As we head into quarter four of 2020, I’ve heard lots of shopkeepers expressing deep fears about the future. I get it—not knowing what will happen is scary! That’s why I’m chatting with you about the first of three significant fears I’ve heard these past few weeks: the fear of selling old inventory. Listen in to find out where this fear comes from, and my best tips on facing those storage boxes head-on. For show notes and more, go to www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode39

Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast

39. Tackling Fear Before Q4: Getting Rid of Stale Inventory

In this closing episode of Season 3 of the Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast, I share what I experienced over the past 5 months as a shopkeeper and small business owner. As I wrap up this season, I want to invite you to join me in this community of shopkeepers who are committed to their own dreams and playing big. Both the Savvy Shopkeeper Learning Lab and Master Shopkeepers are currently open for new members and I would love to welcome you into these communities. On Monday, August 17, 2020 at 9pm EST the introductory price of the Lab will go up and applications for new Master Shopkeepers members will close until 2021. Click HERE to visit the Shopkeeper's Academy for more information or to subscribe/apply.  

BONUS EPISODE: Are You Playing Big? Are You Playing To Win?

In the final episode of the Shopkeeper Stories mini-series, I spoke with the Master Shopkeepers member who asked me to do the series in the first place: Kathy, owner of Pineapple on Main in Dublin, Pennsylvania. Over the past few years, Kathy’s brand has evolved from an event design company to a home, gifts, and baby goods store. She shared about all the ups and downs of buying her first round of inventory, expanding to two locations then back to one, and dissolving a business partnership. Lastly, Kathy talks about what she’s learned from Master Shopkeepers, how this community has supported her, and gives her best tip for having a successful retail business. Click HERE to see the full show notes for episode 38.

38. Shopkeeper Stories with Kathy of Pineapple on Main

This episode of the Shopkeeper Stories series features April, owner of Pink + Frillos in Greenville, Michigan.  April started her business from her basement, then moved to a 1900 sq. ft. storefront in a less than ideal location. Her customers drive anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours to shop at her store!  Now, she and her husband are opening their next venture: a working apple orchard with a coffee shop, tavern, and shop space. April shared her journey as a shopkeeper, her plans for her expanding businesses, and how Master Shopkeepers has helped her succeed over the past year. Click HERE to see the full show notes for episode 37.

37. Shopkeeper Stories with April of Pink + Frillos

In this episode of the Shopkeeper Stories series, I chatted with Karen, shopkeeper at Alluv Place in Brentwood, California.  Her unique journey from maker to shop owner includes opening Alluv Place just weeks before California went into quarantine due to COVID-19.   Karen shared her experience working with a business partner, her core business values, and what she has learned during her time as a member of Master Shopkeepers. Click here to see the full show notes for Episode 36.

36. Shopkeeper Stories with Karen of Alluv Place

 In this episode of the Shopkeeper Stories series, I had the pleasure of speaking with Taylor, owner of The Turquoise Top Hat in Stevensville, Michigan.  Before the Bob-Ross-style “happy accident” that led her to open The Turquoise Top Hat, Taylor was a school teacher. She still uses her teaching skills today at her wooden sign painting workshops.  We also chatted about what Taylor has done to pivot her business during COVID-19, as well as her experience as a member of Master Shopkeepers.  Click HERE for more information about Taylor and The Turquoise Top Hat, Master Shopkeepers and the full show notes for this episode. 

