The Gray Cat Blog
A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators.
When it comes to managing a profitable operation, knowing your key financial drivers of the store is paramount. Developing a “Four-Wall Analysis” is a helpful tool to better...
Labor management is perhaps one of the most fundamental aspects of running a profitable business. Servicing the customer with too few people on staff and sales will be negatively impacted as...
Upon opening their first store, many single-store operators come to an often premature conclusion that they are going to franchise. While this may be a noble end-game goal, what is often missing...
Eureka! A new product is born!
Created in your kitchen or the garage, it is your dream, your vision. It’s your baby. Now what? How does one go about selling the product through the retail...
“Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs the T-shirt. Spaceballs the lunchbox. Spaceballs the coloring book. Spaceballs… the flamethrower!...
As you have probably gathered from reading my other articles, I am a firm believer in planning for success. Whether it is operational excellence, de-branding a store or outlining your procedures...
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...
There comes a time in every multi-unit retailer’s business cycle that they want to launch a new product that requires a reconfiguration to their store. I am not talking about a...
It was the situation that everyone dreads. Out of the blue, the anxiety-filled request was made – the CEO had summoned me to his office. Thoughts raced through my head – mostly bad...
Whether this is your first industry convention or you are a seasoned pro, I am a firm believer that establishing a well-thought out plan in advance of attending an industry convention is...
Growing your enterprise can usually be accomplished following two paths: a) organic growth – the process of building your overall portfolio of stores through the development of ground-up...
“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.”
– George Jessel
What is it about public speaking that drives...
