The successful business is one that solves problems. Duh!

A very successful small business owner said to me last week, " A successful business is one that solves problems." It's a beautifully simplistic motto for us to remember daily.

What I am finding however, in the post-quarantine world, is too many business owners are trying to solve their own problems, not their customers'! It's understandable. You're fighting for the future of your business.

But if you are really looking for immediate and long term success, you need to be thinking about how to serve your customer. In subtle - and not so subtle ways- you may be putting your needs before theirs and quite frankly, losing the loyalty of these important early stage return customers.

Here are a few examples I’ve seen in just the past week:

A restaurant owner doubling the price of wine by the glass with the explanation that f he isn’t going through wine as quickly. Duh! Why not offer attractive wine by the bottle options to increase average sale and make the customer feel great about purchasing it?

A clothing retailer desperate to sell existing inventory that consists mostly of prom and wedding guest dresses. Duh! For the most part, people need comfortable daily wear to get them through a routine summer. Keep changing your inventory to meet the changing needs of today’s consumer and when the time comes, they’ll come back for your specialty.

A restaurant trying to cram outdoor seating areas to maximize capacity is wondering why so many potential customers are walking away. Duh! Even if you’re not scared of the virus, there are plenty of people who are still fearful. Do everything you can to make them feel comfortable. If you have to charge a minimum in order to make your numbers, go ahead and do that but don’t be insensitive to customer needs.

A dry cleaner bemoaning there’s no business because people aren’t going to work. Duh! By contrast, another dry cleaner is literally cleaning up by helping customers “clean the quarantine” out of their home goods (sheets, bedspreads, etc.).

Your custome'rs needs today bear almost no resemblance to their needs four months ago! Don’t sell them what you have. Fix a problem. Fill a need. Calm their fears. Solve today’s problems today and you’ll most likely have a loyal customer for life.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Are you one of the 10 percent?

As states permit businesses to reopen, 90 percent of owners won’t do anything other than unlock their doors, provide mandated safety measures and wait for something to happen.

Don’t be one of them.

Because these are the business owners focused on merely surviving the next few months, getting forgiveness for their PPP loan and trying to sell customers whatever it is they happen to have pre-virus. These are the 90 percent.

But you are different. You are not focused on merely surviving. You are focused on coming out of the other side of this with a healthier, stronger business.  One that’s ready to continue to adapt to a fast-paced and changing environment and services its customers on the highest level.

Now, the big question, what do you need to do to become one of the 10 percent?

First, float
When caught in a rip current, swimmers are advised to stop fighting and just float. This pandemic has been the mother of all currents and fighting it is exhausting. Nobody expects you to completely understand how to navigate the situation but if you want to successfully get past this particular point in time, you need stop fighting for life and take a minute to clear some headspace. You need to let new ideas materialize instead of panicking because you don’t have all the answers.

Learn the lessons
What could have/should you have done differently prior to the pandemic? Identify the weak spots that existed (yes, every business has them) and fix them as part of your move forward plan.  Whether it’s net profitability, staff training, merchandising or marketing – now’s the time to fix it!

(Note – while we don’t have a lot of answers on what life is going to look like over the next months, we know one thing for sure: those businesses without a robust digital presence did not have as strong a chance to succeed. You might need to put this at the top of your list.)

Get the facts
There are two things you need to look at: what’s going on in your industry and what’s going on in your community.  Are there best practices within your industry? Do they jive with what is happening in your neighborhood? Understanding what people want and need right now is the best framework in which to make decisions.

Create a tribe
Engage your team in becoming part of the 10 percent team. A great business is made up of great people and employees need to be buy in to your vision because they are critical to making it happen.

Make it fun
Just because life is difficult, doesn’t mean you can’t shine a ray of light in people’s lives. From your marketing to your attitude, make your business a bright spot.

Give people a reason to leave the house
This has always been one of the “aha” moments in my work with retailers; are you doing something that makes customers want to leave their house vs. ordering online? Today, that’s taken on a whole new, meaning in a world where we, quite literally, have to encourage people dip their toes back into regular consumer behavior. As a retail store or restaurant owner, be sure you are providing good reasons for a visit. Status quo won’t cut it in these days.  

