1. Introduction
Shops are one of the most common forms of small business, selling anything from food to clothing to electronic goods...........
2. Stock and Range
As part of the managing of your shop, you need to keep stock under effective control. Poorly managed stock can be a huge cost to a business, causing large amounts of money to be effectively thrown away........
3. Buying Stock
There are three main places for purchasing shop stock. Manufacturer – Ordering goods directly from the manufacturer will give you a lower product cost, but will often require you to make large orders that may not be viable for smaller shops.........
4. Marketing: Advertising
There are many different forms of marketing, with a large number of potential benefits and costs. It is important to remember that the affects of most marketing projects will be different every time, and will depend on many factors, including the type of shop you run, as well as the budget, style, audience and other external influences........
5. Leaflets and Mail shots
A popular method of promotion for smaller shops is to distribute leaflets and mail-shots to potential customers. This costs more per potential customer than some forms of advertising, but allows you to target exactly the right population........
6. EmploymentAt some point it is likely you will need to employ someone to help you run the shop. The number (if any) of employees that you will need depends on many factors including the size, popularity, opening times and location of your shop............
7 . Training and CommissionWhen you hire a new employee, they will have no experience of working for you; they may have worked in similar environments, but they will still need teaching about your shop and products.........
8. Accounts and PerformanceAs with any business, it is vital to keep your accounts in good order, and to know how well your shop is performing. You can help do this by monitoring your sales and using the information measure and improve your business.......
9. Building SecurityNo matter what type of shop you run, security is likely to be an important issue. There are many types of security risk, including shoplifters, vandals, and in some cases even thieving employees............
10. Card security Chip and PinIf your business accepts card transactions, you need to ensure that the process is secure, and that the risk of fraud is minimised..............
11. Upgrading to Chip and PINThe cost of upgrading to the chip and pin system will vary considerably, and will depend on the type, size, and number of terminals and POS equipment you have.........
12. SummaryThere are many important things to remember when running a shop, but the most important is to make your customers happy!...................
