Day #156 - Combat Employee Theft

Posted by retailmakeover on November 02, 2012 0 Comments

5 Cutting Edge Ways to Combat Employee Theft

From security systems to heavy-duty locks, small-business owners spend billions annually to keep thieves out, overlooking how most heists are inside jobs. In retailing alone, employee theft cost companies $34.5 billion in 2011, accounting for 43.9 percent of total losses, says the National Retail Federation. By comparison, shoplifting accounted for 35.7 percent.

There are countless ways workers steal from employers, but here are five of the most common with ways to fight back using the latest in digital security:

Problem No. 1: Taking money from the register

Credit and debit card purchases may be on the rise, but cash is still king with some businesses -- and with many crooks.

Solution: Internet Protocol cameras

Analog tape, closed-circuit video cameras have long watched over cash registers, but a new wave of Internet Protocol (IP) cameras is bringing greater convenience and new features.

For example, Atlanta-based MySnapCam provides small businesses with live streams from internet-connected video cameras. Perfect for offsite viewing via internet-connected computers or mobile devices, the service not only enhances loss prevention, but also monitors customer service and other workplace issues.

Accessible through web browsers, Android and iOS apps, the service can use up to six cameras and costs between $19.95 and $39.95 per month. Features include motion detection triggers, text and email alerts, cloud storage and simultaneous viewing on multiple devices.

Related: How to Maintain Security When Employees Work Remotely

Problem No. 2: Copying the company's digital assets

Armonk N.Y.-based I.B.M. declared 2011 the year of the security breach, and sadly, things haven't improved much this year. That makes logging network activity paramount in protecting a company's digital assets, whether from thieving employees or anonymous online snoops.

Solution: Cloud-based security services

Most small businesses don't have the bandwidth to keep watch over their network, making Check Point SMB Cloud Managed Security a potentially valuable investment. The San Carlos, Calif.-based firm manages a range of remote security measures, such as firewall maintenance, intrusion prevention and antivirus monitoring.

When it comes to employee theft, the service's auto-logging and reporting feature may be most valuable. By recording network activities and keeping detailed logs, companies can see which files were moved where and by whom, crucial information for recovering stolen data. Prices start at as little as $19 per month.

Problem No. 3: Stealing customer data

When thieving employees leave a company, they prefer to steal customer data over other kinds of files, according to Boston-based information management firm Iron Mountain.

Solution: Data encryption services

Encrypting customer data can be vital in dealing with this problem. One solution is the Dataharbor backup appliance from Vancouver, Wash.-based CRU Dataport, which restricts access on the hardware level.

Starting at $1,599 (a one-time fee for equipment) and coming in varying storage sizes, this small business-oriented solution can create backup copies for up to 25 PCs. With either two one-terabyte or two two-terabyte removable drives, the device allows for both local and offsite backup. Just pull out one of the drives and store it in another location, and your company's data is backed up.

In addition, Dataharbor's hardware-based encryption makes the drive hack-proof. Geared toward industries that can't risk data loss, like healthcare, legal and financial services, Dataharbor comes with the easy-to-use Microsoft Windows Server Storage Essentials software built in and supports remote administration for companies that contract out their IT services.

Related: How to Make Sure Company Secrets Stay When Employees Move On

Problem No. 4: Pilfering products

To try to keep products from walking out your door, you need to start with sound inventory practices. But traditional strategies like counting items in stores and warehouses can be a time-intensive task.

Solution: Radio frequency identification tags

These tags, known as RFID, come in two varieties that readers can detect either up to 40 feet way or up to 300 feet away. This makes it less laborious to account for shelved or stored products, allowing for an inventory to be conducted more frequently.

Examples include Inventive, a warehouse management solution by Paris-based Vizbee RFID Solutions, and various products by Boca Raton, Fla.-based ActiveWave.

Tags can cost upwards of $5 apiece, depending on their range, and handheld scanners are priced around $1,000. So these might make the most sense for high-end retail or high-volume warehousing businesses. Expect prices to fall, as large companies such as Wal-Mart Stores have adopted the technology and mandated it for their suppliers.

Problem No. 5: Cheating on time sheets

Payroll fraud is so rampant in the workplace that you may have committed it without even noticing. Coming in late, leaving early and taking extended breaks shave time off the workday -- and also steal from the payroll budget.