I applaud you for making the commitment to be a part of the 10 percent club. Adapt. Change. Fight.
Make this situation a stepping stone for a great future.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

4 steps to re-emergence

As most of you prepare to open your stores to the public in some capacity, here are a few key tips to consider.

Re-enforce your message

A consumer’s decision to patronize your store or restaurant now isn’t just about need or desire. It’s about trust.  Do they trust you are doing everything possible to keep them safe? Beware that even one mishap in front of visitor that would even hint your procedures are lax will likely garner a passionate, negative review.

Not only do you need to do the right thing – you need to reinforce your sanitization and safety measures consistently. Let customers know what to expect when they visit. Be as specific as possible with your cleaning schedule and your rules. Train your staff to not just follow procedures, but to also inform customers about them. Your job is to let visitors know you take this very seriously on a daily basis, not just today, but as we continue to move forward.

Re-hire with intention

Pre-pandemic retail and restaurant owners did a lot of complaining about staff quality.  Yet post-COVID, owners seem disappointed when those same employees failed to return. If there is any upside to this pandemic, it’s that the labor pool is deeper than it’s been in a long, long time and you have an opportunity to improve the quality and culture of your staff. Don’t just re-hire out of guilt or because it makes things easier. Use this time to interview and hire the best possible employees!

Re-imagine your business
At first, you’ll probably be in survival mode, trying to sell what you’ve always sold the way you’ve always been selling it. But that’s probably not going to get you where you want to be in the long term.  Pay close attention the impact of the virus on your community.  Were there major layoffs?  Was it highly impacted healthwise? Perhaps you live somewhere that escaped major impact.

Be prepared to adjust your business to meet the needs of your community. You may have to do this a number of times between now and “normal.” Be flexible and fluid with merchandise types and price points as well as delivery channels like curbside and online shopping carts.

Request community support

There’s never been a greater awareness of or support for small business. But sadly, there are financial hardships which will prevent many from patronizing your store or restaurant at this time.  Nonetheless,  you can still request support for your business in non-financial ways. Reach out and ask for reviews, referrals and social media followers. Be authentic in your request and you’ll be surprised at how many people want to do their part to help.

You may think you’re reopening your old business but in many ways, you’re opening a new business. Be flexible. As a small business owner, you have the extraordinary advantage of being able to make decisions and changes quickly. Use this to your advantage as you find new ways to serve your market.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!

Angel

Linda Cahan discusses high impact exteriors - even if you're closed!

Creating an online store quickly with Shopify expert Megan Spaulding.

Understanding that money is extremely tight for small retailers right now, Megan has created an exceptional offer to create a Shopify store with up to 100 products for just $129 per month. Here's the link for details. http://brand-science.co/ecommerce/angel/

RECOVERY Don’t fix the faucet, fix the well.

Take a good hard look at your pre-virus businesses. Chances are it wasn’t perfect. How many times did you do a work around rather than actually fix the problem. What systems were broken? What did you always want to do, fix or change?

Use this time to fix it once and for all in 5 key areas.

Operations/store

From properly programming your POS to decluttering your cash wrap to improving your signage and merchandising get your store experience and efficiencies in order. (We'll discuss COVID related changes in another post.

Customers

How much do you really know and how much can you find it? Dig into the data Frequency of purchase? Average sale? What are they buying?

Create the reports that tell you as much as possible about your current customer to use in future decisions.

Vendors

This is a great time to negotiate pricing and payment with your existing vendors and also to research new vendors. You might be able to negotiate some exclusivea or find more made-in-the USA products.

Training

If you are still paying staff – use this time to train in customer service, sales, upselling and protocols for handling a “new type of customer we may be seeing in the future. If they’re not working, prepare a training program you can commit to.

Technology

Research new tech platforms that will help you run a more efficient and effective business. It’s all there for you. Check out the EASY+RETAIL+TECH podcast for ideas. http://www.angelcicerone.com/easyretailtech

The Challenge

The last step in the rebuild process is a challenge, I challenge you to grow your social media followers and /or your email database by a minimum of 10%. Make this a goal now that you’ll reopen with a bigger base of fans. Having a larger base may help you gain more traction during the recovery.

Until next time, remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Make it a Mother's Day to Remember!

