More Than 30 Tips/Tools to Improve Your Writing

Posted on November 23, 2015 by bermanevansretail
Looking to improve your writing skills? [We ALL should be. 🙂 ]
Take a look at the tips/tools offered by Lindsay Kolowich for HubSpot:
“Whether you’re a published author or just starting to blogging, it’s not always easy to string words together in a way that makes sense, sounds good, and makes a reader feel something. But every [retailer] should be able to write — and, more importantly, every [retailer] can write. It’s just a matter of finding the writing environment that works best for you, expanding your vocabulary, asking for feedback (and listening to it), and practicing.”
Click the image to see  Kolowich’s tips/tools for better writing.

 

 

Posted in Career Useful Information, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 8: Putting It All Together | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Are Retailers Really Doing with Social Media?

Posted on November 20, 2015 by bermanevansretail
Millions of retailers around the world maintain an active social media presence. But, how are they doing in terms of responding to people’s comments and questions on social media?
Sprout Social reports:
“Given that people are taking to Facebook and Twitter in droves to get answers about products and services, one might assume that retailers would allocate more resources to social customer care. In reality, retailers are choosing to ignore customers’ questions — answering only 1 in 6 messages promptly — while making the lucky few people who do get their attention wait an average of 12 hours for a response (up from 11 hours in 2014). This delay provides little relief during what is already a stressful time for many.”
Click the chart to read more.


 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Starting a Business? What Are the Best Books to Read?

Posted on November 19, 2015 by bermanevansretail
Thinking of a starting a new business? If the answer is yes, then you need the best information and advice possible. And there are a lot of excellent books out there to choose from and read.
Geoffrey James, an Inc. contributing editor, recently published a top ten list of the best books of 2015 for starting a business:
“2015 could arguably be named the ‘year of the entrepreneur.’ Shark Tank became must-see TV, the SEC allowed regular folks to invest in startups, and Inc.com has become one of the most-visited business websites in the world.”
“Not surprisingly, 2015 had a bumper crop of excellent books for entrepreneurs. That’s a very good thing, because to be useful ‘start your own business’ books must be grounded in the economic reality. In other words, if you’re starting your own business, you need access to the latest and greatest thinking on the subject. With that in mind, here are ten brand-new and updated books that you should read by the end of the year.”

 

Here is James’ top ten list. Clicking a book title will bring you to Amazon’s page for that book.
  1. The Art of the Start 2.0
  2. Disrupt You!
  3. The End of Jobs
  4. Quit Your Job in 6 Months
  5. Job Escape Plan
  6. The One Page Business Plan
  7. Bold
  8. The School of Greatness
  9. The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster
  10. Think Big, Act Bigger

 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Part 8: Putting It All Together | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments