Retail Business Kit For Dummies

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned retail entrepreneur, Retail Business Kit For Dummies shows you how to start and run your business in today’s retail marketplace—from your original dream and the day-to-day operation to establishing a connection with customers and increasing your sales, both on the Web and at a brick-and-mortar shop.

In this practical, how-to guide, retail expert Rick Segel shares his expertise and reveals what it takes to be successful. You’ll get a handle of the basics of launching and growing your business, from writing a business plan and finding a great location to hiring and keeping great staff. Find out how to meet and exceed customer expectations, create a positive shopping experience, provide top-notch customer service, and earn customer loyalty. Discover how to:

• Launch a successful independent retail business
• Create a Web site that shines
• Connect with customers and increase sales
• Handle legal and accounting issues
• Design stores that really work
• Practice the 10 keys to retail selling
• Use management practices proven in the trenches
• Make visual merchandising work for you

Make your new venture succeed beyond your wildest dreams with a little help from Retail Business Kit For Dummies!

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials found in the print version of this title are not included as part of eBook file.

Introduction 1

Part I: Testing the Retail Waters 5

Chapter 1: Retailing: How It Really Works and How It Can Work for You 7

Chapter 2: Defining Your Vision: It Starts with a Dream 17

Chapter 3: Branding: Making Your Business Memorable 27

Chapter 4: Getting to Know Your Customers Before You Even Have Any 37

Part II: Settin’ Up Shop 49

Chapter 5: Location, Location, Location: Finding the Right Place to Do Business 51

Chapter 6: Designing Stores That Work 71

Chapter 7: Choosing Your Merchandise: What to Buy and Where to Find It 85

Chapter 8: Getting the Goods: Controlling Your Buying 97

Part III: Detailing the Retailing 119

Chapter 9: Creating the Business Plan and Structure 121

Chapter 10: The Fine Print: Crossing the T’s and Dotting the I’s 141

Chapter 11: Creating Your Internal Systems: The Day-to-Day Stuff 163

Chapter 12: Finding, Hiring, and Keeping a Great Staff 183

Chapter 13: Money Matters: Accounting for Money Coming In and Going Out 201

Part IV: Spreading the Word Without Going Broke! 217

Chapter 14: Generating Word-of-Mouth Advertising 219

Chapter 15: Advertising Vehicles: What to Include in Your Arsenal 231

Chapter 16: Signage: The Underutilized Killer Resource 251

Chapter 17: Setting Up Successful Sales and Promotions 273

Part V: Selling Made Simple 295

Chapter 18: Selling the Soft, Suggestive Way 297

Chapter 19: Visual Merchandising for the Artistically Deprived and Financially Handicapped 309

Chapter 20: Selling Online: It’s an E-World 319

Part VI: The Part of Tens 339

Chapter 21: Ten Keys to Retailing Success 341

Chapter 22: Ten Secrets of Extraordinary Customer Service 347

Chapter 23: Ten Proven Management Practices 351

Appendix: About the CD 357

Index 369

Rick Segel, CSP is an international retail expert and author of 8 books on retailing. Segel is the Online Retail Marketing Expert for Staples.com and is the creator of the highly acclaimed Retail Awards Program in Massachusetts. His weekly column is read by more than 10,000 retailers worldwide.

Learn to:

• Launch a successful independent retail business
• Make your Web site shine
• Connect with customers and increase sales
• Simplify operations with forms and templates on CD

Get your business off the ground with a killer brand and get the sales you want!

It's a great time to be an independent retailer! Whether you're a novice or seasoned professional, this practical how-to guide shows you how to start and run your business in today's marketplace — from your original dream and the day-to-day operations to establishing a connection with customers and increasing your sales, both on the Web and at a brick-and-mortar shop.

• Get lessons from real-life experience — the author shares his expertise in retail business (from his mistakes to his triumphs) and reveals what it takes to be successful
• Master all the basics of launching and growing a retail business — from writing a business plan and finding a great location to hiring and keeping great staff
• Meet and exceed the expectations of today's consumer — discover how to create positive shopping experiences, provide top-notch customer service, and earn customer loyalty
• Spread the word without going broke — find out how to differentiate your business, generate word-of-mouth advertising, and plan effective sales and promotions

Bonus CD Includes

Forms, templates, and samples to simplify your business, from managing employees and inventory to tracking financial performance, creating sales and marketing tools, and adding signage to your store

See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Open the book and find:

• The 10 keys to retailing success
• How to design stores that work
• Where and how to buy merchandise
• The best ways to make your business memorable
• Expert tips for building your Web site and selling online
• Advice for handling legal and accounting issues
• In-the-trenches, proven management practices
• A crash course in the art of selling