Mother’s Day spending in 2019 set a chart topping record at $25 billion! While we can’t guarantee sales will be quite as robust in this very strange year, this important holiday can add some additional revenue to your bottom line, if you prepare and market properly.

Social
Even if you’re not open for sales, you should still take advantage of the holiday to community in a heartfelt way with your tribe.
Creatively connect with your followers. Here are some ideas.

Ask kids to write short love letters to or make homemade cards or create ways to thank mom (i.e. chalk drawings on the driveway) for their moms and post to your page

Post photos of famous TV moms for identification and discussion

Ask mom’s to post their favorite photos from pregnancy

Tik Tok asked people to re-create a favorite old family photo with amazing results. 
You can do the same.

All these ideas can be the basis for competition and prizes, from awarding a prize to the entry with the most “likes” to choosing random winners. Use the time leading up to Mother’s Day to engage your audience and offer a sweet distraction.

Looking forward
There will be a time when we can go to the theater, a concert or a restaurant again! So don’t limit your Mother’s Day offerings to what’s available today. Use the holiday to create “Future Fun” packages. Bundle together dinner and a movie for a future date. In doing so, you are starting to rebuild your in-store business at a later date while generating cash flow now.

Product sales
Just as there are moms with a million different interests, there are a million different gift ideas, so no business is really exempt from potential Mother’s Day sales. Your best opportunity here is to create bundles and packages that have a “wow” factor and a higher average value. For the crafty mom (glue guns, fabric and sewing notions) to handy moms (tool kits)  to  podcast/blogger mom (mics and software) and healthy mom (gym equipment). This list even extends to home décor and gift shops to set up virtual meetings with interior designers. Aren’t we all ready to decorate after 6 weeks at home?

Be clever and add wine or balloons to the bundles or even hard-to-find sanitization products as a special nod to these unusual times.

Even if you don’t have an ecommerce site, post your best bundles on social media and link to PayPal or take credit cards by phone.

Spas and Salons
Personal services have always enjoyed a big bump in sales for Mother’s Day and this year should be no exception. Again, create product and service bundles to increase average sale with value-add gift certificates to encourage in-store visits later on.

Restaurants
In addition to special brunch and dinner menus, add picnic and grilling options and consider fun packaging for delivery like picnic baskets with napkins, bouquets made out of napkins, DIY card kits for the kids to make – anything that will make the day special.

Encourage pre-orders by eliminating delivery charges for ordering 24 hours in advance.

Start promoting now
Although these sales tend to be more last minute, it’s important to keep your offerings front and center while they’re making their decisions. Keep in mind that you are still competing for market share so It’s a wonderful time to be creative and timely.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!

Angel

3 Most Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make With Their Video Marketing

For those of you exploring video marketing, Nina Froriep
Visual Storyteller at Clock Wise Productions talks about the 3 tops mistakes to avoid.

Restaurants, this is your time to shine!

Restaurant owners, you are now at the heart of our home-bound economy. And in an interesting twist of events, food delivery has made you an important link between us and the outside world. With that, you are now uniquely positioned, not just to feed our bellies, but to feed our souls as well.

If you are willing to be flexible, open minded and stay relevant over the next month or two (or three) as we move through this crisis, you can create profound relationships with your customers, find new ones and come out the other in an even better position than before.

Here are a few suggestions.

Keep pushing the sanitization and customer service messages
I noticed much of the promotion I’m seeing has stopped talking about sanitization procedures and is simply promoting product.  It’s way too soon for that and will most likely be an ongoing consumer concern months after businesses reopen.

Here’s a great message from a client of mine that hits all the right notes:
“Your continued support is what drives us. We are navigating this storm called Covid-19 with you as well as with millions of other small businesses around the country. We’ve abbreviated our menu, changed our hours and have stepped up sanitation protocols. All these changes have produced greater flexibility and understanding with meeting our customers’ requests. If you have any questions, concerns, comments or special request, don’t hesitate to contact us via phone, emails, DMs at any moment of the day. This is the right time to have open and flexible lines of communication.”

Continue to refine your menus, ordering windows and efficiencies

Hopefully, you have already migrated from your regular menu to family meals and “take and bake” options, etc. Keep refining that menu week after week to keep value and interest high. People are feeling the financial pinch and at the same time, getting bored and on the lookout for new meal options. Include the ability to pick up or deliver multiple meals, reducing delivery fees and human contact.  Create shortened ordering windows to allow you more time to prepare your food. And, of course, offer market staples like eggs, milk, meats, produce and bread as part of your menu.

