April 2012

Keep Your Talent From Jumping Ship

Most employees aren't going to accept "we're all in this together" for much longer. Make 2012 the year you keep your best employees, not lose them. When it comes to managing employee turnover and keep... more

Make decisions with your heart and your head!

It's sometimes difficult to make quantitative decisions that run counter to our emotional ties. This type of data-based decision making offers a good balance, a complement to the purely emotional plat... more

Have the Hot Hand

Next month's National Hardware Show in Las Vegas promises independent retailers a winning hand of education, new product debuts and an improved buying experience. The National Hardware Show is the gat... more

Stay In The Mix

Knowledge is key to successful composting. Recognizing the lack thereof may be your first step toward improving soil conditions in your neighborhood. Austin is known as one of the "greener" cities in ... more

Merchandising Step By Step

From coordinated patio accents to container gardening, Pamela Crawford explains why keeping it simple is simply the best way to go as a merchandiser. When it comes to signage and displays, you've undo... more

Turn Around the Challenging Employee

Acceptable behavior starts from the top. Are you taking immediate corrective actions to demonstrate you are more invested in employee success than failure? As a retail manager, you can see it coming: ... more

Seasonally Serious

Make a concerted effort to show a genuine interest in your seasonal staff. After all, they're the ones who get stuck squeezing trees and a dozen bags of mulch into a subcompact. We're right around tha... more