The 7 Most Common Weaknesses of Local Shops And what we’re all going to do about them. As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, we are seeing lots of Shop Local messages working to get customers to think about shifting their shopping more to local stores. I want to add another layer, and…
For a business to exist for the long term, it must make money. Yet other values also can influence whether a business stays in business. It is surprising by the number of business owners who never have taken the time to determine if they are profitable at a basic level. There is money in the…
In September 2013, we converted our liquor store from using an old-fashioned cash register and paper records to using an iPad-based Point of Sale system. I learned so much in the process that I knew you’d want to me to share. Our Old System: lots of paper When my mom bought her liquor store in…
Taking credit cards used to be a big deal for small businesses. It involved setting up a merchant account, passing a credit check, leasing or buying equipment and agreeing to a multi-year commitment. That was just the getting started part. The traditional merchant processing industry standard seemed to be lots of fees, and little…
The 7 Most Common Weaknesses of Local Shops And what we’re all going to do about them. As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, we’ll see lots of Shop Local messages working to get customers to think about shifting their shopping more to local stores. I want to add another layer, and get…
The fact that small businesses are at the core of our economic system probably does not come as a surprise. Estimates on the number of small businesses suggest that they make up 90 percent or more of the total number of businesses in the U.S. In small communities, the number and importance of small businesses…
The 7 Most Common Weaknesses of Local Shops And what we’re all going to do about them. As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, we’ll see lots of Shop Local messages working to get customers to think about shifting their shopping more to local stores. I want to add another layer, and get…
You want to start a business but you just can’t find that one great idea. This dilemma is often a major stumbling block for many aspiring small-business owners. They just keep waiting for that one big idea that will guarantee a successful business. The reality is that more often, a good idea, rather than a…
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