The “Exuberance” Of G & A Budgeting!
Hurry, hurry, step right up! It is time to play the game called “G & A Budgeting”. This is the game where heads are counted; budgets are sandbagged and perks are justified. It is an annual ritual that becomes a core tenet in the over all business planning cycle. Yet, whether you are the head of a large department or a sole proprietor, managing your G & A expenses is considered by most, a necessary evil. First of all, what is this thing called “G & A” anyway? Roughly speaking, these are budgeted dollars outside of the direct expense associated with the...
Read MoreCreating A Branding Game Plan
What is your branding game plan? Not the branding media schedule – that is just part of it – but rather, your overarching strategic decision-making game plan on all of your branding initiatives? Most advertising managers have a page or two media plan that an agency has produced that shows how their advertising dollars will be spent. The game plan I am referring to is the overall philosophy and management tool that keeps every aspect of their branding on track. The game plan acts as a compendium of sorts – a concise, yet comprehensive strategy of how the brand is...
Read MoreGray Cat Enterprises Announces New Presentations!
Gray Cat Enterprises has announced a number of new presentations that are available for future meetings and conventions. Each presentation is packed with real-life experiences that help attending constitutes not only understand the concept, but give them ways to implement these strategies in their respective market places. I am available as a keynote speaker, moderator or presenter at upcoming corporate or association events. Each presentation is approximately one-hour in length, and I personally deliver each one. The presentations share business insights and strategies that attendees can...
Read More48 Questions……To Ask Your Future Employer
The interview is coming to a close, and it has gone well. Points have been made in the most articulate fashion. Chemistry has been established. The wrap-up is near and then the interviewer asks, “what questions do you have of me?” An eerie and uncomfortable silence befalls the room. You don’t know what to ask, you scramble to say something smart and the best you can come up with is “when are you looking for this position to start?” If only you had prepared questions in advance. Nothing makes the candidate look better at the end of an interview then asking a few...
Read MoreLocal Store Marketing: Overcoming Retail Wallpaper
Ever drive down the road and out of the corner of your eye you catch a glimpse of a 20-foot pink gorilla in a bathing suit on top of a store? That is a retailer attempting to overcome what I call the “retail wallpaper syndrome.” The wallpaper syndrome is what happens to a retailer over time as their store becomes a familiar part of the shopping terrain, often overlooked by customers of all kinds. It isn’t that the retailer’s store has deteriorated or become unsightly; rather the store has blended into the retail landscape. It has become wallpaper. Customers who may have...
Read MoreGray Cat Celebrates Its 8-Year Anniversary!
Gray Cat Enterprises is pleased to announce its 8-year anniversary! Yes, that’s 8 years and counting! So, what the heck does Gray Cat do? Well, we specialize in retail consulting for multi-unit operations; consumer marketing for companies launching products into the retail sector; and strategic project management. Think of Gray Cat as an “executive-for-hire” company – specializing in complex, senior-level projects for larger organizations. Still not sure what we do? Here is a sample project list we have led: Company Business Planning: Lead negotiator and...
Read MoreOur Clients Say...
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“I was introduced to John when he assisted the company with respect to the project management of a number of initiatives. In addition to ensuring the timely delivery of milestones, John provided relevant, substantive input thanks to his vast experience as a senior executive in the Retail Industry, and was always selfless in providing guidance [...]
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