Become a social connection
Just because your customers aren’t dining together doesn’t mean they aren’t still part of your tribe.
Invite your customers to stay connected with each other via your social platforms. Place a flyer in your to-go orders that asks customers to post a photo or video of them eating your food and tag you. Have a “dine out with each other night” and host a Zoom dinner. Ask customers to record a message of thanks to healthcare workers, grocery store workers or whomever else you want to honor and post them on your Facebook page. Invite customers to do a social media takeover for an hour or a day. People are craving a connection and you are in a unique position to facilitate that.

Become a purveyor of life’s little pleasures

As the new delivery connection, why not use the platform to bring more than just food into the lives of your customers – and help your local business neighbors at the same time? After multiple weeks in quarantine, people are starting to run out of candles, nice soaps and other things that make life bearable. Partner up with nearby stores to add these little pleasures to the menu. Also offer celebration opportunities like candlelit dinners.

I urge you to take a breath and remember, you are not just working on your short-term survival, you are building the foundation for a new and better business post-crisis.

Until next time, remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Checklist for scaling back or closing your business.

If you are closing your store or restaurant, I have uploaded a checklist to help you through the process. Click here to access. If you have any additions for the list, comment below and they’ll be added.

Restaurants: Delivery business vs. closing

Many of you have been trying to adjust to the delivery and curbside pick up model this past week. Some are experiencing good sales; others are struggling. Here are some tips to improve your to-go business and some tough questions to determine whether or not you should close your doors for now.

To improve delivery and pick up business
1. Adjust your menu to meal-based options. Focus on comfort food and healthier dishes. People will no longer be able to afford “off the menu” single dishes.

2. Create a weekly menu of options so people so they can order once for the week. This will afford you efficiencies in prep and delivery and possibly reduce costs.

3. Provide the option of purchasing food staples with orders (eggs, milk, bread, produce, etc.

4. Don’t be afraid to offer something special as well (date night box, brunch in a box, specialty drinks, etc.)

5. Cut your hours. No need to be open 7 days.

6.. Don’t stop promoting your sanitization procedures

7. Promote like crazy. Use your email database and social media platforms to get the word out.

8.. Check out this video called Getting Ahead of the Curve through Collaboration for ideas on working with neighboring restaurants to improve efficiencies and exposure in the community.  https://www.angelcicerone.com/covid-19/collaborate

If you did not have a decent take out or delivery business before the outbreak, there’s a good chance you aren’t seeing sufficient revenue. Should you close for now?

Please take a minute to do an honest assessment. If you don’t have a good email database, a decent social media following or traction with the 3rd party delivery services, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be able to sustain as a delivery-only establishment.

Take a breath to evaluate, even if you have to close for a day. Do the math. How much are you losing? How much would you save by closing the doors, and reducing the electric bill and cutting off all unnecessary expenses like internet access, reducing payroll and payroll taxes?

If the numbers tell you it’s time to stop, then stop. Don’t panic. Preservation of capital is an excellent strategy for future success. Cut every cost possible.

Remember, closing up is not giving up.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Ideas for hair and nail salons

Many states are closing down hair and nail salons. I’m sure more will follow. People will still want to look good despite the circumstances. It is helpful in maintaining a positive attitude while we face tough times. Be proactive now by using video to communicate with your customers in these unique ways.

Create a video or do a Facebook lives that:

Shows women how to safely soak off their gel or acrylic manicures

How to do a simple trim or haircut

How to apply store-bought hair color

Also consider hosting individual video appointments with customers to help them with their own hair/manicure needs. This is a great way to not just assist your customers but to satisfy the need for socialization and the appearance of normalcy.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don’t be afraid to add a Venmo link to any of your posts and videos to accept tips.

Getting ahead of the curve through collaboration

With most states mandating to-go and delivery only for restaurants, I'm sure you are all scrambling. I'm going to ask you to take a breath and listen to this short video with an idea for independent restaurants to collaborate in order to:

Better manage existing business
Better serve your community
Create goodwill and loyalty for future business
Possibly keep a few more people employed

If you have any questions or comments, please drop them below.

