Over 75
trade magazines have used articles from Tom Shay over the
past fifteen years. Editors know the material that Tom writes comes
from a lifetime of front line experience in working in, managing,
and owning a small family business. Editors have also come to know
they will see a fresh perspective with Tom's articles. And most
definitely, articles delivered on time. Contact us today for a quote
on providing timely and helpful management articles for your magazine.
Click on one of the 10 topics listed below and you will be moved to
that part of the page immediately. We will be glad to e-mail you an
article so you can see the time proven business building ideas that
Tom has to share with your readers. Tom Shay's articles are not syndicated,
but customized to each industry they appear in. Exclusivity is provided
within each industry. Click on magazines
to see the list of magazines.
Business Management
Changing your store hours to attract customer bases
Preparing to attend a trade show
Installing a computer system
Consulting with other retailers
Utilizing your telephone system
Dreaming and planning for future improvements
The sky is not falling (new competition in your trade area)
The value of membership in your trade association
Being true to your supplier
How your best laid plans can go awry
Eliminating crisis management
Examining your business insurance
Why your supplier needs you, and you need them
Developing services to add to your business
The manager/owner working on the sales floor
Implement scanning in your business
Creating a management guideline book
The owner/manager being the emblem of a store
Having to do battle with city hall
Shoplifting - external
Enlarging a strong sales department
Making your business plans with the expectation of change
Comparing your store to others
SWOT - strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats
Managing by a "What If" scenario
The need to build a library of articles from magazines
Competing with mass merchants
Adapting your business to a changing need for your products & services
What you can do to maximize a trade show you just attended
Creating a branding image
10 fatal mistakes businesses make
Mental blocks to success A 20 point check up for your business
New Year business resolutions
Increasing profits by looking through the back door
How to write a purchase order
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Advertising
and Promotion
Advertising ideas that work inside your store
Selling spring related merchandise and services
Calling on commercial accounts
Using signs in your business: Sign them up!
Promoting house charge accounts
Unique promotions
Performing a major community service
Planning your advertising with a pencil
A talk radio show as a promotion
Creating a newsletter
Creating a school to demonstrate your products to your customers
Telemarketing to your customers
An example of the generosity of the independent business
Creating a collection of photos of your customers on your walls to attract
customers
Being active within your community
Five directives to having a profitable sales promotion
A tie in for additional sales with another business
Tweaking advertising into promotions
Adding commercial customers
Power promoting
Showing your pride in your employees
Calling your customers on the telephone for repeat sales
Branding a business
Demonstrating products
e-retailing
Creating an open house
Making direct mail work
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Personnel
- Hiring, Training, Growth & Development
Scheduling your staff, and managing your time
Creating job descriptions for your staff
Creating job specifications for your staff
Creating a policy & procedure manual
Solutions by a committee of your staff
Taking the time to recognize accomplishments of your staff and your
customers
Incentive games and bonuses for your employees
Showing your financial sheets to your employees
Allowing your employees to make a difference
Enhancing sales techniques
SARA - solving problems by scanning, analysis, responding, and assessment
Having your employees develop niche skills as compared to having a niche
department
Taking your supervisors to breakfast as a management tool
Hiring the right employees
Staff social get-togethers
Giving the boss a job review
Hiring triumphs and tragedies
Being the second fiddle person in your business
Benefits for your employees
Developing communication skills within your staff
Developing management skills for your employees
Motivating yourself and your employees
Creating a training class for your employees
Maximizing your service center
Reasons to develop employee training
Improving your sales technique
Hiring handicapped or retired
How to give instructions to employees, part 1
How to give instructions to employees, part 2
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Personal
Growth and Challenges
When it is time to sell your business
Receiving a letter from a disillusioned business owner
Enjoying being a part of small business America
Struggles of business: Recognizing minefields and mindfields
Working long hours in an independent business
Transition of a business from one generation to another
Having the right attitude to make a stronger business
10 steps to starting a new year
Taking care of yourself
Developing highly effective retailers
Your attitude determines your business altitude
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Sales
Representatives and Dealing with Vendors
Working with Sales Representatives
The value of a good salesman
A wrong and right way for vendors to build business
Developing a profitable relationship with your vendors
Working to eliminate excuses from vendors
Utilizing specialty vendors
Changing your purchasing philosophy
Having to persevere with vendors to obtain products and services
Creating a partnership with a vendor
Why few stores buy into programs created by vendors
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Customer
Service
Solving the customer's needs before you try to make the sale
Making the extra effort for sales by training your staff to be creative
Defining your customer service policy
Providing extended assistance to your customers
Asking your customer "why" to create additional sales
Going above and beyond to assist your customers
Selling related items
Repair all that is brought to your service center
Being a hero to your customers
Recognizing that everyone in your business is a salesperson
Creating customer loyalty
Understanding what you sell
A 9 point procedure for waiting on customers
Selling as a team
Being a master sales person
A simple customer service policy
Solving customer complaints
Developing ways to say "yes" instead of "no" to
customers
What you do speaks louder than what you say to customers
Speaking the language a customer understands
The masters of legendary service
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Pricing
Strategies
Statistics showing customer shopping preferences
Working with variable pricing and promotion price lists
Pricing the services you offer
Variable pricing strategy
Eliminating price concerns
Turns and margins
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Store
Design and Visual Merchandising
Redesigning the interior of your store
Rebuilding and reworking a department
Visual merchandising
The changing scene of retailing, the many different items/departments
that stores now have
Adding a niche department
Display smarts 101
Customer's first impressions
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Market
Strategies
Redefining your strategy as your market evolves
Being a frontrunner business
The rules of business are being changed by the competition
Provide service for the competition
Questioning the customer loyalty and marketing warfare
Gaining your share of the market
Examining stores that have become complacent in the face of competition
Adding a service department
Utilizing demographic studies
Adding unique services and products
Anticipating the arrival of a category killer
Ideas that move inventory
Customer retention
Repositioning the emphasis of your business
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Financial
Concerns
Analysis of your business to see where you can save on expenses
Learning to constantly study your margins
Managing with your financial sheets
Creating a cash flow chart
Reading and managing by your profit and loss statement
Creating an open to buy
Eliminating dead inventory
Calculating and dealing with turnover
How much margin is enough?
Reasons to look at your financial statements
5 point financial checkup
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