Solution: Biometric identification systems

These systems keep employees accountable for their time on the job and prevent "buddy punching," the practice of having colleagues clock their peers in and out.

One of the many monitoring products is uAttend Employee Management System, which uses fingerprints, facial recognition, RFID badges and web interfaces to track employee time on the job. With cloud-based functionality, iOS and Android capabilities, as well as plenty of customization, uAttend's readers can cost as little as $139. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company's monthly service charge runs as low as $19.

While it can be a cost-effective way to enforce employee accountability, the best approach might simply be to hire trustworthy workers in the first place. After all, as the old proverb says, locks only keep honest people out.

By John Patrick Pullen | October 24, 2012. Thank you John great article.

Best

Barbara

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Day #155 - 4 Great Ideas for Cyber Monday Sales

Posted by retailmakeover on November 01, 2012 0 Comments

The Monday after Thanksgiving — Cyber Monday — could see over  $2 billion in online North America  sales this year, as eager holiday shoppers look for special web pricing.

Like it or not, since about 2005 online retailers have trained shoppers to bargain hunt the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday, including on the following Monday. Shoppers will expect nearly ridiculous pricing, free shipping, and more. Merchants that offer Cyber Monday specials likely will enjoy additional sales. For merchants, participating can be important. However, those sales often produce dramatically reduced margins. What follows are four ideas for customer-pleasing Cyber Monday sales that may also help preserve some margin.

Offer Gift Cards Later

While the Christmas shopping season in November and December is typically a boom time for online retailers, January and February are usually slow. To help make additional sales in the first quarter of the  year, retailers can offer free gift cards with purchase in the Christmas season.

Examples of these sorts of Cyber Monday sales might be something like “Get $100 gift card when you purchase $250 in Wrangler clothing. This Monday only.” Or, “Get a $25 gift card when you purchase $50 in toys today, online.”

These gift cards would only be valid after January 1, 2013 — a fact that needs to be made clear. The shopper pays regular prices for the items purchased before Christmas, but then gets the gift card to offset purchases in the first quarter of the year. Often these gift card giveaways end up being less expensive than offering a 50 percent discount, and they extend the relationship with the customer.

Give Away Items with Other Sales

Consider giving shoppers a gift on Cyber Monday. Gift giving is certainly the season’s leading sales driver, but some shoppers would like something for themselves too.

Consider offering free gifts for the giver. As an example, shoppers might get a free pair of shoes when they buy similar shoes for someone on their shopping list. How about a free sweater for mom when she buys an outfit for a child? Or a free golf club for dad when junior gets a new snowboard.

There are many possibilities. The key here is that the giveaway item should have a relatively high margin so that its value seems to be as high or higher than the item it is matched with — but its cost is actually a lot lower.

These sorts of Cyber Monday offers may preserve margin and appeal to many shoppers.

Offer Buddy Discounts

Buddy or group discounts reward shoppers for encouraging friends and family members to buy too.

In the context of Cyber Monday sales, these group sales will often take the form of time-bound deals. A retailer might offer an X-Box 360 with three games and a Kinect, at a very low price, say $299.99. But the deal is only valid when 100 of the bundles have been ordered. This stipulation needs to made very clear.

Shoppers that want to get the deal are asked to email friends and post the special on social media sites. These shoppers become part of the marketing team, if you will, helping to spread the word about the  deal.

The advantage to this sort of Cyber Monday offer is that it encourages additional sales. Just be sure that the offer is good enough to motivate shoppers to spread the word.

Create an Insider Club Subscription

Cyber Monday marketing should begin well before the actual day arrives. For example, one sort of offer that is being offered on Overstock.com is to invite shoppers to join an insider club that will give those subscribers early access to Cyber Monday deals.

This sort of special is good for merchants for two reasons. First, it can represent some additional sales as insiders shop several days ahead of Cyber Monday. Second, these subscribers have effectively joined the merchant’s email list, giving the seller the opportunity to follow up with emails for after-Christmas sales in January.

October 30, 2012 · by Armando Roggio. Thank you Armando: great information.

Best

Barbara

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Celebrating Independent Retailers

Posted by retailmakeover on October 27, 2012 0 Comments

Acheson's

Ladies Fashion, Home Decor and Gifts

Diane's  passion is in searching for special pieces, unique items - ones that will speak to  her customers. It's not just about selling products, it's about creating a friendly haven where people that enter through their doors feel like they are "coming home".