Thing you need to do immediately.

Depending on what region you're in, your business is probably under some type of mandatory restriction. Here's a quick reminder of some details you should attend to.

1.    Create a point of contact for your business as well as a phone tree, email chain or communication plan for your employees.

2.  Communicate all changes/closures on all platforms. Change hours on your website and social media and/or communicate limited service capabilities. Do the same on Google, Yelp, Travel Advisor and any other sites on which you are listed. Update your Facebook header and Instagram profile as well. Change your phone message.

3.  Send an email to everyone in your database. Don't send the typical "From the  CEO " message but rather, one that tells your customers what you're doing and how you feel. Be sure to wish them good health and provide a direct contact should they need or want to reach you.

4.  Restaurants should contact your reservation provider, if applicable, cancel existing reservations and block out any future reservations slots for the time being.

5.   Post signage on your front doors. I know you're stressed but please try to make these signs as professional as possible.

6.  Review your insurance policy and start talking to your insurance company. This is a good time to gather facts.

7. Call your vendors, utility companies, credit card companies, internet and cable to arrange delayed payment options.

8.     Exchange contact information with your business neighbors for future communication.

3 Questions about....Facebook

Jamie Palmer, CEO of Outlier Marketing Group, answers your most pressing questions about Facebook.

To learn more about Jamie, visit www.outliermarketinggroup.com

How to easily set up a sales commission program that works!

The bottom line is the bottom line in retail.

A successful retail store or restaurant is dependent on selling so it’s imperative that you create a sales culture. I’m a firm believer sales people should be rewarded for selling. Hire people who are motivated to reap the financial rewards of meeting and exceeding goals. I have found quite a bit of resistance about this from owners who think a commission-based program will encourage staff to become too aggressive and competitive. They fear it will create an unpleasant experience for customers.

Let’s be clear. You are not training staff to be used car salesmen. You are training them to sell which, quite simply, is providing the information a customer needs to make a buying decision. Selling is inviting prospects to participate in the opportunity you bring to the table. With proper training and a solid reward system, you can cultivate a great sales team as well as a great customer experience.

So whether you decide to implement a commission program or a monthly bonus program, create a reward system that will help you meet your goals. Rewards can be in the form of gift cards, merchandise or commissions. Just be sure the reward is commensurate with your product or service and the level of sales skill required.

Setting up a commission program

I have seen all types of commission programs in the retail world. They sometimes pay on meeting daily goals and sometimes just pay – regardless of whether an end goal is met. Neither of these structures help elevate sales levels and definitely don’t inspire employees. Creating a goal and commission plan takes a bit of creativity and strategic thinking. There are three key elements for setting up a successful incentive program:

• 1. Create monthly goals. I don’t believe in daily goals. They are almost impossible to meet and a good rain storm could wipe out an employee’s bonus potential and discourage them.

• 2. Be sure the total of the employee goals is more than the actual monthly revenue number you want to achieve.

• 3. Offer larger incentives for exceeding goals. How does this play out? Let’s use this scenario for the month of April. The commissions used in these scenarios are just an example. The actual commission percentages you will pay should be based on your own store profitability and employee status.

Assume
Your sales staff includes: 1 full time manager and 2 part time sales people

Last year’s April revenues:
Manager’s sales $28,000
Part time staff #1 $ 5,000
Part time staff #2 $ 7,000
Total – last April $40,000
Note: Just count employee sales in this number – don’t count your own.

Your goal for this April $48,000 (20% increase)
This year’s April goals by employee:
Manager’s sales $35,000
Part time staff #1 $ 6,250
Part time staff #2 $ 8,750
Total sales goals $50,000
The total of employee goals exceeds the actual April revenue goal of $48,000.

Commission Structure
Manager
2% on all sales up to goal ($35,000)
5% on sales of $35,001 and above
$250 for team hitting store sales goal of $50,000

Sales staff
$100 bonus each for meeting sales goal
An additional $100 each if they exceed goal by 20% or more

In this scenario you are paying the manager a regular commission on what she sells, and more importantly, incentivizing her to exceed her goal AND to motivate the staff to meet and exceed their goals as well.

