The Gray Cat Blog
A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators.
Conducting a diagnostic store assessment is an excellent way to gain opportunistic perspectives for your location. Walking through and evaluating your store – from the eyes of the...
About a decade ago I began to publish a blog focused mainly on improving processes within small business. Many of these blogs are derived from having worked many years in larger organizations and...
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...
Who are we?
That is a question I hear all the time from companies that are trying to better communicate to their customers. All too often, companies have grown in spite of the fact of not really...
The art of understanding your business from a financial perspective is a critical step for any entrepreneur. Knowing your business – financially – will provide the business owner the...
In-store marketing is a critical and oft-overlooked marketing strategy for any size retailer. Successful retailers make their customer feel welcome and comfortable in their store, building repeat...
For the multiunit operator, managing a retail real estate portfolio is tricky business. Keeping winning stores in tip-top condition – both physically and financially – is the key to...
So, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
The key to group sales is to market your store and products as a turnkey solution for a large gathering. Finding key groups in which your...
In business, it is essential to know the path just traveled. Most organizations take a look back at the preceding 1-2 months to evaluate their financial results and attempt to make rhyme or reason...
Hurry, hurry, step right up!
It is time to play the game called “G & A Budgeting”. This is the game where heads are counted; budgets are sandbagged and perks are justified. It is an...
One of the most-asked questions I hear from store owners is “What sales volume does my store need in order to make money?” While it would be convenient to rattle off a sales figure off...
In today’s competitive economy, the fight is on for convenience store customers. While some tried-and-true c-store product categories have taken a hit in the past few years, one has continued...
