We are not experts in everything. We understand this. But we do recognize the facts that there are experts in many things. Enter stage left our consulting and website partners, The Lively Merchant.
They love retail.
With over 40 years combined retail experience and as the former owners of a $6M retail store which was twice named one of the “Top 100 Independent Furniture Stores” by FurnitureToday, they’ve felt the responsibility of providing a living for their employees and their families. They’ve hired them, trained them and sometimes fired them. They’ve written newsletters and brochures and letters and manuals. They’ve built websites, created advertising, bought merchandise and dealt with customers. They’ve paid the bills.
They’ve made mistakes and They’ve had plenty of sleepless nights. They’ve also had enormous successes that they want to bring to your business.
They now spend all their time helping independent retailers do all the things you want to do – you know you need to do – but simply don’t have time to do.
They can build your website or develop an email marketing campaign (they can even help you build your list of opt-in email addresses). They can train your sales managers and salespeople. They can help you understand financial ratios and employment practices.
Your livelihood is on the line when you trust your work to an outside source. They’ll tell you straight up if they think you’d get better results somewhere else. When they do help you, you’ll get experienced, accurate, compassionate and professional work that gets you where you need to be.
For those of you who need the “blah, blah, blah” long bios – you can go here to get the low down. But if you really want to get to know them, just pick up the phone: Call 740.415.3192 or add david.livelymerchant and amy.lively to your Skype contacts.
Organizational Consulting
As one of our favorite teachers says, “It’s hard to read the label when you’re inside the bottle.” We can help you step outside and take a fresh look in at your business, to see new opportunities and gain perspective on your obstacles.
Generational Transfer Consulting This is the foundation of all the work we do. A tidal shift is about to rock our nation as Boomers retire and a new generation of leaders takes the helm. Generational Transfer speaks to both generations as you transfer authority, power and responsibility while holding onto your reputation and your relationships. Lawyers, accountants and brokers can manage your current affairs – we’re here to ensure your company’s future. Leave a legacy, keep your sanity.
Analytics How do you make decisions for your business? Are they based on data, or emotion? Analytics helps you discover and understand your unique historical patterns with an eye to predicting and improving performance in the future. This rigorous 1,000+ question survey gets to the heart of your business and shows you how it stacks up against industry averages.
Discovery Baseball legend Yogi Berra said; “Any road can get you there, when you don’t know where you are going.” Our Discovery process will uncover the felt need of your customer and provide you with the ammunition necessary to speak and act in a way that turns them on. Truly creative creative direction positions the customer as an active participant in your story.
MBTI® Personality Profiling Have you ever tried to mix oil and water? Communication sometimes feels the same way. Myers-Briggs personality profiling is the oldest and most accurate measure of the personality differences of people. As a certified practitioner we will work to build long lasting bridges for effective communication… the kind that lasts through years of difficulties.
Organizational Development We have walked many miles in your shoes. Organizational development is not just a theory we claim to understand, it is the difference between our successes and our failures personally. Make certain the company providing you with OD has done more than just teach their beliefs.
Operational Consulting
Your store keys jangle in your pocket. You fumble with the security alarm and grope for the light panel. You’re in control of the sunrise in your store, and the sun will likely set long before you call it a day.
Ahh, retail! We love it, too. We’re ready to share our successes and help you avoid our mistakes (yeah, we’ve made a few).
Big Impact Sale Events Our copyrighted 47-point how-to manual is worth its weight in gold. During the last 22 years we have tested and retested high impact sales using three different liquidators (you’d know exactly who we meant if we named them). Turns out they are all about the same: Expensive! Like everything else we do, big commissions are not for us. Our flat fee and your hard work are all it takes to do up to three month’s worth of business in about six weeks.
Computer Conversion Having dealt with this challenge four times in the last twenty years as a store owner, you can expect real world explanations and results. By thoroughly understanding your organization we will help you make the right choice in software systems and stand with you step-by-step through the transition.
Customer Retention Abundance is the business word for gluttony. This is a problem that can kill you. Customers have more options than they can consider, with less time for consideration. Once you get them, you’d better keep them! From single store mom-n-pop to Fortune 500, our rolled-up shirt sleeves know exactly how to design systems of customer service that will keep your customers coming back.
Delivery Systems Is your delivery department an afterthought? Do you simply think “expense” each time you consider making a delivery? If you answered yes to either of these questions we believe you have it wrong! Delivery is a key component of PE (personal experience), and we can help you turn it into a customer-keeping-machine.
Employee Benefits Packages Too many benefits will make you go broke. Too few benefits will get you lousy help. You can’t afford either of these situations. My experience and expertise will cost you hundreds but make you thousands over the years.
Employee Compensation Compensation is only one piece of the benefits puzzle. All compensation doesn’t have to be in the form of money. Together we will design the plan that makes people want to work for you, while allowing you to maximize your profits.
Employee Hiring In small business your name is only as good as the help your people provide. Take hiring seriously. We will demystify hiring processes and attract people who will love your culture and represent your family.
Employee Manuals Tell it like it is. No legal mumbo-jumbo is required to keep you out of the court room. Great employee manuals say just enough to express your beliefs, while leaving you the independence to do what small business owners do – lead.
