Hey there, sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for a few days. Busy getting our December/January issue out the door.

I'm watching closely all of the goings on in Washington not just because of the effect on the world economy but how it influences consumer confidence.

Diminished consumer confidence certainly contributes to our country's current financial woes. Even those who are good about paying their mortgages and don't have an excruciating amount of unsecured debt are seriously evaluating major outlays of cash for home improvement, cars, travel... all of those big ticket items that when soft, have ripples across the economy.

But something I am hearing and reading and seeing that we haven't heard in a really long time... people are really and truly afraid for their jobs. Companies are talking about layoffs in 4 and 5 digits. That's alot of folks getting dumped into the job market at at time when it will be difficulty for new entrepreneurs to get start-up loans.

Now some employers may get a little cocky about this...after all, doesn't that make it an employer's market rather than a job candidate's? Careful, now more than ever you need to recruit, and most importantly retain great employees.

An interesting item from the Wharton School of Business got me on this topic. Some retailers have adopted computerized employee scheduling systems. For the most part, these systems ensure that there are enough employees on the floor during busy periods and less so during slow ones.

Women's fashion retailer Ann Taylor has taken that a step further and their scheduling system is also assigning employees by their individual productivity- better sellers at busiest traffic times. On the surface it makes sense to assign your best producers to times when most customers are in the store. But upon more consideration, you'll see there is the issue of employee morale and staff retention that needs to be factored in.

I would argue that rather than penalizing salespeople that don't perform as well as others, that you partner those folks with an excellent sales person- to mentor them. Staffers can learn by watching a great salesperson in action. Or perhaps those individuals get more training from you.

One of issues with the computerized system is that the better salespeople get more hours while the less productive ones get fewer. Just because someone isn't your top seller doesn't mean that person is not valuable to your company.

Do you really want a person why you've already invested in to walk away and take their skills somewhere else because they need more hours? I am not talking about poor employees, I am talking about folks who are lower on the bell curve.

Technology is a huge asset in the workplace but employers cannot abdicate their responsibility of employee training and motivation. Lead by example... not a new concept but definitely one that applies here.

Read the Wharton article, food for thought--Beth

Reading this research brief put out by a foundation that evaluates independent businesses reminded me that our industry is not alone in our day to day business challenges.

73% of businesses said in the last quarter they could not fill an open position because they could not find a qualified person. I'm not surprised that folks find it difficult but I am surprised at the percentage.

A college education rarely prepares someone for an industry that is not a specific career track. You can major in art and you can major in business but to my knowledge nobody is offering a B.S. in Craft Business.

For example, my degree in fashion design didn't make me into an editor or marketing manager. It was good instincts and lots of on the job training and mentoring that got me here.

Which leads me to the bottom line- we must train our own future leaders. We need to let go of the idea that a person who does not scrapbook would not make a good employee.

Not everyone who crafts makes a great business person and not every great business mind can design fabulous projects. We need to find talented people with enthusiasm for what we do. Someone who is great with people and has good ideas. Then we need to make sure those people are mentored and encouraged to grow and try new things.

For retailers that means hiring people that have the personality to be great salespeople. You can always take them to a show to learn about products or teach that person how to create a page. It's much harder to adjust someone's personality and make them customer service oriented.

If we don't find the time to train future leaders, where will our industry go? What is our secession plan? Each one teach one, I say.

In an acceptance speech at a prestigious awards event I heard a woman say "I stand on the shoulders of every woman who helped me get here by teaching me and helping me grow."

I love the idea of honoring the folks who taught you along the way and have many women upon whose shoulders I stand. Consider how you can
lend a shoulder to a future business leader. Not only will you help your company, you will be doing a service for the industry--Beth

Researchers are predicting that this holiday season will be the worst since 1991. No surprise there.

What they're also saying is that folks have gotten used to having all of their perks and treats. They are not willing to totally tighten the belt and give up every little luxury. So, they will be looking for little ways they can treat themselves ( have you read that anywhere before, hint hint) and ways that a small investments can have "rich" looking results.

In other blog entries and magazine editorials I have needled, nagged, whined and begged retailers who are in a hamster wheel of worry to do something, no matter how small, to keep their business moving forward. Today I'll make the same pitch and offer some ideas with a holiday theme.

