The Gray Cat Blog

A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators. 

 
Will AI be the end all, be all? Jan 27, 2026

In this podcast episode with Steve Denny, we discuss how AI will make its way into every day business and all of the necessary steps that need to be in place in advance.

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Local Store Marketing: Retail-To-Retail Bouncebacks Jan 27, 2026

Budgets are tight, but you need to move top line sales – fast! What is a quick and easy way to expand your customer base? Partnering with noncompeting retailers to help your broaden exposure is a simp...

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The Tale of Gray Cat Jan 27, 2026

 John Matthews is the president and CEO of Gray Cat Enterprises and is responsible for the management of all consulting activities for the firm, which include:

1)  Retail consulting and project manag...

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Local Store Marketing: Charities Jan 19, 2026

Developing a working relationship with influential, local charities in your trade area not only establishes your community commitment as a business owner, but can also provide an effective way to link...

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Running Out of Time? Jan 19, 2026

Try These Calendar Management Tips

It seems that with every passing year, time management becomes harder and harder to get your arms around.  With new ways to communicate seemingly appearing daily, t...

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A History of Growth - Let Gray Cat Help You Grow Jan 19, 2026

Ever wonder what it is like to go from 10 stores to 100 stores?  

Until you experience that level of growth, you can be flying blind at times.  

At Gray Cat, we have experienced that growth three di...

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Authentic Content Jan 15, 2026

Original content, all the time.  

 
That has been my mantra on LinkedIn for nearly two decades.
 
So, it takes a lot of time to create new content but it gives you an opportunity to convey to audi
...
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Brand Positioning – The Semantic Differential Jan 15, 2026

One of the most interesting activities that I have been involved with regarding branding is called a Semantic Differential exercise. It is important to delineate salient attributes that form the brand...

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The Importance of Business Planning Jan 15, 2026

Recently, I appeared on the Steve Denny podcast where he asked me what were the most important items for a new business to have in place.

In short, it is nailing the basics - not chasing the shiny pe...

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Developing A Retail Real Estate Strategy Jan 15, 2026

Organic growth by a retailer is an exciting time for the company. Reinvesting earnings into the expansion of their branded stores through new construction communicates that a) business has been good; ...

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The Importance of Hiring People Smarter than You Dec 31, 2025

Last week, I was asked on a podcast what was the single most important item a leader can implement.  My answer was quick – hire people smarter than you.  This shouldn’t be considered a threat to your ...

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Creating Customer Experiences, Not Transactions Dec 26, 2025

I recently created a new presentation called There’s a New Store in Town – Are You Ready for the Disruption?   This presentation covered a myriad of topics – with examples from both

...
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