The Gray Cat Blog
A comprehensive collection of blogs designed to assist small business owners and multi-unit operators.
Want more ideas? For more information on Gray Cat Learning Series, visit: https://www.graycatenterprises.com/gray-cat-learning-series
Effective leadership involves a myriad of skillsets that when properly combined and executed creates a dynamic leader that can take their teams to levels never thought possible. It involves accountab...
Fire. Aim. Ready.
Is this your corporate communications strategy?
The art of corporate communications stems around the strategic management of information within an organization and its external s...
Most people that know me know that I like to get involved in the details and one area that I really like to dissect is a profit & loss (P&L) statement. In my opinion, this is where many people miss o...
Excited to celebrate Gray Cat's 19th year!
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 includ...
Every retail operator starts with that first, single store. They hone their operational skills; develop a “how-to-go-to-market” strategy; and hopefully find success for years to come. Then they get ...
I remember my first interview with a convenience store chain.
I had just spent 9 fast-paced years with Little Caesars Pizza as the National Marketing Director – we went from 1,300 stores to 5,000 s...
Below is an excerpt of a recent interview discusses the importance of connecting with the customer:
Q: Why are brands so important?
Matthews: Brands identify and establish an emotional connection, a...
Employee peer recognition is often more influential among your workers than achieving actual prizes or monetary rewards. Developing ongoing peer recognition programs will keep your employees excited a...
Running a small, start-up business has it share of ups and downs. When I launched my company nearly twenty years ago, running my own small business has been both rewarding and challenging. It has enab...
In the convenience store marketplace, margins continue to tighten on core products such as candy, snacks and tobacco. Prudent operators are attempting to stem the tide by introducing foodservice items...