Look at what the big boys are doing- Macy's already has their Holiday Lane in place. Target is next. These companies have lots of access to research and market trends. If they think it's important to be pushing hard on holiday now- you should follow suit.

Watch and respond- Go shopping at the department stores and mass merchandisers and see what is flying out of the store. Unlike the big retailers who have to set their holiday theme and stick with it whether the customer responds or not- you can switch gears, refresh your samples, bring in some new lines based on what's selling and do demos to sell more stuff. The big merchandisers have all really cut back on their purchases this year so there may not be much selection for the folks waiting for the pre-Christmas fire sale.

Anticipate a Crafty Christmas- Folks will be more interested than ever in making cards. Start showing designs one a week- especially where photos can be built in. Offer a variety of themes including secular and New Year's options (for those of us with good intentions who usually mail the week after the holiday). 

Offer workshops that show how to make beautiful but quick ornaments or little gifts  that can work for a variety of recipients. Showcase products that can transform holiday cookies and other food gifts into gourmet store offerings (again- find inspiration at other retailers).

Make it easy! Consumers want to craft but they are time strapped. Take orders for card kits- when things are slow, your staff can gather ribbons, stickers, stamps and papers to create kits of product for 10 or 25 cards. If you do the design, diecutting and pull everything together, they get to enjoy the crafting part- it's sorta like those complete cassorole kits. Everything is diced and sliced, you get to put it together in a fraction of the time but take full credit.

Tell the story with signage. Show photos  of gift packaging or high end cards from a catalog and say- Get the look for pennies on the dollar- ask us how!

Show the versatility of products- Create a tabletop display that shows how three products (maybe a stamp set, ink set and ribbon) can be used to create a dozen different holiday items from tags, cards, gift-wrap, custom stationery, food packaging,holiday wearables and more. People with pared down budgets will look to do more with whatever they purchase.

Hold your holiday shopping events earlier- Download the template for a wish list at scrapbookretailermagazine.com/marketingtools (upper right corner) and start getting people to sign up. Consider having the events in October or November. You can always hold the event early sell the items then offer to wrap and hold the gifts in the back until the holidays come.

Expect that bonuses may not be as generous this year and it's likely the financial picture for your customers will not greatly improve by year's end. Plus depending on how the election goes- your customer base may respond by cutting back spending. That bonus may only cover the holiday meal or gifts for the kids.

To get some jingle in your pocket this holiday you need to start now and get aggressive. Your holiday does not have to be a no ho, ho, ho. Try some of these ideas and make some dough, dough, dough. Cheers! Beth

Last night at the library I struck up a conversation with a woman who was poring through a stack of Washington D.C. travel books. As a fan of long weekends in D.C. I was eager to offer my faves for consideration (air & space museum, Woodley Zoo, Newseum and the Spy Museum- her kids weren't art fans).

She said she started her research online but got too frustrated because she felt like she was going in circles. We commiserated over similar travel planning experiences.

This morning an interesting email from the Center for Media research dropped into my box. "Y Moms Connect Through the Internet; X Moms Task." X and Y are referring to the generation of moms.

NewMedia Metrics found differences in the type of digital behavior:
"Gen Y is much more attached to media that connects them to other moms (online communities, blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.), while Gen X moms are more likely to embrace the web for task-oriented activities like shopping online and uploading photos."

I know I haven't embraced social media like my younger peers. But I do use the web heavily to research.  So this study makes a lot of sense to me.

Consider what groups you'd like to bring in your store then target your promotional message accordingly.  To reach the Gen Y you need to look at how you can increase visibility on social networking sites, blogs and forums. To reach the Gen X moms your site needs to be very informational- lots of facts, figures & tips. You also need to focus on search engine optimization- ensuring that your website is easy to find.

Read the article to learn more. Very interesting.--Beth

Just like many of you, I was raised by a mother who had rules about certain things. One of those rules was that a gift- an actual thing- was always superior to giving a check or cash. To this day when my suggestion (upon being asked for a Christmas list) that a small toy for my son and a savings bond or gift certificate to spend later is met with such a look of horror, I hand over a short list and say "one of these would be perfect." Sorta takes the fun out of gifting but then hey- he gets what he wants and Santa can spend his money later.