Employee Relations Knowing exactly where we stand is important to everyone. Policy and procedure doesn’t have to feel like a noose around anyone’s neck. We’ll help you express your feelings without giving away the family farm.
Financial Comprehension Don’t be surprised by your CPA! You don’t need to be a financial expert to run your retail store, but you do need a good grasp of the basics. Each industry has a handful of critical indicators. We help you benchmark your business against these indicators. This is not to rub your nose in what you don’t know; it is to help you learn what you should know.
Grand Opening Planning The adage says, “As the Grand Opening goes, so goes the store.” I have personally experienced the opening of over 35 locations, and nothing has ever been truer. We will provide you with our 600+ item checklist for a successful launch and work with you step-by-step to complete your event.
Inventory Management If your inventory is light, you’ll miss sales. Heavy, and your cash flow is strained. One simple question holds the key: would you rather have a warehouse full of product or a bank account full of money? For the life of me, I can’t figure out why this is such a huge problem in family business. We plan real world solutions that properly balance this situation.
Job Descriptions It’s not my job! Don’t expect people to do what you haven’t explained to them. Together we create levels of authority for your staff which cut the ropes of bondage keeping you tied to your store.
Market Analysis Sam Walton used to fly around America looking for the right market. We keep you off airplanes and out of the poor house by showing you the best way to win in your market.
Merchandising Management Having the right mix of merchandise will make or break most retailers regardless of size. Our expertise is in designing product plans that focus on maximizing your profit and protecting your cash.
Mystery Shopping Not to be negative, but don’t let the guy at the table next to you at the country club tell you how lousy your service is. Find out first if your people are representing your reputation like you want them to with Mystery Shopping, which is also a terrific tool for recognizing those who do go the extra mile.
Procedural Development “When you come to the fork in the road, take it,” is another often repeated quote from Yogi Berra. While we think this is funny, we help you realize you can never successfully run your business without planning. Solid procedures ensure duplicatable results.
Procedure Manuals Your manual doesn’t have to sound like a boring textbook from a 1950’s ninth grade algebra class. You know, the type of book for filling shelves or starting fires. This mindset couldn’t be further from the truth. Together we will write a procedure manual in the language of the department. If they speak “office-ese” or “the warehouse rap,” so should your procedure manual. This process makes your dreams of spending time with your family a reality.
Retail Management Training You’ll be amazed how a little tender loving care can change your sales trend. Our program skips the hype, saves the fluff, and busts the BS. Real training for the real world can be expected, including how to know who’s doing their job and how to help them increase their performance.
Retail Sales Training Sales training is the investment of a business lifetime. Because you are not one of the business owner flakes who believe sales training is a waste of time, we won’t insult you with over-the-top claims. Our system comes from 22 years of growing sales number success. Brain surgery it isn’t. Just the good stuff. Increased average ticket, increased closing percentage and improved customer satisfaction are what you are paying for.
Selling Systems There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and we know quite a few when it comes to selling systems. Most consultants become so grounded in “their way” that they are not capable of using your best ideas. In our world we believe we should serve your vision of your company, not ours. We’ll mold today’s most successful systems to your culture for an outcome that works for you.
Site Selection “One shot, one opportunity, once in a lifetime, you’d better never let it go…” all come to mind when choosing store locations. Mistakes are mostly not recoverable. Depending on the developer’s sales and traffic projections is hazardous to your wealth. Our research will show you whether Main and Broad is really better than the new strip mall for half the money. A little due diligence upfront makes you millions later.
Software Management There are actually people who claim they can help you by creating custom programming that only they can change. We believe these hucksters should be run out of town on a rail. For 22 years in retail we used and developed software packages for all they are worth. We believe you should know who you are dealing with and receive a fair, unbiased opinion of their product. This is where we come in. We help you ask questions most dealers never think of. It’s just every minute of your business life. Let us help you make software work best for you every day.
Store Design The best in the business is Connie Post Companies. They provide affordable design solutions for retailers that emotionally engage each potential customer. Services are delivered with passion, diligence, honesty and a commitment to excellence. While our desire is to hook you up with only the best, we are willing to provide you our expert opinion should you choose second or third fiddle.
Technical Writing Software manuals, model car assembly instructions, and the first fifty-five steps to playing the triangle are all straightforward. The Lively Merchant removes the curves from your linear language and drafts clear, crisp instructions that every associate or customer can follow.
User Guides If you’re NOT like most guys, you know there is a real benefit to following instructions. Your user guide should never put the cart before the horse. They shouldn’t argue which comes first, the chicken or the egg. User guides help even the helpless if they will simply follow instructions.
Warehouse Operations/Logistics Being personally responsible for nearly half a billion dollars of merchandise delivery has shaped our vision. Not theory, but execution and discipline gained in the real world are all you’ll hear from us. The Lively Merchant also uses the world renowned expertise of The Bolger Group. Dan has helped me personally out of more scrapes than many owners will ever face. Don’t save a penny and waste a buck in your backroom. Your customer is unforgiving. Your customer can blog 13,000,000 of her closest friends in five minutes, so why would you risk making her angry?
More services from The Lively Merchant:
