| Not long ago I was asked to come out and
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| | then I would advertise the stink out of
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| take a look at a business that had been
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| | it.Secondly, gluten free and sugar free
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| around for about 10 years... but the
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| | products are selling big nationally and
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| owner was frustrated with the amount of
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| | these two categories should have a
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| money he was making.Here is the story of
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| | prominent place in the building.One point
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| a natural food retail store located in
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| | when it comes to
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| New York State.The business itself is
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| | inventorydo it monthly.
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| located in western New York State, within
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| | If all the products were entered into a
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| a small village. It sits upon one of the
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| | computer as were received in the store
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| "main drags" going through the village
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| | and then checked off as sold, inventory
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| and probably sees as much car & foot
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| | would not take very long to do. This
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| traffic as any other business in the
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| | would help find areas of concern as they
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| limited "downtown" area.I'm going to
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| | apply to both store security and
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| approach this as an "outside-inside"
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| | inventory "turns", which is a measure of
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| project. In other words, I'm going to
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| | profitability.The temperature of the
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| look at the outside of the business
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| | store seemed a bit too low for me. While
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| first... and see how we can improve
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| | I respect the need to monitor utility
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| market that better and then we'll go
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| | costs this is an area where customers
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| inside for a review of that part of the
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| | notice big-time and I think the
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| business.Outside: Quite frankly the
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| | impression it gives is one of being
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| village this business is located in is in
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| | cut-rate rather than first class. I
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| tough shape. It consists of quite a few
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| | think it probably does not foster a
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| buildings that need some exterior help
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| | pleasant work environment for everyone
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| such as painting and what not. The
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| | either... I mean who really wants to be
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| facade for this business is for the most
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| | cold while they work? If you're
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| part is good, except for a couple areas
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| | concerned about costs don't be.
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| that I'll touch upon shortly.The big
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| | Everything I'm suggesting is geared
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| problem I have with the front of the
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| | towards improving sales and profits of
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| building is the color white. While the
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| | the business. You neglect to do any of
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| color white is good for a great many
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| | them and in my opinion your store's
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| applications, I think for a retail
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| | ultimate sale and profit potential will
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| storefront that is trying to attract
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| | take a hit.The signage thing I talked
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| attention it's just plain boring. And
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| | about in the entrance-way is prevalent
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| since many of the buildings in the
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| | throughout the building--too many old,
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| village are also white this causes the
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| | battered signs that make the place look
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| business to lose some of its
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| | unkept. Every month or so the signs
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| identity.What would I do? Probably paint
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| | should be redone on the computer because
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| it a variety of bright colors... yellows,
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| | they do degrade quickly.Let's talk about
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| reds, oranges. Colors that are bright
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| | personnel or more specifically their
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| and livid, colors that stand out. Colors
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| | appearance. I greatly suggest that a
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| that make the building jump to attention
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| | standard shirt or smock be adopted by
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| and make it noticeable to anyone
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| | management and worn by all staff at all
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| traveling down the street. The building
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| | times. Why I suggest this is that it
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| needs to be bold and the color white
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| | promotes consistency plus it does give
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| doesn't cut it. Right now it looks just
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| | the wearer a little pride because they
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| like any tired, boring storefront in "any
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| | are wearing a "uniform". Consumers are
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| village" USA. The whole building does
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| | always more receptive and respectful to
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| not have to be repainted, just the front
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| | people in a uniform. Call it
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| portion that is going to catch the eye.
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| | psychological or call it crap but it does
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| This will save on costs.Secondly the
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| | work that's why the chain and franchise
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| concrete steps need to be patched up.
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| | businesses require them. It's not
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| This isn't an expensive or time consuming
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| | because they want to spend the money but
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| project either but it can improve the
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| | because it helps them make
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| appearance AND PERCEPTION of the business
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| | money.Obviously the layout of the store
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| 100%. And remember perception is
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| | needs to be changed as quickly as
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| everything.The front sign could be done
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| | possible so customers don't have to go
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| in brighter colors also but I'm more
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| | through the office area in order to reach
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| concerned with the facade and concrete
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| | other parts of the building. I realize
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| work at this point.The last thing that
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| | that it is going to take time and money
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| needs be done from an "outside-in"
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| | and it's something already in the works.I
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| perspective is to change, redo or
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| | would also have some kind of music
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| eliminate all the signage hanging or
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| | playing in the store, pick whatever type
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| taped on the front doors and windows.
