but you no longer want, or need the item, so you tell them to put the stock back on the shelf?

It’s a common scenario, one that most retailers know all too well. That dreaded feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you realise you may have completely forgotten a customer.

For more click here

Bio You might be surprised to learn that my entrance into maternity leave planning and coaching did NOT begin with my own arrival at motherhood.

I had a decade of experience as a maternal health professional, but when I set out to plan my maternity leave as a self-employed consultant, I found…a whole lot of nothing.

I found some blog posts of what other women did and what worked for their business.

I read about what entrepreneurs in billion dollar companies did for their leave (oh hey Marisa Mayer!)

I came across dozens of generic “guides” that included sage wisdom like “plan ahead” without delving into much more.

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn more about Arianna's background, how she started her business * When is good time for baby when you run your own business? * It's time for a business break - How much time you need to take off * Learn more tips about breastfeeding

For more click here

One of the things people ask me all the time is "What is the mastermind". This episode will try to help you better understand what is mastermind and how it works. I invited rockstars to tell you exactly why they join and what they achieve in the last few days. They will let you know experience so you can be the next one who is going to join this fantastic group.

You will learn today: * What made them join mastermind class * What was the biggest obstacle they have before they joined mastermind * For some this was first experience, listen Kate's impressions and concludes how this can help in her business * How planning is important for retailers

For more click here

Teliah is the owner of Renu Hot Yoga, NUYU Juice Bar, and the host of The Balancing Act Podcast, where she interviews women entrepreneurs on balancing personal and business life. Aside from those three, she coaches personal clients on developing healthy habits and yoga practices. She loves every joy, opportunity, challenge and growth moment that comes along with being an entrepreneur and especially loves working alongside her husband, Kylon. She loves being outside with her family and looks forward to building their dream home in the mountains of beautiful Washington State so she can snowboard and work from home every day.

What you will learn in this episode: * How Teliah started her Yoga studio * How to find the right people for your business * How to recognize the right person - the one that's the best fit for your business

For more click here

When you open a bricks and mortar store, you’re often forced to make a decision between a store with less foot traffic, but low rent, or the store with more foot traffic, and higher overheads.

With each of these choices, comes a tradeoff. The lower rent means that you can invest more money into stock, advertising and staff and grow your business at a steady pace. The higher rent option puts you in a position of having to achieve a higher turnover of products and sales, in order to stay afloat.

One of our Bringing Business to Retail community members, Jesse, opted for the lower foot traffic-lower rent store. She says “we’re on a shoe-sting budget, have great word of mouth and a good Facebook presence, but we're not in a good foot traffic location and need to inexpensively figure out how to reach grandparents who may not be wired as well as moms of 10& under”.

Fore more click here

"I'm a passionate professionally trained private chef and holistic nutritionist. Through private chef services, realistic nutrition coaching, meal planning and culinary education, I help people live a delicious life of MORE with less!"

"My culinary approach focuses on delicious simplicity, letting the ingredients shine. Fresh flavours, bright flavours and a focus on seasonality. My nutritional approach is similar, support the body with bright, delicious and healthy food and it will love you back.

My life's work is helping you realize your potential by starting with rising to your healthiest self."

What you will learn in this episode: This week we are talking about food. Today my guest is Bianca Osbourne. What to cook, how to cook, all that you will learn in today's episode.

Learn few tips about meal plans
Hear examples of two different types of sos you can freeze

Every retailer would love to have more customers coming to their store, whether it’s online, or, into their shopfront.

As business owners, we spend a lot of time, and money, obsessing over the best ways to attract those customers.

If you’ve hear people talking about sales funnels and customer lifecycles, and you’re feeling a little out of your depth, today I’m going to break down exactly what they are, so that you can master YOUR store’s sales funnel and attract more customers

What’s a Sales Funnel? Instead of using this term funnel, think about it as a small set of stairs, leading to your shop’s front door (virtual or otherwise).

Each step that a potential customer has to walk up, gets them closer to purchasing from you.

In text book speak, there are 5 steps that a person has to walk up, before they become a customer.

For more click here

Today you will learn few more tips when it comes to website hosting. Doug will share so much with us so stay tuned.

What services Doug's company provide
What is different between website hosting and domain name
Learn more about multi sites on one server
Learn more about VPS (Virtual Private Server
How to handle with servers, learn can you handle on your own or you need technical support

For more click here

In the business world, have you ever found yourself super excited about a potential employee? They have every skill that you could have ever hoped for. It just that, they’re a bit, you can’t quite put your finger on it, but they just don’t seem right. On paper, this person is perfect, but still there’s a little niggle in the back of your mind

The other candidate doesn’t have the same skill set, but they just seem like they’d be a great fit.

So which do you choose?

Well, the better we understand ourselves and other people, the more successful we’ll be in dealing with people and situations; and getting it right. – that’s a direct quote from Sally Hogshead

She goes on to say “using psychology to your advantage in everyday situations, to ‘get’ people, to influence, help and support, to get your point across, in a way that's right for you, to better understand and shape decision-making, to motivate and manage people, and deal with conflict and most importantly to understand and manage our own impact on other people, is possible, when you know your own personality.

So, I ask you - when it comes to the ‘real you’, exactly how well do you know yourself?

For more click here

Today I will share with you what I learned from the guests and experts that attended the 3 day business retreat I recently attended. Last week we talked about fear.

Today I will talk more about money blocks, including,

Why we feel we have to work hard to make money
Why you should embrace this mantra "There is an easier way to make money"
How to have more fun in business

For more click here

For some many retailers, in fact, let’s face it, for so many people in any business, there is just never enough time to get through that to do list on any given day.

All of this leads to frustration, overwhelm, anxiety, and feeling constantly pressured, which all lead to a (sub) conscious a sense of failure.

When you’re in this mind-space, you find yourself short tempered, snapping at little things that shouldn’t bother you, taking our frustration at yourself, out on those around you.

Who hasn’t found themselves snapping at the poor cashier because they’d sold out of your favourite chocolate. Or writing a snarky email to a poor retailer because your order wasn’t delivered in a super- timely fashion

Whilst we know we shouldn’t lash out on the nearest person, it’s normal to want to vent our frustrations.

For more click here

Today I will share with you what I learned from the guests and experts that attended the 3 day business retreat I recently attended. Last week we talked about how what others will think about us, holds back our earning potential., today I

Today I will talk more about fear.

Learn about two types of fear (Fear of success and fear of failure)
Why how others will look at you if you are successful, holds you back
Why you can't talk about success with your friends

For more click here

What you will learn in this episode: Today I will share with you what I learned from the guests and experts that attended the 3 day business retreat I recently attended.

How to solve your business problems
How to talk with others about how much you earn in your business
What will others think about me – the first monologue that’s holding you back

For more click here

Meet Alfred* A few weeks ago, I was talking to a retailer, let’s call him Alfred.

Alfred was frustrated at the fact that he just didn’t seem to have enough time. Between working his ecommerce retail store, dropping the kids at school and day care, and prepping meals, he was staring straight into the eyes of Overwhelm. With a capital O.
Overwhelm was such a presence in his life, that when we dug a little bit deeper into his situation, he confessed that he wasn’t getting any work done on his business. He was just packing orders, and drowning in ‘everything’

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I’m a take action kind of person.

If you want to whinge about business and get sympathy from me, it’s likely that I’ll offer you some solutions, and expect that you’ll take action. And that’s exactly what Alfred and I did.

For more click here

Janet spent the past fifteen years writing and editing for national newspapers and magazines in the UK including the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, Times, Sun and Daily Mail.

She’s pitched (and successfully placed) countless stories in the national media. Plus, she’s also commissioned hundreds of stories (and turned down many more).

What you will learn in this episode: * What is PR * How Amy's strategy is related with Janet's business * How you can pitch your story into the media * Do you need to pay if you want to be in the media?

For more click here

I recently went into a store, that felt like I was in a time warp.
The store sold “timeless” pieces for furniture.
All I could see was fat, puffy leather sofas (from the 90’s), brown wood (from the 90’s) and the desperate stench of “please buy something”.

Timeless does not mean time warp.

Seasons change, trends change, and people’s tastes change as they get older. So being on trend, with what’s happening externally in the design world, and internally, with your own target market, is the key to having the right inventory and great store turnover.

So how can you keep up with happening, what’s trending, and what your customer is actually looking for?

Attend trade shows

For more click here

Today we are talking about digital marketing and how to get more more customers in your business. The lovely Kim will share with you awesome tricks and tips how to use twitter for your business.

What you will learn today * Meet Kim and her business * Learn about system that run your business when you sleep * Learn how to use twitter properly * Learn few facts about newsletter and opt in

For more click here

We all want to have our own brand, right? So this is the right place to learn few more things about that. A lot of useful tips for all retailers.

Learn how Leah created her own brand
What is the different between a business name, logo and a brand
Learn three tips to work out what you want your brand to be
How to translate branding into reality

For more click here

When it comes to online shopping, it can be a customer’s worst nightmare, seeing the same description over and over. When that happens, al a customer has left to choose on, is the price that you’re selling the product for, or what other products you happen to stock, that your customer might be looking for.

Two pretty tenuous reasons for a customer to shop with you, rather than your competitor, right?

So it’s time to stop copying manufacturers (or even worse, another website’s) product descriptions.

In this post-holiday lull, now is the time to review the products on your website.

Creating your own, unique and individual product description will not only delight your customers, as an added bonus, you’ll also get added “Google juice”, because Google LOVES unique content.

So here’s my 5 minute hack to make you a product description-copywriting ninja

For more click here

In this week's episode you will hear what our guests answered in the past on Sal's great question "What makes you go wow when you walk into a retail store"

We have Dan Norris, Greg Van Borssum and Jessica Oman.

Dan Norris:

That's very difficult question. I don't shop very often. I am an online shopper and I like apple store, I don't know why. I think I am very heavenly influenced by design. If I see website and I need to buy something, I don't know if that is to common thing, but if I see the site that is really really well executed and really well designed and really good images, like product images, that is probably translate as a phisicaly as well.

For more click here

This weeks guest is Dominique Perry

What you will learn in this episode: * How to grow your business when your business partner is actually your life partner * Discover loads of tips about packaging, shipping, and organising your stock room * How automating your business can save a lot of money on staffing costs * How to get around the issue of products that don't have bar codes

For more click here

Meet Traci, a Business Strategist

In this episode you will learn:

Discover how Traci started with her strategy consulting business
Listen to why Traci thinks it's so important to know what are you selling
What is difference between shopping online and in store
Refunds? How to deal with them

For more click here

It's 2017 and I hope it will be wonderful for all of us.

The new brings with the New Year Resolutions. Today I want to talk to you about my 4 new years resolutions that I think you should keep.

For more click here

This is the last episode in 2016. and I hope you had a wonderful year, together with all people you love. In this episode, I will try to let you know more about apps of 2016 that are really awesome.

For more click here

Brodie Welch is a Licensed Acupuncturist, board-certified herbalist, qi gong teacher, holistic health counselor, Aroma Acupoint Therapist™, and Chinese Medicine educator practicing in Corvallis, Oregon.

Brodie earned her Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine degree at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2003. She is a Nationally Certified Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Having completed a three-year teacher-training program with Dr. Liu Dong and Master Liu He at the Ling Gui International Healing Qi Gong School in Seattle, Washington, she is also a Senior Healing Qi Gong Teacher, integrating Oriental Medical theory with practical instruction in several forms of qi gong and meditation. A long-time yoga practitioner, she earned a Yoga Teacher Training certification in 2011. She also holds a certification in Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

For more click here

Today we are talking about relationships.

Fiona's Bio: I’m a relationship specialist, personal coach, speaker, facilitator and the mother of four beautiful feisty children.

But most of all, I am a passionate advocate of the power of human connection.

Connection is everything. It feeds our soul. It is the vital pumping force at the heart of all we think, do and feel.

When we are truly connected, we shine. We are the best possible versions of ourselves we can be.

The Relationship Place is all about human connection. It’s about helping people get back to a place of fun, love and light with each other.

I love working with couples and individuals to peel back the layers of misunderstanding and judgement, to restore the laughter and the love.

When it comes to customer acquisition, the hard part is driving people to your website.

Once they’ve landed, you have a chance of selling to them.

If you’ve managed to get them all the way through to checkout, you’ve hit a home run.

Your work is done.

Right?

Wrong!

When it comes to selling, the opportunity that an existing customer will buy from you again, ranks around 70%, whereas a new customer can be as low as 5%. Or let’s be honest. A big fat 0%

So once you’ve managed to get someone to fork over cash for your products, it’s time to celebrate them, make them feel fantastic about shopping with you and prompt them to come back again.

Here are 6 ways to optimize post purchase pages on your ecommerce site.

For more click here

We've all been there and nobody likes it when it happens – 404 error pages.

That page that pops up when the thing your were searching for, has disappeard into the internet ether.

No matter how good your website is, you are still going to have error pages displaying to your visitors.

For more click here

We all make mistakes but in this episode, you will see the 8 mistakes retailers make.

In this episode you will learn: * What is a successful marketing campaign? * How to calculate return on investment? * Do you have a backup if social your media disappears? * How much time you need to have your advertising active?

For more click here

When I first meet with a retailer, I ask them why they opened their store.

And of course, the reasons vary dramatically.

Bu what generally comes up are these 5 things

To have more freedom to spend time with my family

To not have to work as many hours andTo not have to work in a rigid corporate environment

To make more money

Because I love this thing I sell and wanted to share it with others.

Sound familiar?

And to tell you the truth, MOS of those things are the reasons that small business retailers ended up closing shop within the first 3 years.

So why are those the wrong reasons to open a retail store, and how do you turn them into the right reasons?

For more click here

We all make mistakes but in this episode, you will see the 8 mistakes retailers make.

In this episode you will learn: * Why you can't do everything by yourself * Why employees need to be a part of your brand, not just regular workers * How much training processes are important when you hire someone * How to plan your stock strategy

For more click here

You know the feeling. You need to capitalise on the holiday season to fill your cash register and give you some breathing space for that time of the year when trade naturally drops off.

For most people, that time is the Christmas period, or the Summer.

Each year, you wrack your brain to figure out just which platform you should use, in order to get the maximum return on investment.

If you haven’t been getting the results you’d expected, here are 3 rookie mistakes that are strangling your advertising success.

For more click here

We are approaching Christmas rush time, and at that time it's very important to sort out many things. One of them is hiring process.

In this episode you will learn: * The perfect strategy to hire the right people for your store

For more click here

This week Sal is a guest of Angela Counsel's podcast. And you will learn few more things

Sal is in Christmas mode, are you?
How Sal started and finished in the retail business?
How media can change your business
Sal decided to share her experience with potential retailers

For more click here

What you'll discover when I talk to Cinzia

Cinzia shares her journey from Kitchen Table to success
Why her family was the motivator for Smoothie Bombs
How she juggles working and being a single mother
What happened when someone stole her idea and copied it

BIO

As a nutritionist and dedicated single mother of two, I created the Smoothie Bombs 5 years ago at my kitchen bench. Lana, my youngest, was skipping breakfast way too often; it was a battle to get her to eat breakfast.

I tried many tactics and I nailed it with what has become Smoothie Bombs. When it proved successful at home, word got out in the local community.

Soon after family and friends gathered around the kitchen table for rolling sessions to keep up with demand.

Local cafes were soon on board and the idea of turning this into a business became viable. I decided to make it into a consumer product in January 2014, where the iconic tube was born.

LINKS:

Smoothie Bombs website

Smoothie Bombs Instagram

What you'll discover when I talk to Amanda

Key areas to ensure you look at when you take out a commercial lease
The incentives available for new leases
How to calculate CPI (probably my most asked question!)
Deadlines and the importance of exercising options

BIO

The Tenant Company is about empowering the small business owner to confidently understand their rights under their lease and ensuring they secure their property with the best lease terms possible.

We provide Tenant Representation services including site searches and lease negotiations, renegotiation of existing leases, portfolio management, make good negotiation and lease surrenders.

We are fully independent and do not have affiliations with any Landlords or Real Estate Agencies. We offer advice and guidance to Tenants of Commercial, Retail and Industrial Real Estate.