Let’s say the total sales for this April play out like this:

Scenario 1 Scenario 2

Manager sales $32,500 $37,500
Staff # 1 $ 3,500 $ 6,000
Staff #2 $ 8,750 $10,500
$44,750 $54,000

Scenario 1
Total revenue is less than the actual revenue goal of $48,000 but still represents an 8 percent increase over last April.

The manager would earn 2% X $32,500 = $650
Staff # 1 no bonus
Staff # 2 $100
Total commissions and bonuses paid $750

Scenario 2
Total revenue exceeds the actual revenue goal of $48,000 and the employee revenue goal of $50,000.

The manager would earn $1200
2% X 35,000 = $700
5% of $4999= $250
Bonus for achieving store goal $250
Staff # 1 no bonus
Staff # 2 $200
Total commissions and bonuses paid $1,475

In scenario 2, you have paid $1,475 in commission to achieve a 35 percent increase in sales ($14,000) over last year. That’s quite a deal! Plus, your employees feel more empowered because they had the opportunity to pad their paychecks!

Sales contests
You can choose to deliver rewards via a monthly contest, structured in a number of ways:

• Reward only the highest achieving employee
• Reward each individual who achieves their goal
• Reward each individual who achieves their goal ONLY if the overall monthly revenue goal is made

It’s important to create a spirit of team competition to make this work. Track each employee’s progress on a chart and be the head cheerleader in acknowledging progress on a regular basis. Be sure your contests or incentives are in line with your goals. For example, if you run a hair salon and have made a deal with a particular manufacturer for special pricing on shampoo, the contests should center around the sales of that shampoo. Alternatively, if you have an underperforming item, create an incentive around it.

Commission and rewards aren’t simply a way to pay staff if they happen to meet goals. They are tools to insure that your staff’s performance helps you achieve your goals. As you begin a reward program, give it a few months to let everyone get used to the system, get the proper training and work out the kinks. Let them know you are serious and they will we judged on their sales performance monthly. Once you pull the trigger, meet with each staff member at the end of every month to review performance and assign goals for the next month. Conduct a debrief session. Don’t focus on what went wrong. Ask them what they think they did correctly and what they might have done differently or better. These are great learning opportunities.

Pay special attention to those employees who do not meet their goals and provide additional training to help them. If an employee is consistently underachieving (let’s say 3 months running) and your efforts and training have not paid off, it’s time to find someone new.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Three ways to celebrate Mom and Pop Business Owners Day - March 29th

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 28 million small businesses in the U.S.   employing more than 56 million people. These locally owned businesses add vibrancy to the economy and contribute more than three times more money per dollar of sales back to their local economy than national chains. You should be proud and March 29th, National Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day is a great opportunity to share your accomplishments.

Here are some promotional ideas to help drive business and build awareness of your unique contributions to the community.

1. Tell your story
Use the day, week or the entire month of March to tell the story of you and your business.  Use social media, email and even in-store signage to tell people why you started your business and what ownership has done for you and your family (i.e. allowed you to spend more time with your kids, pursue your passion, secure your future, etc.) Be sure to add your local contributions from creating jobs to participation with local charities and organizations. Make it personal!

2. Ask for some love
Offer customers post it notes and markers to write something they love about shopping or dining with you. Create a special wall or window space for them to stick their notes and leave them there for the month for all to see. Take it up a notch by taking photos of your customers in front of the “wall of love” and post those on social media.

3. Turn the tables
In celebration of Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, create a customer appreciation benefit. Whether is a discount, free gift or a VIP party, let your customers know how much you love them.

Owning a small business isn’t easy so enjoy the chance to allow customers and prospects alike to be a part of and appreciate your success!

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Can social media really produce results for a small business? A case study.

Can social media really produce results for a small business? Here’s a case study that says resoundingly, “Yes!”

A struggling cupcake store had paltry 398 followers on Facebook after three years in business. To boost fans and engagement we developed a three-prong Facebook strategy:

1. Regular postings of products (photos of yummy looking cupcakes, cookies, coffee, tea, and specials) and promotion of newly-created birthday party packages for kids.

2. Development and promotion of cupcake decorating classes. Posts generated interest thanks to photos of the irresistible final product attendees would be creating in class. After the class, we posted photos of attendees enjoying the experience.

