The
summer holidays are over and its back to school and work for most of us. This
year we opted for a staycation and, because August turned out to be one of the
wettest on record, I spent a good deal of my time sorting my studio workspace and
de-cluttering years of accumulated stuff!
Today I
write this blog post from my newly decorated, clean and stylish grey and white work
space. Files have been scaled down, shelving units have space to breathe and my
shiny white and glass desk looks smart and efficient.
Sorting
through past business proposals, workshops, talks, retail campaigns and design
work wasn’t just a cathartic experience it was a reminder of how things have
changed over the past few years. It was also a memory jog that we all need to
keep learning, discovering what’s new and finding better ways to fine tune what
we do so we can deliver the absolute best for our customers and clients.
The
recent advances in mobile technology have made knowledge accessible and learning
easy. The way we now share this information has gone beyond expectations. This
has had a significant impact on the retail sector. The skills required for
delivering a successful retail offer are immense and, although the basics
remain the same, what we do and how we do it are changing faster than we would like
to acknowledge. Retail is dynamic, it doesn’t stand still and if you’re in this
business neither can you. You have to keep learning, fine tuning your skill set
and working out what’s best for you and your business, keeping the best bits
and chucking out the rest.
I just
want to add a cautionary note here. Easy access to information is a great thing
but there can be a downside if you spend too much time checking on your competition.
For many smaller businesses it’s all too easy to find someone else who seems to
be doing better than you. Trying to keep up can be quite a challenge, staying
ahead is a whole different ballgame! It’s
all too easy to get caught up in doing all those things you think you should be
doing instead of focussing on the things you know you’re good at. Stick to
your niche, your core business. Get this right and everything else will
eventually follow.
For the
majority of people the thought of going to back to school to learn new skills is
quite daunting, even overwhelming, but this doesn’t need to be the case
anymore. Everyone learns in different ways, what will excite and motivate one
person will be a complete turn off for another. The good thing today is that
there is something for everyone so there’s no excuse not to develop your
expertise and deliver an exceptional retail offer to your customers.
As we
start the run up to the ever important Christmas season focus on what you’re
good at, what your customers love you for and, task yourself to learn and
develop more skills to build on your business strengths.
If you
want to build a successful retail business and would like to know how to
develop your skills further please get in touch.
All the
best
#visualcommunicator
#retailconsultant #designer
tel 07907 691711
email info@artysmith2.com
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