How do you find managing cash flow in your business? If it is something that comes to you easily, you may be surprised to hear that you are definitely in the minority. If you're one of the people who feels like cash flow is stressful and everybody else has it figured out, then I can promise you it is not the case. Over the last few weeks, I have spent some time talking to retailers one-on-one about how they manage their cash flow in their business. And it has been absolutely fascinating If you a...
May 16, 2024•19 min
Creating content for our businesses, love it or hate it, it is part of the everyday life of a small business owner. But how do you do it in a way that doesn't suck all of the joy and fun out of the process? In this episode, I'm joined by Char Dixon. Char is the founder of Loudmouth Content. She also has a really in-depth background in the retail industry and a whole host of knowledge about what it takes to market and promote your product business in a way that feels joyful, fun, and without the ...
May 09, 2024•29 min
Today I will be answering four questions that I've been asked from my membership and mastermind about stock management. If you've got a question about stock management that isn’t answered by today's podcast, you can join the Resilient Retail Club, where you will be able to ask me whatever questions you’d like whenever you like. And if you have enjoyed this series on stock management but you know, for a fact, you will just not have the time to do it, then I do encourage you to join the waiting li...
May 02, 2024•20 min
How often are you reviewing your stock? Stock management is not a one-and-done type scenario. I certainly would be able to sit down with you and audit your stock. We would be able to go through it, look at how much you've got, understand what's working, and what's not working, and I could make recommendations on how you could trim that stock back and what you should focus on going forward. And while this can be incredibly helpful it won’t prevent issues on an ongoing basis. Moving into a monthly...
Apr 25, 2024•19 min
How well are you managing the most valuable asset in your business? In other words, your stock. The chances are, if you are a product business owner, whether that is an e-commerce brand or an independent retailer, then the majority of the financial value of your business is tied up in your stock. And my question to you is how well are you managing that asset? In the last episode asked you, do you have a cashflow problem or a stock management problem. And I suggested that you have a stock plan to...
Apr 18, 2024•18 min
Is your cash flow problem really a stock management problem? The reason I asked this question is because recently when I ran the Retail ROAR summit, I asked everyone who signed up what their biggest issues were. And the biggest issue that came up, particularly in people with a six-figure (or more) businesses, was their cash flow and people were talking about issues that they were having managing it. This happens to be an area that I love to geek out about so I wanted to share my experience from ...
Apr 11, 2024•20 min
In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m talking with Tamsin Rennie, founder of Monroe Creative, about the critical balance between aesthetic appeal and functional performance of websites for product-based businesses. We discuss common mistakes businesses make when DIYing their websites, the significance of professional branding and web design, and how to strategically appeal to your specific customers. We also cover practical tips for improving website functionality, the importanc...
Apr 04, 2024•23 min
Have you used Google Shopping in your business? Maybe you've given it a go, but you're not really sure if you're getting the best results. Or you've taken a look and it just all seems too complicated. Today I’m joined by Sara Jones. She is the founder of the online retail Academy and she's a specialist in Google Shopping Ads. She's going to be talking to us about the difference between Google Shopping Ads and Meta Ads, how to set it up and how to get the best results for your business. Let’s div...
Mar 28, 2024•31 min
Being in the retail business today has been described to me as standing on one side of the Grand Canyon and being able to see the other side, but having no idea how to get across. You are an ambitious, focused business owner who has big plans, and big dreams for their businesses, but you just can’t see how to bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be. So today I'm going to be sharing with you some of the behaviors and actions that I've seen small business owners take th...
Mar 21, 2024•33 min
Maybe you've been wondering, will my customers buy this? Will they like this new product line I'm developing or purchasing? Or what, quite simply, do my customers want to see from me? We often get told that we need to talk to our customers to understand them. It's advice I've certainly given out a lot in my lifetime, for sure. But what do we actually say to them? How do we even figure that out? And how do we get people to share information with us that is genuine? How many times have you maybe a...
