Sales Truths : Ownership is the Smorgasbord of Insecurity

BY DAVID RICHARDSON

Published in the November 2013 issue.

WHY IT IS TRUE: If you are the owner of your business, you constantly worry about
sales, worry about costs. You worry about your store, employees, vendors
and customers. If you didn’t, you would be out of business or at
best working for someone else. Owners worry … employees work.

PLAN OF ACTION: Sit down by yourself with a nice glass of Chardonnay and make a list
of the worries, concerns or real challenges that keep you up at night.
If the answer you come up with is “Gee, I don’t have any,” you’re probably
not being totally honest with yourself. Take a sip of the wine,
close your eyes, and dig deep, very deep. Make a list and check it twice.
If Santa can do it, so can you. Develop two or three specific action
steps you can take that are practical and economically feasible. Share
your thoughts with your best employees, other retailers, jewelers in
noncompetitive markets or anyone whose counsel and confidence
you completely trust. The worries won’t totally go away overnight,
but you sure can make some powerful strides forward. — DAVE RICHARDSON