Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast

In this bonus podcast episode, I'm sharing 6 updates and announcements! Here are links to everything I mention in this episode: Shopkeeper Stories Series: https://savvyshopkeeper.com/podcast Handshake Giveaway: https://savvyshopkeeper.com/who-is-shopify-handshake-for-plus-a-giveaway/ Welp article: https://welpmagazine.com/20-best-retail-podcasts-of-2021/ P Graham Dunn Dealer Conference: https://ww...

After sharing four shopkeeper stories last year, I'm excited to highlight four more incredible shopkeepers from the Savvy Shopkeeper community. First up is Miriam, owner of Coco Jolie in Englewood, New Jersey. Miriam always loved creating in the kitchen, but found herself in two other careers before going back to culinary school. She shared the winding journey that led her to open Coco Jolie, her...

Running a retail store is all about connecting with your customers. One of the best ways to do that is through a retail brand photoshoot! With masks on our faces in-store, the connection we make through digital channels is more important than ever.  Today, I'm sharing a little about my recent brand photoshoot and my top ten tips for having a successful one. Listen in to learn how to find the perfe...

Many of us open or start our businesses without a business plan, a formal education, or any guidance or mentorship regarding running a retail business. And this isn't a judgment of anyone—this was ME! I started my business without any plan, mentorship, or education, too. When we open, we tend to think about the basics. But there comes a time where we have to step up, be the CEO, and do the hard wo...

The Savvy Shopkeeper community recently participated in our annual survey. I asked shopkeepers about their business models, their revenue numbers, the support they're looking for, and their feedback on all things Savvy Shopkeeper. I learned so much from the survey results and gained so much insight into our community. Today, I'm sharing the survey results with you so you can learn from them, too....

Growth can be a scary concept for a retail business owner, but it can also be an exciting one! Today I'm sharing three reasons why growth is so critical to your success as an independent retail business owner, and why ignoring these areas of growth can be harmful to your business. Listen in to learn why growth matters and a new way to grow your business alongside other savvy shopkeepers. For show...

As shopkeepers, it's easy to get caught up in running our business. We chug along, push forward, and hustle to make it work. But that often comes at a high cost—our emotional health. I've learned this the hard way over the past year. Today, I'm sharing a bit about my personal journey to improve my emotional health, beliefs that were holding me back, and the most important thing I've done to change...

As I shared in Episode 65 , we hear all sorts of myths as independent retailers. From "the customer's always right" to "you'll probably show a loss for your first three years in business," these myths are repeated so frequently that we just believe them to be true!  Today, I'm sharing six more myths to stop believing in and the evidence I have to prove them wrong. And I'm sharing something really...

We hear all sorts of stories about how to run an independent retail business. And it's easy to hear a story, believe it to be true, and then judge our own business against it. But there is no one right way to run a business! You have to find what works for you.  That's why I'm debunking six of the common stories, myths, and one-liners that business coaches and gurus toss around in today's episode....

Every shopkeeper I know has those frantic, overwhelming days where nothing important seems to get done. So how can we make our days more effective when there's so much to do?  It all comes down to organizing the thousands of thoughts pinging around in our brains. If we don't declutter our minds, those thoughts will pull us in all sorts of different directions, and we won't get any of the essential...

When the pandemic forced retail shops to close, shopkeepers found themselves scrambling to integrate e-commerce into their business. Online shopping was just a convenience before, but now, it's a necessity!  Today I'm sharing five tips for retail e-commerce success, including the metrics you need to track for your online storefront and how to calculate them.  Be sure to listen to the end of today'...

If you're in the US, tax season is upon us. Many shopkeepers are trying to clean up or catch up on their bookkeeping for 2020. Today, I'm sharing 10 places you can cut costs for your store that you might not have thought of—and giving you some encouragement on changing your money mindset for 2021.  Click HERE to sign up to get my sheet with 20 tips for cutting expenses! For full show notes and lin...

