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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
March 2001
Sent at your request by Profits Plus Seminars & Tom Shay

What you will read in this month's issue of the e-ret@iler:
1. A new article on the Profits Plus Seminars website: Creating Customer Service Instructions
2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month
3. The resource library available to you - with some new additions!
4. Your free subscription to the e-ret@iler
5. Contacting Profits Plus Seminars and Tom Shay

1. Creating Customer Service Instructions
The March 2001 article on the Profits Plus website is entitled,
"Making the Pass".
You have probably heard that Nordstrom's Department Stores have their instructions for their employees written on a three inch by five inch card. Most of us would look at that and think we could never duplicate that. In the March article on the website, there are some suggestions of how you can create a short list of instructions for waiting on customers. And of course the article of the month for the last four months is still on the Profits Plus site.

Don't forget, we have even added a new feature. If you know of someone that should read the article, you can simply add your name, e-mail address along with the name and e-mail address of the person you want to see the article, then just one more click and the article is on the way to your friend.

2. In this issue, Tom provides you with a brief overview of another new feature on the website - the book review page. I know you do not have the time available to read lots of books. If you are like me, when I would get out of the store I was usually exhausted and the idea of spending an hour or two reading just did not warm me up. Here are four of my favorite books, each of which do relate well to the management of our businesses:

The Experience Economy - by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore - A fascinating book, although it does get a bit dry in the middle chapters. If you get only one thing from this book, look for the differences in: Selling commodities, goods, services, an experience, and creating a transformation.

The E-Myth - by Michael Gerber - This book was released years ago. It does a great job explaining why people who are very good at the sales aspect of business have a difficult time becoming owners and managers.

Who Moved My Cheese - by Spenser Johnson, M.D. - This author says his book applies to many aspects of a person's life. If you read this and think of yourself as the owner or manager and begin to examine which of the four characters in the book that you are, you will gain a tremendous insight.

Predatory Marketing - C. Britt Beemer - From the times you have heard Tom Shay speak, you know I always like to use statistics to backup the points I make. This book is full of information, and it is specifically aimed to retailers.

3. Your free subscription to the e-ret@iler
If you have received this edition of the e-ret@iler by way of someone passing it onto you, you can add your name to the free subscription list by clicking on this link and putting the word "subscribe" in the body or reference line of the e-mail.

4. Contacting Profits Plus Seminars and Tom Shay
Thank you for inviting us onto your desktop, and taking the time to read our newsletter. We trust you have received some business building ideas from it as we look forward to seeing you again in April.
and you can click on this link to send an e-mail:

Get your Profits Plus,


Tom Shay

 

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Tom Shay
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(727)823-7205

MAY 2026
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Small Business

AdvisoriES


"It's all fun and games", is the title of the May Small Business Advisory. Too many employees think the business owner is simply renting their time. Showing up is sufficient.

 

This month's advisory shares a series of engaging activities that remind, and reward, employees that making the sale is what creates their pay check.

Small Business

NewS

Top Story

Meeting with the accountant in February before the tax return is due. I am not sure how this became a tradition. There is nothing you can do to change the numbers for 2025.

 

Why not meet in May, instead? One-third of the year would be completed, and a May meeting would allow for a discussion about what can and should be changed for the last eight months of 2026.

Article of the Month

The article of the month for May is titled, "No more tears". The discussion focuses on inventory which is a great investment in your business. But, only if you know how to manage the "open to buy" and will monitor the inventory turn rate.


Book of the Month

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. As one who has found over the years that many of the problems in a small business occur because of the mindset of the owner of the business, this book is a must read.

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

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

The April Small Business Advisory quotes research performed by a faculty member at Purdue. The question was asked of 20,000 people, "What do you want in an experience with a business?".

 

The advisory shares the top five answers, for which the majority require the skills that only a human can have. It is not artificual intelligence or software that deals with customer service management.

Small Business

News

 

Top Story

It has been many years since we received an email from Ron of Arrow Floor Covering. Yet we still read it time and again as there are words of wisdom in his message.

 

Would the next generation want to work in your small business?


Article of the Month

Owning a small business has a lot of similarities to owning a small business. Not so much because of the hours you spent with the business, but because of the commitment you are making to yourself, your employees and your customers.

 

The April Article of the Month is titled, "With this ring, I thee wed".


Book of the Month

Everything in the April edition of Small Business News has a tie to the connection of you and your employees to your business. The same is true with this month's book suggestion which is, "Hit Refresh" by Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft.

 

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