LINKS:

The Tenant Company

How to calculate CPI

Meet Julia and meet her unique fashion business
What the difference is between a label and just making something
What is the biggest mistake people make from Julia's experience
How important is photo shooting in this business

For more click here

Hear Kylie's experience with business fear
Should you be afraid when it comes to advertising
Partnership - Yes or No?
How to avoid fail in your business

For more click here

Hey there, the holiday rush is almost here, again!

What does this mean for you as a retailer?

Simply put, it means money and it also could mean making your whole year finally profitable.

So, what's the secret recipe to super-charge your holiday sales?

For more click here

What type of business insurance do you need for a retail store?

As a business owner, you need to make sure that if the proverbial hits the fan, you’re not going to lose everything you own, so lets talk about the easiest way to CYA.

There’s a phrase we you is life, expecially in business.

CYA

Cover your butt

Today’s episode is not about about the legal implications of the TYPE of business set up you should have – sole trader, company or partnership.

Today we’re talking about insurance.

For more click here

What you will learn in this episode: * How Elizabeth become franchisee mentor? * How to choose right franchisee system? * When you choose your franchisee what you should ask them? * How bank system works in this case

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/

What you will learn in this episode: * What is Harlow? * How did she decide to start with her business? * What was the biggest hurdle in the beginning of this business? * How meeting people can make a change for your business?

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

What you will learn in this episode: * What is the subscription box * What is box for monkeys * How Sarah started with subscription boxes * Why subscription box for kids?

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

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn more about Andrea’s yoga studio * How to find the right shopfront * Learn how she started her business and her journey * What to do when you don’t have enough market for your business? Hear how Andrea attracted more customers * What do to when you need to expand your business area but you didn’t plan for it? * Learn tips on how to increase the number of clients/customers

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

What you will learn in this episode: * Are you new in your business? Learn few tips from Salena about how to spend your money * Advertising, why should you spend money on that if you are new in business? * How to get people know your product or your brand * How to get your customers to come back * How to expect your return on investments

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:

How Set-Backs can actually become success
How ego is big thing for your business
How exactly did something not turning out, turn into success
Listen traumatic Sal's story which marked the last 12 years for her

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.

What you will learn in this episode: * Meet Kylie and see what she does * How she became social media strategist * What is the biggest internet change in last 10 years * What is content marketing and how you can use it in retail business

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?

Greeting a customer, and actually being able to help them, is about asking the right questions. 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”

What you will learn in this episode: * Meet Alma and learn what she does * Shop your wardrobe – what does that mean exactly * How can you avoid mum-frump if you’re an online business that works at home all day * How to look super stylish and be comfortable

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.

What you will learn in this episode: * What is Brand Ambassador * Why brand needs brand ambassador * How to buy brand ambassador's package * Can one brand ambassador represent more than one brand

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.

What you will learn in this episode: * What is Sarah business * How to be consistent in your business and be passionate all that time * How to get corporate clients * What do to when cash is not coming

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

Short Bio from Jess: "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.

I’ve seen Megan speak before, and I remember that her insights into retail were very different to what other people were spruiking.

Coming from a background in business, Megan grew up in pubs.

She recounts many stories, such as riding her tricycle around the ballroom, how her dad taught her that you’re never to senior to pick up a broom.

And how watching the cash being counted in the evening, how she said to her dad ‘look at all that money, you must be rich’.

And how her father took that stack of bills, and showed her how much went to wages, overheads, restocking and rent, and the small amount that was left over.

Whilst I was listening to her talk, I could see this picture in my mind, and I immediately thought ‘what a fantastic way to show a child the meaning of money’.

So much of what Megan had to say, had me recounting my time in business, and how as retailers, we often overlook key areas of business, because we aren’t confident enough to stand out.

As the co-founder of net-a-porter, the super luxurious, online fashion store, Megan’s love for expensive handbags, her eye for style and her introduction to the internet put a wild idea in her head.

I was very lucky last week, to be gifted a ticket to the total summit event, here in Sydney, by my friend, the product-prenur expert, Catherine Langman.

It was a 2 day event, culminating in a mammoth 3 hour session by Tony Robbins. I was excited that there were 3 women on the speaking buill, that I was super excited to hear from. Carolyn Creswell, founder of Carman’s muesli, Naomi Simson, the founder of Red Balloon and a shark on Australia’s Shark Tank, and Melanie Perkins, the founder of Canva. Plus, Megan Quinn, the founder of net-a-porter also popped in for an amazing session.

I often forget about how important it is to go to events like these. We get so busy, wrapped up in fwork, family and the eleventy billion other decisions that we have to make on a weekly basis.

Taking time out to meet new people, in an inspirational environment, just does something to your brain, and your energy. You come away renewed, with so many fresh ideas. You have clarity of what you want, and you may just meet someone who can change the whole course of your business, or even your life.

So I urge you to find some events that you think will light you up. Write them in your diary and commit to making them happen.

For more, visit: https://salenaknight.com/podcast/bbtr49-why-culture-eats-strategy

Can a retail store earn income from affiliates?

The margins you have in retail can often only be changed by either upping your retail price, or negotiating discounts with your suppliers, so what is there was another way of earning extra revenue in your business, without purchasing products? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could have extra cash coming into your business, without outlaying for products? Imagine if you could offer products and services to your clients that for whatever reason, you can't stock in your store? Well, you can. It's called affiliate income. [Tweet " So what exactly is affiliate income?"] Essentially, it's where your company is paid a referral fee for selling a product or service for another company. Now before you run off thinking pyramid selling, or multi level marketing, that's NOT what affiliate income is about. The key to making this work, without looking all douche bag salesy, is to find products or services that your customers could clearly benefit from, and that you truly believe to be in line with your brand.

Let's give a couple of examples, and I tend to find they relate to services, for product based businesses like retail stores. If you own a ladies fashion store, you might find someone who runs a styling course or a makeup course that you think your customers would love. You then advertise this service on social media, in your newsletter, in store - wherever your customers are at with a special link that your supplier will give you. When your customers purchase the item, you are automatically given a referral fee. Perhaps you're a children's store. You could team up with an in-home styling, or parenting workshops. The amount that you get paid is either going to be a set fee, or a percentage of the amount your customer spends with your affiliate. As such, you need to think about how much you could potentially earn, versus how much time and money you will put into advertising your affiliate. Be warned though, you can't just put up a sign and hope for the best. Like any product in your store, the affiliate has to be sold to earn its place in the store. Now you can rotate the offers, to be in line with your monthly editorial calendar, or maybe you just have one thing your customers repeatedly want. Either way, there is the potential to earn significant revenue streams outside of just selling the products in your store. In addition, you're providing a better experience for your customer base, and best of all, are being completely different to your competitors. I'd love to hear what you sell and one product or service that you could investigate right now, that your customers would benefit from. Comment below and have a fab day!

Accept multiple forms of payment Banking fees are a part of business, and you should build them into your margins. Make sure you Accept multiple payment options. Cash, debit card/eftpos, credit card, paypal, stripe and even bitcoin! By only accepting one form of payment, you may well end up losing a sale.

Offer gift vouchers. Some people see gift vouchers as a liability, because they need to remain on your balance sheet for a set amount of time. However, gift vouchers being bought is cash flow into your business. The bonus is they will often bring in new customers, as your faithful, loyal fans seek to spread the word about how fab your store is.

Give your customers the ability to buy after hours. I'm not suggesting that you open longer. What I'm talking about is having an online platform where people can purchase products when your store isn't open. If you don't have a website, you should. Whilst a website may take some time to set up, in less than an hour, you could set up a store on your facebook page with your most popular items, including gift vouchers!

Offer a layaway/layby service for big ticket items. I don't always advocate not being paid upfront, because it can cost you time chasing up people to pay. However, if you sell higher priced items, the ability to offer a payment plan may be the deciding factor as to whether a customer decides to purchase from you or not. My suggestion here is to make sure that the amount is large enough for you to justify holding the inventory/chasing payments.

Get Your "Quick Ways To Make It Easy To Receive Money From Your Customers" Retail Biz Strategy

Today we’re talking 9 strategic ways to move old stock.

How do you determine if something is slow moving, apart from the obvious of seeing it on the shelves constantly? There are a few methods, but the one I go to is turn over. You generally get 30 day terms with a supplier, so if an item is still sitting on your shelf, or in your storeroom 60 or 90 days later, it’s time either rethink the product, or the amount you purchase.

Every square meter of your store is real estate. Even if you have an online store. And for every item that takes up space, but isn’t selling, it’s costing you money, either in lost sales, or the inability to free up those funds to purchase new or different stock. Should you keep it, just because? Someone MIGHT want it, right? It makes your store look full. That might be the case with one or 2 items, but when you start to have 10, 10, 50 skus that just aren’t moving, all of a sudden, it adds up.

Get Your "9 Strategic Ways To Move Excess Stock Without Having A Sale" Retail Biz Strategy

Download

So, you’re on your way to your first ever trade show as a buyer. You’ve heard all the stories about how beautiful the stands can be and you’re excited to be able to see so many suppliers in one place.

Get Your "Trade Fair Tracker" Retail Biz Strategy

Today we’re talking about what to expect when you attend a trade show as a buyer. I remember my first ever trade show that I attended as a buyer. I felt so important, with my name and business name on a lanyard as I waltzed around the stores. But, I had a very big shock waiting for me.

Before the show Most trade shows will require that you pre register. You’ll have to fill out an online form, and usually provide some kind of proof of business registration. Once you’ve been accepted, you’ll get an email, and either your registration lanyard in the post, or you’ll pick it up on the day. To avoid any surprises, Be sure to check out start and finish times, transport, parking fees and whether children can attend. In many cases children are not allowed at trade fairs, or may be required to be in a baby carrier or pram. Here’s a little tip – you can often pre book parking, or get parking validated at the show for a reduced fee – even as a guest. Just sayin’

When you enter the show When you enter the trade show, you may be overwhelmed. Grab a guide and circle the suppliers you’d like to see the most. I recommend hunting those places out first, so you don’t accidentally walk past them in the hustle and bustle. Vendors will often have show specials. A word of advice. Think before you order! And if you order on the day, keep track of how much your spending.

After the show 4 weeks after my first trade fair, I was receiving whopping invoices from things I’d forgotten I even ordered. Ask suppliers what they provide. Do they supply images, Point of sale or merchandising items, are their stands available for awkward products? What are their trade terms and warranties? Can you return or exchange stock that doesn’t move? You’ll often get your lanyard scanned by everyone who’se stand you show an interest in. Be aware these people WILL email you, so be prepared for an onslaught in your inbox. Remember to ask yourself if this would really suit your ultimate customer, or is it just something YOU like? I guess what I’m saying is to just be mindful of what you’re buuing and how much your spending. Most of all, have fun, enjoy the opportunity to be a business owner, making decisions that will grow your business. Use this opportunity to connect with suppliers and develop a relationship with them. You may only get a few minutes, but have something noteworthy to discuss if you want to foster your relationship. Some suppliers will even let you book meeting times with them.

Get Your "Trade Fair Tracker" Retail Biz Strategy

Need More Trade Fair Inspiration? Try these

[caption id="attachment_7014" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 5 Questions to Ask Before Taking On A New Supplier[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7011" align="aligncenter" width="300"] How To Choose The Right Products For Your Store[/caption]

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery but what do you do when it feels like a competitor is copying your every move?

Get Your "How to Deal with Copycat Retailers" Retail Biz Strategy

Today we’re talking about how to deal with copycat retailers. To start off with, woo hoo, clearly you are doing something right, and are seen as a leader in your field, and that is worth celebrating, so go you! But, it’s a pretty shitty feeling to open up your laptop and see someone who is blatantly copying all that you say and do. After chatting with a lot of people in the retail industry, what I discovered is that copying tends to be more the online component of retail, and than offline, bricks and mortar side. Let’s be honest, if you walked into a store that looked exactly like the store in the next street, you’d probably be more confused than anything. And if you went back again and the window display had changed to something similar that you saw in the original store, you’d start to realize that the second store didn’t have it’s own voice, it’s own soul.

So what do you do when you find someone is copying you? Firstly, know your rights and ensure you’ve covered your butt. Make sure that you’ve trademarked your business name and logo. This way, you’re legally covered if someone tries to copy your logo or business name. In addition, when you publish original content on your website, such as product descriptions you’ve written yourself, cheat sheets and blog posts, you automatically have copyright attributed to it. [Tweet "So you find someone has copied your digital work. What do you do?"] Start off with a letter or email to the person who is using your material. This may be enough to get them to stop. If they continue to use your material, you have several option including have a solicitor draw up a cease and desist letter, or you can report the offender to their web host or to search engines as infringing on copyright. However, I have to put a disclaimer in here about website design: Quite often websites are created from templates. If you or your deign have chosen this option for your website, then expect that there will be many other sites that have the same look and feel. But what if the ‘copying’ is more about your style, rather than copyright infringement? Let me tell you a story about what can happen. I’ve gotten that phone call where someone tells you that they found someone who has copied your text, or your images, or your overall style. My friend called me to say that she’d found a website that had an almost identical vision, and copied my mission statement. Well, to start off with, most retailers don’t even include this stuff and when I had a look, it was nearly word for word. Better yet, there were pictures of stock, that had been taken IN MY STORE and passed of as this person’s own work. It’s impossible to ‘be someone else’ forever. If someone is copying you, they aren’t being themselves, and eventually, that will become obvious. You need to continue to show your customers, your suppliers and the rest of the retail world, how you’re different. Use video, use photos, use blog posts and reviews to build your brand, to secure your position as a leader in your retail field and to speak to your customers in a way that is truly authentic to your brand.

At the end of the day, if someone is copying you, move on. Remove yourself from the situation and know that it’s impossible to ‘be someone else’ forever. Be Unique, own your brands voice and blitz your competition by being the first and the best to add value for your customer. And what happened to the person who was infringing on my copyright? A quick call to my solicitor and for a couple of hundred dollars, he drafted a Cease and desist letter outlining what needed to be removed and by when. The person did have a whine that their ‘copywriter” had drafted the vision and mission statements, and she’d paid for them, so couldn’t see why they needed to be removed. I politely pointed out that she should ask for her money back from that copywriter and the offending images and text was removed that day. And that’s how you deal with copycat retailers. Go forth and have a profitable day!

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As a retailer, it would be great if your suppliers sent you point of sale material ad beautiful images of stock. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But there will also be times when you need gorgeous lifestyle pictures that you can legally use, preferably for free.

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Today I’m going to tell you my 8 favourite places to get designer images, for free. Whether it’s for your blog, or advertising something seasonal, having access to beautiful images that are free is always a bonus. In no particular order, I have listed my top 6 places I use for images and backgrounds:

1) Splitshire - I find this site focuses more on things, than people, but I love the saturated colours in their pictures 2) Magdeleine - I think I was taken with the name first. This is a curated site, which tends to lean more towards nature and landscapes, but with a splash of everything else. Which leads me to 3) Splashbase is like a mini search engine for a select group of free images websites. 4) Kaboom Pics- this tends to be my go-to for lifestyle images of people and business images 5) Death to the stock photo is a subscription service, where each week, you’re emailed a curated selection of images, based on a theme. 6) New old stock photos. Super cute – these are vintage photos from the public archive. You can find so many different things in here. It’s like looking through photo albums of super cool images. Whilst you might think that you’ll never need images other than those from suppliers, not that you’re aware of what’s out there, I’m sure you’ll start to find uses for beautiful images that aren’t boring stock photos. Do you have other resources? I’d love to add them to my list. Comment and link below

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We all know the feeling - cash flow is limited, you’re in those leaner months, and you need something new to bring the customers in.

The first one seems obvious. Applying to your suppliers for a 30-day account. Trade terms. So many retailers that I meet refuse to get trade terms from their suppliers because they ‘don’t want to get into debt’. Now I’m not an accountant but I feel that’s a very close-minded way to look at trade terms. Having your cash flow tied up in stock is not going to give your business a chance to grow. The key here is to be bang on with your inventory control, so that most of the stock has sold, when you’re bill comes due. Now you’re probably not going to get trade terms from a new supplier, however, freeing up you cash flow with existing, high turnover products, will allow you to invest some of that money into pro forma purchase for new stock.