Best;

Barbara

[caption id="attachment_3397" align="aligncenter" width="488"] Click to download the Retail News Article[/caption]

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Tilbury Downtown Revitalization

Posted by retailmakeover on October 09, 2012 0 Comments

Please join me on October 15th.

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Taking On A Business Partner?

Posted by retailmakeover on September 21, 2012 0 Comments

Just recently I have  been coaching several  retail store owners that are either thinking of taking on a partner or are starting a new business with  a partner. I see red flags all over the place on this issue. That's why I wanted to share  my concerns  and that of other  business experts like Andrew Sherman and Kelly Brown.

Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes

At first glance, taking on a partner seems like a great idea.  You’ll be combining forces with a colleague who probably has complementary strengths and can help with the tough decisions. Sure, you've heard horror stories of badly-matched business partners before, but you two are perfect for each other.

Unfortunately, the fact is that over half of all business partnerships fail, according to small business expert Andrew Sherman.  But many of those failures could have been avoided with smart planning upfront — something small-business partners often fail to do.

To increase the odds that your partnership works out, your best move is to familiarize yourself with the typical reasons for failure and what to do to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

Not pinpointing roles

Partners usually have a general idea of who will do what. If, say, you have a talent for sales and marketing, you’ll focus on bringing in the business, while your more analytical partner will attend to operations matters. But, often, they don’t explicitly spell out what each individual’s duties will be — and that's when problems arise.

“It gets very messy,” says Kelly Andrew Brown,  Akron, Ohio.

He points to a five-employee web-design company as a case in point. About five years ago, the founder decided to bring on a partner with more sales savvy. But, when business didn’t roll in as quickly as he’d hoped, the founder stepped in and started calling on his own prospects—without telling anyone else. Soon, he was arranging for deals on the sly, often agreeing to lower-than-normal terms the partner learned about only later. Eventually, trust between the two eroded and the partnership dissolved.

What you should do:  Clearly lay out each person’s roles and responsibilities beforehand. And put in place a meeting and reporting system, so you always know what each other is up to—for example, by holding weekly meetings to discuss key business issues.

Failing to discuss long-term goals

Just because you’re in a partnership doesn't mean you both want the same thing — but your ultimate goals will affect how you approach the business. “You may want to build a $100 million company, while the other guy just wants to make a nice living,” says Brown.

Brown recalls three colleagues at the small division of a multinational technology  company who bought out the unit and turned it into their own business  several years ago. Soon after starting up, however, their differences became clear. One partner, determined to turn the company into powerhouse, worked 24/7. But the other two, who had less ambitious goals, weren’t willing to work that hard; they would show up at the office later, and often take weekends off. Slowly, over the first year, the more-driven partner became increasingly estranged from the other two colleagues, until they were barely talking to each other.

Eventually, a friend who had discussed the problem privately with all three stepped in and urged them to work out their disagreements. Thanks to that intervention, the partners were able to reach a resolution by compromising and prevent the partnership from failing,

What you should do: Discuss your specific long-term goals openly to make sure you’re all on the same page.

Not stipulating how to make decisions or resolve disputes

You’re likely to have disagreements about all sorts of issues. But, when you both have equal ownership, what happens if you can’t come to a resolution?  Even in cases where one partner has a larger stake, you still can have problems. (In the previous technology startup example, the hard-driving partner had a majority ownership.) But “even if you have voting power from a legal standpoint, if your partners aren’t backing you, there’s going to be conflict.

What you should do: Introduce a formal method for making decisions and addressing disagreements. “You need to make sure that small sparks don’t turn into wildfires,” says Sherman.  For most decisions, it’s usually best to agree that, say, sales issues ultimately will be handled by the partner with expertise in that area, while the more-finance oriented person will have more authority in the case of financial disputes. But, in more difficult situations, you can also turn to an advisory board or a consultant for help.

Giving short shrift to your partnership agreement

You should always spell out important partnership issues in a legal document. But, although this seems like a nobrain-er, it often doesn’t happen. As a result, if the partnership begins to fall apart, there are no formal, objective rules for anyone to follow.

What you should do:  Create a clear agreement upfront. That should include everything from roles and responsibilities, to how you’ll structure compensation. Perhaps most important may be the issue of how to exit—what will happen to the business if one of you wants to leave.  You need a game plan for what will happen if and when things don’t work out.  Although morbid and unlikely, you’ll also want to stipulate that if your partner passes away, you’ll have first right to buy out his or her side of the business. “That’s so you don’t wind up with your partner’s widow, who may or may not know anything about the business, as your partner,” says Brown.

