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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.

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August 2008
Volume 9 Issue 9 Profits_Plus Solutions
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Article of the Month

Exclusive or elitist
by
Tom Shay

August 2008's article is about several aspects of your business and how you sell to customers. Imagine a customer that has been purchasing a lesser quality, and less expensive product at a mass merchant.

Now they come to your business and find a higher quality product at a price that reflects the higher quality.

How do you introduce the customer to higher quality and help them to see the value?

Click on Article of the Month to read this article.

And be sure to look us up on You Tube to see our new video on this topic.

Book of the Month

The Enthusiastic Employee
by
David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer

Need I say more? Yes, because it is not about finding the right employees. It is about how to be the right manager. The book is a bit 'deep' but the forms and evaluation material in the back of the book are most helpful

We have more books to suggest for your reading. Click on Book Referralto 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

Seminar Logo
Business Advisory

So, how is everyone enjoying the new search tool we have added to the website? And we trust you are enjoying the music that we have made available while you work on the Profits Plus website.

Looking ahead, we have another new calculator tool that will be on the website by the end of September. This tool will help you to understand all the aspects of the profit and loss statement and how that information transfers to the balance sheet.

Our business advisory for August 2008 is another website that we have found. It is called 'biz stats' and is full of free financial information. The data you find on their site would help you to 'benchmark' your business using the free tools on our site.

The idea of a 'benchmark' is answering that question that everyone wants to ask, "How is my business doing compared to other businesses in the industry?"

You can find Biz Stats at BizStats.com

Internet Tip of The Month
Store evaluation form

We have created a new tool that you can download for free. It is a 12 page PDF file that will guide you through a 10 point evaluation of your business. The evaluation form is based upon our presentation, "What it takes to be a 5 star business". You can listen to a free audio of the presentation by clicking on this link:

What it takes to be a five star business

And you can download the evaluation tool by clicking on this link:

Tom Shay's Store Evaluation Tool

The Power Promoting Idea of the Month

Give awards to your customers

This promotion focuses on existing customers and the products/services that your business provides. Awards were given based upon usage of your products and services. As an example, a garden center had a monthly award to the most attractive lawn. The criteria for entering the contest was that products from the garden center had to be used.

A party shop could have a contest for the most creative Halloween costume. Again, customers must purchase their costume components from the party shop.

You can likely get your vendors to participate by providing prizes. Taking photographs and posting them in your business is a great way to gain more participation for future events. And don't forget to tell the media about your award.

Where's Tom?

Fall is in the air or it is at least cooler in some parts of the country as I begin to travel to other parts of the continent. In September we have a couple of trips to visit our Canadian retail friends.

As we get back on the road, here is my current schedule of appearances for the next two months:


August 9-10 Atlanta, Georgia
August 18 Las Vegas, Nevada
August 20 Chicago, Illinois
September 7 Montreal, Quebec
September 10 Springfield, Massachusettes
September 17 Golden, Colorado
September 18 Sacramento, California
September 20 Waterloo, Ontario
September 21 Toronto, Ontario
September 23 Las Vegas, Nevada
September 24 Wooster, Ohio
September 25-26 Toledo, Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

PROFITS PLUS, FOUNDER OF...

 

©1998-2026 Profits Plus Solutions, Inc.
Tom Shay
PO Box 128
Dardanelle, AR 72834
(727)823-7205

MARCH 2026
Have the Small Business Advisories and News sent to your inbox. Subscribe HERE

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.