I love any occasion to give a gift because I enjoy the process of finding just the right thing. But even I have to admit my superior gifting abilities are challenged by my teenage nieces and nephews. Plus, I'm looking from the point of view of my son's teachers who don't really need another candle or "World's Best Teacher" Christmas ornament. I've learned they would much rather have a gift certificate to a craft store.

Steve Miller's article in Brandweek cites some compelling statistics about the growth of gift cards. Not only have people discovered it's a way of giving something that is exactly the right size, the money goes further in after Christmas sales. All that said, there are lots of folks like my mom around. Those gift cards just don't seem personal enough and it is a significant deterrent to some purchasers. The article suggests putting better graphics on the card.

I suggest craft stores create a display demonstrating a whole bunch of gift card packaging options. Hot Off The Press has templates and blanks that make it a snap. But think of all the other containers and blanks you can transform into gift card carriers!

Last year 18 percent of people gave out gift cards- almost one in five of your customers. The holidays are around the corner but people give out gift cards all year round. Do demos, classes and kits. Show options for birthday, wedding, new baby and graduation.  In one class you could show how to do card holders for three different events. Get your staff involved- have them create their own designs and kit a few for fun.

Attention digital scrapbooking companies! Consider templates for gift card holders that we can just drop in a name print, cut and glue on a few embellishments. Not everyone wants to play with paper and ribbon scraps.

Think about themes within themes- teen holiday versus mom holiday- for example. Have fun with it and start soon. Gift card season will be soon upon us!--Beth

Check out this article from Advertising Age on the topic of how loyal and enthusiastic employees serve as ambassadors for your business.

The article features shoe retailer Zappos.com as an example. Their employees love the company so much they publish a manifesto of sorts each year of gushing about how great the company is.

Perhaps that may be more than most business owners need.  But it never hurts to remember that your employees can be your  best advocates. Employees who truly believe you have a great selection and fabulous customer service can help you bring new customers in. Their enthusiasm for your business will be infectious.

Interestingly, someone is quoted at saying there is a downside to having employees who are advocates- that when they leave they take customers with them.

Well, thats true but you're scrapbook retailers are not operating a hair salon. If your employees can take good customers away from you something else is missing. Plus, even a great employee at a poorly run company won't keep those "poached" customers for long.

So I say do what you can to get your staff enthusiastic about the workplace. There are so many benefits other than the word of mouth advertising. Not the least of which are less employee turnover and fewer callouts for sick days. When people love their jobs, they don't like to miss work... right?

Post comments regarding the article to this blog- I'd like to hear your thoughts!--
Beth

The day after Labor day, at least for me, signals the end of the summer season. I know the calendar says differently but this week is when most of the kids will return or be solidly back in school, swimming pools start closing down and work hours return to a normal schedule.

You turn the calendar page and Holy Crow! CHA Winter is just around the corner!

Alot of folks reported that they were going to take it easy this summer with business being so slow. So now I feel obligated to sound the bugle and say..."Greetings ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to seriously ramp up for your most important quarter of the year."

I know i'm not your mom but I am going to nag you in my best "it's only because I love you" way. This is going to be a Crafty Christmas and I want you to be prepared for the onslaught of new customers.

If you haven't done so already, it is time to formalize your initiatives for the balance of 2008 and ideally January of 09.

That means:

• Finishing up plans for "immediate delivery" holiday merchandise.
• Filling in with a few new gift items to promote impulse purchases
  
• Creating an endcap of products for summer fun scrapbooking while opening up more space for winter holiday 2008.
• Pulling out your box of holiday decorations to see if you need anything new in terms of signage or props.
• Having your Thanskgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and New Year's card samples ready to display. If you are doing card kits-the earlier you start the better.
• Refreshing your website with new classes or even just a few graphics to make it look new.
  
• Getting a calendar up to track employees' holiday vacation time to make sure you are covered.
  
• Reserve a room for CHA-winter- I always say, even if you don't place a single order you can get a money making idea there.!
  