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| | you want but music is usually beneficial
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| Many of the present signs are
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| | for both employees and customers.I would
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| "dog-eared", "yellowed" or
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| | think a "Policies and Procedures" manual
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| "sun-bleached". These signs don't
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| | would greatly benefit this business. Not
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| present a good image as the customer
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| | only will it cause tasks to be done
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| enters the building. Paper signs need to
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| | uniformly and consistently it will
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| be replaced on a regular basis in order
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| | greatly relieve the burden put on both
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| to keep the entryway from looking
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| | the staff and the owner for training new
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| anything other than "clean", "organized"
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| | employees. Not that new employees don't
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| and while I hate the word, it fits in
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| | need training because the do but verbal
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| this circumstance
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| | training is inconsistent training. The
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| "professional".Let me put this important
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| | same, exact set of instructions are
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| point across to you right now. The
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| | rarely given twice in a row. Verbal
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| profits generated by the business are
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| | instructions are not geared to creating
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| tied to the prices you charge.
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| | consistent service to customers and
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| Duh--right! But you see in order to
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| | consistent operations throughout the
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| charge higher prices a business has to
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| | store. High points should be touch
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| have a certain look or meet certain
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| | verbally but every task that is done in
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| expectations in the customer's mind.
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| | that business should be written down in a
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| Remember a business that is well
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| | simple step by step format and then
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| maintained, well run and well organized
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| | arranged in a notebook.Each new employee
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| can still discount products and have
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| | that is hired by the business is given
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| sales. But a business that is not well
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| | one of these notebooks. Inside the
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| maintained, well run and well organized
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| | notebook would also be the employment
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| can not ever hope to get higher
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| | guidelines of the business.Employees that
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| pricesyou see the perception of
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| | aren't trained in a professional manner
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| the business just doesn't allow it to
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| | and don't work in a professional
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| charge more.Inside: The thing I noticed
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| | environment tend not to act professional
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| after I first stepped into the building
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| | about their position, towards the
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| was the "inconsistency". What I mean by
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| | customers and towards each other. Does
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| this is that we have old building with
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| | that make sense? It should because while
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| old style walls with a drop ceiling and a
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| | it may be painful to acknowledge it is
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| tile floor. While I'm not recommending
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| | the truth. Even minimum wage employees
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| major construction I think there are a
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| | need to be treated professionally,
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| couple things that can be done to make
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| | trained professionally and work in a
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| the business look more "uniform" and
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| | professional environment. Do you want to
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| "consistent".Let's talk about the walls
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| | see moral go up? Productivity increases?
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| first. Since we're not in a position to
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| | Theft goes down? Then implement these
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| redo the floor and remove the drop
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| | changes immediately.Will you still get
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| ceiling let's cover up the walls. With
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| | some "bad apples"? Of course, it's
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| what you may ask? What about putting up
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| | unavoidable but it will allow you to turn
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| pictures of East Otto and the surrounding
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| | some of these folks on the edge into good
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| areas? Put up photos of old buildings
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| | employees.The easiest way I know of in
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| and of people that have lived in the
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| | creating a "Policies & Procedure's"
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| area. This will help give the business a
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| | manual is to take one task every week and
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| "theme", which it really doesn't have at
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| | do a procedure's sheet on that task.
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| this point and it's a theme that
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| | List each step of the task... you know
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| ties itself to the community.Now the
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| | "Step 1-Do this first", "Step 2-Do this
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| ceiling, the ceiling tiles need to be
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| | next", "Step 3-Then do this". Before you
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| desperately replaced and/or painted.
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| | know it you'll have a complete manual
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| These tiles aren't expensive and sections
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| | that can be photocopied and handed to
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| of the ceiling could be replaced over
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| | each new employee. You can't imagine how
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| time.The floor... what the floor needs is
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| | much easier a "Policies and Procedure's"
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| to be stripped and waxed. And it should
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| | manual will make a business owner's
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| be waxed on a regular basis. I know of
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| | life.Now let's talk advertising. I think
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| no other thing that can improve the
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| | the easiest and cheapest way to advertise
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| overall look of a business more so than
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| | this business is to use simple and
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| keeping the floor looking great. This
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| | low-cost classified ads. Every week an
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| isn't expensive to do the results would
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| | ad should be run in some newspaper or
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| be incredible.Like I said previously if
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| | penny-saver within the trading zone of
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| the overall perception of the store is
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| | the store. And these ads shouldn't be
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| one of being well maintained, well
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| | some generic "Shop at Naturally Your's"
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| organized and well run then the store
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| | type ad. Instead advertise one product
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| will not only see more business but
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| | at an aggressive price OR advertise a
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| profits will increase because it (the
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| | unique part of your store, like "Lo-carb"
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| store) can charge more to fit it's new
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| | products or "Gluten free" products or
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| image.Inventory needs to be increased...
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| | "Videos for rent" or something similar.
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| not by thousands of dollars but in a
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| | Remember advertise something specific!
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| couple important areas. First the whole
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| | Generalities don't sell--specifics do!In
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| "low-carb" thing that is sweeping the
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| | conclusion I think there is a lot you can
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| nation is a golden nugget of profit that
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| | do to improve the profitability of your
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| "Naturally Your" is virtually ignoring.
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| | business right now and without spending a
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| I would invest a few hundred dollars into
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| | fortune. Now is the time to get started.
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| this category as soon as possible. And
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|
