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With over 25 years of frontline experience Tom Shay is America's leading small business management expert. He's a "Must Have" for your next event.

Invest your money; in a website, in your staff or something else
 
e-retailer logo
July 2017
Volume 18 Issue 9

Invest in a website; invest in your staff; or invest your money somewhere else

The title is a bit blunt, but we have strong feelings about the opportunity as well as the future of businesses that read our newsletter. So, what are we reading in articles from all the pundits that are forecasting our future? They tell us business is moving away from what we have known and that it is all about providing an experience to our customer.

We ask, "When has it not been about providing an experience to the customer?"

With the exception of a minimal amount of clothing, basic food and perhaps necessary medications, none of us sell a product or service that is essential. Our customers are spending their discretionary money with us. If a customer is spending their "fun" money, then the spending experience should be fun for the customer.

Perhaps the idea of getting the most for your money is not about a lower price, but about finding which business gives you the best experience. Hence, the title of this month's advisory.

You can spend your money to become an online business where the interaction with the customer can be minimized; you can invest in teaching your staff how to make their interactions with customers into more of an experience; or you can close the doors of your business and invest your money somewhere else.

Article of the Month - Signs and end caps

This month's article has a stack of ideas for increasing sales. All the ideas have little cost and require little effort to make a difference in how your customer sees what you have to offer.

Whether your business is getting ready for fall, starting your back to school event, or just looking for an idea to boost sales, we think you will get a lot from this month's article.
Book of the Month - When retail customers count

If you did not join us for the e-retailer conversation in April, Mark Ryski of HeadCount.com was our guest. Mark introduced us to his work on tracking the number of people walking into a business and comparing it to the number of people making a purchase. Mark calls it a "conversion rate".

Mark's visit was fascinating and we will be sure to have him join us again. This month, we are offering one of the books Mark Ryski wrote as our book of the month.

There is a bit of humor in the title as you understand what Mark is teaching to help your business; "When retail customers count".
Internet Tool for Your Business - Promotion Evaluation Calculator

We may get the credit for creating the free promotion evaluation calculator on our website, but we do not get the credit for the idea. The credit goes to one of you; a reader who told how they tracked their efforts so they would do a better job of spending their advertising dollars.

We think you will find this to be a very useful tool. Your promotions will be more fun and your advertising expenditures will produce better results.
Staff Incentive for Your Business - What can we learn from the airlines

There have been plenty of news stories about problems with the airlines. The central theme of the stories has been poor decisions by staff members in a situation involving a customer. The resulting decision by some of the airlines has been to give some authority to make decisions.

Far too many of us have the idea that we are the only ones who can make a decision regarding a customer. Not only does this consume your time, it diminishes the dignity of your employee.

Any decision should be fair to the business as well as fair to the customer. While any decision would be subjective, what if you had a reward system for your employees as they resolve challenges.

You could create a reward that you would base on their being fair to the customer as well as being fair to the business. And, it all begins with your employee asking the customer, "What do you think would be fair?"

We want to recognize A Carrot A Day by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, whose book provides the basis for each month's incentive idea.

Profits Plus |tomshay@profitsplus.org | (727) 823-7205 | www.profitsplus.org


 

 

 

 

 

 

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©1998-2026 Profits Plus Solutions, Inc.
Tom Shay
PO Box 128
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(727)823-7205

MARCH 2026
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Small Business

AdvisoriES


Every time I see the logo for Target stores, I think about small businesses and the need to know which people to target as their customers. Of course, of most importance is the person who has spent any money with your business.

 

I ask businesses if they know how much the average person spends with their business. Most offer a quick response with a dollar amount. That answer is incorrect as they are telling me what the average existing customer is spending. The average person in any community spends no money with that small business.

 

Looking for new customers without any plan of how to do so is just spending money. That is why every small business needs to know how to find and use information. Find ideas in the March Small Business Advisory.

Small Business

NewS

Top Story

Employee retention; is it important? Or is it easier to lose an employee and wait for the next applicant to walk in the door? The Small Business News for March shares some statistics of the expense you incur when you make the change instead of working to retain a current employee.

Article of the Month

It is baseball season and we use the sport as an explanation of the cost of growing your business. In Boston's Fenway Park, left field has a wall that is know as the green monster.

 

And that is what growing your business is - a monster! You can't successfully grow your business without a plan and knowing you will have the cash on hand to pay for the growth.


Book of the Month

Are you selling something or persuading the customer? With your employees are you repeatedly telling that employee or are you persuading them to excel?

 

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Ciaidini is our suggested book for March 2026. Most definitely an appropriate read.

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.
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BOOK US

With over 25 years of frontline experience Tom Shay is America's leading Small Business Management Expert. He's a "Must Have" for your next event.

Small Business

Advisories

Every time I see the logo for Target stores, I think about small businesses and the need to know which people to target as their customers. Of course, of most importance is the person who has spent any money with your business.

 

I ask businesses if they know how much the average person spends with their business. Most offer a quick response with a dollar amount. That answer is incorrect as they are telling me what the average existing customer is spending. The average person in any community spends no money with that small business.

 

Looking for new customers without any plan of how to do so is just spending money. That is why every small business needs to know how to find and use information. Find ideas in the March Small Business Advisory.

Small Business

News

 

Top Story

Employee retention; is it important? Or is it easier to lose an employee and wait for the next applicant to walk in the door? The Small Business News for March shares some statistics of the expense you incur when you make the change instead of working to retain a current employee.


Article of the Month

It is baseball season and we use the sport as an explanation of the cost of growing your business. In Boston's Fenway Park, left field has a wall that is know as the green monster.

 

And that is what growing your business is - a monster! You can't successfully grow your business without a plan and knowing you will have the cash on hand to pay for the growth.


Book of the Month

Are you selling something or persuading the customer? With your employees are you repeatedly telling that employee or are you persuading them to excel?

 

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Ciaidini is our suggested book for March 2026. Most definitely an appropriate read.

 

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.