The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

The Power of Routines: Key Habits of Successful Retailers   Today we are delving into the routines and habits that highly successful retailers adopt to thrive. I’m breaking down essential routines—from daily to yearly planning—that help businesses stay proactive and in control. I discuss the importance of structure, focusing on critical tasks first, and regularly reviewing business performanc...

Making Christmas Content Fun: Tips for Product Businesses with Alice Loveday   Today I’m joined by Alice Loveday, founder of Loveday Social, to discuss how small businesses can create fun and engaging Christmas content. We emphasize the importance of planning and starting early (we mean now, in the summer!) with a strategy that includes breaking down content purposes, using creative technique...

In this episode, I'll be sharing insights on how to prepare your Christmas marketing strategy efficiently. We've already covered strategies, handling burnout, product preparation, and more in previous episodes of this series.    Today, I'll guide you on creating a structured marketing plan, breaking down the 13-week period before Christmas, and offer tips on repurposing successful past c...

Today I get to share expert tips on developing products that your customers will eagerly buy for Christmas. I'm joined by Joanne Griffin, founder of Creative Flow Collective, as we discuss using customer research and trends to create standout products. We emphasize the importance of market research, understanding your unique selling proposition (USP), and staying relevant through trends and custom...

Today, we're diving into your Christmas product strategy for 2024. I'll guide you through analyzing last year's sales data, identifying 'hero' products, planning your product range, setting your launch date, and making accurate sales projections.    Whether you have years of Christmas sales data or are gearing up for your first holiday season, this episode will help you prepare effective...

Today I’m joined by business coach Mike Cole to discuss effective strategies for preparing for the Christmas season. We talk about the importance of setting realistic plans, identifying non-negotiables, and avoiding the pitfalls of 'happy path' planning. Mike shares insights on capacity planning, business continuity planning, and the importance of self-care during busy periods. We also discuss wha...

Today we are kicking off a six-part series on preparing for the crucial time of year for retailers, Christmas.    In this episode, I explain why now is the perfect time to start planning and share insights on setting goals, reviewing past performance, and strategizing for the upcoming holiday season. We'll explore how to plan for sales, manage resources effectively, and ensure your busin...

How do you improve the cash flow in your independent retailer or e-commerce brand?    I want to introduce you to an acronym that I came up with to talk about the different elements that make up the cash flow in your business. And that, appropriately enough, is SHOPS.    And in today's episode, I'm going to talk you through the five different elements of SHOPS and how each one h...

In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, host Catherine Erdly and coach Annabel Gonifas explore how mindset influences business performance. Catherine discusses her personal experiences and emphasizes the importance of addressing mindset in her Product Business Mastermind. Annabel elaborates on the key challenges small business owners face, such as limiting beliefs, values alignment, and...

It's amazing the difference that a year can make.    I am one year into my signature mastermind and I'm just about to start welcoming the fifth cohort of my signature Mastermind program where I work in-depth with ambitious product business owners, finding out what's going on with them, discovering what their challenges are, and helping them achieve their business goals.   And since...

I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but it's episode number 200 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan.    It is unbelievable to me that the podcast that I started nearly four years ago in 2020 has just hit its 200th episode, and I wanted to do something a little bit different today.   I have swapped places with my guests and I am being interviewed for today's episode.   ...

Father's Day is coming and it is the last big gift-giving occasion before Christmas. Generally speaking its not as big as big as Mother's Day in terms of spend, but it's still significant and it is definitely worth exploring.   Today I’m going to share 12 marketing ideas for you in your business when it comes to Father's Day.    Let’s Dive In   [00:00] Father’s Day is Coming&nb...

How do you find managing cash flow in your business?     If it is something that comes to you easily, you may be surprised to hear that you are definitely in the minority.    If you're one of the people who feels like cash flow is stressful and everybody else has it figured out, then I can promise you it is not the case.    Over the last few weeks, I have spent s...

Creating content for our businesses, love it or hate it, it is part of the everyday life of a small business owner. But how do you do it in a way that doesn't suck all of the joy and fun out of the process?    In this episode, I'm joined by Char Dixon. Char is the founder of Loudmouth Content. She also has a really in-depth background in the retail industry and a whole host of knowledge...

Today I will be answering four questions that I've been asked from my membership and mastermind about stock management.     If you've got a question about stock management that isn’t answered by today's podcast, you can join the Resilient Retail Club, where you will be able to ask me whatever questions you’d like whenever you like.    And if you have enjoyed this series on...

How often are you reviewing your stock?   Stock management is not a one-and-done type scenario.     I certainly would be able to sit down with you and audit your stock. We would be able to go through it, look at how much you've got, understand what's working, and what's not working, and I could make recommendations on how you could trim that stock back and what you should focus...

How well are you managing the most valuable asset in your business?    In other words, your stock. The chances are, if you are a product business owner, whether that is an e-commerce brand or an independent retailer, then the majority of the financial value of your business is tied up in your stock. And my question to you is how well are you managing that asset?  In the last episode asked you, do...

Is your cash flow problem really a stock management problem?   The reason I asked this question is because recently when I ran the Retail ROAR summit, I asked everyone who signed up what their biggest issues were. And the biggest issue that came up, particularly in people with a six-figure (or more) businesses,  was their cash flow and people were talking about issues that they were havi...

In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m talking with Tamsin Rennie, founder of Monroe Creative, about the critical balance between aesthetic appeal and functional performance of websites for product-based businesses.    We discuss common mistakes businesses make when DIYing their websites, the significance of professional branding and web design, and how to strategically a...

Have you used Google Shopping in your business? Maybe you've given it a go, but you're not really sure if you're getting the best results. Or you've taken a look and it just all seems too complicated.    Today I’m joined by Sara Jones. She is the founder of the online retail Academy and she's a specialist in Google Shopping Ads. She's going to be talking to us about the difference betwee...

Being in the retail business today has been described to me as standing on one side of the Grand Canyon and being able to see the other side, but having no idea how to get across.    You are an ambitious, focused business owner who has big plans, and big dreams for their businesses, but you just can’t see how to bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be.  &...

Maybe you've been wondering, will my customers buy this? Will they like this new product line I'm developing or purchasing? Or what, quite simply, do my customers want to see from me?   We often get told that we need to talk to our customers to understand them. It's advice I've certainly given out a lot in my lifetime, for sure.  But what do we actually say to them? How do we even figure...

Sales - without it, we don’t have a business, just an expensive hobby.  And yet, for many of us, when it comes to thinking about selling our products or services, or promoting our businesses to the world, it suddenly feels very difficult.     One of the people I come back to time and time again when it comes to getting clear about selling on social media is Sara Dalrymple.&nbsp...

Today's podcast is a pep talk. And the theme of the pep talk today is that the UK is officially in recession.  So you might think this is an odd theme for a pep talk, but I know that it can feel overwhelming and demotivating when you hear headlines like “ UK officially in a recession after Christmas sales collapse.” It can feel like a very worrying time for a business owner. And we've also ha...

Today I want to share three tips on how you can get the most out of the Retail ROAR conference. The conference features a lineup of 10 founders of retail businesses or brands and 9 subject matter experts. To help you prepare to get the most from the conference I share a summary of the diverse range of speakers and their respective topics, which cover various aspects of retail business, including s...