Start and Run a Retail Business (Paperback, 3rd Revised edition)

It's one thing to open a retail business, but quite another to make it prosper. Most new small businesses end up closing their doors before their third anniversary! And retail businesses are no exception.Recognizing that the retail business has fundamentally changed in the past 30 years, this book addresses what an owner-operated retail business must do to survive today. This makes it as much a valuable guide for owner operated retailers now running businesses as for people just starting out.In keeping with a 'real world' approach to retailing, Dion and Topping describe a retailer's job as a juggling act between seven distinct functions: basic retailing, merchandising, buying, personnel management, sales management, use of technology, and customer service.This updated edition provides step-by-step advice on how to start and run a successful retail business in today's volatile market. It includes a CD-ROM with worksheets that can be customized to suit different business needs.