I also really, really encourage you to take advantage of customizable press releases to promote your business on a local level. Scrapbook Retailer offers releases under our Marketing tools website tab. You can have a press release ready to issue in 15 minutes of time. We will be adding more topics- suggestions are welcome- just email them to me.

*** Note that I didn't say you had to do this all yourself. Delegation folks-let your trusted staff members help!--Beth

The deeper meaning of Labor Day has sort of gotten lost. Now the holiday is more of a signal of the end of the swim club season; the last holiday before we send kids back to school or time go check out a sale if you're thinking of buying living room furniture.

Observe Labor Day in a new way this year. Now is a good time to say thanks to the staff members who keep your business (and perhaps you personally!) going. Something tangible is a good idea- a brief note with the regular paycheck or maybe a gift card for a coffee shop or favorite fast food restaurant. Or maybe you will buy lunch for the team. A little surprise will make their day.

For most people, a fabulous salary is not the reason they stay at a job. The way an employee is treated factors in greatly. So especially for those employers who won't be able to offer bonuses or raises this year or companies that are forced to cut back on benefits, taking the time to say thank you- and show heartfelt appreciation will mean something.

Labor Day can also be the day you take a few moments to stop and focus on your accomplishments instead of your to do list. Make a list of things - big and small- that you've done over the last year and treat yourself to a milkshake or sweet tea and toast yourself.

When you honor the contributions of all members of the team, it encourages them to treat your business with the same care as if it were their own. That is something we all strive for.

Be well and have a safe holiday--Beth

With all of the reporting on how the economy is affecting businesses, the one item we aren't taking much about, and should be, is customer retention.Customer retention is the business school term for "Keeping the customers we've got."

I'm frequently asked for ideas on getting new customers, but equal time should be given to retaining customers. Why?

1. You've heard it before. It costs more to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. It may be hard to put pen to pencil and figure out to the penny how much it costs you to get a new client vs keeping and existing one, but trust me, smart people have researched this and I think we should take their word for it.

2. As a customer becomes  experienced in her craft, she becomes more aware of a wider array of resources available to her. If you do not bond yourself to this customer and help her see that your business is more than a vending machine for product it will be easier for her to take her business to another "vending machine.

3. Customers are a third party public relations arm. If they love you and are enthusiastic about your business, they will tell their friends about you and
bring you more business. If you've disappointed them in some way, they'll tell anyone who will listen. That could cost you even more customers.

4. Loyal customers will keep your business alive when times are tough. Retailers have told me that their strong club membership has kept them afloat by providing a dependable source of monthly funds (free meeting fees.)

More than ever, shoppers are selecting retail stores based on price and/or convenience. If you do not make every effort to create compelling reasons for customers to come into the store now they may forget they ever really needed you in the first place.

Some ideas for you...

Get together with your staff and identify your top 25 (or 50 or 100) spending customers. Write each one of those customers a personal note or postcard telling them how much you appreciate their business. You don't have to do this all in one day or even a week- commit to doing three a day and you're off to a good start.

Empower your staff to do Random Acts of Appreciation. You can give them RAA  coupons to give out in the store. Or you can allow them to give the customer an extra piece of paper or paint to sample. take a customers order over the phone and deliver it or run it out to the car so she doesn't have to wake a sleeping baby. Just make sure they keep track of what and to whom they give so you track the response.

Look for some candies that you can customize with your store's name and tuck into a purchase as a little surprise.

Ask your vendors to see if they have any deeply discounted promotional items such as discontinued pieces of paper, embellishment packs or stickers and tuck them into the bag as a little thank you. Everybody likes free stuff even if they'll never use it.

Create grab bags from odds and ends or broken up packs and give that as  a freebie.

When you focus on customer retention you are making a strategic effort to maintain and build your business. As you look at the issue and brainstorm with your staff, you are sure to come up with some great competitive ideas!-- Beth

Just in case as an independent retailer you feel like you're the only one big box and discount stores are taking business away from...I'm here to tell you, every retailer - even big ones with big buying power- are feeling the pinch.

