Ditch the Budget Merry-Go-Round: 4 Steps to Revenue-Aligned Marketing

Ditch the Budget Merry-Go-Round: 4 Steps to Revenue-Aligned Marketing

If end-of-year sales results against the 2024 marketing budget were lackluster, it may be time to shift thinking on budget planning. For decades, a rule-of-thumb for setting marketing budgets has reliably been a simplistic percentage-of-previous-sales formula. We’re...
Let it snow, but don’t let a frozen marketing budget derail 2025 goals

Let it snow, but don’t let a frozen marketing budget derail 2025 goals

6 ways to optimize marketing ROI during economic uncertainty Depending on whom one asks, anywhere from 30 to 35 percent of North American firms plan to increase marketing budgets for 2025 – apparently the lowest number to do so of any region in the world. Why the...
To Train, Retain and Sustain: 8 Tips for slowing notoriously high retail employee turnover rates

To Train, Retain and Sustain: 8 Tips for slowing notoriously high retail employee turnover rates

The following is the second article in a 3-part series called “Attention Shoppers… The Competitive Strategy Approach to Addressing the Elephant in the Room of the Retail Crisis: The Customer Experience” While Black Friday 2023 may not have been a “bah humbug,” it was...
Repost: Second major Burger King franchisee declares bankruptcy

Repost: Second major Burger King franchisee declares bankruptcy

Acquiring distressed assets can be a long and complex process. It is important to be realistic in expectations for immediate profits, and to plan the details of the work necessary inside the organization to turn it around. From this report, it appears Meridian...
Your line in the sand: Drawing (and owning) your territory enhances competitive advantage

Your line in the sand: Drawing (and owning) your territory enhances competitive advantage

Without a doubt, a retail or other customer-facing enterprise can pin a significant portion of its success to location. Whether a grocery store, bank branch or family medical practice, WHERE one is situated is a major factor in business success. Once location is...
Don’t be a super-hero: 5 tips to delegate your way to successfully compete while effectively managing your business

Don’t be a super-hero: 5 tips to delegate your way to successfully compete while effectively managing your business

Successful competition involves breaking through inevitable barriers – – and some of the most challenging barriers might be you or your key leaders! As a business enterprise grows, owners must make some critical choices to continue that growth. Some would...