Tip 4: Be Ready to Step into the Competition's Space by Tom Shay

Tom Shay is the feature speaker for the 2013 Business Management Workshop in San Antonio at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk, Jan 10-11, 2013. See his tips and more at Profit +Plus Solutions for Small Businesses.

Tip 4: Be Ready to Step into the Competition's Space:

In this challenging economy your best opportunity may be to expand your business. Tips to  

• Take a careful look at your competition and observe what they have been cutting back on.
• If your competition's cut backs defy logic as you observe the dance for business in your community, you should take a serious look at adding these components to your business. 
• This may be the time to stock more basics; add some hours to your weekly business schedule, or perhaps take a look at the great salesperson that has been working at the competition who now finds themselves only working part time.       

Tip 3: Systematically Plan Your Changes by Tom Shay

Tom Shay is the feature speaker for the 2013 Business Management Workshop in San Antonio at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk, Jan 10-11, 2013. See his tips and more at Profit +Plus Solutions for Small Businesses.

Tom Shay's Tip 3: Systematically Plan Your Changes

In a challenging economy, many businesses approach the challenge with a ‘butter and toast’ strategy; they simply want to spread their cuts around like one would evenly spread butter on a slice of toast. However this approach does not always work for business.

• Analyze what your best hours are before cutting them back, don't close your doors for the day at a high traffic time when most of your customers are looking for you.
• Don't lose sells, research what your top selling inventory is before taking it off the shelf.   
• Evaluate your staff before cutting, for an outlet known for great customer service, you may be eliminating your best selling point.

Tip 2, Don't Go Looking for a New Customer Base by Tom Shay

Tom Shay is the feature speaker for the 2013 Business Management Workshop in San Antonio at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk, Jan 10-11, 2013. See his tips and more at Profit +Plus Solutions for Small Businesses.

Tom Shay's Tip 2: Don’t go looking for a new customer base

• In a changing economy, there's a temptation to re-position the store’s merchandise; and you perhaps consider dropping some of the more expensive lines of products and stocking only the basics or less expensive items.

• Think about how long you have been in business and the customers you have targeted for all those years. By shifting, you may find that you have instead abandoned your target customer. 

• The image you have developed with your customer took time to achieve, don't throw away years of effort for something that is only going to last months, and then start again to rebuild what was lost.

Planning for Just In Case with TNLA President, Amy Graham

Be sure to visit TXNLAOnline.org for more information on what the Texas Green Industry has to offer!