The Gray Cat Blog
A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators.
I am sure many of you are wondering what Gray Cat does, so in this podcast with Arif Moriya, I highlight my background and how it dovetails into what Gray Cat does:
- Strategic Planning - helping gro ...
 Like many youth sports teams, we were constantly looking for ways to raise money to offset the costs of uniforms, equipment, travel, and league fees.
Most teams sold candy bars, cookies, or other si...
In this recent podcast with Dilan Abeya, we discuss the key elements to good execution.
Over the years, I have been asked countless times about the keys to success, leadership, and personal fulfillment. People often expect a complicated answer involving advanced strategies, unique talent...
 Over the past decade, the convenience store industry has undergone one of the most significant transformations in its history. What was once viewed primarily as a destination for fuel, snacks, and be...
 Recently, I celebrated my twenty-second anniversary as a management consultant.
When I launched Gray Cat Enterprises in 2004, I was fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning my own business. The move wa...
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Every successful product begins with an idea.
Maybe it was developed in your kitchen, workshop, garage, basement, or home office. Perhaps it solves a problem you’ve personally experienced, fills a...
 If you have read any of my previous articles, you know that I am a strong believer in planning for success.
Whether it is operational excellence, strategic growth, capital investment planning, store...
 At some point, every multi-unit retailer faces the same challenge: launching a new product, service, equipment package, merchandising program, or operational initiative across multiple locations.
On...
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Practical Business Education from Real-World Experience
Looking to strengthen your business skills, grow your career, or improve your organization’s performance—but not sure where to start?
Welco...
Running a retail business is not for the faint of heart.
Between managing employees, maintaining inventory, executing marketing programs, overseeing facilities, handling customer service, and monitor...
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“Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs the T-shirt. Spaceballs the lunchbox. Spaceballs the coloring book. Spaceballs… the flamethrower! Kids love it...