What if I told you that you could speak to your best customers when they were at their most relaxed, perhaps when they’re watching TV or after the kids had gone to bed? Would you be interested? Of course you would!

That’s the value of having a customer database, and you would be mad not to start one if you haven’t yet, or leverage it to its fullest extent if you’re not already doing so.

Every small business owner thinks they have to be on social media and yes, that’s probably true. It is a valuable tool.

But it’s not the only one. In fact, it may not even be the best one.

Social media has a role but it’s like talking to your customers in a crowded room where they might not hear you. But, build a database and you can talk to your best customers anytime and in a way to be heard.

Most small businesses don’t have a database problem—they have a collection problem.

Building a database in a bricks & mortar store isn’t complicated, but it is often not done very well and if that’s the case, you either don’t collect enough customers, or the data you do collect isn’t usable.

One of the blockages that can cause slow growth in the customer database in a bricks & mortar store is quite simply the team members. They may feel awkward about offering it, they don’t think it’s important, or they feel like they don’t have time.

Once you’ve built your database, the next question is simple:

What do you actually send?

This is where many businesses get stuck. They either overthink it, don’t send anything at all, or send the same type of email every time, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, sometimes it’s better if it isn’t.

Most customers will check you out online before they ever visit your store. This is called ‘webrooming’. So, even if you think of yourself as a bricks-and-mortar store, you potential customer will almost certainly rely on your website to make a decision as to whether to visit. Grab a cuppa and take five minutes every month or so to visit your website through your customer’s eyes. It could save you from losing sales without you even knowing.

The aim of retail is simple: solve a customer’s problem and sell them something. If they’re satisfied, they will come back and shop with you again and we all know that there’s nothing quite as valuable as a loyal customer. But sometimes you don’t get it right and your customer leaves empty handed because you don’t have the thing that’s going to solve their problem.

So, how do you tell a customer that you can’t help them but in a way that has them wanting to come back to shop with you next time? 

The answer? It’s all in the delivery. 

Don’t call me Love,Lovely, Gorgeous, Honey or Sweetheart.  Honestly, I’d rather you ran your nails down a blackboard! 

I’ve never understood why complete strangers think that calling me all these fake platitudes is going to make me buy more from them or that it will make me think that they’ve just given me great customer service. 

Calliing me 'Honey' is not going to make up for bad customer service, but it will make me forget about good service.

Now this is a trend that we can really support! From white gravy to boozy and spiced variations, discover why this classic sauce is the unexpected new star of the UK's food scene.

Chefs are re-imagining it, brands are building whole campaigns around it, and there are collabs giving it cult status. Customers are leaning into nostalgia and comfort food. If you’re a food retailer, you really need to jump on the gravy train!

Are you holding back your business because you assume your customers like what you like and have the same tastes as you?   I hate to break it to you, but your customers are NOT just like you. 

If you only stock what YOU like, you’re essentially limiting your business to a single-person market — anyone who is just like you. As long as everyone likes the same thing as you, your business should be just fine.

Where a product sits on a shelf can have a massive impact on whether a customer buys it. It's not magic, it's just good old-fashioned psychology. We've all heard the saying, "eye level is buy level," and it's a golden rule for a reason. By strategically placing products where they're easily seen, you can make it almost effortless for a customer to grab what they need.

Learn other tricks to use in your store to make it easier for your customer to purchase and increase the size of their shopping basket.

The new Right to Disconnect laws are now here for all businesses in Australia and you might be wondering how to handle them in a retail environment. The good news is, it's not as tricky as it sounds.  Think of it less as a new rule and more as a way to make your business a better place for your team to work.  We cover the three steps to ensuring your business is meeting these regulations and give you two handy links to some valuable resources.

Even with its pitfalls, WhatsApp has become very common for small businesses in Australia. It appears to be a convenient way to communicate with your team but the core features that make it so convenient for personal use are precisely what make it a significant legal and operational risk for a business.

Is it handy? Yes. Is it risky? Absolutely! Are there better alternatives? There certainly are.

Every time you take stock off the shelves to feed your family, or wear out with friends, or for the kids or pets to play with, there’s a price to pay. You think you’re saving money because you’re only paying ‘cost price’, but in the long run it could be costing you 3 or even 4 times more than you think it does. Don’t believe it? Let me prove it to you.

There are two ways that your business can make you money. The first is from the profits you make for all the years that you own it, and the second is when you sell it. To leverage both, from the day you first walk into your business, you should be planning for the day that you finally walk out.

Plus FOUR more lessons we can learn from squirrels! Did you know there are squirrels that hide their stash so they have something for the winter, and those that leave half eaten nuts lying around hoping they’re still there when they come back. Risky!

I bet you know which ones I think you should emulate? Read on to find out why.

In simple terms, experiential shopping is what makes the difference between shopping at a ‘real’ bricks and mortar store and an online one. It’s the unique experience that only a physical store can provide and it’s a retail trend that should not be ignored.

In my blog about Experiential Shopping I gave the example of the ‘town centre’ table arrangements at the Apple store, and so the challenge for you is to figure out what is your version of this is. Being creative doesn’t come naturally to everyone so in this one, I’m giving your three techniques to get your creative juices flowing and if that doesn’t work, get in touch. I can help!