How often are you reviewing your stock?   Stock management is not a one-and-done type scenario.     I certainly would be able to sit down with you and audit your stock. We would be able to go through it, look at how much you've got, understand what's working, and what's not working, and I could make recommendations on how you could trim that stock back and what you should focus on going forward.   And while this can be incredibly helpful it won’t prevent issues on an ongoing basis.    Moving into a monthly review is a simple, but powerful way to get a vision ..read more

How well are you managing the most valuable asset in your business?    In other words, your stock. The chances are, if you are a product business owner, whether that is an e-commerce brand or an independent retailer, then the majority of the financial value of your business is tied up in your stock.   And my question to you is how well are you managing that asset?    In the last episode asked you, do you have a cashflow problem or a stock management problem. And I suggested that you have a stock plan to determine the answer. Once you have your stock plan, the its time ..read more

Is your cash flow problem really a stock management problem?   The reason I asked this question is because recently when I ran the Retail ROAR summit, I asked everyone who signed up what their biggest issues were. And the biggest issue that came up, particularly in people with a six-figure (or more) businesses,  was their cash flow and people were talking about issues that they were having managing it.   This happens to be an area that I love to geek out about so I wanted to share my experience from the retail industry to explore how improper stock management can lead to signifi ..read more

In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m talking with Tamsin Rennie, founder of Monroe Creative, about the critical balance between aesthetic appeal and functional performance of websites for product-based businesses.    We discuss common mistakes businesses make when DIYing their websites, the significance of professional branding and web design, and how to strategically appeal to your specific customers. We also cover practical tips for improving website functionality, the importance of SEO, and making sites user-friendly and accessible.    Tamsin emphasizes ..read more

Have you used Google Shopping in your business? Maybe you've given it a go, but you're not really sure if you're getting the best results. Or you've taken a look and it just all seems too complicated.    Today I’m joined by Sara Jones. She is the founder of the online retail Academy and she's a specialist in Google Shopping Ads. She's going to be talking to us about the difference between Google Shopping Ads and Meta Ads, how to set it up and how to get the best results for your business.   Let’s dive in! [00:00] Diving into Google Shopping Ads with Sara Jones [01:39] Welcome Sa ..read more

Being in the retail business today has been described to me as standing on one side of the Grand Canyon and being able to see the other side, but having no idea how to get across.    You are an ambitious, focused business owner who has big plans, and big dreams for their businesses, but you just can’t see how to bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be.    So today  I'm going to be sharing with you some of the behaviors and actions that I've seen small business owners take that keep them stuck in the business they have today.   Then I'm going ..read more

Maybe you've been wondering, will my customers buy this? Will they like this new product line I'm developing or purchasing? Or what, quite simply, do my customers want to see from me?   We often get told that we need to talk to our customers to understand them. It's advice I've certainly given out a lot in my lifetime, for sure.  But what do we actually say to them? How do we even figure that out? And how do we get people to share information with us that is genuine?    How many times have you maybe asked people, do you like this? And they've all said yes. And then nobody b ..read more

Sales - without it, we don’t have a business, just an expensive hobby.  And yet, for many of us, when it comes to thinking about selling our products or services, or promoting our businesses to the world, it suddenly feels very difficult.     One of the people I come back to time and time again when it comes to getting clear about selling on social media is Sara Dalrymple.  I can’t actually remember how I first came across Sara, but we’ve been chatting on Instagram for years, and I’ve invited her into my membership on more than one occasion to share her pearls of wisdo ..read more

Today's podcast is a pep talk. And the theme of the pep talk today is that the UK is officially in recession.  So you might think this is an odd theme for a pep talk, but I know that it can feel overwhelming and demotivating when you hear headlines like “ UK officially in a recession after Christmas sales collapse.” It can feel like a very worrying time for a business owner. And we've also had other high-profile bad news recently in the press, for example, the body shop going into administration, which a lot of people are also feeling demotivated about. And so what I wanted to do with thi ..read more

Today I want to share three tips on how you can get the most out of the Retail ROAR conference. The conference features a lineup of 10 founders of retail businesses or brands and 9 subject matter experts. To help you prepare to get the most from the conference I share a summary of the diverse range of speakers and their respective topics, which cover various aspects of retail business, including social media, website development, public relations, wholesale success, email strategy, and maintaining work-life balance. The event also features networking opportunities through a pop-up Facebook gro ..read more