The second way to get new stock is consignment. Now consignment is when someone gives you stock for an agreed set period of time. At the end of the period, you run a report on what’s sold, your supplier invoices you, and you return what’s left. I find this works particularly well with brands that aren’t well know, or up and coming designers, who are eager to see their products in a store. [Tweet "The win for you is a fresh new brand, and the win for the consignee is they can promote the fact their product is already stocked in a retail bricks and mortar store."] You need to have a contract in place when you have stock on consignment, and I’ve included one in my 4 intelligent ways cheat sheet, that you can download from salenaknight.com When you need some fresh stock, getting someone to give you products may not always be the answer. For big-ticket items, or ones that take up a lot of space, whether on the floor or in your storeroom, the answer may lie in drop shipping. Drop shipping is when you take an order for a product and it’s shipped straight from the supplier. Preferably, you’ll keep a sample item in store, because after all, people are coming to your retail store to see things in person. The customer orders and pays you, you send the order to the supplier, and it’s shipped direct. The bonus of drop shipping is that you can sell as many as you like, without have to fill your storeroom with stuff.

My last intelligent way to get fresh stock with limited cash flow is probably one that as a small biz retailer, you may not even be aware exists. In big retail stores, real estate is bought and sold, and you too can do this in your retail store. Where do you start? My first suggestion would be to sell your windows. These are high priced real estate, and if you put together a media pack that encompasses how you can promote a brand online along with offline in your windows, you can end up with a very tempting package for someone who wants to get their product featured. Package together things like social media profiling, electronic marketing, a giveaway or review along with insert promotions. Go forth and have a profitable day! Download the cheatsheet below

4 Intelligent Ways To Get New Stock

As a retail store owner, you probably get requests every week, from people wanting you to stock their products.

I’m sure some are beautiful, some are not, and some, you just wonder what the person was thinking when they emailed you. Click Here to Download Your "5 Questions To Ask A Potential New Supplier" Retail Biz Strategy

Picture your potential supplier. They have a product that they’ve spent months or years perfecting, sourcing samples, getting manufactured and now, its here. Or perhaps they’ve secured distributorship for an awesome new product. They want it to be in all the stores, because, let’s face it, they think it’s brilliant. Often, these suppliers are new to wholesaling and they’re learning as they go. As a retailer, you have a responsibility to your brand and your customers, to chose the correct products. Here are my top 5 questions you should ask potential suppliers before you even look at their products.

Products liability Insurance (PLI). This is your top priority. No retailer should take on any product that doesn’t have its own products liability insurance What is PLI? It’s insurance that covers the manufacturer or distributor in the event that their product (or service) causes injury, death or damage to another person or business. As a retailer, I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s death/injury caused by a faulty product. And you can bet your bottom dollar, that should something happen, all claims will lead straight to you, if the manufacturer or distributor isn’t covered.
GST Unless a product has massive mark-up more than 110%, in these tough, cut throat, economic times, no one is going to want to have to gouge 10% of the total sale price to give to the government when they can't claim any input. It can be argued that a retailer can make their sale price anything they like, but at the end of the day, there is only so much tolerance in the general public for price differentiation. If a product has an RRP of $30, an online retailer (not registered for gst) might charge $29.99. The gst registered business (who probably has bigger overheads and gets a lot more traffic into their store) is going to have to charge $33 to make the same amount of money. As retailer, if you have a choice of two similar products, with the same RRP, and one was registered for gst and one wasn’t, which would you choose? When you ask this question, and get the reply “But I’m only new, I don’t earn/turn over enough to register”. Being registered for gst shows a retailer that a business is not some fly-by-nighter. The person is confident in their business being around for more than a few months.
Account terms Some smaller suppliers won’t offer you account terms. You need to think about whether this product has proven track record and if it’s in your business’s best interest to have money tied up in an untested product. As a retailer, you must look at yourself as an agent for a product. You are going to be out there, actively promoting and selling this product. For many stores, account terms are a deal breaker. 4. Some sort of marketing plan Now, very few retailers will ask this question. They think it’s getting a bit nosy, or it’s not there place to be asking about someone else business affairs. A suppliers marketing plan doesn't have to be uber professional, it can be sketched on a tissue for all I care, but I want to know how a supplier is going to drive customers to my store, or create a buzz around a product. Essentially, What’s in it for me, the retailer? If a potential supplier can't or doesn't know to how to promote their product, ask them to think about how they will can work with the you to get your product out there. Perhaps they could offer extra product for a giveaway, or offer to contribute to some advertising. There are many ways, that don’t have to be expensive. It just requires some creativity and openness. 5. Professional product shots As a retailer, you have to protect the brand you’ve created. Your customers know, like and trust what you’ve developed. As such, you should set high expectations of what a supplier provides to you, and the products you sell should be presented consistently and professionally. Do you really want some shots taken on a mobile phone representing your what you sell? Are you prepared to put the money in to have a product presented to a level required in your store? There are of course, a lot of other things to consider before taking on a brand, but with all of my experience, these are the 5 questions I ask a supplier, before I get their product in for analysis. Put this information somewhere on your website and direct potential suppliers to that page. This automatically creates a ‘barrier to entry’, reducing the requests you get to people who don’t think the first hurdle makes life too hard. If possible, have them fill out a form on your website with this information on it, which automatically gets emailed to you. You can set up a reply email that informs the potential supplier that you’ll get back to them in a set period of time. These questions are designed to help you wade through the requests that you receive and make your business more systemised and easier to grow. For more retail biz strategies, subscribe to the bringing business to retail podcast, where each week, I interview industry and through leaders for their take on life and business. Click Here to Download Your "5 Questions To Ask A Potential New Supplier" Retail Biz Strategy

Each month, I’m sure you’re inundated with potential new products. Whether it’s from visiting trade shows, being solicited by potential suppliers, or through your own research, taking on a new product always carries some risk.

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To help you streamline the process, today I’m talking questions you should ask before taking on a new product Your shop floor is real estate, and you need to ensure every piece of stock, pays it’s so called rent. So, the first thing to ask when assessing the suitability of a new product is Does the brand align with yours? Focusing on the brand rather than the product, research and think about their ethos, their range and their customer engagement. Do they align with what you’re doing with your brand, and where you’re headed? Onto the product - Does the product fit with your current range? You’d be surprised at how many people who will try and sell you ridiculously out of sync products. By not doing this basic research, they’re wasting your time, and likely burn their bridges for next time. Craft a template of what you want a potential supplier to submit to you in order for you to assess their product. This way, you’ll save time and have all the information you need at your fingertips without having to back and forth requesting information. Next, Do you stock similar products? If so, ask the supplier to outline how their product is different enough for you to consider. Does it provide better value for money, are the ingredients different, is it a premium brand? As the retailer, your staff need to know how to sell a new product. Which brings me on to…. Does it have, or need packaging? Now, I’m not a huge fan of packaging, but I can tell you, after years in retail, packaging sells. Especially if the product is a gift. When assessing a products feasibility, think about how easy it is to display, does it stand up by itself? Does it need a hanger, is it hang sell? How does it store if it’s not on the shop floor? All of these are factors that you, as a retailer need to think about. You also need to think about how easy it is to ship, if you offer online shopping. At the end of the day, a product needs to be profitable, so knowing the RRP, the profit margin and likely turnover rate of the product helps you assess how much shelf real estate, a product should be given. And lastly, look at the supplier as a whole. How active is the brand at promoting their retailers? What is the ordering process? Ideally you should be using your Point of Sale system to send a purchase order because online ordering = double handling and integration with your accounting software equals less paperwork.

To help you get your product selection process more streamlined, this week’s free download is a product selection guide,

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When it comes to social media, you have a lot of places that you can invest your time and money in. They key to knowing which one is right, all depends on who your customer is, and where they hang out.

But retail is visual, so there’s a good chance, their hanging out Instagram, so today, I’m sharing 9 tips on how to get the most from Instagram for your retail store to increase your brand loyalty and, potentially, increase sales

Since facebook acquired Instagram back in 2012 Instagram growth has exploded, with 300 million active users, 30 billion photos shared, and an average of 70 million photos posted per day. That’s a lot of coverage, and a lot of noise, for potential customers to have to sift through. Now I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t use Instagram to it’s full potential, so I listed all the things I thought I should probably be doing, and went and asked a few people if I was on the right track. Here’s what I ended up with .

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So, taking advice from my own video, I’d love it if you could take a pic of where you’re listening to or reading this, and tag it with @thesalenaknight or #bringingbusinesstoretailtv.

Until next week, be profitable.

Offering layby or layaway services in your retail (and even online) store, can be a great strategy to get customers across the buying line, especially for big ticket items. This means more money in your til.

However, there is a cost to having money tied up in stock sitting in your store room. So, here are my tips to make avoid headaches and make layby services work for you.

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[Tweet "Remember, you're in this to become a profitable business! "]

Be sure to not miss another episode of Bringing Business to Retailtv Subscribe today via iTunes or Stitcher.

Recently I had the chance to meet some amazing people who have a different type of retail. These retailers regularly attend markets or have pop up stores, they don’t have long term bricks and mortar stores. [Tweet "How To Make Your Market Stall As Effective As A Retail Shopfront"] Our discussion turned to how you can make the most of these events and ensure that you give your customer a professional experience they will come back for, along with boosting your business systems.

If you’re not quite at the stage of opening your retail store, you can still build the foundations a professional retailer, this episode is for you.

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So, just how can you ensure that you give your customer a professional experience they will come back for, and boost your business systems? My first suggestion to these ladies, and yourself, is to implement a point of sale system. Yes, it’s a cost, but it is worth SO much money to you, trust me. All cloud based point of sale systems can be used with a tablet or iPad.

By utilising a point of sale system, you can accurately track the inventory that gets sold at each event. This will allow you to trend and forecast what products, and how much of each, you should take to each event. A point of sale system will also allow you to email receipts to our customer. I mean, when was the last time a market stall holder offered you a digital receipt? As a customer, that sends a message that you’re professional and instils confidence in future purchasing. And of course, you’ll need an email address to send that receipt to, won’t you. Oh, an email address, yes please. As long as you let a customer know that the emailed receipt also allows them insider access to future offerings, you’re able to add them into your customer database, and if you haven’t watched previous episodes, let me take a moment to remind you, that your customer database is THE most valuable part of your business. [Tweet "When was the last time a market stall holder sent you a digital receipt?"] Next up, have an online store. Apart from the obvious of bringing in relatively passive income, a website allows you to advertise where you’ll be next, and what you’ll have with you.

You can also use your website to develop a relationship with your customer, let them get to know who you are and what you do. My favourite point of sale system comes with an inbuilt website. Simple, easy to track inventory, and updated in real time, no matter where you’re selling. You can find out my recommendation in today’s download. Do you have regular customers? By adding them into your point of sale database, you can allow them to order online and pick up on the day. Who doesn’t want a guaranteed sale?

Take customer service up a notch and provide a gift registry. Say what, Sal, are you crazy, a gift registry at a market stall? Well, Why not? [Tweet "Can a market stall holder offer a gift registry?"] If you attend markets on a regular basis, why can’t you offer a gift registry?

When you’ve provided amazing customer service, your customer will have that trust that you’ll be around for a while. Add the online store into the mix, and you’re a retailer to love. If the idea of a gift registry is just a little bit too out there for you, you can still ask customers to recommend you to prospective gift buyers. Simply look up the past purchases of a client and put together a pack they would love. Again, how many other stall holders would offer this service? This week’s download not only includes my favourite point of sale recommendation, but also 9 simple strategies you can implement to provide a professional customer experience, PLUS 6 systems you can start putting in place to grow your hatchling business. Interested in a FREE 30 day trial of my favourite Point of Sale System? Simply click here.

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If you haven’t already, then the next week or two will be the start of the holiday rush in your store. The next 2 months are the ones that get you through the leaner times.Your feet are going to hurt, you’re back will be sore, you’ll discover the most amazing customers, and then wonder if the Grinch has materialised in a whole bunch of other customers. [Tweet "Planning your store for the holidays? - If you haven’t started yet, don’t worry, it’s not too late."] So let’s talk planning your merchandising and your store, for the holidays. There’s something about the holiday season that seems to bring out the extremes in people. I put it down to everyone being rushed, stressed and wanting to make the holidays perfect.Whilst my inspiration for filming this is obviously the Christmas season, todays download and this episode can be used for any holiday season, or even a big in store event.

If you haven’t already, you need to rough out a merchandising calendar.

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Here are the things that I map out, to ensure a minimal headache holiday season. Firstly, download my calendar, and grab a pencil and eraser. This will make it easier for you to brainstorm. Next, go to your POS system and find the top 10 products from last year. Now look at what new products are trending in your store, and add those into your planner For each week, develop a theme. It could be as simple as a colour way, it could be a price point, or a recipient, like ‘gifts for teachers’. The point is to have a cohesive theme running through your store, your advertising, your social media and your website, because cohesiveness gets your customer to know, like and trust you. The 3 foundations to developing a relationship with your customer.

Now that you have identified your themes, which products can be used to market the theme. Ok, so ideas, check Products, check

Where are these displays going to occur? Are they big window features, are they impulse purchases, will they be displayed on a gondola or table? You’ve got 20 products you’ve got in mind to sell, sell, sell, so make the most of your real estate. By now, You’ve got a pretty good idea of where your store is heading for this holiday season, by the time you’ve gotten this far. Work out how much stock you’ll need for each promotion, when you need it by, and remember to factor in the lead time for ordering, because suppliers are often delayed with shipping in this crazy period. Now, let’s help the customer and make their shopping experience easier. Which products can you upsell with your main promotion item? Maybe it’s one of those things you use to put a candle out, if you sell candles, perhaps it’s batteries if your item requires them, but doesn’t come with them. It can be big or small. The tip is to display items together that help your customer make a choice.

Lastly, map out your promotional calendar. What social media channels are you going to use? Will you feature the product in your newsletter – hint, this is the time when you should be sending out weekly emails at a minimum. [Tweet "Do you want to do last minute paid advertising, wither print or online?"] Some advertisers just may have someone pull out at the last minute do to stock running low, or a product not arriving, which will allow you big bargaining power. And, what promotional material do you need in store. Coloured streamers, signs, table cloths, all those bits and bobs that you may have overlooked, write them down now. It will help you avoid those last minute dashes to the store. It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it. And in reality, it probably is. But I know that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush before the holidays, and planning can get overlooked, so whether you’re doing it last minute, or planning next year, download my Holiday Planner to help you avoid at least one, holiday headache

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You know that feeling when someone tells you they want to buy a product you’ve just spent the last 10 minutes telling them all about the benefits and features. You think to yourself, I really should tell them about that accessory that goes with it, but, you don’t want to seem pushy. Lets talk about when upselling is a benefit for your customer and your cash register. Have you ever thought about the fact that upselling to your customer may actually be a benefit for them?

Before you shake your head, let me give you a couple of examples. Say a newly expecting couple wants to buy a cot for their impending newborn. Now, I can sell them the cot and obviously the mattress that goes with it, but in reality, I should also look and selling them 2 sets of sheets and a metres protector or 2. Whilst the first thought that comes to mind is that I’m trying to fleece these loved up parents to be, in fact, I’m actually helping them. When that baby sicks up in the cot in the middle of the night, do you think that couple will be cursing me, that I sold them an extra set of sheets and that mattress protector, or will they be thinking I’m so glad that helpful lady thought to tell us about needing these extra things. We never knew we’d need. Now, it doen’s need to be a big ticket item. Perhaps it’s a belt to go with a dress, or those little sticky things you put on your shoes to stop them rubbing, when you buy a new pair of heels. Like OMG, how much do I wish I’d been upsold those when I bought my last pair of peep toe wedges! In fact, I would have even been more happier if the assistant had whipped them out of the pack and stuck them on for me before I left the store. It would have saved me a dash around the city looking for bandaids on my way to a friend's wedding, but that’s another story. [Tweet "The key is to ensure that what you’re upselling is a genuine benefit to your customer, and not just an excuse to get your cash register ringing."] So how do you implement this in your store, and get your team on board?

Start with your top 5 selling products, and identify the complimentary products that would benefit the customer if they purchased together.

