EDITOR’S FORUM
Chart Your Path; Bring Your Machete!
Solomon Daniels Editor-in-Chief
It’s a jungle out there, and that’s why we created a tool that will stay sharp for you, no matter the time of year.
W
elcome to the inaugural Mobile Electronics Survival Guide! This new concept is designed to give you
specific information at the time of year when you need it. You’ll find six different segments that will help you optimize your business for what industry experts agree are the most significant selling seasons. Before we delve in,
I want to share with
you the process of how we developed the Survival Guide. As a retailer, you’re always evaluating how you run your business to stay ahead of your competition while continuing to attract new customers and grow market share in your territory. This means evaluating and making adjustments as your sales environment changes. Ditto for the magazine business. The challenge we face is ensuring what we put on these pages is valuable to your business and not just another reprint form the Internet. The inaugural issue of the Survival Guide is packed full of fresh new ideas and designed to be a great resource throughout the year. As a Mobile Electronics Retailer, our hope is that you will use this guide as a basis for managing and growing your business.
NOW FOR THE FUN PART! We took a good look at what information and resources you need throughout the year, and I’d like to thank many of you in the industry for providing your valuable thoughts and opinions. Here’s what we came up with: 1. Retailers need a year-round resource that
provides tips and information specific to certain operational and selling “seasons” centered on the beginning of the year — tax returns, boating, graduation, summer, back to school, winter weather and the holidays.
2. Retailers need to continuously develop, both professionally and personally, in order to come up with new ways to target business, increase revenue and improve efficiency. 3. Retailers need informative solutions that allow
for advanced planning to achieve the best results. 4. Retailers still want to know the ins and outs of prospective new vendors, so we included some key supplier profiles to get you started. 5. Retailers need all of these things to survive and thrive in this competitive economic climate. In each section of the Survival Guide, we’ve
packed season-specific business tips, timely features and peer-based advice. Plus, you’ll find books and websites that help enhance your prowess as owners, managers and professionals. However, no plan is successful without follow-up. Throughout the year we’ll be checking in with you to monitor your progress, as well as offer additional tips and information as it becomes available. Our goal is to create a peer-to-peer environment in which we can share ideas and improve by emulating others’ successes while avoiding others’ mistakes. This is our part in helping your business excel. But this is only a tool, and like any tool, it needs your muscle to make it work for your business environment. Let’s use this as a starting point to set goals and expand our business this year. As previously mentioned, we’re not going
to use the economy or any other factor as an excuse. We are going to orient our business to attract new customers who want our products and services. We are going to closely partner with our vendors to leverage their expertise and develop our ideal product mix. And we are going to build rapport with existing customers so they will buy more products from us. I’m here with you and for you. Use the Survival Guide well! ■
6 Mobile Electronics Survival Guide 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26