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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.

 

  e-ret@iler newsletter
February 2007
Volume 8 Issue 3

 

Profits_Plus Solutions
Tom Shay Photo
Article of the Month

Silence is not Golden

If your customers are not complaining should you be happy? If your customers are not sending you messages should you be happy? this month's article tells why you want to hear from your customers. Click on Article of the Month to view and read this article.

Book of the Month

Defining Markets, Defining Moments
by Geoffrey Meridity and Charles Schewe

This month's book is a recommendation by one of the e-retailer readers. The book helps you to determine how to market to your customers.

We have more books to suggest for your reading. Click on Book Referral to visit this page on our site.

 

Contact Us:

Profits Plus
P.O. Box 128
Dardanelle, AR
72834 USA
(727) 823-7205 Voice
(727) 898-3179 Fax



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Business Advisory

March 29 is Mom and Pop Business Owner's Day
Deferred Revenue in Gift Cards.

This month I have two items that I want to call to your attention. The first is that March 29 is Mom and Pop Business Owner's Day. this is one of our days to promote who we are and what we do. We should let people know that when they spend money with us, more of the money stays in our community as compared to the money that a customer spends in one of our mass merchant competitors.

The second item for February deals with a financial aspect of our business that many of us do not understand. When you sell a gift card or a gift certificate, you do not ring it up as a sale. Why not?

It is not a sale, because the customer has not taken any product or used any service. Instead they have given you money for which you will eventually provide that product or service, thus it does not show up on your profit and loss statement. As you are holding onto the money, it does show up on your balance sheet. It shows up as an asset as a part of your cash. The matching and offsetting entry is a liability that is often titled, "deferred revenue".

Internet Tip of The Month
New Calculator: Promotional Discount Pricing

Here is another of the new calculators we have added to the Profits Plus website for your free usage.

The concept for this calculator came from two places. The first was the number of times we saw businesses that ran expensive ads yet had minimal markdowns on their merchandise. This concept seems backwards to me. The second was a merchant from Georgia who had the same thought process and had managed to created a chart where they could track the results. This merchant was making sure that the amount of markdowns on merchandise was more than the cost of the advertising. Take a look at what is new on our website.

Go to this link to visit this page: Promotion Evaluator

The Power Promoting Idea of the Month

"How to" clinics

We all want our customers to become more engaged with what we sell. The concept is called, "transforming" the customer so that they are more to purchase more of what we sell. One of the best ways you can help transform your customer is to help educate them with regard to what you sell.

If you sell clothing, you can have a "how to" clinic to show people how to color coordinate their clothing. If you sell hardware, you can teach your customers how to use the hand and power tools you sell. We all want our customers to become more engaged with what we sell, and by helping them to see how to better use what we sell.

 

 

 

 

 

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©1998-2025 Profits Plus Solutions, Inc.
Tom Shay
PO Box 128
Dardanelle, AR 72834

(727)823-7205

MARCH 2025
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Small Business

AdvisorieS

Does it seem like you, as the owner or manager, are having to do everything yourself? The March Small Business Advisory points out ways to lessen your load; even the responsibility of hiring!

Small Business

NewS

Top Story

People love entertainment. Is there something about your business that engages customers? Perhaps a part of the reason for growth in online and drive thru shopping is because the business does not know how to engage the customer.

Article of the Month

If a person is going to sell their business, there needs to be a plan to do so. Perhaps the surprise is that there is a lot to be done before a business is offered for sale. The March Article of the Month is titled, "Game Over".


Book of the Month

What are your strengths? What are your talents? You may think you know them, but the Book of the Month, "Now, Discouver Your Strengths" by Don Clifton can assist you in getting a truthful assessment. You may even find some hidden strengths and talents.

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

Does it seem like you, as the owner or manager, are having to do everything yourself? The March Small Business Advisory points out ways to lessen your load; even the responsibility of hiring!

Small Business

News

 

Top Story

People love entertainment. Is there something about your business that engages customers? Perhaps a part of the reason for growth in online and drive thru shopping is because the business does not know how to engage the customer.


Article of the Month

If a person is going to sell their business, there needs to be a plan to do so. Perhaps the surprise is that there is a lot to be done before a business is offered for sale. The March Article of the Month is titled, "Game Over".


Book of the Month

What are your strengths? What are your talents? You may think you know them, but the Book of the Month, "Now, Discouver Your Strengths" by Don Clifton can assist you in getting a truthful assessment. You may even find some hidden strengths and talents.