Download your script

For example

"Like all peep toe wedges, you can get a bit of rubbing on your big toe with these shoes. I find that these little sticky pads make life so much easier, and you won’t have to dash around looking for a store to buy bandaids on your night out. Should I pop those in for you as well"? SOLD! Add those in, plus another set for my shoes at home. See, you’re not hassling me to buy. You’re making my life easier, and I will truly thank you on my next evening out, wearing those shoes. Of course, I’ve created a download for you, to help you work out a strategy to upsell without being pushy. Hint, give this to your team, and get them to do their top 5. You can grab it at salenaknight.com. And for more retail biz strategies, remember to subscribe to the bringing business to retail podcast.

Download your script

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A few weeks ago, the question came up in The Boutique Academy about being a business owner vs. buying or creating yourself a job. So, what’s the difference? And is one better than the other? A job versus a business. This is a big issue many business owners face. They open a store because they are passionate about a product, and soon realize there is more 'paperwork' involved in the running of the business, than there is time working in the store. It’s not just the physical paperwork, of paying bills and ordering stock. It’s working out marketing calendars, editorial calendars, creating content, networking, updating social media, hiring people, managing staff, making sure your accounts are done and that you’re up to date with any current legislation in your field. [Tweet "I have a saying, if it can’t run without you there all the time, it’s just a job."]

So, is it wrong to create yourself a job. Well, yes and no. The answer lies within you and what you want from your business.

Download This Retail Biz Strategy To Work Out Your Role In Your Business

The key is to define what your role should be. If your focus is to just work in the store, then it’s your responsibility to map you what your role is within this business of yours. You need to get your systems, your cash flow and your own business acumen up to a level where you bring in someone else to act in the 'CEO' or business administrator type role. And therein lies many small business owners decline into burnout, and eventual closure, because they are trying to be every part of the business. It’s too much.

I can tell you from experience, that working all week by yourself drains you very quickly. You'll be facing burnout within 18 months if you don't have someone in-store helping you out, whether that’s on the shop floor, or in the administrator role. As the creator of this business, it’s your responsibility to set income targets for your overheads and outgoings. Mao that out for the year, and work out when you should be looking to hire another team member, or administrator, even if it’s on a part time basis, and add that into your projections.

Remember, You should be able to make a wage, even if you aren't in the store - not right from day one of course, but you should have a goal for when this point should occur. When you go on holidays, or if you get sick, someone else (and you) needs to be confident enough to run the store with your systems and processes and you should still draw a wage. Because, you would if you worked for someone else right? [Tweet "So, what is your current role in your store, and what role do you want to hold in the future?"] Use this weeks download to help you work out your strengths and your role in your business

Download This Retail Biz Strategy To Work Out Your Role In Your Business

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You’ve managed to get through the holiday season, the frenzy of the sale season, and now, you’re in that post-holiday lull.

Or perhaps you’re one of those retail stores, whose trade actually drops during the holiday period. So what do you do, to make that time effective for you and your business? There will always be slow times in your business. The most obvious thing to do to make this time effective, is to...

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1) Take a holiday, because you need to have downtime, you need to recharge. It’s super important to your mental and physical health, and let’s not forget, you are the most important part of your business. But if taking a holiday is not on your agenda, here are twelve things you can do to make the most use of this time. 2) The most effective thing that you can do is to take this time to sit down, and map out your marketing advertising and editorial calendars. Knowing where you’re headed in the coming twelve months will give you confidence and focus, and hopefully stop all those last minute rushes, confusion and aggravation that tends to come with unplanned activities 3) Check out your product descriptions on your website and update them. The google gods love you to be different, and original. If, in your haste to get products onto your site, you’ve just copied and pasted the manufacturers descriptions, now is the time to go and make them unique to your store. [Tweet "Write what you love about the product, and sizes or other things that are frequently asked questions about your products"] 4) Clean out your store room. Take stock of what’s in your stock room. Pull everything out, clean the shelves, vacuum all those crevices and when you’re putting everything back in, assess it’s suitability in your store. Is it time to offload a bunch of old stock? If so, I’ll pop a link to my most downloaded resource in the show notes, 9 Strategic Ways to Move Old Stock 5) Write some blog posts. If you’ve been putting off this blog post idea that I always talk about, now is the time to get it sorted. You could write a whole 6 months worth of posts over these few weeks 6) Expand your mind. Take this time to undertake a bit of professional development. Learn something new. If you need some ideas, I’ve got 2 courses that just might suit you. If you’re not up for the time and energy a course takes, try a 1 day course on how to use your camera better, or how to use a piece of software that will make your life easier 7) Clean out your “online” store room. Maybe you’re one of those people that files everything methodically. If so, skip to point 8, but if you make up the 99% of us that don’t, this is a great time to go through and sort out your digital files and documents. Whilst you’re at it, scan all those pieces of paper you have lying around and file them in your new, clean, digital system. 8) Listen to some podcasts. Now that you’ve got so time up your sleeve, pop in a set of earbuds and load up your phone or digital device of choice and learn on the go. Bonus, you can do this whilst doing most of the other items on this list. 9) Write an ebook. If the pop up on your website says sign up to our newsletter and save 10% off your first order. It’s time to make a change. What questions do you always get asked? Write a simple FAQ sheet, create a tutorial or sink your teeth in and write an ebook. Solve a problem for your customers instead of a measly 10% discount. 10) Schedule some social media posts. If facebook, twitter and instagram often seem like a chore, quest up a bunch of relevant posts into hostile or buffer, so that when it gets busier, it’s one less thing for you to have to worry about. 11) Join or create a mastermind group. By surrounding yourself with like minded people, you’d be amazed at how much further you’ll advance in business and life. 12) Write some processes. Systems are essential to running a business. Even if you fly solo in your retail biz, it’s important to put systems in place to ensure that when the time comes, you’re not frantically trying to create them, or worse still, trying to onboard a new team member without them.

As you can see, there are many things that you can be doing when your store isn't busy. This week I’ve created a download of not 12, but 21 things you can do when you have some free time in your business. You can download that at salenaknihgt.com, along with a host of other actionable biz strategies for your retail business. And whilst you’re over on the website, checkout the cool new feature I just installed, where you can ask me your own retail biz question. Simply click on the black rectangle on the right hand side of the page where it says ask me a retail biz question, and you can record your question live, and it may just feature on an upcoming episode of bringing business to retail tv. If you’re loving these strategies, subscribe to the bringing business to retail podcast, where each week, i interview industry and thought leaders for their take on business and life and share this episode with a friend

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Why you should send out a newsletter no matter how big your store & 6 things you can put in it

Do you think your store is too small for a newsletter? Have you contemplated putting one together, then thought “I don’t have anything to say”, “nothing exciting is happening in my little business”? If so, today’s episode is just for you. The first tip is to have a reason to sign up, and this should NEVER be to save 10% on your first order. Give your peeps something they want. Solve a problem for them. If you give them something they can use, whether it’s a free tutorial, a product FAQ or a how to video, you'll condition them to choose on knowledge rather than price, and that can only be a good thing.

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These people have signed up because they want what you have to offer and you need to be respectful of that, you need to make a commitment to serve them up something on a regular basis, whether that’s weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly. [Tweet "Having a customer database and sending out a newsletter is a low cost way of engaging with your customer"] So, what are some things you can feature in your newsletter, particularly if you are extremely seasonal.

A quiz Use some online software to make a free quiz up. I recently put one together called “what kind of shopkeeper should you be”. It doesn’t take long, and by being business savvy, you can create an opportunity to sell at the end. Once the customer has gone through the process, highlight a product or service that would be a benefit for them.

Highlight an interview You can do video, audio or just written interview, blog style. Interview suppliers, designers, trendsetter and even customers. People love being nosy, so give them some goss!

Do you provide a service in-store as well, such as styling advice? expand on the interview format and create a case study of how your services have helped a client. If you don’t provide a service, create a case study in the form of a long-form product review. Get customers onboard with this by providing brand-suppled samples for customers to review.

Recipes Recipes appeal to everyone. Even if you don’t sell food based products, work out what draws your customer to you, and use that to tailor a recipe for them. Maybe your customers are busy working mums, so you could curate 3 easy weeknight meals you can get on the table in 20 minutes. Or maybe your customers are foodies, in which case you might do a 3 course menu for Winter. This can also present opportunities to sell product, especially if you sell homewares!

A day in the life of Create a pictorial or video journey of what a day in your store looks like. Whilst it may seem boring to you, you’d be amazed at how much customers love to see this stuff And as an added bonus, here are two tips that you should include in every newsletter. Make it shareable, and ask your customers to share with their friends. And have a goal. This means including a call to action, such as share this with your friends, or buy this fabulous thing, or download the free ebook. This week, I’ve created a list of 12 things you can include in your newsletter, even if you think your store isn’t big enough to send one.

Remember, if someone has taken the time and effort to type in their email address, they WANT to here from you, so don’t be selfish, and go give them something to read about. If you’d like the 12 things you can put in your newsletter, even if you don’t think you are big enough cheat sheet, head on over to salenaknight.com where you can download it for free. Whilst you’re there, take a look around at a host of other free retail strategies that you can easily implement in your retail business. And if you’ve got a burning retail question you’d like me to answer, click on the black rectangle on the right hand side of the website, where it says “ask me a retail biz question” and you can record your own question, which may just end up being featured on bringing business to retail tv. Feeling like you need to learn, grow and be inspired? Subscribe to the bringing business to retail podcast where each week, I interview industry and through leaders, for their take, on business and life. And taking a leaf out of my own tv show, please share this episode or any of my episodes, with your friends, because your sharing is what makes me able to bring these strategies to you, every week.

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Until next week Be profitable

When it comes to advertising, does your hand subconsciously grab your purse, and your mind conjure up big invoices and a not knowing where or what you should try first? Well, today, I’ll let you in on a little secret - This simple place you probably haven’t thought of advertising, that won’t cost you any money. If you’ve managed to overcome the hard part, the getting people into your bricks and mortar or even your online store, then there’s a good chance the person is already a potential purchaser. [Tweet "So how much advertising once they arrived, do you actually do? "]

Download Tips For Free Places To Advertise Your Business

Now when I talk about advertising, I don’t mean just sticking up a poster of a particular brand. What you need to be doing, is telling the customer how your store, your service and the products you stock, can benefit them. What problems are you solving, and how should they feel, when they walk out the door with their new purchases. Here are 5 places you probably haven't thought of, or aren’t using effectively, to advertise in your own store. 1. Your shop windows. Seems obvious, but are you truly using them to their full potential? In addition to an eye catching display, that takes your customers on a journey, or tells them a story, do you have your opening hours, your website address, your contact details and the places you hang out on social media, all listed for potential customers to see. Don’t underestimate how many people look at your store, just waiting for the right moment to come in. 2. On your shop counter or cash wrap. If they’ve made it this far, they’re probably already purchasing. What extra benefit can you add on for them. Gift wrapping, a small upsell or home delivery, are just a few things that immediately pop to mind. Present your offer beautifully, so it fits in with the theme of your store. 3. Hang it from the roof. The roof is so often under-utilised, but after your shop floor, it’s the biggest amount of space that you have. Use your real estate wisely and make the roof space work for you. 4. In the change room. Big stores do it, so why aren’t you? Pop a nice frame inside the change room and use it to advertise on. One great option I once saw, was an extra mirror, that had an offer written on it in chalk pen. Simple and effective 5. On you receipt Whether you hand over a paper receipt, or you email it to a customer, people will glance at their recipes to make sure the total is correct. Utilise your point of sale system to customers the message that the customer sees. hint: this is a great way to advertise in-store events

So those are just 5 places within your store, that you should be making more use of, when it comes to advertising. This week, I’ve prepared a download with not 5, but 12 places you can advertise in your own store, both bricks and mortar stores, along with online stores. You can grab the download over at salenaknight.com, along with a host of other free, actionable, retail biz strategies. Over the past couple of months, I’ve had some very moving emails from watchers of the bringing business to retail tv show. They’ve ranged from “thank so much for putting this out there”, through to, “I can’t believe how much my sales have increased just from putting a few of the things you’ve recommended”. If you love these strategies, the biggest thank you you can give me, is to tell a friend about them. It’s my goal to help 100 million retailers from all over the world, and your spreading the word is music to my ears. And of course, I love those emails. They make my heart sing. I answer every single one of them that I get. If you’ve got a burning retail question you’d like me to answer, click on the black rectangle on the right hand side of the website, where it says “ask me a retail biz question” and you can record your own question, which may just end up being featured on bringing business to retail tv. Feeling like you need to learn, grow and be inspired? Subscribe to the bringing business to retail podcast where each week, I interview industry and thought leaders, for their take, on business and life.

Download Tips For Free Places To Advertise Your Business

Until next week Be profitable

Today, I want to talk about one of the biggest trends that I think, will hit in 2016. They’re already starting to creep out in all forms of retail, from shoes to shavers, from toilet paper to believe it or not, tampons.

So, just what is this retail trend? They come in all colours, shapes in sizes, but they have one thing in common. They get delivered to your door [Tweet "Around the world, the squeals of delight can be heard when the mailman arrives."]

Download The Six Steps To Creating Your Own Subscription Box Service

Just what is inside the box? That moment when your heart get a tiny flutter you grab the scissors and carefully cut open the tape that seal all the good ness inside. Carefully, you peel back the layers to reveal… Its that anticipation, the thought of giving yourself a regular gift, the wondering what’s inside, that has people signing up to subscription boxes as quick as they can enter their credit card details. I have one friend that gets a giant box of eco friendly toilet paper delivered monthly to her house of 6. Another recently signed up for monthly doggy treats to be delivered for her fido. So I asked the toilet paper lady, why on earth? Why would you want 40 double length rolls of toilet paper delivered. She told me that it was practical. With a family that big, she was always dashing off to the shops when they unexpectedly ran out. It was eco-friendly, made with 100% recycled paper fibres, bamboo or sugarcane, it was chemical, dye and scent free, 50% of the profits were going to help WaterAid build toilets for people in need, and of course the novelty of having toilet paper that came beautifully wrapped. As an added bonus, each month you can easily let them know how much you have left, and they adjust your order.

Great product, great customer service. They key to making a box subscription work for your store, is to find a problem, whether that’s a want or a need and fix it. Preferably, make it look pretty in the process. And just because it’s been done by someone else, don’t let that stop you. I was reading the story about wetshave club, a subscription service of razors for men. Now, there’s already a big player in that market, but this guy bought an existing website for just $4000. He joined forces with another guy and spent 2 months completely retooling the business. They followed this up with 3 months of marketing, and in just a few month, were on target to turn over $100K in revenue. Now I don’t usually condone these “I did this and earn six figures in 6 months” kind of posts, but I in this case, I want to show you that even though there was already a big player in the market, these guys managed to secure their niche and start earning money. There’s a good chance that you already have a store, or a website, so it’s up to you to work out just what subscription box would work for your store. This week, I’ve created The six steps to creating your own subscription box service which you can download at salenaknight.com. Whilst you’re there, if you have a retail biz question you’d like answered on bringing Business To Retail tv, simply click the Ask Me A Retail Biz Question Box on the left hand side of the screen. If you’d love to dig deeper into business, check out the bringing business to retail podcast, where each week, I interview industry and thought leaders for their take on business and life.

Download The Six Steps To Creating Your Own Subscription Box Service

Until next week, Be profitable

As a small business retailer, one of the key differentiators that you have is the relationships that you build with your customers. And, a lot of this hinges on how your business is perceived Being on the shop floor, or having regular staff, allows your customer to build trust.

Find out 11 Ways To Make Your Business More Professional

The psychology behind building successful, ongoing relationships with your customers, is based on three foundations. Know. Like And Trust. It’s like dating. Firstly, your customer needs to get to know you. You can do this through social media, through your shop windows, through marketing and advertising. It could be as simple as them walking past your store each day. Once they know who you are, they want to like you. They want to know that you signify the person they want to be perceived as. When they purchase something from you, it says something ABOUT them to the rest of society. Then comes trust. This is the big factor that can often be the difference between buying and not, or having a relationship, and not. Here are four ways that you can get started, to build trust and create a professional impression Start with how you communicate. Do you use a gmail address? If so, what does that tell the customer about you. They may be wondering if you really own that brand, or is the email actually FROM that brand? Have they been scammed? Your business email should you’re your domain name after the @ sign. Eg sales@yourbusiness. So if you receive an email me, it comes from news@salenaknight.com. Next, look at how your staff are presented. Do you offer them a uniform? Do they have to dress in specific colours? A simple way to unify staff is to have branded aprons. This creates a sense of security and authority for customers, knowing they’ve picked the right person to ask for help. It also keeps your team accountable. When you’re wearing the company outfit, you have to behave in a certain way, right? Speaking of dressing, the third way is about you. Whilst the world shouldn’t revolve around how we dress, make sure you think about what you wear and how you act, when you’re at casual events. You never know who a potential customer is, so when you’re in social situations, remember that you are the face of your business. And my fourth tip is to be consistent and accountable. Whether we’re talking dispatch times, alerting a customer that their special order has arrived, or simply returning a phone call, ensuring that you are consistent in your communications is key. You know who it feels when a company says they’ll call you back and they don’t. It’s frustrating and makes you less likely to shop there in the future. Put a process in place where staff have to record customer callbacks or updates. By appearing more professional to your customer, but still delivering that amazing customer service and our passion for products, you may find that these few little tweaks bring massive rewards to your bottom line.

