The Gray Cat Blog
A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators.
One of the most significant changes in the labor market over the last decade is the notion of free agency within the marketplace. Gone are the days of staying with one company for the duration of...
One of the most successful local store marketing (LSM) tactics to build into your daily operations is a sampling strategy for your products. If your retail establishment is foodservice, your...
About once a month, I get an email or phone call from a colleague that is transitioning from their corporate role into entrepreneurship. I generally give the advice along the lines of...
“I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.” – From the HAL 9000 computer, 2001: A Space Odyssey
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Change is a big deal.
As you start to think about the upcoming year, planning for your annual merchandising and promotional schedule should be in place. For the multi-store operator, identifying the key initiatives...
Real estate site selection can be a complex web of evaluating store attributes within a potential store trade area. The process utilizes both a science and an art to the overall...
Recently, I appeared on the C-Suite Sherpa podcast with Brian Marshall where we discussed the challenges of scaling in business. Here is a short clip.
Last week, I sat through a meeting with one of my clients where we discussed the infamous question of “who are we?” that faces every retailer. As retailers grow – both in store...
Sometimes another set of eyes can make all the difference.
Small businesses are a phenomenal entity. Often started in a garage or at a kitchen table, the sheer energy of the small business...
A while back, a gentleman that wanted help selling his company approached me. I asked him “So, what do you hope the purchase price to be?” He looked at me and said “$5...
In the convenience store marketplace, margins continue to tighten on core products such as candy, snacks, and tobacco. Forward-thinking operators are attempting to stem the tide by introducing...