Mar 14, 2024•31 min
Sales - without it, we don’t have a business, just an expensive hobby. And yet, for many of us, when it comes to thinking about selling our products or services, or promoting our businesses to the world, it suddenly feels very difficult. One of the people I come back to time and time again when it comes to getting clear about selling on social media is Sara Dalrymple. I can’t actually remember how I first came across Sara, but we’ve been chatting on Instagram for years, and I’ve invited her into...
Mar 07, 2024•35 min
Today's podcast is a pep talk. And the theme of the pep talk today is that the UK is officially in recession. So you might think this is an odd theme for a pep talk, but I know that it can feel overwhelming and demotivating when you hear headlines like “ UK officially in a recession after Christmas sales collapse.” It can feel like a very worrying time for a business owner. And we've also had other high-profile bad news recently in the press, for example, the body shop going into administration,...
Feb 29, 2024•14 min
Today I want to share three tips on how you can get the most out of the Retail ROAR conference. The conference features a lineup of 10 founders of retail businesses or brands and 9 subject matter experts. To help you prepare to get the most from the conference I share a summary of the diverse range of speakers and their respective topics, which cover various aspects of retail business, including social media, website development, public relations, wholesale success, email strategy, and maintaini...
Feb 22, 2024•16 min
In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I am talking with coach and facilitator Hayley Watts about effective team management, productivity, and your well-being as a founder. We talk about effectively giving responsibility to your team through an analogy with a 'fried egg', the importance of clarity and setting boundaries in team roles, as well as how best to approach difficult conversations with your staff. We also touched on the importance of looking after your health and well-being ...
Feb 15, 2024•27 min
Today we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of ‘Tame Your Tiger'. I just take a moment to reflect back on the last year and talk a little bit about what it's meant to me and to the business, to have this book out there into the world. I am also excited to announce my upcoming free online summit ‘Retail ROAR’ from February 29 to March 1, featuring an impressive lineup of speakers from the retail industry. [00:00] Introduction and Welcome [00:18] Announcement of the Retail Roar Summit [01:51...
Feb 08, 2024•21 min
In this episode, I got to sit down with Resilient Retail Club member Ruth Sturdy, the founder of Color Chronicles. Ruth shared her journey after looking for a book that would not only allow her to record memories of her daughter but would bring her daughter into the process as well. When one couldn’t be found, Ruth decided to create it which led to her founding her own business and developing their bestselling product, 'The Book of You'. As her business grew, she found the freedom to start worki...
Feb 01, 2024•23 min
Do you have a sales plan for 2024? If not, do you know what is holding you back from having a sales goal? For some, they don't really grasp the importance of having one. They're not familiar with the importance and transformational nature of having a sales goal. And so they don't make the time for it. But if you want your business to be more profitable, if you want to have better cash flow, if you want to pay yourself more from your business and if you want to be able to manage your stock effect...
Jan 25, 2024•18 min
Do you ever find yourself looking at another business and thinking “I wish that my business was like that!” or “I want my business to be like XYZ.” or even “I just wish I could get to this point with my business and then everything will be fine.” You've probably seen on social media retail businesses that've got piles of mailing bags, or maybe they've been established for a long time, or they've had some fabulous collaborations. They are the business owners that are looked up to and envied. We c...
Jan 18, 2024•27 min
I know that for a lot of people, you're coming off a high from the fourth quarter. And I know it can feel like quite a slap in the face when you go from the biggest months of the year in November and December and then you get into January and it can feel like it's all dropped off a cliff. So first if this is one of your first Christmases or if you know this about your business, I want to remind you that you're not alone. And secondly, just be aware that there are still reasons people will buy fr...
Jan 11, 2024•25 min
Last summer I launched a mastermind for product-based business owners and it has hands down been the most exciting that I’ve done in my business. The people in the mastermind have businesses of various sizes. Some are very large, and very well established. Some are earlier on in their journey or at different stages. But the thing that unites every single one of those product business owners is their ambition and their commitment to their business. And they have taught me a huge amount about what...
