Other stores combine these techniques with personal selling. Determine how many signs you may need for a twelve-month operation and estimate that cost also. Personal attention to customers is one competitive tool for a small store. When training employees, emphasize that everyone has to pitch in and get the job done. Customers are not interested in job descriptions they are interested in being served promptly and courteously.
Nothing is more frustrating to a customer than being ignored by an employee.
Decide what training you will give your salespeople in how to greet customers, show merchandise, suggest other items and handle customer needs and complaints. Freight or transportation costs are a big expense item. Often shoppers leave without buying because the store did not have the items they wanted. The system you use to keep informed about your stock, or inventory, depends on your line of merchandise and the delivery dates provided by your suppliers. An owner-manager who buys reasonably well can expect to turn over stock several times a year.