October 5, 2015 What do you think when you hear Apple? Coca Cola? Warren Buffet? Samsung? Smithsonian or James Bond? They’re all different and unique brands, but they all conjure up positive emotions. Creativity. Happiness. Trust. Credibility. Sex appeal. Now, what happens when you think about Kodak? Blockbuster? Pam Am? Probably something along the lines […]
September 28, 2015 If you are a consumer with credit and debit cards, chances are you’ve opened your mail recently and were greeted with a new credit card that include an embedded computer chip. For consumers, these chipped cards mean added security and maybe a little more peace of mind when using the card at […]
September 21, 2015 There are many ways to manage people. Some managers are team builders, while others are teachers. A few managers go strictly by the book, while others apparently have never read the book. Recently, I had a conversation with an employee who was working at a well-known big-box retailer. She’d only been working […]
September 14, 2015 There’s a lot of different management styles, but one of the best maybe just one of the most simple. Some say that Abraham Lincoln started this management style during the Civil War. Dave Hewlett and Bill Packard, founders of computer giant Hewlett-Packard, are generally regarded as the masters of this management style.
September 7, 2015 A few days ago I walked to an auto parts store with the full intent of going unnoticed by the store’s floor staff. This may sound pretentious, but in my experience they don’t usually bring much to my shopping excursions. Simply put, more annoying than useful. So when I walked in […]
August 8, 2015 Over the years, I’ve come to recognize the power of communication as it relates to the success of our museum store. At its core, communication helps us connect our store with every other facet of the museum, as well as our customers. When you ask, “What does communications have to do with […]
August 31, 2015 I have to admit the gift shop is often my favorite part of most museums. As an avid art lover, museums are always on my agenda whenever I travel. For me, after spending several hours exploring a museum, the gift shop is often like dessert. The gift shop is a little bit […]
August 17, 2015 Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of most small business operators than the talk of increasing the minimum wage. The minimum wage issue continues to be a hot debate between business owners, economists, and politicians. On one side are working folks and their advocates who argue that the current minimum wage is […]
August 10, 2015 Pinterest is a great social media platform for retailers for two reasons. First, users can use it to create “idea boards” for things such as “Great gifts for people who love hiking,” or “Ideas for my amazing wedding reception.” Second, Pinterest users are heavy on the “buy.” Many idea boards on Pinterest […]
August 1, 2015 Sooner or later, every manager needs to have one of those conversations with a member of their staff. It’s the type of conversation that usually begins, “I need to see you in my office…” And from there it usually goes downhill. One of the challenges of managing a museum store is that […]