Jan 04, 2024•27 min
Do you want to scale your business? In other words, do you want to grow it further than where it is now? Or maybe you're in the process of growing it and you want to feel more comfortable and proactive with what's happening to you and to your business. So what I wanted to dig into today, is to help you understand that if you're in this process of growing your business there are five key questions that you need to ask yourself to make sure that you're going in the right direction. [00:00] What do...
Dec 28, 2023•24 min
In this episode, we will discuss four key retail trends for 2024: sustainability and green fatigue, the rise of artificial intelligence, social commerce, and personalized communication. As a retailer, you need to embrace these trends and be proactive so you can ensure that your business continues to grow and continues to thrive in the coming year. [0:00] What trends will be reshaping the retail industry in 2024 [01:49] Why it's so important for product business owners to have an idea of what's g...
Dec 21, 2023•28 min
In episode 176 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, host Catherine Erdly, founder of the Resilient Retail Club, engages in an insightful discussion with Lindsay Schneider, founder of the self-tanning brand, Get Into the Limelight. We discuss the trials and triumphs of building a brand, focusing on Lindsay's experience in product sourcing, the process of creating a quality self-tanner, and the marketing strategies that worked best for her. Lindsay emphasizes the importance of influencer marketing, ...
Dec 14, 2023•27 min
In this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, we are discussing the art and skill of negotiation in the retail business with Simon Duncan. We delve into why negotiation is a crucial skill for business owners, how to determine what the other party wants in a negotiation and the importance of planning before entering a negotiation situation. The discussion emphasizes the significance of understanding what you are trying to achieve, knowing the current facts of the business relationship, being...
Dec 07, 2023•31 min•Ep. 175
Have you thought about what it would take to scale your e-commerce business to $5 million or more? What about getting an investment to grow your business further? In today’s episode, I spoke with Yoni Kozminski, an e-commerce scaling expert.. Yoni shares his expertise on scaling e-commerce businesses and the process of working with founders when investing in their businesses to help them grow. To achieve growth, Yoni emphasizes the importance of streamlining operations and building scalable syst...
Nov 30, 2023•32 min
We know that starting a business is not for the faint of heart. Even those who are full of confidence can sometimes be plagued with the fear of losing everything we have built. In today's episode, I spoke with the inspiring Toks Aruoture, owner of the Baby Cot Shop. Toks has an incredible journey to share with us. After losing her store in the US she returned to the UK and reopened her business online with a goal to have a physical location on the high street. But despite achieving that dream, s...
Nov 23, 2023•33 min•Ep. 173
It’s no secret that the fashion industry is problematic. From materials to manufacturing to the retail models themselves, a lot of damage is wrought upon the people producing the clothes as well as the planet. As the world slowly wakes up to the long-term effects of these business practices, it’s encouraging to see people act more responsibly, taking steps to produce ’slow fashion’ centred around sustainability - putting people and the planet first. In episode 172 of The Resilient Retail Game Pl...
Nov 16, 2023•27 min
Originating in the USA as a post-thanksgiving sales event, Black Friday has, over the last decade, become a major, and sometimes divisive shopping event in the UK retail calendar - and based on last year's figures it’s only getting bigger. As a small business, you shouldn’t feel obligated to take part in a sales event that’s traditionally a mainstay of larger retailers, but you also shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed to get in on the action. Either way, it’s important to understand Black Friday’s ...
Nov 09, 2023•25 min
TikTok is a relative newcomer in the world of social media, but it’s been making serious waves since it entered the fray back in 2016. Hugely popular with the younger demographics, the platform has evolved and changed a lot since its inception, and with tools such as ‘TikTok Shop’ I’d suggest that it’s worth taking the time to consider whether setting up an account might be beneficial for your business. In episode 170 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I speak to TikTok consultant Penny Walker, ...
Nov 02, 2023•28 min
Video has become a commonplace and indispensable tool for small business owners. My often repeated adage that ‘people buy from people’ is exemplified perfectly by the amazing engagement and communities we see grow around brands and founders when they share the realities of their business, whether that’s through behind-the-scenes videos or product showcases. We’re all familiar with the various forms of social media short-form content such as TikTok skits and Instagram Reels, but it seems that not...
Oct 26, 2023•33 min