If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free. Find out 11 Ways To Make Your Business More Professional

Until next week Be profitable

Should you accept returns in your retail store?

It won’t be long now, before the tide of gifts that ‘weren’t quite right’ get besieged upon retailers. Does your store accept returns?

First off, let’s get the legalities sorted. Each country, and even state will have different laws regarding when you are legally required to accept a return. Generally, these revolve around instances when an item is faulty, is not as described or not fit for the purpose it was marketed for.

But what about when a customer just changes their mind. Maybe they picked the wrong size for that only-seen-once-a-year niece, or you got a yellow one, when everyone KNOWS that yellow just makes you look washed out. There’s even the chance that there was a little bit of buyer’s remorse setting in, so the customer just wants their money back. After you’ve investigated at what you are legally required to do, let’s say that you are within your rights to refuse to return an item when it’s just a change of mind situation. Should you let that person return the goods? Let’s look at the pro’s and cons from both sides on the shop counter. On the customer’s side, the option to return an item is kind of like a guarantee. It’s a no brainer. I’ll buy this thing, if it doesn’t work out, then I’ll just bring it back Cue a sale From the retailer’s perspective, things look mighty different. Do any of these sound familiar “If I accept returns, I’ll be losing money” “I’ll end up with old stock being returned and I won’t be able to move it” “Processing returns is a logistical and accounting nightmare” I’ve heard them all, plus, many others. At the end of the day, you own and run your retail store, so you get to say what the rules are. Whether you choose to accept change of mind returns or not, is up to you. You just need to ensure that you stick to what the choice that you make.

If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free. Get Guide on How To Reduce The Number Of Returns In Your Retail Store

Until next week Be profitable

According to a comscore survey, free shipping was such a key motivator, that 93% of online shoppers had taken extra actions, such as purchasing more, or opting for slower shipping, in order to qualify for free shipping. Hey there, I’m Sal from SalenaKnight.com and the Bringing Business To Retail podcast, and today, let’s talk about the REAL cost of free shipping First up, let’s look at the benefits, to you the retailer, of offering free shipping.

From experience, I can tell you that you’re likely to experience an increase in turnover, and you’ll add more customers to your customer database, but I also wanted to go and get some well researched information for you, so here’s what I found:

When Stitch labs mined data from more than 1 million Shopify stores, they found a potential 10% increase in revenue when companies provide free shipping to customers Stitch also found that small businesses are three times less likely to offer free shipping than larger counterparts, despite the fact that 65 percent of customers abandon shopping carts and 44 percent do so because of shipping costs. I also found that when Red Door Interactive conducted similar research, the results showed that when customers were given the free shipping incentive, orders increased by 90% with a 96% confidence level. In addition to this, the company’s Average Order Value (AOV) also rose by 7.32%. So, it’s sounds like a no brainer, right? Offer free shipping, get more customers and more sales. But free shipping is never free. Either the customer is paying for it, or the retailer absorbs the cost and hence cuts into their margins. So before you rush out and offer free shipping, download today’s eguide, and TEST what free shipping means to your business. You’ll need to spend some time analysing your average freight costs, put a process in place of how you’ll deal with the potential influx of orders, and systemise how your orders are packed and dispatched. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

Get the 8 Strategies To Implement Free Shipping Without Breaking Your Bottom Line

Until next week Be profitable

Welcome to 2016 Last year, I committed to learning more and getting fitter. Never in my wildest dreams, did I realize that learning was actually the key to getting me up off my butt, and out the door to exercise. Normally on Bringing Business To Retail Tv, we talk about actionable business strategies, that you can implement, to grow your business.

Well, this episode is about you, because YOU are your businesses most important asset. Let me tell you the story of how wanting to learn more, actually taught me how to run For me, 2015 was about learning. I was determined to enrol in some courses, read loads of books and blog posts and all those newsletters that I subscribe to, then delete, because of email overload. Sound familiar? Here’s what I did. Starting with the email. I went and created a separate email address for newsletter subscriptions. This way, I could focus on proper business emails, and when I had some spare time, could flick through and see what I want to read. I know there

Well, this episode is about you, because YOU are your businesses most important asset. Let me tell you the story of how wanting to learn more, actually taught me how to run For me, 2015 was about learning. I was determined to enrol in some courses, read loads of books and blog posts and all those newsletters that I subscribe to, then delete, because of email overload. Sound familiar? Here’s what I did. Starting with the email. I went and created a separate email address for newsletter subscriptions. This way, I could focus on proper business emails, and when I had some spare time, could flick through and see what I want to read. I know there are a load of programs that can help email overload, like

Well, this episode is about you, because YOU are your businesses most important asset. Let me tell you the story of how wanting to learn more, actually taught me how to run For me, 2015 was about learning. I was determined to enrol in some courses, read loads of books and blog posts and all those newsletters that I subscribe to, then delete, because of email overload. Sound familiar? Here’s what I did. Starting with the email. I went and created a separate email address for newsletter subscriptions. This way, I could focus on proper business emails, and when I had some spare time, could flick through and see what I want to read. I know there are a load of programs that can help email overload, like

Well, this episode is about you, because YOU are your businesses most important asset. Let me tell you the story of how wanting to learn more, actually taught me how to run For me, 2015 was about learning. I was determined to enrol in some courses, read loads of books and blog posts and all those newsletters that I subscribe to, then delete, because of email overload. Sound familiar? Here’s what I did. Starting with the email. I went and created a separate email address for newsletter subscriptions. This way, I could focus on proper business emails, and when I had some spare time, could flick through and see what I want to read. I know there are a load of programs that can help email overload, like unroll.me, sanebox and boomerang, and at some point this year, I'm sure I’ll get onto that. What I found though, was I just didn't seem to have big chunks of time to dedicate to learning. Once Google Reader was relegated to the Google rubbish tip, I couldn't even keep track of blogs. I used to flick through them in the line at the supermarket, or whilst cooking dinner. I never got the hang of feedly which was kind of a Google Reader substitute, so, my blog reading went by the wayside. I don't even really know how I stumbled onto podcasts. What I do remember, is thinking it was waaay to technologically advanced for me, and I didn't have itunes (android girl here). At some point, I bit the bullet and downloaded an app that I could listen to podcasts through. I chose podcastaddict (simply because it was the first one that came up) but you can also use Stitcher on Android, or itunes for you apple lovers This was a massive turning point for me. All of a sudden, my 20 minute trip to work was filled with all this new information. My head was spinning. So many ideas I could put into practice! For the first couple of months, it seemed that I was starting every conversation with "I was listening to this podcast and...." In fact, finding podcasts was one of the key drivers (hah, get it, drivers, because I listen to them when I'm driving) to me achieving another goal, which I was failing miserably at. Exercising 3 times per week. All of a sudden, I WANTED to exercise more, so I could have another 45 mins to fit in more learning. I was getting 2 podcasts in a day! I actually started doing 4 walks per week.

All those endorphins and knowledge was making my brain swirl. I couldn't turn it off. I was imagining just how different my business would have been if I'd stumbled across this way of learning earlier. And it made me realise, that independent retailers, just often don't have the time to work on themselves. They are so busy working in the business, not on the business. We've all heard it before. So it propelled me to do something. It’s the reason I launched the Bringing Business to Retail podcast. My aim of the podcast is to bring business experts, mostly from outside the retail industry, to share their knowledge and wisdom. It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, bringing in outsiders, but I promise, you can learn so much from other people, especially when their situation is removed from yours. Listening to podcasts introduced me to Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur. In fact, joining her mastermind, was the catalyst to me selling my retail stores and creating this new business, designed to help you, the small business retailer. I now have a stable of podcasts that I listen to. At the moment, in addition to the Suitcase Entrepreneur, on high rotation are: Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Amanda Cook’s Wellpreneuronline (I love this, even though I’m not in the wellness industry) Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy (probably my favourite) Tim Paige’s Conversion Cast Soulful PR with Janet Murray School of Greatness with Lewis Howes In the second half of 2015, I increased my running goal to 4 sessions per week. I’ve gone from never being able to run, to running around 20 kilometres a week. Now, that’s not to say that I’m fast, or even great at it. But I do it and I feel healthier for it and I’m learning something new every single time. So I’d love you think about getting hip with technology, and starting to expand your business learning with podcasts. If you’re not sure now to do it, I’ve put a little tutorial on my website and I’ll link to it on this episode’s notes. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

Podcasts That Will Help Your Business Grow

Until next week Be profitable ps, if you need to know how to get access to a podcast, watch my cool little video. It's not hard, I promise!

Cast your mind back to high school of college. At some point, you will have heard of Abraham Maslow, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. At the bottom of the pyramid are our survival needs. Food, water and shelter. Move up a notch, and it’s all about safety. These two steps of the hierarchy are what we technically need to function. If you start to move up the pyramid, you encounter social needs, of belonging and love, followed by Esteem and Self Actualisation. What has this got to do with motivating your staff? I recently received and email from the lovely Emma, who told me that she’d been using the Bringing Business to Retail show and the associated downloads as staff training. In the few weeks that she’d implemented it, her team were more enthusiastic, sales were up and there was a general feeling of renewed energy in her store, though she wasn’t quite sure why. Which got me to thinking. And that thinking took me back to my uni days, and Abraham Maslow. As I mentioned before, on the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid are survival and security. In order for your team to have these needs fulfilled, they need the basics of food and water and in addition, the security of a regular income, along with a safe workplace. If this is all that is motivating someone to come and work for you, they are disengaged employees. They are only ever going to come to work, do a half-hearted attempt at their job and go home. They’ll likely bring down the buzz in your store and turn customers away with their attitude. And that’s NOT what you want, right. Rest assured, there are a few things that you can do, to avoid that situation from appearing. When we move up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we come to belonging. For you, the store owner and employer, it’s about creating an environment where everyone knows they are part of a team, even if they happen to work in the store alone. It’s up to you to foster this team spirit, create connections and to instil pride. Now if I’m sounding more text book that realistic, when I spoke to Emma, by her own admission, everyone in her store was in a bit of a rut. It wasn’t that anyone didn’t like going to work, they hadn’t moved down to the demotivated category, but they were on their way. It was same ol’ same ol’, every day. Moving up another step of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we get to esteem. Sometimes it’s called recognition. When you move up the ladder to this level, this is where you’re starting to get really engaged employees. To get to this level, you need to be handing out responsibilities, chances for your team to prove and improve their skills. Give them a sense of accomplishment, and tell them when they’ve done something well. Offer guidance and advice rather than criticism. This team member knows they are a vital part of the team. The key words to keep in mind when you’re at this level are recognition, achievement and responsibility. So what’s the key to a super engaged employee. The one who will work extra and not expect anything for it. The one that every store owner wants. The team member that sells your business because they love working there? When you hit the top of Maslow’s pyramid, you’re at the section he called self actualisation. I like to call it personal growth. It’s where your employees have the same values as your brand, and as a result, they have a personal connection with what they have helped to create, because let’s be honest, if you didn’t have a team, you’d either be rocking back and forth in the corner, or burnt out. The team member at this level is confident and enjoys coming to work. She knows that she has a challenging environment that allow her autonomy and the ability to make decisions. She even loves helping new people come on-board, to share what she knows. Now getting your team to those upper levels is hard. It’s going to require to you let go of the reigns a little, but not just walk away. It’s ok to delegate, but you need to make sure that the person has been provided training and feels confident to keep going. If you overlook the training, you’ll overwhelm that person and send her back down the pyramid, rather than up. And, this is where Emma started using Bringing Business to Retail TV, and the weekly downloads. She has instigated a quick team meeting each week. She even ensures that’s it’s super easy to attend, by broadcasting the meeting on skype, so all of the team members can be present, without having to be in the store. She says she either gets them to watch the episode, or she does a short paraphrase of the episode, and then they spend 5-10 minutes discussing how they can incorporate the ideas into their store, and who will be responsible. To me, that is great leadership. Emma has almost outsourced the learning part, by utilising someone else’s content, which is going to saver her loads of time. However, she also realised you can’t just get staff to read something. You need to talk about how it will work in your store. So, Emma get’s my gold start for the week. If you’ve found this information useful, let me know. I’d love to show other retailers how Bringing Business to Retail tv is helping your retail biz. If you’d like to chat with other retailers on all things business come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free. This week, I’d love you to go back through the archives of Bringing Business to Retail tv and see which episodes you could use for team training, so you can start to boost employee engagement. Until next week Be profitable

Have you heard of the term dropshipping? Do you know how it works and is it actually a profitable way to run a business? Hey there, I’m Sal from SalenaKnight.com and the Bringing Business To Retail podcast, and today, let’s talk about dropshipping for your retail store. Let’s start with what Dropshipping actually is. You may have heard other retailers talking about it, or even suppliers who offer to dropship products for you, but you’ve never been quite sure on what the process involves. Dropshipping is when you don’t actually hold the physical inventory in your store. Whether you trade online or have a bricks and mortar store, when you drop shop, you sell a product that you don’t physically keep in stock. A customer will purchase the product from you and pay upfront. You then send the order off to the supplier, who ships the product direct to your customer. Sounds perfect right, its like free inventory. Let’s look at the pros and cons of dropshipping. On the positive side, dropshipping is a great way to increase your inventory lines without having to outlay any money. Fake it til you make it It makes your online store look much bigger, with a wider range. Invest your cash flow elsewhere Dropshipping allows you to use the money that you would have potentially outlaid for a minimum order, to be used elsewhere in your business. Product testing If you’re unsure as to whether a product is the right fit for your store, Dropshipping is a great way to test out a product range with minimal-to-no outlay You have no holding costs, no storage costs and you don’t have to pick and pack the order. You won’t have to pay tax on any stock that you’re holding at end of financial year, as the stock is not on your books With the positives, also comes things you need to consider. When you dropship, don’t expect to get the same kind of margins. Because you carry no risk, you may only make 10-20%, so whilst you’re increasing revenue, there is less profit You have no control over what stock is available So if an item sells out with the supplier, you’ll need to handle the process and work out an outcome with the customer. You need to put a system in place for tracking orders So that you know when the item has been dispatched, as the customer will call you if they have any questions There’s more paperwork When the order comes in, what happens if the customer has ordered from stock you have on hand, along with dropshipped items. How will the process work? Will the customer have to pay a separate shipping fee for the dropshipped items? Ideally, you want the shipping fee built into the price of the item. Additionally, someone has to be responsible for notifying the supplier of the order, unless you have a point of sale system that can automate this for you. You may need to manually adjust your stocktakes to account for stock that is not on hand, so it doesn’t artificially inflate your cost of goods on hand. Little Fish Big Pond It’s likely that many other people will be Dropshipping the same products, so you may lose your unique selling point. Dropshipping is not a complete retail solution. If you chose to take it on board, it can be a great resource for both the supplier and the retailer. It’s your job, as the retailer, to make sure that you have a service level agreement in place, and a process on how to deal with hiccups, when they arise. This week, I’ve put together a checklist that you can use to assess whether dropshipping is right for your retail store. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

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LINK: 4 Intelligent Ways To Get New Stock