Take  a real close look at your partnership goals. It's worth the effort and will help minimize  future headaches.

Best;

Barbara

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Make A Web Design Look Good

Posted by retailmakeover on September 05, 2012 0 Comments

Very excited to share  Roxanne's Reflections Book & Card  Shop ….. brand  new Website. Designed by Retail Makeover's very own Web Designer, Steve Crowhurst.  www.retailmakeoverweb.com

The Seven Key Principles:

1. Balance
2. Grid
3. Color
4. Graphics
5. Typography
6. White space
7. Connection.

1. Balance

Balance is all about ensuring that your design does not tip to one side or the other. It is like the balance of weight in achieving symmetry or asymmetry.

2. Grid

The concept of grids is closely related to that of balance. Grids are a series of horizontal and vertical rulers that help you “compartmentalize” a design. Think of columns. Columns improve readability, making a page’s content easier to absorb. The Rule of Thirds and Golden Ratio account for why sidebars. We won’t get into why this is, but it does seem to hold true in practice. It is also why the subject in professionally taken photographs is usually positioned not in the middle but at the intersection of an imaginary nine-square grid (three by three, with two horizontal and two vertical lines).

3. Color

Picking nice colors is as important as picking the right colors (that is, the right colors for the job).  Every color sends out a message, and it is up to you to get the message right. At first glance, the color choices may look somewhat arbitrary, but when you look closely you notice a strictly defined color palette, which is necessary to ensure that all of the elements get along well. The website, and especially its background, also demonstrates a good combination of colors and graphics, which brings us to number four…

4. Graphics

Okay, great design doesn’t need fancy graphics. But poor graphics will definitely hurt a design. Graphics add to the visual message.

 5. Typography

The art of type is a tricky subject to talk about because it encompasses so many elements. While it can be regarded as a branch of design, one can spend a lifetime mastering all of its aspects. This is not the place to provide a complete typographic reference, so we will limit our discussion to what will benefit you in the short term.

Web typography is handicapped compared to print typography. The biggest difference is our lack of complete control over the appearance of type on the Web, due to its dynamic character. Obviously, dynamic rendering has its strenghts, but Web designers have little control over the results, at least for now. Missing fonts on the user’s computer, differences in browser and platform rendering, and generally subpar support in CSS make Web typography a daunting if not frustrating task. But while we may have to wait for CSS 3 for Web typography to reach its full potential, we have the means now to make it look interesting and, more importantly, pretty.

A Word About Image Replacement

What about image replacement (the technique of replacing fonts with images)? We’ve talked about font stacks, but aren’t they inferior to image replacement? Well, that depends on what you think is more important: being able to display the exact font you want or having dynamic, accessible and SEO-friendly content? Certain image replacement techniques have gotten pretty advanced, but they still aren’t as flexible as plain text. Image replacement lends itself well to headers and excerpts, but it is hardly a solution for body text.

6. White Space

White space, or negative space, has to do with what is not there. Like measure and leading, white space gives text some breathing room and spatial peace. You can make elements stand out by adding white space around them. Copy, for example, shouldn’t look cramped. To ensure readability, make sure paragraphs have sufficient padding.

7. Connection

“Connection” is a bit of a made-up term here, but it seems to be the best one for what we mean. Connection here refers to a Web design that has both unity and consistency. These two attributes demonstrate the profesionalism of a design (and thus its designer). They are very broad attributes. A design should be consistent in its use of colors, in its range of fonts, with its icons, etc. All of these aspects count; a design can look great and still suffer from inconsistencies.

When a design is inconsistent, its unity can be lost on the user. Unity is slightly different from consistency. Unity refers to how the different elements in a design interact and fit together. For example, do the colors and graphics match? Does everything contribute to one unified message? Consistency, on the other hand, is found between the pages of a design.

Unity is perhaps the more important of the two. Without unity, having a good design is hard. Inconsistency, however, may look a bit “sloppy” but may not make the design “bad.”

Of the seven principles addressed in this article, connection is the most important. Connection has to do with how all elements come together: balance, grid, colors, graphics, type and white space. It is sort of the glue that binds everything together. Without this glue, the design falls apart. You could have pretty type and a brilliant and meticulously chosen color palette, but if the graphics are awful or simply don’t match or if everything is crammed together without thought, the design will fail.