Dutch-owned Stop & Shop and Giant Supermarkets launched some new initiatives this weekend designed  to woo customers to come back or try them out. Seems supermarkets are impacted by Target and WalMart selling food and other grocery items just as you are when the same  stores sell scrapbooking supplies.

Giant and Stop & Shop have a very interesting strategy- focusing on what they do, and can do that the big competitors cannot. Smart, huh? These retail stores aren't just paying lip service to their busy customer, they are taking steps to help her.

1. Do you hate to wait in line at the deli counter for a half pound of orange American cheese? Now you can go into these stores, punch your deli order in on a screen and shop while they make up your order. In my own experience that will definitely save time (and add-on purchases from the nearby bakery counter)!  If you've ever experienced the anarchy that is one hour pre-Eagles game and they're off the ticket counter, you know what I mean.

2. More focuse on fresh prepared foods. Run in pick up a rotisserie chicken , a hot side and a cold side and you are set to go.I don't know any mom who wouldn't welcome an alternative to a fast food chain for a quick dinner.

3. Hand-held scanning devices add up purchases and generate coupons based on the shoppers purchases AS she shops. This doesn't just help coupon shoppers. If you've run into a store with a $20 bill and are trying to do high math after a tough day at work, it's a helpful little tool. I wonder if the scanners tell them if a customer puts an item back for a different item ie: I'll take the Kraft, no store brand is cheaper, will take that instead.

When you read the scrapbooking study results conducted by CHA, you will see that quite a few scrapbooking products are purchased at  big stores. The question I pose is this- have you ever bought a gallon of milk at Target?

I know I have, but not because I went there to buy groceries, it was because I was already there, saw the refrigerator case and remembered I needed milk- one less stop.

Convenience.

What can we learn from these grocery stores? We can learn that while some customers want a leisurely shopping experience, the bulk of them want to come in, shop and get out. If a customer knows you have built in systems to help them, they will opt to shop in your store because you have a better  selection.

I would imagine that if Stop & Shop and Giant get these prepared food & deli counter folks in more often they will sell other things- flowers, gift cards, OTC medications.

My local Genuardi's (Safeway) has been running a $5 promo all summer on fridays Friday- 7 piece fried chicken rotisserie chicken or half a turkey for $5. Why cook? They'll even take your order ahead of time to make sure you aren't closed out. But I have yet to see a single rotisserie chicken purchase that did not include a few other items....

What's the scrapbook store's version of the rotisserie chicken? Share your ideas by replying to this blog entry--Beth

I saw an item today that Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies, ranks the highest in vegetarian food offerings of all U.S. baseball stadiums. I welled up with pride, that my city, which is best known  for cheesesteaks, scrapple and Tastykakes is now taking the lead on healthier food options on the sacred stadium ground. Go figure, hon.

Now I am not a particularly avid Phan-atic and I am married to a Yankee fan so our trips to the South Philly stadium are limited to one or two a year. But I must confess, that this has intrigued me. Now those of us who make loved ones happy by sitting through live sporting events can look forward to some new culinary delights. Prior to this our vegetarian options were limited to soft pretzels (a must), peanuts and popcorn.

Furthermore-I'm looking forward to seeing how this designation will be used as a marketing tool. It takes more than love for the home team to fill up stadium seats. Otherwise, why would stadiums be so eager to partner with Food and Travel channels to create shows around eating at ballparks? Vegetarian offerings are now another draw to potential stadium visitors.

What is it that you do that sets  you apart from other businesses? Do you have the largest selection of cardstock colors? The deepest selection of acrylic stamps? The most classes? Knowing that piece of information can open the door to a new promotional initiative and at the very least, be one piece of information that you regularly cite that proves why your store is special and merits a business.

We know people will drive distances to visit stores that have the widest selection of a product they desire. So if you are the scrapbooking version of "most vegetarian options" you need to get the word out. Include it in your ads, promotional materials, website, newsletters, email boilerplates. After a while you'll hear people saying, "Hey did you hear that the Memories Store has the widest color selection of Core' dinations cardstock?" Yet another building block to strengthen your reputation.

Yo, youse guys, have a great weekend, I'm thinking I should get myself down to the stadium for a little quesadilla, tofu pup or veggie burger.-- Beth