Phone companies do it, cable tv networks do it, even banks do it. But are you doing this simple product strategy to increase sales and benefit your customers in your retail store? Bundling is used by many companies. Quite simply, it’s when you put a group of products together to provide a product or service with greater value. You may already do this to an extent, when you put together gift baskets. But is it an overall product strategy in your store? Here are three ways that you could start bundling today and increasing your store revenue. Bundle a brand together If you have a popular brand that sells well, bundle the products together to provide a one-stop purchase for your customer. This allows a customer to try out different products in the range that they may not have purchased separately, because they didn’t know they existed, or didn’t know they even needed them Bundle complimentary products together Shampoo, conditioner, a hairbrush a volumising spray. You’ve seen those packs in the hair salon. It’s a easy choice – everything you need, bundled together. Item don’t have to be brand specific, they just need to work well together to solve the customers problem. It could be matching earrings with a belt for the style challenged, or putting together 3 cushions that work together. Remember, your customer comes to you because you’re the expert. They don’t necessarily see the things that go together, or the process that you should work through. It’s your job to show them how. Bundle popular products with new or less recognised products If you’ve got a product that you think really works, but for some reason doesn’t seem to be moving, bundle it together with a high turnover, or better recognised, complimentary product. The key here is to make sure it’s clear why those products have been put together. Add in a service, guide or tutorial If you’re constantly getting questions about how to use a product, consider making a video tutorial, or create a downloadable guide on how the product works, and add that into the bundle. Once it’s created, you can use it again and again, and it sets you apart from other retailers. Despite the advertising from big business about saving money when you bundle products together, A bundle doesn't have to be offered at a discount if the combined products or services save someone time or provide an added value. Think of gift baskets. They are often sold at a premium because they are ready to go. Bundled products can work the same way, Why bundling is good for your store It increases your turnover. Quite simply, a bundle of products will increase your average order value, so successful bundles will increase your revenue. It’s quicker Instead of scanning individual items, you only have one sku. It saves your customer time It’s also quicker for your customer, they don’t need to hunt around for the products that they may need. It allows you to offer products that are a benefit to your customer Bundling products and services opens your customers up to products they may not have thought to use previously. Makes your store stand out from others Other stores probably aren’t bundling, so this can be a point of difference for your store. As customers tell each other how easy it is to buy from you, it’s going to put you higher up the ‘word of mouth’ list. You may be able to negotiate a discount with suppliers If you are consistently ordering a higher volume of products, you may be able to negotiate a discount, or exclusivity for certain products It’s upselling without all the extra work Upselling takes time, and not all customers are necessarily open to spending more. However, if a bundle of products solves all of the problems they want fixed, it’s easy for them to justify the purchase to themselves. There’s less confusion Having a bundle available takes the guesswork out of a purchase. The customer trusts that when you’ve put together the package, it’s going to be for their benefit. Now, not every customer is going to want a bundle of products. They may like to try the products separately, so make sure that at lease some of the range is available to purchase separately. Here are my top 3 tips to make bundling work for your customer

Bundled products should be for the benefit of the customer
Run the numbers – not all bundled products will sell well. Make sure you analyse bundled versus separate product sales
Have a follow up process – whether it’s an automated series of emails that show the customer how the product works, an instore workshop or a simple follow up phone call, bundled products have the ability to significantly increase your cash flow, and you should be thanking your customers for that, by making sure they’re getting the most out of their purchase.

If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

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You’ve just had a decent sized order come in through your website. You wrap it, package it and are just about to log it in for collection by the courier, when you get an email saying the customer wants to cancel. What you do next, is all dependent on the systems you have in place. Hey there, I’m Sal from SalenaKnight.com and the Bringing Business To Retail podcast, and today, let’s talk about how you can reduce order cancellations and keep that money in your cash register. Let’s be honest. Order cancellations suck. You had the money, then poof, it’s gone. And you never even had a chance to spend it! So how can you reduce your order cancellations and keep that money in your cash register? Before you can do anything, you need to have your terms and conditions in place. Make it super clear how the ordering process works. What is an acceptable reason for cancelling? Is simply finding it somewhere cheaper acceptable? I ask you, should YOU be responsible for someone not doing their due diligence? Price matching, now that’s a conversation for a whole new episode. You need to spell out, clearly, what happens through each step of the ordering process, so that your customer can be held accountable. If you find you have a high number of cancellations, then have a pop up at checkout that confirms the customer has read the process and agrees to abide by the terms. Put the system in place once, and it’s done. The onus is then put on the customer to abide by the terms and conditions. So apart from processes, how else can you reduce cancellations of orders? Enforce a restocking/cancellation fee. Make sure you check with your local Fair Trading department to see what you are legally obligated to accept, but if you have no restrictions. Put a $20 or $30 cancellation fee in place. Make the dollar amount a deterrent, based on your average order value. If your average order is $400 or $500, you make want to increase that cancellation amount to $50. You have to remember, that this is your cash flow, and you may end up having to discount stock in order to clear it out, if it doesn’t sell once the order is cancelled. Require payment up front for any product that isn’t in stock. If you have to order something in from a supplier that you wouldn’t ordinarily order, or, if you do an additional order outside of your regular monthly order to get stock in for a customer, make sure that your systems are in place to require full payment upfront, with no change of mind refunds or exchanges. Put a time frame on it. Work out your average order processing time, and ensure your terms and conditions reflect your systems, so that if you are going to accept cancellations, they must be received over the phone within a set number of hours or days. That number should reflect how long it will take your staff to make any changes before the order goes to picking and packing. If you pick and pack immediately, don’t allow cancellations. Outsource the emails The easiest way to take the pain and emotion out of order cancellations, is to outsource or delegate your emails. Whether it’s by another staff member, or a virtual assistant, once you have your process in place, hand this task over to someone else. Here are a few phrases you can use for customers that want to cancel orders. “Our ordering and dispatch service is super efficient and your order is already in processing at the warehouse” “Our staff are super efficient today and the order has already been logged for dispatch and awaiting pick up from the courier, so can’t be cancelled” Remember, if a customer wants to cancel their order simply because the found it somewhere cheaper, they aren’t a loyal customer, they’re a price conscious customer, and will only buy from when you discount to the price they want to pay. The customer you want, I like to call them your ‘A-team’ customers, they aren’t that worried about price. They love what you sell, how you sell it and why you sell it. They’re on-board with your brand. Those people are going to be less hard work and will return, so concentrate on them, by providing a complete customer experience. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

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Back on BBTRtv3, I talked about affiliate income as an additional revenue stream into your business. Affiliate income is where you sell the products or services of a complimentary company, and you receive a referral fee for doing so. It’s a great way to bring in additional income to your store, without having to outlay money for stock. Hey there, I’m Sal from SalenaKnight.com and the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, and today, let’s talk about what it takes, to be a great affiliate. As a retailer, you should have several sources of income. No business should rely on one source of income, and your store only derives income from sales, then you are at the mercy of any external factor that affects consumer spending. Now, you could branch out into several different areas, such as providing complimentary services, creating your own product range and wholesaling, but the easiest revenue stream that you can add into your sales funnel, is affiliate income. Affiliate income is where you sell the products or services of a complimentary company, and you receive a referral fee for doing so. Why does it work? Well, people don’t buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it. That’s a Simon Sinek quote, and it’s true. So the key to effective affiliate marketing, is to pick products and services, that you believe in. When you recommend your customer buy something, it’s your reputation that’s on the line. Hence, you need to love the products that your referring. Now if you’re like most people, when you find a product you love, you want to tell everyone about it. The key difference between that, an affiliate marketing, is that you get paid if that person goes ahead and purchases. This is not and MLM system. It’s professional – you’ll actively sell a product that you love. Your customer is happy, because you’ve solved a problem they had, even if they didn’t know they had it. The other company is happy, because they’ve gained a high quality client that they may not have normally marketed to and you’re happy, because you have a bit of extra cash flow coming into your store. So just what does it take to be a great affiliate, and earn, what could potentially be a significant cash flow stream for your business? Believe, know and love the product (or service) It should be a product that is complimentary to your brand, your product range and your brand ethos. Ideally, the products or services that you’re an affiliate for, work in well with your brand, but aren’t products that you would sell in your store. For example, if you’re a homewares store, you might have an affiliation with a property stylist. Likewise, if you have a children’s store that sells décor, a stylist would work well for you too. If you’re a fashion store, perhaps you’re an affiliate for a day spa or beauty salon. In my business, I’m an affiliate for several products. Those products include things like website hosting, other business programs that focus on areas that aren’t my specialty (like money mindset), website developers and point of sale systems. All of these are products and services that I wouldn’t or couldn’t provide, but I know they will work well for you. By introducing these products to you, it helps you to find solutions to issues that may arise in your business. You expect that I’ve done my due diligence on the product before I recommended it, because you trust the information that I provide. Sell the product like it is your own The top tip, and one that nearly all the others refer back to, it to sell it like any other product in your store. Don’t think of affiliate products as the poor cousin to the physical products in your store. Use them as an upsell. Use them to position a products desirability. They should be part of your product range and advertised, marketed and sold as if they were. Work out how it benefits your customers and let them know Don’t just say yes to any old product or service. When you know who your Ultimate customer is, you know what her pain points are, what problems she looks to your brand to solve. So go find the things that can fix those issue for her. Make sure the referral is worth your while Like anything else in your store, you need to run the numbers. Whilst affiliate products won’t take up space in your store, they do take time and staff training to sell. So the amount that you earn, needs to make sense numbers wise. If you receive a referral fee of $20 for a product, vs, say a referral fee of $200 for a product, weigh up if the $20 product is worth your time and energy. If that $20 referral fee comes from a product with high turnover and limited effort to sell, go ahead and do it. If it takes a lot of explanation and is time consuming to sell, find an alternative. Invest time and money into advertising Don’t expect the other business to do all the marketing and advertising. Just like you’d take out an ad in a print magazine for a product, do the same for your affiliate product. Have point of sale material printed at your own cost, and if possible, create a merchandising display that helps sell the product. Blog about it, talk about it on social media, review it. Sell it like any other product. Have a range of products to refer that don’t clash To have affiliate income as a reasonable or even significant part of your revenue stream, it will mean having more than one affiliate, so make sure you have a range of products or services. Just don’t confuse your customer by having several offerings that are essentially the same. Work out which is the best product or service for your customer, and choose that one. Not only does having multiple, yet similar offerings confuse the customer, it dilutes the strength of your referral. If you’ve used the product or service, document what happened Just like word of mouth, by showing your customers the results that you’ve achieved, it will make the affiliate product more desirable. Show a before and after. Talk about how the other company helped you, the process they took, how you felt before and after. What changes it made to how you do things? This is called social proof, and it’s super important. Have an agreement in place Despite how much you like a product, affiliate marketing is a business transaction, so it’s super important to nut out the details at the beginning. Now, there’s a chance that neither of you has done this before, so make sure you cover areas such as how much of a referral fee will be paid for each product or service, when it will be paid, how it will be tracked and how it will be paid Use your blog If you don’t have a blog attached to your ecommerce store, you should. Here’s just another way that you could be using it. You could maximise your affiliate marketing on your blog by creating advertising space in the side bar or header banners, in a blog post, in a review, and in a before and after. This additional source of information can be used to direct customers to when they want a bit more information, plus you’ll also be getting organic rankings from the Google Gods, which may also feed more customers back to your store. Be upfront Don’t be sleazy. Let your customer know that you’ll be receiving a referral fee if they chose to purchase from your affiliate. Gone are the days of sneaking around. It’s likely that your customer won’t mind and will thank you for being upfront. When you have that social proof we talked about, then it’s not about the money you’re getting, it’s about the problem you’re solving for them. Affiliate income should never be your main source of income when you run a retail store, however, if you chose the right products and services that solve the problems of your Ultimate Customer, then it can turn into a healthy revenue stream that is just part of your overall sales funnel This week, I’ve put together a guide that you can use to help you become a great affiliate. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business to Retail community. We’re a bunch of retailers chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

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In the lead up to Christmas, I had to do something I always dread. And what happened next, reinforced my frustrations, my annoyance with retail, and reminded my why I do what I do. Today, was the 21st of December. Ok, so it’s not the 21st of December when you’re hearing this, but as I typed away, you can appreciate that in the Monday before Christmas, a lot of stuff needs to be done. I was feeling pretty organised. The last thing I needed was to do an emergency dash to the shopping Mall. It was 8am and it seemed my daughter needed shoes. Somehow, she'd managed to get holes in her sneakers, grown out of her sandals, left the pair of shoes she wears most often at school (she'll have grown out of them by the time school goes back, in 6 weeks) and it was too hot for her boots. Oh and that other pair givers her blisters. Skirting the rules of “covered in shoes”, I dropped her at vacation care in crocs (albeit only just fitting ones). This was my one last day to catch up on all the work I needed to get done before Xmas, now I was heading to the Death Star (aka, The Mall). Ugh, shoot me now. Hoping that the fact I was there BEFORE the shops opened would work in my favour (it didn't) I traversed several department stores to no avail, finally ending up at a specialty (read expensive) kids shoe store. There was one other customer, so I had hope that I could be in and out in 15 minutes or so. I found two pairs of shoes that would suffice, and waited. And waited. And waited. The server helped the lady in front of me, but seemed hell bent on avoiding eye contact with me, even though she was virtually pushing past me to get to the shoe boxes. I had my wallet in one hand and the shoes in the other. Clearly, I was a purchaser. 15 minutes passed, and at no stage, did the server acknowledge my presence. All I needed was a simple, “hey there, I’ll be over as soon as I finish up here”. Even a smile and nod would have appeased the anger that was boiling up inside of me. All I could think of was who the hell takes 2 kids shoe shopping the week before Christmas? You’ve got 6 more weeks to do this. I would have walked out. Unfortunately, I had exhausted every other store and found nothing, so I had to wait. But 15 minutes is a LONG time, when you’re waiting to pay for something. All I wanted was for someone to acknowledge me. What made it worse, was that I could see another staff member walking around in back. Now you and I both know as retailers, that there was a good chance the person out the back had something that needed to be done and wasn’t necessarily in a position to drop everything and walk out. Trying to remember this, and breathe, I have to admit that I was seething by the time I was finally served. Now if this episode just sounds like an excuse for me to have a big ranty pants about retail in general, it’s not. What I want to point out, was that if the server had simply smiled at me and made a passing comment, rather than pushing past me but not even saying hello, I probably would have just been mildly frustrated at how long it was taking. This episode would have been completely different. It would have been focused on how, even when it was a busy time, staff were working long hours and probably getting cranky customers left right and center, how with just a simple hello, I’ll be with you shortly” meant that I was happy to wait. I won’t be hurrying back to that store and if anyone asks me where I got Lana’s shoes, the story will probably revolve around how painful the experience was, rather than the great quality of shoes, because at the end of the day, I’m a consumer too. Just like you. Yes, we have the insight of what happens behind closed doors in a retail store. But at the end of the day, we’re still mums and dads, that are trying to fit everything in, and all we want is a little bit of courtesy. One of the things that was always instilled in my staff was that you always acknowledge a customer. If you happen to be on the phone or with someone else when they walk in, smile and wave, or nod, or do something to acknowledge their presence. That simple little trick can make the difference between a sale and no sale. It’s up to you, the owner, to instill this sense of courtesy into your staff, into your stores values and into your brand. Your customers will thank you for it, and it’s likely your cash register will too. Until next week Be profitable

You know the feeling, you’re dashing off to your store, your mobile phone is ringing, your partner/child/ or employee is asking you a question, all the while, you’re thinking about orders that need to go out, stock that needs to go onto the shop floor, bills that need to be paid and heck, did you even have breakfast. How often, do you experience that feeling of being pulled in every direction. You feel like you’re dropping the ball, and as you bend down to pick it up, you see that there are a dozen other balls on the ground that you need to pick up as well. You can’t be everywhere at once, but here are 5 strategies you can use, to make it seem like you are.