Conclusion:

Good Web design is not limited to the seven key principles discussed here. Aspects such as accessibility, readability and usability play a part, too.

This is the reason why Web design is so difficult. But truly mastering all of the facets of Web design takes time and, let’s be honest, talent.

 Congratulations Roxanne. Your website is a very  effective on line sales and marketing tool.

 Best:

Barbara

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Day #151 - Instant Retail Results

Posted by retailmakeover on August 22, 2012 0 Comments

Tips for Small Retail Store Owners from World-Renowned Retail Experts

Mike Major

" Since 2006 I've worked with newspapers, radio and TV stations to help grow their advertising revenue, by helping the owners and managers of local businesses and retail stores to become more successful.
So far, I've helped more than 8,000 businesses, in eleven different countries.

And you know what? They ALL have the same issues, questions and concerns!

So I decided to seek out the best-known retail experts in the world and interview them live, to squeeze out ideas that ANY retailer, anywhere, can use to give an immediate boost to the success of your store.

But I didn't have to squeeze too hard! These internationally known, highly respected, retail consultants willingly shared their extensive knowledge and experience so that you, the small independent retailer, could benefit from their suggestions and ideas.

And those interviews can be yours, today!

For my interviews, I conducted research to locate some of the most experienced retail experts in the world. If you're in retail you've almost certainly heard of them. Each is a published author and has operated a retail business of their own. Their knowledge and skill is eagerly sought and they each have many thousands of subscribers for their newsletters, coaching and training programs."

The FIVE Internationally Respected Experts

Barbara Crowhurst

The Retail Makeover Specialist
A retail specialist, business coach, writer, international speaker and trainer from Toronto, Canada, she has more than 25 years retail experience, from the largest corporate retail stores in North America to consulting with thousands of owner-operators.

Bob Negen

Co-founder, The Retail Mastery System
Recognized as one of the most innovative retail marketers in the world today he's an expert on retail staff development, on-the-floor selling, store operations and developing a customer-focused, service-driven store culture.

Tom Shay

The Independent Retailers' Retailer
A 4th-generation small business owner, author, columnist, coach and speaker, who developed three family businesses over a 25 year period. You'll know Tom as the co-founder of the global 'Independent Retailer Month'.

Andrew Griffiths

Australia's #1 Small Business Author
A sought after speaker, presenter, trainer, and motivator whose 11 books on small business have been published in 50 countries. He has owned and operated a number of very successful small businesses.

Bob Phibbs

The Retail Doctor
An internationally recognized expert on business strategy, customer service, sales, and marketing with over 30 years experience - beginning in the trenches of retail and extending to senior management positions.
Imagine it was possible to create an event with all five of these famous consultants speaking from the same stage. Perhaps, one day, it may happen. But right now, today, you CAN listen to them speaking, recorded live, in which each retail expert shares powerful techniques that you can use immediately.
(That's why I've called this "INSTANT Retail Results!")

Not only do you get the audio recordings, but you'll also receive a transcription of the interview as a PDF eBook to which you can refer at any time, so you can put these concepts into action right away.

Valuable Information for Any Retailer, Anywhere

• How to win business without competing on price
• The eleven skills every retailer needs to master
• Learn the importance of margin, dollar contribution, and velocity
• Twelve qualities that make a great salesperson
• The five parts to a retail sale
• Two common objections - and how to overcome them

How's the market for retail right now, where you are? What do you think you'd hear if I asked the same question of other retailers, elsewhere? Actually, in my interviews I asked my retail experts how they viewed the retail environment, right now. Their answers may surprise you!

Get your copy today

Loved being part of this program. Can't wait for you to have your own copy.

Very Best;

Barbara

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Day #150 - The Customer Experience

Posted by retailmakeover on August 14, 2012 0 Comments

The Customer Experience

Key reasons shoppers choose to come back to your store and shop:

It's all about your staff:

Action points for you to take to increase sales and margins:

1. Increase the number of staff you have covering peek hours. More staff means  more customer attention and higher conversion rates.
2. Invest in sales training.  A better trained sales staff provides the service that customers are looking for. A better trained staff  participate  more directly in the sales culture of the  store. Retail Makeover University Online
3. Be the expert. A  knowledgeable staff  is what customers want. Product knowledge training is vital to your success.

Best;

Barbara

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