Is a Loyalty Program Right for Your Business? Part 2

Yesterday, in the article “Is a Loyalty Program Right for Your Business? Part 1,” I discussed what a loyalty program is, and how it can bring back repeat customers, which should appeal to any business looking to stay afloat.  I then went over four different loyalty programs that any business can utilize, as well as examples of those programs and the Dollars and Cents of the program.  Those programs were:  Buy 10 Get 1 Free, Free Gift with Gift Card / Loyalty Program Purchase, Collusion Programs, and Try Before You Buy.   Today, however, I am going to discuss four other … Continue reading

The New American-Style Customer Service

As I’ve begun my year-long journey around the world, my mind has transitioned from constant worker to constant customer. Yet at the same time, my researcher’s brain has shifted into high gear. Every town and attraction I’ve visited, I have analyzed, weighed and compared that location to “what we do back home.” Because I’ve done market research for so many years, I can’t help but notice what these attractions are doing wrong, what they are doing right, and what they could be doing better. Through all of this constant analysis, there is one themed-thought that has been uppermost in mind. … Continue reading

Growing Your Business in a Screwed Up Economy

I don’t know about you, but I am SOOOOO tired of hearing about the screwed up economy. I see it on TV shows and in movies. I hear about it on the radio and in casual conversations. I even read about it in books, newspapers and on blogs. Everyone – no matter where they are in the world – seems to be freaking out about the worst economy that has happened in nearly a century.  This panic seems to lead to more panic until finally, all I can think is, “How is the economy going to recover if no one … Continue reading

CASE STUDY: When Making Any Sales, “The Eye Buys”

In today’s case study, I am reviewing a Pet Shop.  This pet shop is in a mall in Spain, (the only mall in town) and it is the only pet shop for several miles.  A LOT of people walk by this store everyday, but not so many actually go into the store.  By looking at the picture, can you guess why?    Their Three Biggest Mistakes Myself – I had probably walked past this shop about a  dozen times, on several different mall visits, when I suddenly realized there was a pet shop located right smack dab in the middle … Continue reading

Paint a Target on Your Customers

In BOOKKEEPING MONEY-SAVING TIP #4: Analyze Your Business Location, I discussed the fact that many businesses make the mistake of choosing a bad retail location because they don’t analyze the location in relationship to their competitors.  In actuality, proximity to competitors is merely one reason why a business location can fail.  Another common reason is failure to identify the customers in that location’s area.  If you don’t know who your customers are and where they are located, your business can go down in flames at any point of a business’s life. In other words – if you know WHO your … Continue reading