Create an FAQ resource. Whether it’s on your website for customers to read, or in your store as a first point of reference for your staff, having an FAQ page, and teaching people to look their first, can majorly reduce the number of requests that you have to deal with. When it comes to your website, have a big button, or list all of your FAQ’s, BEFORE the customer gets the information on how to contact you. Conditioning people to help themselves first, trains them for the future – plus, they get instant results
Create a live or pre recorded training. If you constantly get asked how something works, make your life a lot simpler, and devote a small amount of time, to show how it works once. Don’t even wait to direct people to the training. Stick in your FAQs, or if you have a website, make sure the world can see it. Stick it in a blog post, or even on the product page. The bonus when you do this, is you get added authority from the google gods, how simply love videos, when it comes to ranking websites.
Use tools. Do you really need to go and meet someone? Could you have had the discussion over the phone, or via skype. Yes, in some cases, you do have to be face to face, but batch these occasions, so that you are getting maximum results for minimum time away from your business.
Hold live group workshops. If you have a product, or even a service that you’re providing that’s super popular, instead of explaining it to every customer that walks in the door, hold an information night, or a VIP night. Maximise economies of scale. What might take 1-2 hours to discuss with a dozen or more people, could have taken 12 or more hours, if you did it one by one.
Talk about it If you’re really knowledgeable and super passionate about a topic, offer to be a guest speaker at an event. Get the word out to many people at once, whilst also cementing yourself as the go to person in your field. You started this retail business, because you were passionate about what you sell. So go and spread the word. Follow any events like this up, with an FAQ or information resource, so that you’re not, in fact, creating more work for yourself.

If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free. Until next week Be profitable

If you shop at Amazon or eBay, you’ve probably checked the seller’s reviews before you went ahead and purchased. Why, well, if you’re anything like me, it’s so that you can see the credibility of the seller, or the actual product, the have the security that you weren’t the first to buy, that others liked the product. When I say that reviews are important, I’m stating the obvious. You already know that, because you read them when you shop online, before you go to a restaurant or before you book a hotel. Word of mouth, and the power of the digital pen, make the need for reviews on your website, pretty much a given, if you want to increase your sales and traffic to your site. How do you feel about these statistics.

9 out of 10 people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
7 out of 10 people say that reviews help them make the decision to purchase a product

So apart from the fact that having reviews can mean the difference between a sale and not, what other benefits do reviews have for your retail business?

They allow you to become an expert Reviews allow you to have incredible insight into the mind of your customer. They can help you target customer’s problems, so you can be the go to person on how to fix them. When you read your reviews regularly, you’ll be able see see a trend in how your customer thinks, feels and speaks about the product. If you see that a question or negative comment, it’s a great way for you to create a resource, such as a video tutorial, a how-to or a FAQ that you can add into the product description. Having these resources gives you so much more authority than other websites, and may just be the answer to your customer’s questions, so much that they choose to purchase from you.

Get you some extra google juice Reviews are written in the buyer’s own language, so you’ll end up with fresh content, that targets long tail keywords or phrases. This means that the purchaser will use their own search phrases, that you might not have even though of. It can often be hard to think of all the keywords you might need for a product. Reviews allow you to get those keywords in, without major keyword stuffing in product descriptions. Bonus!

You allow your customers to be your marketers You know how when you find a product or service, that you really love, one that went above and beyond, you want to tell everyone about it? Well, this is exactly what reviews allow your customers to do for you. For free. You can’t buy that kind of kudos. Additionally, when you have great reviews for your business on google My Business, you’ll rank higher in their search

Bad reviews are good too Sometimes, people will vent, because they’re having a bad day. Maybe their parcel was late, which was completely out of your control. Maybe their baby was up crying all night, or maybe they just got off a late shift. You never know the reason. Bad reviews give credibility to good reviews, as long as the negative ones are proportionate to the great ones. Not everyone is going to love every product. They’re branding for your business, even when you’re closed Customers will always comment on the service they received, even if it’s a review for a product. This continual, positive reinforcement is brand building for your business, even when you’re not there.

How to get reviews Activate them on your site. Your website may already come with an inbuilt review function. Make sure it’s enabled. If it doesn’t come as part of your website, you can use a third party app like Yotpo , revoo or bazaarvoice Set up an automated email campaign to ask customers to review after purchase If you aren’t already using automated email sequences, now is the time to go and find out how they work. They can make your life SO much easier, make the customer journey so much more pleasurable and automated emails can grow your business. Put an automated email in place, asking your customer to leave a review after purchase. Remember to include your instore customers as well Ecommerce is great, and should be just one of the revenue streams for your business, but don’t leave out your instore customers. They’ve had actual contact with you, your brand and your service, so encourage them to leave a review after they’ve shopped with you. As many as 7 out of 10 customers will look at your site, before they come into your physical store, so these reviews are like having an online catalogue and brand ambassador, working for you, 24/7. Where to add reviews On your site On your google My Business Page Facebook Third party sites like Yelp or tripadvisor. Make the most out of your reviews. In addition to monitoring your reviews to see what extra resources you could add for a product, take the information that people have left in their reviews, and create a buyers guide or blog post on the product. This weeks download shows you how to take those reviews, and turn them into a great blog post or buyers guide, that could help you get sales

Download Your Review Guide

If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free. Until next week Be profitable

Group buying sites can get your business exposure. If your business is new, you’re struggling to get fresh customers or have branched out on the products and services you provide, group buying sites might be a short term way to get more business. As a business advisor, I’m not particularly a fan of group buying sites, but I can see that they have merit as a quick way to get an influx of new customers, and cash, into your business. As a customer, I love those sites. Not only do I love a bargain, but I love the fun of trying somewhere new and the adventure of trying something new. From hiking to hair cuts, museums to massages, I’ve tried a lot of group buying offers, and here are the top 5 mistakes I see businesses make, when they use this channel/ The biggest one is on boarding me as a new customer. I call this a pre-welcome, that’s a made up term of mine, so don’t bother googling it. A pre-welcome could also be a “what to expect”. It doesn’t matter if you’re a restaurant or a gym, a health spa or a cooking class, let me know what to expect. What is parking like in the area, do I need to wear anything special, do I need to do something, or refrain from doing something before hand. When I arrive, what will happen. And, what happens afterwards. You could even put the suggestion of upselling into the document. In today’s download, I’m going to give you an example of what a pre welcome should look like, and the steps you should be taking, to make the most of group buying sites. The number 2 mistake I see businesses making, is that they don’t upsell. When you upsell, it should always be for the benefit of the customer, not for your cash register, so when a new customer is brought into your business, you should be looking to maximise THEIR return on investment. If they’ve taken the time to come into your business, make sure they get the most out of it, and be ready to identify how you could help them. In turn, you’ll end up with more money in your cash register The number 3 mistake, is no after care. On the very rare occasion that I get ANY follow up from a business, it’s usually one of those stock standard “hey, tell us what you think” emails. It’s all about the business. It’s never about me. If those businesses had sent me an email with some tips on how to get the most out of my hair cut, or a fun quiz that my kid could do after going to the museum, they’d have a much better chance of engaging me as a customer. So number three is to always have an after care nurture sequence in place, and make it focus on the customer, not your business, and it must have purpose. If you get feedback, what are you going to do with it? Next on my list, at number 4, is that these businesses NEVER ask me to become a customer. I’ve yet to have a hairdresser, massage or beauty therapist or restaurant, ask me to book my next appointment. And of course, with no after-care in place, I generally never hear from those businesses again, so even if I did like the service, there’s no prompting to make me come back again. Number 5 is being treated differently And I’ll admit this one doesn’t always happen. I’ve had great customer service, and terrible customer service, as a result of using group buying vouchers. Maybe those businesses that come to mind always had poor customer service, which is why they Re turned to sites like these to get a quick influx, but I can say, from experience, that I’ve been treated differently to other customers, when I’ve used vouchers. Your business service level should be consistent right across the board, regardless of whether someone is a new or returning customer. If you want these new people to become repeat customers, you need to treat them the same way that you would an existing customer. If you want to take advantage of group buying sites, make sure that you have a goal. Know how many people you want to take up the offer, and how many do you want to retain as retuning customers. Have a system in place to take advantage of the influx of new business, nurture those new customers, welcome them to your business, take care of them, sell to them, ask them to come back, and treat them well once they’ve left. If you do this, then you’ll have a much higher return on investment. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

What a pre welcome should look like

When it comes to cash flow, there are a lot of business owners that put their head in the sand. But cash flow is the lifeblood of your business, so day, we’re going to make you pull up your big girl business pants, and confront the numbers, head on. I recently asked a bunch of retailers what their biggest fear about confronting cash flow head on was. And the answers are probably going to sound familiar to you. They’re scared of looking at their bank balance, they’re scared there wont be enough. They hate juggling, and that sinking feeling that comes into your stomach, when you receive the latest round of invoices. Now cash flow is a BIG topic, but today, I want to just tackle the 3 biggest problems that I see retailers make, when it comes to managing cash flow.

Tracking

So many retailers just don’t track what they sell. Your point of sale system has all the answers. You don’t have to guess. It should all be there, waiting for you to download, and spend some time revising. What I tend to find, is that in the rush to get a point of sale system up and running, one of the key factors that get’s over looked, is categorising stock. If you’re a fashion store, you may sort by item type, like dresses, shirts and pants. If you sell children’s toys, maybe it’s by age group, or item type, such as wooden toys. If you sell homewares, you might categorise use candles, wall hangings and cushions, just to name a few. When you create categories, you can see, at a glance, how each type of product does in your store. You can look at the overall profit for the category, the margin, and how much of a percentage of total revenue, the item accounts for. Later, you can drill down into specific items, but categorising your store into sections, easily allows you to report on which areas are contributing the most to your business. And when it comes to tracking, you also need to set aside time, once a month, or once a quarter, to go over your numbers, your stock, your turnover and your margins.

When it comes to managing cash flow, the second stumbling block that I see retailers running up against, is forecasting.

Do you sit down and look over the past month and previous years’ sales, for a particular product. Or, do you just guess. Sometimes, guessing works, when you know your business inside out, but what happens when you grow to the point of being able to hire a manager. Not being in your store every day will dull your senses. If you don’t have a plan in place, and that plan is using the data you already have, then you’re bound to start getting your stock levels wrong, leaving you too short, and missing out on sales, or having too much, which leaves your cash flow tied up in inventory

Holding on too long.

If you’re tracking and forecasting, you’ll have a good sense of how your inventory is travelling. If you aren’t, you may look up one day, and find that item on the shelf, has actually been there for 6 months. Knowing how and when to get rid of stock is an important part of the business process. Weigh up how much an item is costing you, when it’s not selling. It’s taking up valuable real estate, and what could you have bought with that money instead? In the show notes, I’ll link to another one of my most popular downloads, on how to move old stock. But knowing when to move it, is just as important as knowing how to move it, and still get a return. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

Download "3 Tips To Managing Cash Flow In Your Retail Business"

Should you sell stock before it arrives in your store? What are the pros and cons? Pre selling stock before it comes into your store can generate significant cash flow for you. Just look at any Apple product. People line up, sometimes for days, in order to purchase their products, and quite often, they don’t even get to walk away with a physical product . Sometimes it’s months, before they receive the goods they’re pre-purchasing. Apart from having an amazing brand, Apple creates demand by releasing snippets of information in the lead up to the event. They don’t just go hey, here’s a new product, you can have it in 3 months. They create hype and demand. They trade on FOMO, the fear of missing out. Apple use this as a status indicator. Another benefit of preselling, is that it creates scarcity. Similar to FOMO, creating scarcity increases a product’s desirability, and prompts customers buy, even if the product hasn’t arrived. Preselling an item can also validate the viability of a product. If lots of people are talking about it, and buying that product, it gives the product credibility. We call that social proof. Speaking of validation, when you presell a product, you are able to forcast a level of demand. True, the urgency to buy a product will start to dwindle once the product is actually in your store, but using pre-selling as a validation technique, will help you to work out, just how much stock you should be bringing in. Are you on trend? Are you stocking exactly what your customer wants? Pre-selling shows your customer that you’re paying attention to what they want, that’ you’re up to date with the latest styles, trends and products. But arguably, the biggest benefit for preselling, is that it brings revenue into your store. Being able to use that money to pay for the stock, to have guaranteed sales, is a massive benefit and sanity saver. So let’s recap on the strategies you should focus on, when it comes to preselling.

Advertise the product, don’t keep it a secret
Create hype and demand
Use social proof to increase credibility
Create scarcity
Maximise FOMO
Be a trend setter
Generate cash flow

Often, people have already made a decision, even if it’s subconsciously, about whether or not they are going to buy a product. When you’ve created a buzz, when you have that social proof, you increase your odds of a successful product pre-sale. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

Download "How to Make Pre-selling Work For Your Retail store! Retail Biz Strategy

When you first put together a website, there is so much going on, you often through in everything you need, load up your products, test your cart, and move on to the next thing that needs to be done. Like everything in life, a good spring clean is in order, to keep your site fresh and up to date A spring clean of your website is an essential, to keep your customers happy, to keep your business trading within the law, and to make sure you don’t get caught out in expensive mistakes. Outdated policies and processes and poor user experience are a sure way to end up costing you money and sales, so here are 7 spring clean must-do reviews for your website

Is your website mobile friendly.

When Google announced that it was going to rate websites that were mobile friendly in 2015, it was a sure way to know that the state of ecommerce as we knew it, was changing. Your website should already be mobile responsive. If it’s not, that the first thing you need to organise. More importantly, is your website actually mobile friendly? Is it easy to shop on your website? Are the menus easy to read and find? Does the layout flow in category and product pages? Have you gone through your shopping cart on a mobile device? How easy is it to navigate through the checkout process, on a mobile device? You should be looking to minimise the steps the customer has to take, the clicks they have to make, and the number of keystrokes they have to enter. Every extra click they have to make, moves them closer to abandoning their cart

It’s time to take a look at your google analytics.

You should be reviewing your website traffic at least monthly. Your google analytics account will tell you which pages customers are spending more time on, your bounce rate, which is where someone leaves almost as soon as they hit your homepage and where on your website, their dropping out. For example, are they leaving during the shopping cart process? Google Analytics will also tell you which pages are people visiting most. You’ll probably find that your shipping, FAQ and About pages, rank very highly.

Spring clean your terms and conditions, your about page, and your shipping and returns policies.

It’s time to spring clean all those pages you set and forget. Laws change, your returns policy may change, your courier company and their rates may have changed. Now’s the time to go back, read over them and make the changes that you need to.

Review your email subscription giveaway.

If you’re new to Bringing Business To Retail tv, let me tell you know, that you have to be giving your customer something, in return for their email address. And, it shouldn’t be 10% off. If you’re already offering a pain point giveaway, or as we call it in the biz industry, a lead magnet, it’s time to review what you have on offer, and change it up a little. Get some new subscribers onto your customer database with a new lead magnet.

Make sure all of your images are consistent

The images on your website, are paramount to getting sales. Make sure that the images are all the same size, that the pages flow well, and go back and test out the experience from a users point of view. When it comes to images, the themeing should also be consistent, for example, make sure the deep etched image is on the category page, and lifestyle images, close ups and flat lays are within the product page. The more relevant images you have for a product, the less guess work a customer has to do, which makes it easier for them to add to cart.

Link products that go well to increase customer order value

Which brings us to the number 6 website review must do. Linking products that sell well together. Whether you use flat lays, widgets such as people who bought this, also purchased, or, preferably, you write and link it in the description, in case you haven’t realised, the key to increasing your customer order value, is to make it easy for them to buy. By linking products together, your customer is more likely to top up their shopping basket.

Review your categories and navigation.

Take a look with fresh eye, on how your menus and navigation flow. Your navigation should be based on how a user will look for an item, not on how you necessarily categorise it in your store. Are your menus grouped sequentially and are your sub categories in alphabetical order?

Is there an easy way for a customer to go back a level, or return to your home page.

Think of a random product, and ask a friend to find it on your website (without using the search button). This will give you an insight to how navigable your website actually is, to a new customer. If you you want a completely unbiased opinion, use a user testing service, like Peek, to give you a real life customer experience report.