We all experience seasons in life and business.  I'm currently experiencing one myself so it's the perfect time to talk about how to manage this, in terms of time and your brain . In this episode I'm sharing about my own current "season" in business and why I've had to let some things go or push other things down on my priority list. Thank you to Dani of Cotton Shed Vintage Market and High Cotton...

Episode 13 of the Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast, "What Made 2019 Successful for Independent Retailers", is one of the most downloaded episodes of this podcast.  I understand why.  It helps to know WHAT IS contributes to the success of other independent retailers. No one expected or could have predicted 2020, right?  What a year. Independent Retailers did some incredible things to get through 202...

I struggled to record this episode.  To answer the common questions I receive about what else Savvy Shopkeeper offers beyond this podcast . Until I received a personal message on Facebook. Listen to the lesson a fellow Shopkeeper in the Lab taught me AND learn the answer to the question about what Savvy Shopkeeper offers, beyond the podcast. To visit either website mentioned in this bonus podcast...

The Retail CEO Challenge is coming to an end, and we're wrapping up the challenge by learning how to complete the Retail Business Year-End Report! This 11-page document will help challenge participants to summarize their 2020 business metrics. Listen in to learn what data you should be tracking in your business and the benchmarks you need to watch out for—whether you're participating in the challe...

Shopkeepers sometimes get so busy with their day-to-day work that they forget to check in on the health of their business. Today I'm sharing how to set a CEO date with yourself, what you should check in on as you evaluate your business health, and what to do once you can see the full picture. For show notes, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode58 Learn more about Kathy Cruz and Savvy Shopkeeper a...

Tracking is one of the key pillars of a successful business. Without tracking, a business owner simply cannot know what works and what does not. My mission with this challenge is to empower you to become the CEO of your business, and that's why I'm sharing so much about tracking in the Retail CEO Challenge! Listen in to learn how tracking helps you build a better business and what tracking workshe...

Every retail business needs to have systems and processes in place to run successfully and smoothly. But so many shopkeepers neglect to create these crucial pieces of their business until they are stressed, overwhelmed, and lost. Today, I'm sharing what we're tackling in part 1 of the Retail CEO Challenge: creating systems and processes for your business and organizing them in a central CEO binder...

The Savvy Shopkeeper mission is to empower micro independent retailers to work less, profit more. That's why, over the next several weeks, I'm running a new challenge for the Savvy Shopkeeper community: The Retail CEO Challenge ! In today's episode, I'm sharing why you should join the challenge, what you'll learn, and how this challenge will set you up for a successful year as an empowered CEO of...

Shopkeepers, and probably many small business owners, are feeling lonely. Trying to run a small business during a pandemic is no joke! I want all shopkeepers to know that they are not alone in their feelings about this difficult year. Recently, I asked members of Master Shopkeepers to reflect on the year. Today I'm sharing the things they missed, longed for, and wished would go away in 2020. For s...

As a Shopify Partner, I've designed websites for other small business owners on the Shopify platform. It's an incredible platform with tons of features that allow anyone to set up an online store. But Shopify isn't the perfect fit for everyone! Today, I'm breaking down which types of retailers should consider Shopify and what to consider if you choose to make the switch. For show notes and to try...

After the curveball that 2020 threw us, it's safe to say that no one can truly predict what's coming. After doing a little research and reflecting on what worked this year, though, I've got 10 ideas of what we might see in 2021. Listen in to hear my best guesses for what we'll see in merchandising, shipping, eCommerce, product trends, and more. For show notes, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode...

My goal for all Savvy Shopkeepers is to "work less, profit more." But it can be tough to gauge how much we should be paying ourselves, especially when salary isn't openly discussed among retailers. I've collected data from retailers for several months now about salary goals via a free, anonymous salary calculator. Today I'm breaking down the calculator results and sharing why you should be setting...

On the 50th episode of the Savvy Shopkeeper podcast, I interviewed the retail equivalent of a household name: Becky Tyre. Known for her incredible skill as a visual merchandising consultant, she's also the host of the Retail Details podcast. She shared what she's seen retailers do well during the pandemic, two simple changes to make our stores more accessible, and her best tips for attending large...