The Gray Cat Blog
A growing library of practical business articles and insights created to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, franchisees, and multi-unit operators strengthen leadership, improve operations, drive growth, and build more profitable organizations.
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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...
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One of the biggest mistakes retailers make is assuming that once the grand opening is over, customers will simply continue to show up.
Unfortunately, that is rarely the case.
Many store owners in...
 Whether you are attending your first industry convention or are a seasoned veteran of trade shows and conferences, one truth remains constant: success begins long before you arrive at the event.
Ind...
Throughout my life and career, I have been fortunate to benefit from the guidance of exceptional mentors. They challenged me, encouraged me, expanded my thinking, and helped shape both my professional...
In today’s highly competitive retail environment, success requires more than simply opening the doors each morning and hoping customers show up. Consumers have more choices than ever before, and their...
The workforce has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades. Gone are the days when most professionals spent an entire career with a single employer. Today’s labor market is far mo...
During one of my Interim Executive Management stints, I inherited a team of 35 that was in desperate need of effective leadership.
One of the first things I did apart from speaking with the team dire...
