Retail stores often struggle to get the customer traffic necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world. It’s even more difficult for stores that aren’t located in a high-traffic area. While a good location definitely helps, it’s not the only way to drive traffic to retail stores.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Growing a Business
Originally created for the Portland Chinese Times by Leslie Hildula, Jade District Business Liaison from Small Business Development Center at Portland Community College.
Topics: Small Business, Retail
It goes without saying that opening a restaurant is a huge commitment. This is especially true for those who have never opened a restaurant before, and are putting all their chips on the table to fulfill a lifelong dream or passion.
Topics: Small Business, Stories & News, Retail, Starting a Business, Food
If you’re a brick and mortar retailer, you realize how rapidly the retail environment has been changing, and the unique challenges physical retail is facing. For instance, online shopping is seeing tremendous growth and the cost of renting space is increasing.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Growing a Business
Entrepreneurs and small retailers understand the challenges they face in growing and maintaining their business. Because they wear many different hats and must manage multiple aspects of their company, there are certain resources every retail entrepreneur needs to know. We’ve put together a list of 25 online resources for retailers that can help you increase brand awareness, keep customers happy, grow sales, and be successful.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Growing a Business
Leslie Hildula, business advisor and lead of the retail programs at PCC Small Business Development Center, met with Kristen Mozian, Marketing Manager, to discuss how retail business owners can increase sales at their brick and mortar shops this winter on Facebook Live. Watch below or scroll down to the notes.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Growing a Business
In 2013, President Obama raised minimum wage to $9/hour, as previous wages were so low that families were unable to afford living costs. Today, states are raising wages even higher, with California being the first state to adopt the legislation that will gradually raise minimum wage to $15/hour. This increase is a positive one for workers, but what does this mean for small business owners like you? Well, it could mean that jobs might need to be cut if employers are expected to pay higher rates. We could also see an increase in prices (up to 4.3%) as well, as employers will need to make more money to pay a higher wage.
Topics: Small Business, Business, Retail, Management, Growing a Business
The Holidays are such an important time of year for small businesses. For many, especially in retail, the Holidays may make or break the entire financial year. Craft fairs and holiday markets have become popular among both consumers and small businesses during this time. But are businesses doing all they can to maximize their retail sales from holiday markets?
Topics: Professional Development, Small Business, Retail, HR & Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership, Management, Starting a Business, Growing a Business
Owning your own retail business can be an exciting, albeit challenging, undertaking. When you look around at some of the larger brands you can see how shifts in consumer behavior and brand loyalty has changed the success and trajectory of a once rather predictable industry. For instance, Wal-Mart announced earlier this year that they would close 269 locations in 2016, accounting for roughly three percent of their stores.
Topics: Professional Development, Small Business, Retail, HR & Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership, Management, Starting a Business, Growing a Business
With all the buzz around digital marketing and e-commerce, it might be tempting to think that brick and mortar stores are going the way of the dinosaur. But you’d actually be wrong. As a matter of fact, 94 percent of all retail sales in America are still generated by brick and mortar stores.
But before opening a brick and mortar store, you need to have all of your bases covered as a small business owner. There are a lot of moving parts to getting your physical storefront up and running, and with that comes a lot of opportunities for things to go sideways.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Starting a Business