myRetailer.ca

I was recently looking for some inspiration and new topics and noticed that Bizlaunch.ca is running a series of (FREE) webinars taloired to small business owners.  They cover numerous topics and are running throughout the year.

Some topics that caught my attention:

• Simple Systems to Manage Your Time and Build a Great Business
• Sources of Finance for Business Growth – Grants, Loans and Free Money
• Low Cost No Cost Marketing Ideas You Can Use to Grow Your Business
• 7 Secrets to Building a Successful Business – A Growth Strategy
• Tax Saving Tips for Small Business
• 10 Easy Ways to Get Free Publicity for Your Small Business
• Develop a Business Plan to Boost Your Sales and Profits

The list is extensive and there’s something for everyone. I encourage you to check it out.

http://www.bizlaunch.ca/location/Web/seminars.php?&m=All

Find Your Fire event at Ryerson University was a tremendous success.

Click here to view the video highlights and podcasts.

Zoran Kocovski, Principal of Sassafraz kicked off the event and shared his passion for the restaurant industry with a tribute to his journey to becoming one of Toronto’s foremost dining destinations. The round table panel then engaged in discussions with the audience on topics ranging from how to create a business plan to how to use marketing and public relations tools to promote a restaurant business.

Dr. Roy Morley began the second session with his 30 tips for small businesses, followed by a moving presentation from keynote speaker Tom Mihalik of Tom’s Place. Tom shared his emotional journey to becoming a Kensington Market institution. The second round table discussion covered topics related to social media and start-up businesses. (more…)

Optimize your marketing tactics and understand the lingo your customers speak.

I heard a presenter the other day speak about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) marketing. He reminded us to always speak to your customers. Duh! No kidding! Shouldn’t we always speak to our customers?

What he was trying to drive home is that when searching for mattresses, most people will not search for Sealy Mattresses in Calgary. Instead they’ll search for what they’re looking for; Mattresses in Calgary.

Most customers don’t know or care what brand name they’re looking for, they simply looking for what they want; a comfortable mattress that is priced right and can be delivered before the weekend.

Whether you’re communicating with customers through a website, e-mail campaign, print marketing, radio, person to person sales, informing of benefits, keep the information relevant to what they’re looking for in the terms that they can easily understand. Don’t make things complicated by using of jargon or brand names that no one recognizes or cares about.

Keep your messages short, to the point and relevant to what your customers are looking for. Nothing more.

When it comes to marketing, less is usually better.

Reliable Point-of-Sale Solutions Crucial for Florists Who Process Up to Three Per Cent of Annual Business on Mother’s Day Alone

Canadians certainly love their moms, lavishing them with flowers, spa treatments and jewellery for Mother’s Day 2009. Point-of-sale results from Moneris Solutions, Canada’s largest provider of payment processing solutions, reveals that florists across the country experienced a surge in business between the first weekend in May and Mother’s Day weekend, with credit card transactions jumping by 5 per cent over the previous week in the flower, spa, jewellery and garden retail categories. Debit cards were active, too, with florists processing 255 per cent more than during than same period last week.

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Welcome to a new blog solely dedicated to providing ideas and insight that will help drive success for independent Canadian retailers. I’m Andy Buyting.

You might be wondering who I am and what I’m all about. I’m an independent retailer based in Atlantic Canada. My business, Green Village Home & Garden is one of Canada’s most successful retail home & garden stores. My family has operated the business for more than twenty years in Fredericton, N.B..Today we operate two stores in Fredericton and Moncton. We also operate a landscape service company in Fredericton with plans to launch our services toMoncton area residents in time for the 2009 season.

In 2007,I published The Retailer’s Roadmap to Success: 33 Secrets for Driving Your Business to the Next Level.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 14:59 — 13.7MB)