Ok, there are two big weeks left and then the city contracted auditor drops by for many of us. 

 If you are still doing a comprehensive physical count you have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. 

 For those of you who are doing regularly scheduled cycle counts; congratulations you have seen the light!  More than likely there is no year end physical count for you and your staff, no extra expense, and no last minute headaches. 

Many member cities are employing cycle count methods with great success and realizing great savings as well. 

 There are many potential advantages:

·          Little or no year end labor costs

·          More accurate tracking of variances in inventory

·          Easier identification of high theft items

·          Deterrent to internal theft

So when you have that extra time on your hands in the second week of January, give a hard look to your inventory practices and maybe you can save yourself some time and money.  If you are hesitant to go this route for whatever reason, consult your auditor or contact one of the MMBA directors and we can lend a hand.  Here is to hoping you have very little to count after the next two weekends.

Happy Holidays!

Brian Hachey, MMBA Secretary- Treasurer

By Shari Waters, About.com Guide

Retailers all have the same basic path to success. That is, we must increase sales and reduce expenses in order to improve profitability. The goal is the same but how we achieve each milestone may vary.

Take a look at the following ways to better your business:

1. Reduce Shrinkage
 
You may believe employee theft and shoplifting aren't a problem in your business, but simple pricing mistakes can also cost retailers quite a bit. The average shrink percentage in the retail industry is about two percent of sales. Learn to identify and reduce sources of shrink.

2. Increase Sales Opportunities

Whether you're up-selling to a customer or planning an expansion into a multi-channel environment, retailers should learn to notice and take advantage of every possible opportunity to sell.
 
3. Improve Customer Service

One easy way to better your business is to improve customer service. Retailers should develop customer-friendly policies, train employees to provide outstanding customer service, and learn how to create customer loyalty.

4. Add New Products or Product Lines

One way to keep customers returning to your shop is by offering new and exciting products. When adding new products or expanding product lines, keep in mind that not only should there be a demand for the item, but it must also be profitable and something you enjoy selling.


5. Buy From Vendors with Best Value

The vendor who sales an item at the lowest price isn't necessarily the vendor you want to buy from. When selecting a supplier, consider shipping, terms of sale and other factors to determine the vendor with the best value. These small details may erode a retailers bottom line.

6. Increase Marketing

How often have you said you can't afford to advertise right now? Maybe once business picks up you'll place an ad. Or maybe you're holding those advertising dollars until the holiday shopping begins. Either way, you could be losing potential customers right now. Begin tailoring your marketing efforts to your target audience. If you don't spread the word, no one will know you exist.

7. Lower Expenses

To better your business and return more profits to your bottom line, learn where you can cut operating expenses. Look around your shop. Could buying instead of leasing save money? Are you outsourcing something you could easily do?

8. Get Out of the Store

Attend a trade show or other retail expo. These conferences are developed in order to give retail owners, buyers and managers the opportunity to meet existing suppliers, conduct business meetings, network with others in retail and investigate new products.

9. Add One New Time or Money Saving Piece of Technology

Every time we invest in a new piece of technology, we're always amazed at the results and wonder how we lived without it for so long. Find one new money or time saving piece of technology to implement in your store this year. For example, if you are using manual cash registers, consider a POS system.

10. Provide Training for Staff

Once you've determined how to best implement the nine ways to better your business listed above, pass that information on to your staff. Your retail employees are the ones on the front-line every day and should be trained to reduce shrink, improve customer service and increase sales opportunities.