3. Creation of a Test Kitchen concept. The owners of this business are a husband and wife team. The husband loves being in the kitchen and creating new baked delicacies. We used that passion as their brand differentiator to create the Test Kitchen. The concept was simply that twice each month the husband would go into the kitchen and create something new. They would post pictures of him in the kitchen, covered with flour or elbow deep in batter to provoke curiosity. The following day, Thursday, was Test Kitchen day. Anyone who visited the store would be given a free Test Kitchen card (10 Test Kitchen visits got you a $5 gift certificate. Emails were required to receive the card, shoring up their database) and a free sample of the new concoction. Visitors were then asked to rate the new product as a Flip (Flip your lid over it) or a Flop. The owners posted the results on Friday. They were totally honest about customer reaction – even if it wasn’t great. It was totally authentic and people loved it!

Results over the course of just 30 days:

1. They posted a coconut macaroon special that was seen by someone who ordered 8000 coconut cookies – a huge order for a store that size.

2. Follower base grew from 398 to 600 (within months it grew to 1250).

3. Engagement from fans grew as high as over 100 likes for certain posts.

4. They began booking birthday parties, posting photos and “mom” testimonials which generated even more bookings.

5. Decorating classes began filling to capacity, adding yet another revenue stream and creating a whole new loyal fan base.

Total cost: $0

3 Questions with Linda Cahan

I had the pleasure of chatting with Linda Cahan, an internationally recognized expert in visual merchandising and store design. She answers the 3 most frequently-asked questions retailers ask about store design. You can learn more about Linda at www.lindacahan.com

6 of my best tips for keeping your sanity as a business owner

As CEO of your business, you will need to manage your own education, information flow, inspiration and passion. Being an effective leader means keeping yourself at the top of your game, not just in business but in spirit as well

The key to success is sustainability. What can you do to maintain high levels of passion for your business? First, take ownership of the fact that you are responsible for maintaining your passion. If you don’t nurture yourself, it won’t be hard to let employees, clients or colleagues suck you dry.

Make “What if?” your favorite question

What if I hired a different person to do that job? What if I bundled my products differently? What if I changed my work flow? Consistent questioning of your concept and processes will lead you to new and better solutions.

Don’t work in a vacuum

Studies show adults produce 65 to 93 percent more ideas in groups. So find passion partners – (no, not that kind) or form an informal advisory board by identifying friends and colleagues who are, in your opinion, passionately curious. Preferably, they will come from different industries and backgrounds. Arrange to meet with them on a regular basis and use these meetings as forums where participants are invited to throw out the biggest, best and dumbest ideas. No judgments allowed. You’ll all share tremendous energy and inspiration.

Allow yourself time away from the day-to-day minutia

The biggest killer of big thinking is the mundane. If you can, delegate some of the daily chores. If you can’t, schedule time to get away from them. Even if you take an hour a week to think quietly and create, you will reap the rewards.

Manage your expectations

Few things are more detrimental to success than expecting more than is realistically possible at a given moment in time. I have worked with owners who were doing quite well for their particular stage in business, but because they had such lofty expectations, always felt defeated.

Self-motivation and inspiration

There’s a certain amount of isolation that goes along with being a business owner. You and you alone are responsible for the majority of the decision making and certainly the hard work of leading by example. It can lead to burn out. Business ownership is draining. You have to constantly replenish your soul with information and inspiration. Whether it’s through reading, keeping a journal, practicing yoga or trying new experiments with your business, keep a constant flow of new information and experiences going that will help trigger ideas, creative energy and new perspectives. Create your touchstone by envisioning what your life will feel like when you have reached your business goals.

Get out of your store

Successful retail ownership requires a 360 degree view of the world. Since retail requires to you spend many hours in the store, it may prevent you from benefiting from different perspectives. So get out. Network. Join a community group. Go on field trips. See what the rest of the world looks like and use that new information to help grow your business.

Treat yourself with respect

You are, after all, the CEO. Treat yourself as well as you would someone who works for you. Be kind. Be complimentary. Be appreciative of all the things you do. Being the top dog doesn’t mean working like one. Commit to doing what it takes to keep your head clear and your passions ignited. No one wants to work for a crazy person. Least of all, you.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel