As many of you know, I am an advocate of learning more about our businesses and not just from the school of hard knocks (meaning the make-mistakes-and-learn-from-them-syndrome).
My three favorite are networking, the buyer education programs at tradeshows, and books, not necessarily in that order. Books, in fact, are one of my favorites because, generally, they are a frugal way to keep current and inspired.
I just received a newsletter from George Whalin and that reminded me to give you some ideas for new books out there. You'll see some wiidgets in this newsletter for some you'll want to buy or get grom the library. A couple are George's
recommendations. The rest are mine.
Just so you know, I'll be at the National Stationery Show this May speaking and signing books with fellow retail speakers and authors like Linda Cahan. Be sure to research the amazing buyer's education program that Debra Gold of Gold & Co. has put together for the show.
I always say, if I can attend a seminar and take home just one great, money-saving idea, I'm ahead of the game and, in many cases, I've paid for my attendance at the show. One year I brought my manager, Susan Polda, to the California Gift Show. We went to a seminar on gift wrap ideas. It was not only fun, but Susan went back to her store and utilized about a dozen ideas from that presentation, ideas she used for years. I believe the benefits were more far reaching than improving our gift wrap services. I think she went back to Vegas invigorated. I mean, Las Vegas isn't the only place with lots of glitz and flashing lights, now is it? (-:
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson's FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques launched at the National Stationery Show at Javits Center. Because she is the author of the multi award-winning how-to books for writers,The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success, retailers will also find essentials of writing for blogs, Web sites, and newsletters on this blog. She is the author of an award-winning novel, This Is the Place; and other fiction and poetry. She blogs on better writing at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog. Find her tweeting for retailers at @frugalretailing . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use this little green widget to let them know about it:
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Carolyn's books are filled with terrific information for all types of retailers.
ReplyDeleteI've worked with large retail corporations and small, independent retailers and I know how little time any of them have for reading.
Carolyn's books are well-organized and easy to get ideas from without having to read every word. Although, if you did you'd be ahead of the game!
I'm looking forward to speaking at the NY Stationery Show and to seeing Carolyn. It's an amazing show with products for so many different types of retail. Plus, the ICFF is next door and it's fascinating!
What a lovely endorsement, Linda. We retailers are busy. Maybe we ought to think of our reading as a hobby--a hobby that will may make us richer.LOL.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Carolyn