35. Shopkeeper Stories with Taylor of The Turquoise Top Hat

Every shopkeeper has a shopkeeper personality type. After working with many shopkeepers in my paid mastermind, Master Shopkeepers, I’ve identified several personalities that come up again and again! As shop owners, we all have those bad habits or mindset blocks that creep into our work. Overwhelmed Opal  Opal does a poor job of managing her time, and she is ALWAYS overwhelmed. She feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day! The truth is, Opal doesn’t need more time—she needs better time and life management.    When I coach an Overwhelmed Opal, we get busy prioritizing and managing her to-do list, or at least what she THINKS is her to-do list. Often, she needs to delegate, outsource, or let go of unimportant tasks.   Procrastinator Patty  There are two versions of Procrastinator Patty. Either she is a perfectionist or an avoider.  Perfectionist Procrastinator Patty needs to understand that progress is better than perfect. Most of the time, B- work is what keeps life moving along, not A++.  The Procrastinator Patty who avoids her work gets more satisfaction out of avoidance.  Either way, Patty just NEEDS TO DO THE WORK. Can’t Say No Cathy  Cathy either has FOMO, or she feels guilty for saying no.  But if Cathy wants to avoid being Overwhelmed Opal, Cathy better start saying NO.  Whether Cathy’s offering way too many services to her customers because she’s trying to please everyone or offering “all the things” because she’s afraid she’ll miss out...Cathy has to find her ONE AND BEST THING and stick to it. I Do It All Ira I admit it—I was once an Ira. Ira is most likely afraid to hire. Otherwise, her personality type is “Doesn’t Delegate David,” and we’ll be talking about sweet David soon.  But Ira needs to understand that if she wants to manage her time better AND grow her business, she has to ditch the “I do it all” mentality. Lack of Planning Linda  If you’re an Overwhelmed Opal, this can lead to being Lack of Planning Linda. Either way, a business owner who doesn’t plan is a business owner without a compass. Although you may do well initially, it’s just beginner’s luck. This could come to a halt if you don’t start learning the value of planning. Financially Fearful Francis  Good old Franny tells himself he knows what he’s doing because he’s afraid of being embarrassed. Sometimes, Franny avoids his numbers because it’s easier to run and hide.   Whether or not you’re a Financially Fearful Francis, all shopkeepers need to educate themselves. Even if you have an accountant or bookkeeper, you still need to understand how to analyze your financial information. There are lots of episodes of the Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast where I chat about shop finances—be sure to check out episodes 2, 4, 6, 25, 26, and 31 if you’re a Financially Fearful Francis! Watch Your Back Winnie  Winnie has been burned, perhaps by a business partner or neighboring shop owner. This means that Winnie is always defensive, always on the lookout, and always super cautious. Being constantly on edge has to be exhausting! Winnie needs to remind herself that not all people are evil, and her energy is better spent doing other things. Competitive Cara  Cara loves to stalk her competitors. It’s almost to the point that she can’t define her style or brand because she’s too busy looking at everyone else’s.   Cara doesn’t realize that being inspired by other retailers can be a beautiful thing. But there’s a fine line between “getting inspired” and flat out copying.  Cara might also find it difficult to see how successful she has become or could be. She’s too busy wondering why everyone else is more successful than her.   Success is relative. Cara should spend more time on herself, her business, and her customers. Finding out what brings HER customers joy is a better use of her energy than trying to compete with others.   Victim Victoria  Victoria feels like no matter what she does or who she hires or what software she uses, nothing seems to work in her favor, and life just sucks!  I want Victoria to try flipping her perspective and focusing on what that matters to her. Victorias who want to improve should find things in their businesses that DO bring them joy. They should celebrate any win, no matter how small.  A gratitude journal is an excellent practice for the “Victoria” who wants to change. Helplessly Hopeful Harriet   Helplessly Hopeful Harriet is never realistic about her numbers or her business. She doesn’t want to face the truth of her business struggling.  Accepting the truth and working to change it is the only step that can turn around a Helplessly Hopeful Harriet.  Shiny Object Sharon  I recently had to tell a client NO, just plain old NO because she is continually chasing after the shiny objects. The next cool software, service, or product will always keep Shiny Object Sharon from focusing on her zone of genius. When you stray from that, you risk not finding real success. Boundaryless Bonnie  Bonnie will reply to customers on Facebook at midnight, will answer emails on her days off, she’ll even work a day off because her business or a customer “needed” her.  Bonnie is most likely an Opal, too. If you’re a Bonnie, please, give yourself some structured time off and don’t give in!   Bonnie is the person I love to create a color-blocked calendar for when I’m coaching her. Doesn’t Delegate David  Unlike “I Do It All Ira,” David HAS a team and maybe even has some fantastic team members, but he’s afraid they can’t do the tasks as well as he does.   David just needs to let go of control.  David doesn’t realize that if he set up some proper SOPs (standard operating procedures) along with some proper training, he could free up his time to work on the parts of the biz that generate $100+/hour results!  How amazing would that be? Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda, Wanda!  Oh, Wanda, stop beating yourself up! No one should live in the past. Wanda’s always thinking thoughts like, “I should have bought that building, I should not have hired so and so, why did I partner with her, why didn’t I listen to my gut?” Yes, for sure this happens on occasion to ALL OF US. But if you’re wallowing in this type of mentality, you may not have the ability to look forward to the future.  It’s like the saying, “It’s better to make errors of commission than errors of omission.” Even if things don’t work as planned, at least we don’t spend our lives wondering what could have been.  Note the mistake, learn from it, and move forward. All of the Above Allison  I hope this isn’t you, but someone in Master Shopkeepers joked about this, and it made me laugh.  In reality, we might all see a bit of ourselves in many or all of these personality types. All joking aside, I think a level of self-deprecation is okay and maybe even healthy. But it does have a limit.  The most important lesson of all of these personality types is this: Do the work to change your bad habits. You will be a better shopkeeper for it. These personality types are a reflection of these issues. It’s essential to think positively in business, of course, but it’s also important to recognize where we could be doing better. Listen now to see if you can identify your shopkeeper personality type! Click HERE to see the full show notes for Episode 34.

34. Why You Need to Know Your Shopkeeper Personality Type

Running a brick and mortar store requires a surprising amount of software! There are lots of different options out there for any pain point you might have in the running of your shop. As a shopkeeper myself, I know what it’s like to search and search for the right solution. Today I’m sharing my top software picks for everything from email marketing to inventory to graphic design. For links to these programs and more information, head to www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode33.

33. My Favorite Software & Tools for Shopkeepers

There comes a time for most shopkeepers when juggling every task from inventory to staffing to marketing becomes too much. Social media management is one of the first tasks that shopkeepers can delegate. Today I’m sharing the four types of people you can delegate this crucial task to. There’s a way to delegate this at every budget! For show notes, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode32

32. Who Should Independent Retailers Hire for Social Media Management?

Many shopkeepers do not have a business background when they open their store. Even those who do struggle with understanding the financials of their business. Today I’m sharing my own journey in learning the ins and outs of my store’s finances. I’m also sharing a unique opportunity for shopkeepers to learn how to take control of their shop’s finances. To read show notes for this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode31

31. Financial Foundations for Brick and Mortar Store Owners

As a business owner, it’s easy to get pulled in a million different directions. At some point, I’m sure you have felt the intense overwhelm of trying to do everything for everyone. Today I’m sharing how and why I’m refocusing my efforts for Savvy Shopkeeper so that I can best serve brick and mortar shopkeepers. The new mission of Savvy Shopkeeper is to teach you how to work less and profit more. Listen in as I share openly about resetting my business and my core mission. To read the show notes for this episode, go to www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode30

30. Work Less. Profit More.

Resetting Your Business Is an Opportunity More than ever, shopkeepers are taking stock of their businesses and considering the way forward. That means it is the perfect time to do a business reset. Resetting your business means reflecting on what is and isn't working, analyzing your numbers, and planning for the future based on the values that matter to you. Here's exactly how to do it. Click HERE to see all of the show notes for this episode.

