| Call on Us | | |
We can help your borrowers better understand their market, industry, and financials. ASBTDC offers one-on-one consulting services for current and prospective small business owners at no charge. Training and market research are also available. Our goal is to equip business owners with the information, guidance, and tools they need to make better business decisions.
800.862.2040
501.683.7700
|
12 Ways
ASBTDC Can Assist Your Customers
· Market information
and research
· Site selection
· Financial benchmarks
· Industry trends
and outlook
· Business planning
· Expansion planning
· Ratio analysis
· Marketing
· Projections
· Training (classroom and online)
· Website optimization
· Loan proposals
asbtdc.ualr.edu
|
|
Free Online Training for Small Businesses
|
Want to give your small business clients'
business knowledge a boost? The ASBTDC offers 20 on-demand online small
business courses, now available at no charge. The no-frills curriculum
provides real-world tools and information and teaches the "3 Ms" --
money, marketing and management.
Small business owners and employees can access ASBTDC's online training at asbtdc.ualr.edu/training. Tell them to enter gift certificate "arjobs" to take any online course for free!
|
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. UALR is committed to the policy of providing equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate in employment, admissions, programs, or any other educational functions and services on the basis of sex, age, disability, race, and national origin, color, or religion. |
|
|
Fact: Gift shops carry on average 70-90 days' worth of inventory. When peak and holiday periods approach, however, the range may be much higher. (First Research)
 Labor Day is over, the kids are back in school, and football season has started. Sounds like fall, right? For retailers, though, this is the season of preparing for the holidays.
When
stocking for peak inventory periods, gift shops typically cover working
capital needs through vendor financing or commercial lines of credit.
Gross margins average around 50 percent.
Despite a dropoff in tourism and competition from mass merchandisers, independently owned gift shops can successfully differentiate themselves on Black Friday and beyond by offering specialized merchandise, superior customer service, community events, and personal services. Due to the high value owners place on customer service and seasonal fluctuations in hiring, the gift shop industry is labor intensive, with average revenue per worker of $80,000.
Industry representatives are encouraged by recently released numbers: - U.S. retail sales increased 4 percent in the first six months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.
- Average order sizes placed at industry markets have increased between 3 and 13 percent this year.
The average gift store occupies 2,400 feet, most often in high traffic areas in shopping malls, tourist paths, or near major highways and thoroughfares.
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center welcomes your referral of gift shop owners and other retail clients. Whether they need assistance with cash flow analysis, a marketing strategy for the holidays, or this type of market research for a loan package, ASBTDC can help.
|
|
Signature Baskets, Flowers & Gifts
Lisa Caplinger launched her Batesville gift shop, Signature Baskets, Flowers & Gifts, in 2007 after the Arkansas State University ASBTDC assisted her with her business plan and loan proposal.
Not content to be
just another brick-and-mortar shop, Signature uses an effective Web site
and e-mail marketing campaigns to
promote its custom gift baskets.
http://www.signaturebaskets.net
|
|
Get Found with Google Places
Google Places, formerly Google Local Business Center, is a
great asset to small business owners. These free listings appear at the top
of many Google searches next to a map pinpointing possible business matches.
They are also on the initial screen smart phone users see when researching a business.
Direct your small business clients to the ASBTDC for help establishing their presence on Google Places and other online business listings. The listings are free, ASBTDC's consulting services are free -- it's a win-win for your clients!
Read more about Google Places
|
|
Seminar Spotlight: Understanding Financial Statements & Credit Reports
Small business owners don't have to have an MBA to read and interpret
financial data, just an active concern and passion for the health of their
business. By presenting and demystifying templates for financial statements and analytical ratios, this seminar offers several valuable lessons to small business people:
-
What financial information is vital to operating
a business
- How to determine their current financial standing at all
times
-
What the difference is between profitability and cash
flow
-
What lenders look for in financial and credit
data
ASBTDC will offer "Understanding Financial Statements & Credit Reports" at 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, in Little Rock.
Register at asbtdc.ualr.edu/training/littlerock.
|
|
|
|
|