When I went to New York recently, I was looking forward to some amazing shopping, but, not looking forward to those pesky currency conversion charges on my credit card, that can add up super quickly. So when I found that my airline Frequent Flyer card could also be used as a pre-paid credit card in local currency, I immediately transferred some cash into it, and watched the exchange rates daily. Exchange rate fluctuations can seriously affect the profitability of a product in your store. Not only is there the actual unit cost, but also the freight to get it to you, and both of those amounts will change, depending on the exchange rate for the day. I’ve seen many small businesses that order a small shipment of stock, for say, a thousand dollars, but by the time the payment comes due, the price may have changed by hundreds of dollars. Those dollars could mean the difference between a profitable product, and one that ends up costing you money. There are a few options that you can utilise, when it comes to hedging your currency. If you have the funds upfront, you can use a pre-paid card, like the one I used when I went to New York. So how to these cards work. Essentially you use them like you would a visa debit card, or a credit card, but you have to load funds into the card, and once they run out, they run out. The great thing, is once you’ve converted the currency, you have a set amount. You’re no longer affected by currency fluctuations and you aren’t subject to those pesky currency conversion fees on every transaction. The downside, if you want to call it that, of this method, is that your funds are tied up, until you use them. There’s an opportunity cost that comes with not being able to access your funds immediately, but there is also the benefit that comes with the security that the amount you have available isn’t going to change. The next option that you can use is Forward Rate Agreement, also known as a Forward Foreign Exchange. Utilising your financial provider or foreign exchange company, you simply fix an exchange rate for a date in the future. If you do this often, you may qualify for a line of credit associated with the account, meaning you only have to pay, when the exchange is due. This ensures that you know exactly how much an order is gong to cost you, ahead of time, which allows you to plan and forecast your cash flow. And my last, super simple way to hedge our currency, is to use Paypal. If you’re already using paypal as a payment gateway for your online store, did you know you can convert currency at any time? Simply log into your account, and find the Manage currencies option. If you have the old interface, it’s in the top right of your overview screen, and if you have the new interface, it’s in the money section. From their, you simply choose a currency, and how much you want to exchange. Once you have exchanged the currency, again, it’s a set amount. And, being able to track and forecast your cash flow, can put you in quite an enviable position compared to your competitors. Having that advantage, can save you thousands of dollars every year. If you’ve found this information useful, come join the Bringing Business To Retail community. You’ll be joining a bunch of retailers from all around the world chatting all things business. Best of all, it’s free.

Get "Hedging Currency As A Small Business Retailer" Retail Biz Strategy

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Are you using your B&M store, market stall, or pop up shop, to the best of it’s ability. Whilst a lot of retailers shy away from the overheads and the responsibility that comes with having a bricks and mortar store, the fact is, with the overheads, comes a distinct competitive advantage. But, are you using that, to the best of it’s ability. When you have a bricks and mortar store, not only do you need to exploit every piece of real estate in and around it, but you also need to fully utilise the people you hire, and their skills.

Open a customer’s eyes to what else is out there. If a customer comes in for a specific product, you have the ability to show them products that they may not have ever come across. It’s your job, as the retailer, to make the shopping experience as fulfilling as possible. This means offering cross sells. If a customer comes in for new dinnerware, show them placemats, a fruit bowl or a gravy boat. When opened up to new possibilities, a customer is likely to enjoy the experience more. Trust me, if they’re not interested, they’ll tell you.

Educate them a customer can be anti a product before entering your store. Maybe a friend mentioned something, or they saw a review on facebook. Perhaps they don’t even know why they don’t want a product. If you think a product totally suits what they’re looking for, it’s up to you to educate them on why the product will work for them, allay their fears, answer their questions, and let them make an informed decision.

Emotions People buy on emotion. Now, no matter how great your images are on a website, nothing beats the physical. Being able to touch, to smell, to try on. I love online shopping, and recently, I had to buy 4 new barstools for my kitchen. They had to have a back, and go with a timber and white kitchen. I thought I had found the perfect ones online, but, my husband was adamant that we had to sit in them. I was so glad that he did, because the stools I’d chosen, were uncomfortable. The back wasn’t high enough, and in real life, they looked, well, cheap. I instantly reacted to those bar stools physically, and emotionally. I also became super clear on what I was ACTUALLY looking for. I’d educated myself (the sales staff weren’t particularly helpful), I was open to what else was in the store, and started looking at rugs as well. Now, when I was shopping on the online store, I hadn’t even thought to start looking at rugs and cushions. The bricks and mortar store had the ability to significantly increase my order value. Ensuring that you’re staff are well trained, know how to actively listen and problem solve a solution for your customer, and that your staff know your products intimately, will have you increasing the money that’s coming into your retail store. Until next week, be profitable

Download "Using the competitive advantage of your B&M store" Retail Biz Strategy

Consumer sentiment. Technically speaking, it’s a statistical measurement and economic indicator of the overall health of the economy as determined by consumer opinion. Personally, I think the media has a lot to do with the way that consumer sentiment rollercoasters. If the media is telling everyone that we’re heading for a recession, then of course people are going to become more wary about spending. So when your retail cycle is starting to slump, how can you change the lookers in your store, into buyers? When a person comes into your store, they already, subconsciously, are looking to purchase. So, making sure that you give them attention, is the first step to getting them over the line, and for them to have trust in you. Don’t be forced. Don’t ask “how can I help you today”. Be attentive, take in their body language. Do they want you there by their side, or do they want to take some time on their own to assess the product, and just want you to be available when they have a question? Don’t force descriptions on them. How many times have you been browsing in a store, or even a market stall, and the sales person immediately starts throwing facts of a product at you? What’s your first reaction? Likely, it’s “ugh, give me a moment will you”. Try engaging your customer first, rather that talking at them.

When it comes time to talk about the benefits of your products, make sure that you aren’t talking jargon or expecting your customer to know technical terms. Essentially, don’t make them feel stupid. Ask opening questions, that will allow them to feel comfortable to get your to expand more. A sure fire way to get someone to walk out the door and never come back, is to make them feel inferior. Remember to pause. Listen and ask questions. Don’t get into your spiel, and expect the customer to be rapt on your every word. Stop, pause, ask for permission to move on. Be passionate about finding the right product for the customer, not the one you love most. It’s easy to fall into the rut of recommending the same item, because you love using it. And when it comes to getting them to hand over their cash, ask them if they’re looking to buy today, or researching – you can tailor your offering and information, and the time that you spend with them, to maximise their experience, and allow you to navigate between customers in the store. If a customer appears to like a product, but just can’t make it over the line, is there a way to let them try before they buy? Is it possible to take it out of the packet, have a tester, or, even let them hire a product to let them experience it for themselves? Think of those products that people get stuck on, that they find difficult to take the leap, and work out a way that you can help overcomes the obstacles to purchase. And remember, not everyone will make a purchase the first time they walk in your store. It’s up to you to follow up, to create a relationship with them, and to build trust. So, put a system in place, that will allow you to capture their details, and to stay connected with them in the future. And my last tip, to turn a looker into a buyer, is to give them a quote. This too, is a great way to get their contact details, by offering to email it through to them. If a customer is open to you giving them a quote, their also open to you following up. And following up is where 95% of sales are lost. IF a retailer even bothers to follow up the first time, inevitably, if the customer isn’t ready to buy, they just let it drop. It times when the cash register isn’t ringing as much as you want, you need to be chasing up every customer, love your customer, listen to them, find them what they want, and continue to communicate with them, once they’ve gone. If you implement those strategies, then your conversion rate should see an increase.

Download "How to turn a looker into a buyer" Retail Biz Strategy

Is it worth outlaying the money to gift wrap items in your retail store? By the time you've bought paper, ribbons, card, somewhere to store it all, not to mention the time it takes to wrap, the dollars add up.

Today we're talking about whether you should bother with gift wrapping in your retail store. Should you offer gift wrapping as a retailer?

[Tweet " Do you offer gift wrap services?"] Do you charge for gift wrapping? Let me know in the comments below what offering gift wrap has done for your business.

Get Your "Gift Wrapping Guide" Retail Biz Strategy

What you will learn in this episode: * How Stacey helps business to get fantastic results * Where to find the biggest place where businesses leaving money on the table * How Google can help you with your business * How to develop your relationship with your customers and readers

What you will learn in this episode: * What is digital marketing * What is difference between push and the pull * What is marketing strategy * How to plan your digital marketing

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn few tips how to use apps to get your time back * How apps can help us to keep contact with customers * How Zapier can make your life easier

What you will learn in this episode: * What is a headtrash * How to discover when you need a therapy? * Learn clearance method for yourself

What you will learn in this episode: * Why is it important that we get a lot of sleep * How much sleep do we need * How to overcome insomnia * How to read body signals to know do we need more sleep or not

What you will learn in this episode: * What stress is? * There is no good or bad stress, is all about stress * How much is too much when it comes to stress * Learn about stress symptoms

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn about strategy so that your potential customers become regular customers * Let your customer know that you are going to be sending him an email * You should have a goal in your business

In this episode you will learn which tools you should use in your business

What you will learn in this episode: * How Jill and her husband started with their business * How to find your passion and things you are good at * We’re breakin’ down niche validation and research- what and why? * How to create awesome facebook group

Today ‘s guest is Trista.

She’s the next business to be featured in the real retailer’s series.

And what a story she’s got to tell you.

You know when you meet someone virtually, and they look so cool and hip. Their stuff is gorgeous, and you get a bit of online envy going on…. Well, that’s how I felt when I met Trista.

She seemed to have it going on. But, you should never judge someone else’s success from what you see on the outside. You know that right?

Tracy is the second of our Real Retailers series for February.

I have to admit, that I didn’t know a lot of the background before Tracy came onto the show, and I was already full of admiration for her, I mean, she’s got 7 kids, that in itself in the makings of a superwoman in my eyes.

Yet when Tracy tells her story, I literally had tears in my eyes. I have so much admiration for people who can take a series of crushing events, and use the outcomes, to them into their dreams.

You are going to love this episode. Tracy is down to earth, matter of fact, and you will just want to give her a virtual fist bump.

Let’s hear one woman turned devastation into destiny

Today I introduce you to a new series here on the podcast. It’s called Real Retailers. As the name suggests, it’s a series where I interview actual retailers, people just like you, who have created greatness in their retail business.

This week, I want to introduce you to Marnie.

I love her to bits. She’s got the most wicked laugh, that just makes you smile.

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn who “Go to Girl” is and how she got started * How much is important to have support from your family * Learn more how to connect with people, online or in person * Learn how to give and get, #Give-Give-Get

What you will learn in this episode: * Who is Katie Wyatt? * Learn Katie’s business wisdom * How to incorporate daily job with your business, is that necessary?

What you will learn in this episode: * Can sickness be a reason to stop your plans? * How to get stuff done * Meet Amanda * 4 tactics to getting stuff done

What you will learn in this episode: * What is the biggest hurdle that you think creatives have to building a great business * How much self-promotion is important? * How to sell your personal brand and make it perfect? * What is the key element in building personal branding

What you will learn in this episode: * In this episode, Salena want to walk you though just how sheI planned for 2016. * In 5 steps you will learn how to create great plan for yourself and your business * You may have heard of nominating a word, or a phrase for the year * Step 2, is reflection. List out what went well, what didn’t, what you could have changed to improve your self, your business, your family and social life.

What you will learn in this episode: * This is the last episode of Bringing Business to Retail podcast in 2015 year * How Salena made a decision to write a book

What you will learn in this episode: * What is PR * How Amy’s strategy is related with Janet’s business * How you can pitch your story into the media * Do you need to pay if you want to be in the media?

What you will learn in this episode: * Learn more about BOXER & CO * What is a brand strategy? * When it comes to packaging you will learn what you should be looking for from you suppliers * How much packaging is important to sell the product

What you will learn in this episode: * What Retail Rockstars Does. * Vanessa Van Edwards in one of the previous episode talks about how to know what people want before they open their mouth when they walk into retail store – Our today’s guest Amy compared that on her own way * How to do a show in your retail store

What you will learn in this episode: * What is automation email conversion * Why is it important to grow your email list * Is actually worth the time and the money to grow the email list

What you will learn in this episode: * What does it actually mean to Discover Your Business Sweet Spot? * How to organize your business, your workdays, and weekends. * Discover how our guest Natasha has similar strategy and philosophy to Louise D’allura

What you will learn in this episode: * Working online, is that possible or is that the myth? * How exactly do you create money online? * What is freedom and adventure in your life?

What you will learn in this episode: * What the mindset coach does? * Learn the difference between mindset and healthset * How two people can see the ‘same thing’ completely different, how?

Retailers tell me that as many as 80% of customers will look at your company’s website BEFORE they come into your store.

So, what can you do, to maximise this 24/7 catalogue for your biz?

This week, Salena let’s you know a little bit more about herself, by answering questions that listeners have sent in.

Find out:

What made Salena move from horticulture to retail

Why she opened her stores

If she still has her stores

Whether she likes travelling

Successes and experiences she learned from having retail stores

This episode of Bringing Business To Retail is a little bit different.

Today, you’ll hear a live, round-table discuss with passionate handmade creators, led by Julia Bickerstaff from The Business Bakery.

The lunch was part of Avery’s Big Ideas For Small Business campaign, and we talked about a range of issues that handmade retailers encounter, from packaging, to websites, to wholesaling (and much more).

As a parent and partner, along with being a business owner, it’s often a continual juggle to keep it all from crashing down.

What You’ll Discover In This Episode

Tips for surviving school holidays
Key strategies to making business and home life work
Ways to avoid (or lessen) mummy guilt when working

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest Algorithm change, but when you’ve created great content, you’ll also have engagement. Find out more of Kate Toon’s Recipe for SEO success for retailers.

In a retail business, products are the most essential part. Product creation is what brings new things to our shelves and puts us a step ahead of the competition. In today’s episode, Catherine Langman gives us tips about product creating and being a “ProductPreneur”. Catherine users her past experience of being a “ProductPreneur” to tell us about the many techniques she has for creating a product for your business.

Videos can help you in your retail business in so many ways. On today’s episode, Mick Russell talks to us about how videos can be very beneficial to retail store. Mick explains that whenever you make a video of a product, you bring it to life in a sense. Videos can also show an application to a certain product and make your customers want to buy it. Mick says that a customer is more likely to buy a certain product after watching a video about it.

As a business owner, sometimes spending money can seem like you are losing money when actually it could be a solution to get more money. In today’s episode, Michelle House teaches about how we can come over money blocks and how we can change the way we think about spending money. Michelle teaches us to stop and think about why exactly we are paying that bill or paying for another business expense.

Communication is a key aspect in your everyday life. It is just as important in your retail business. This weeks episode, Trish Springsteen teaches us techniques on how to conduct yourself fluently with your employees to get them as motivated and passionate as you are. Trish covers topics ranging from employer to employee communication to a employee only communication.

Understanding human behavior can be very important in a retail business. In this episode, Vanessa Van Edwards talks about human behavior and how it can relate to your business. The way you physically and verbally present yourself can have a strong impact on your business. Vanessa also teaches us ways to read body language to help you make a particular sell in your business.

Have you ever heard of the term “copywriting” or “SEO”.

In this episode, Belinda Weaver breaks down these terms piece by piece to help you understand exactly what copywriting is and how it can help you business. Belinda teaches us about understanding yourself to then understand whom you are trying marketing to. Copywriting is what helps you reach out to your audience to make your business grow.

Being in business for yourself can be overwhelming at times. There are never enough hours in the day to accomplish all the things you should be. You will encounter many distractions along the way. Terri Ann Daniels, the Noise Whisperer, will help you reconnect with the reasons you went into business in the first place, reignite your passion and teach you how to create the tools to free up your valuable time. By eliminating the “noise” that distracts you day to day you will optimize your time and be available to focus on income generating projects to move your business forward.

Why does everyone talk about ultimate customers, perfect customers and customer avatars?

Find out WHY it's so important.

What this episode is about and why you should care

Have you ever thought about outsourcing? There comes a time in every business owner’s career when they just don’t seem to have enough hours in the day to complete the basic tasks. Outsourcing is a way for you to ensure that the needs of your business are being met and freeing up some of your valuable time. In this episode we discuss all of the common questions asked before hiring a freelancer.

What you will learn in this episode

An understanding of the outsourcing process
How to evaluate your needs
Is your business a good candidate for outsourcing?
Is it easier to do it yourself?
A list of common things that can be outsourced

Links from the episode:

List of Things That Can Be Outsourced
Chart to Evaluate Your Needs

Grow your retail business and blitz your competition by learning business strategies from outside the retail industry. Whether your just thinking about opening a boutique, or if you already have a successful retail store, Salena Knight will introduce you to business strategies not normally found in the retail environment.

Grow your retail business and blitz your competition by learning business strategies from outside the retail industry. Whether your just thinking about opening a boutique, or if you already have a successful retail store, Salena Knight will introduce you to business strategies not normally found in the retail environment.

Grow your retail business and blitz your competition by learning business strategies from outside the retail industry. Whether your just thinking about opening a boutique, or if you already have a successful retail store, Salena Knight will introduce you to business strategies not normally found in the retail environment.