29. Resetting Your Business Is an Opportunity

2020 has not been easy for anyone. As difficult as it's been as a business owner, it's been equally challenging as a person, as a human being, but I know firsthand that from discomfort comes growth. Both the political climate and social issues are front and center more than I've ever seen before.  Should You Post?  The one question I've been hearing from shopkeepers is, “Should I post about socio political issues on my business social media accounts?” As a business consultant and retail educator, I can't tell any business owner how to feel. I can, however, give you some guidance. Here are some things to keep in mind as you move forward with social media during these times. Be Prepared for Potential Negative Feedback First, no matter what you say, there's a high likelihood that someone will not be happy with what you say and or how you say it. Emotions are running so high right now. Even if you think you've covered all the bases and you feel like you're being compassionate, there's a chance your words can be misconstrued. You might get some negative feedback, or people who are upset with what you said, it's our reality right now. Consider What Aligns With Your Brand Secondly, if there's messaging on current issues that aligns with your brand and your business, then it's important to speak about it on social media. There are many shopkeepers who have brands that are strongly aligned with things going on in the world right now. These brands and businesses have a voice and they're using it, and I've seen some that are doing it very effectively, particularly around the issue of racism.   Plan Out Your Strategy in Advance If you don't normally talk about social issues, but choose to take a stance, be prepared with how you and your team will respond. You'll want to meet with your team to map this out and have a plan. You have to be prepared to remain strong and firm in your beliefs. But you must also be prepared to lose some followers and/or customers. You Are a Leader, and You Have a Voice I know many shopkeepers as a rule, do not incorporate political or social issues into their businesses or brands. It's their choice. It's what they've done since they started their business. They prefer to just leave that out, and I completely get it. However, as a shopkeeper, you are a leader. All business owners are leaders. You most likely lead a team at your store. If you don’t, you might be a leader in other ways, such as in your community. Or you might be a leader if you have a Facebook group of customers.  As a leader, you have a voice. If your brand is using that voice, then you have this covered. You know what you're communicating with your customers, you feel strongly about it, and you stand firm on it. Take the Time to Find Your Voice However, you might feel really uncomfortable right now. Maybe you are afraid to share anything because you will lose customers. If that’s the case, you probably haven’t found your voice yet.  It’s important to take the time to find your voice, so that no one else fills that void for you. You are the leader of your business—not your employees, not your customers, not anyone else. Your voice matters when it comes to representing your business.  Some businesses are being very vocal right now. They probably have a leader that processes things externally. That is wonderful! But some other business owners need time to process things internally first, before they can post or comment or engage in conversations on social media. If you are a business owner who needs to process internally first, I encourage you to take your time. Take the time to learn and digest. Find your voice. Give yourself some grace, and give yourself the time to find your voice. Personally, this is what I've done for myself. When I am ready to share my voice, I will.  If you don't know where to begin with finding your voice, start working on your top five business values. Establish your core focus and mission as a business. The book Traction, by Gino Wickman, helped identify my business values, mission, and voice. One Size Does Not Fit All I wish there was a solution or simple way for all of us to handle social media for our businesses right now, but there just isn't. I think many of us are learning as we go along in both life and in business. You have to take so many things into consideration. But in the end, no one but you can make these types of decisions for your business. Be kind. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. And be kind on social media. Resources   Traction, by Gino Wickman   Timestamps [1:12] Number one question from shopkeepers [1:34] Be prepared for negative feedback  [2:09] Consider what aligns with your brand [2:40] Plan out your strategy in advance [3:17] Pressure to post [4:10] You are a leader [5:03] Take the time to find your voice [7:31] There isn’t a blanket solution for business owners on social media right now 

28. Posting About Sensitive Topics on Your Business Social Media Accounts

Full show notes coming soon! Click HERE to grab the Reopen Safely checklist. For more information visit the Savvy Shopkeeper website or the Shopkeeper's Academy.

27. Let's Talk About The Mess In Our Retail Stores

More detailed show notes coming soon. Elisa, owner of Moonstruck CLE Episode 1 - Who to Expect from the Savvy Shopkeeper Podcast Episode 2 - How Much Do I Need to Make in Order to Pay Myself Want more information about the Shopkeeper's Academy?  Click here to check it out.

Ep. 26 Business Lessons Learned During Covid-19 Part 2

Independent retailers wear so many hats! Each week join fellow small business retailer, Kathy Cruz, as she teaches women retail business owners how to manage and market their businesses efficiently so they can spend time doing other things they love. Whether you are a maker with an online shop, a brick and mortar store owner, sell your products at local markets or you're a booth vendor in a mall - this podcast is for you!

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Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast

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