@TCSlagunarecently started an awesome conversation about how to use Square with Zapier and it got me thinking -- what else is in your tech stack as a retail bus...
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Marketing and advertising have been on my mind lately (see:What has been your most effective marketing tactic or advertising campaign?) so I'd love to hear more...
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Hello, and welcome to the Retail and eCommerce group in Seller Community! 👋 We launched this group to connect retail sellers and provide a place to share tips...
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Do you have, or had a physical brick and mortar location for your retail business? After recently closing my store after five years, I'd like to put together some resources for other Sellers that may be just starting to plan or think about opening a brick and mortar location. Do you have any tips or suggestions that you found helpful, or wish you had known before your opened shop? Some points that I wished I'd given more thought to include: Location! You've probably heard it before: location, location, location. And it really is true! I chose a very quaint store front in an enclosed walking mall, but the lack of road frontage exposure and other retail attractions became too difficult to overcome. I could advertise a TON, and it still was a challenge to get people to come visit, or even find the shopping center. Inventory costs! There's a retail concept called "open to buy" and I never really considered or understood this; the concept details how much inventory you can carry in your store, and how much you need to sell to turn over old inventory, so you can have funds available from those sales to purchase new inventory items. I was always struggling to pay off old inventory (so I carried debt) before ordering fresh, new seasonal items. I felt I needed to have a constant stream of fun, new items to keep regular customers coming back. But in the long wrong I wasn't selling enough to restock so frequently. Have a profit plan in place. If you don't make sure you pay yourself first, you'll never see a paycheck or see the benefits from all of your hard work. There was a great featured book in the Square Readers Book Club earlier this year called Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. You can read about it here; if you're not signed up for the book club, give it a try! The book helps you make a plan to set aside your profit before taking care of other expenses. So, what is the best advice you'd give yourself if you were opening a brick and mortar location all over again?
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Marketing and advertising have been on my mind lately (see: What has been your most effective marketing tactic or advertising campaign?) so I'd love to hear more your success in marketing or advertising for your business. What worked? How long did it take to test or identify the best approach? Did you hire someone to help?
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@TCSlaguna recently started an awesome conversation about how to use Square with Zapier and it got me thinking -- what else is in your tech stack as a retail business?
Is there anything you'd recommend to other Square sellers? Are there any new technologies or tools you are excited about implementing? And if so, how do you stay informed about the latest technological advancements in retail?
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Hi everyone, I've built an integration with Square and thought it might be useful to share it here. In a nutshell, the app listens to Square transactions and automatically sends out Google review invitations via email and SMS, as soon as a customer makes a payment and receives a receipt. It takes a few clicks to turn on the integration. Below is how it works. We've turned this on for a number of Square sellers and noticed 5-stars reviews coming in almost immediately and regularly. Here is the setup if you want to turn it on for your business. Any feedbacks or questions, please drop me a comment below. Cheers.
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Hey everyone, Let's talk about something real: the financial fallout from COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis & inflation. Many of us have been slammed with job losses, reduced income, and unexpected expenses, loans and bounce back loan interest . It's no surprise if you're struggling with debt, feeling overwhelmed, or even scared. But here's the thing: you don't have to go through this alone. I know facing your debt can be terrifying. Trust me, I've been there. But hiding from it won't make it disappear. The good news is there's fantastic help available from charities like StepChange. Why StepChange? StepChange is a debt-free charity dedicated to helping people in the UK manage, reduce, and even eliminate their debt. They offer free, confidential advice and support, tailored to your specific situation. Here's what they can do for you: Work out a plan: They'll help you create a realistic budget and explore options to manage your debt, like debt consolidation or Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs). Talk to creditors: They can negotiate with creditors on your behalf to lower interest rates or stop collection calls. Emotional support: They understand the stress of debt and can offer support and guidance throughout the process. Facing Your Fears Taking that first step and reaching out can feel daunting. But remember, StepChange is there to help, not judge. Here are some tips: Acknowledge your situation: Accepting you have a problem is the first step to solving it. Gather your information: Have a list of your debts (amounts owed, interest rates) on hand. Take a deep breath: StepChange is here to support you, not shame you. Remember, you're not alone. There is a way out, and StepChange can help you find it. Here are some resources to get you started: StepChange: StepChange Debt Charity National Debtline: [National Debtline charity ON National Debtline nationaldebtline.org] Citizens Advice: [Citizens Advice Citizens Advice citizensadvice.org.uk] If you are self employed - It’s slightly different - Step Change can really help you here. The budget sheet takes everything into account - every little thing from dry cleaning to pocket money for children. If your business is seasonal you can enter figures on a 3 month, 4 month or even a yearly basis to create a realistic “payment offering” that separates “Priority Debts - Tax etc” from non priority “loans, credit cards” I am not familiar with any USA, CA or AU charities - if you do know any please feel free to share on this post.
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