Guide to Successful Retailing Inspired by Mary Portas Marketing presentation © Skillsmart Retail, 2012

Revised programme Business course titles Retail Finance & Business Planning Driving Sales through Marketing Buying & Visual Merchandising Flexible Delivery Can be delivered in bite-sized chunks Breakfast sessions Lunch sessions Evening Or half day You choose! 2Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

What is it? A series of business courses developed specifically to meet the needs of small and medium sized business owners and managers The courses will give retailers the skills, knowledge and tools to grow their business whilst also providing them with an opportunity to network with other business owners and managers All courses can be delivered in bite-sized sessions to accommodate staff availability. Each course can be tailored to each businesses needs and can be delivered either in-house or at a skills shop 3Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

What is it? The three courses cover the essential skills needed to run a profitable retail business: –Retail Finance & Business Planning –Driving Sales through Marketing –Buying & Visual Merchandising Each course will provide delegates with: –Practical advice and action plans –Useful templates based on best practice in the retail sector –Tools to download and start using immediately –Key performance measures to monitor retail businesses 4Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Trainers will receive: Delegate workbook PowerPoint presentations Trainers guide CD of support material 5Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Retail Business Planning & Finance Who should attend? Owner managers Company directors Managers who need to positively affect the businesses financial processes and outcomes 6Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Retail Business Planning & Finance Course objectives By the end of the session delegates will: Understand the importance of having a business plan and get a guide and template to write one; if you don’t have a plan, how do you know where you are going? Be able to manage sales and improve cashflow for maximum impact on the overall business performance Understand what makes a business profitable or not: gross profit, capital expenditure, systems and controls, stock turns/levels 7Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Buying & Visual Merchandising 8Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas Who should attend? Anyone responsible for buying or merchandising Anyone who wishes to gain the knowledge, skills and tools needed to buy and display visual more effectively to improve sales

Buying & Visual Merchandising 9Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas Course objectives By the end of the course delegates will: Know how to buy for profit and maximise product performance Understand their customers and create a pleasing and exciting visual experience and really maximise their product placement Learn the process of the supply chain and its importance in the buying process Understand range planning and retail business terminology such as seasonal phasing Learn how to drive sales through their windows, understand how to maintain customer interest and learn techniques to attract more customers

Driving Sales through Marketing Who should attend? Anyone in your business who wishes to gain the knowledge, skills and tools needed to market products or services Anyone who wishes to learn how to raise the profile of the business to improve sales 10Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Driving Sales through Marketing Course objectives By the end of the session delegates will: Understand the retail marketing mix and get to know their market and their customers using the basic science of shopping Learn strategies on how to attract and retain more customers using social media and a customer-focused approach to selling The importance of planning and reviewing the marketing calendar to raise the profile of the business to improve sales 11Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Benefits 12Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas The courses will provide delegates with a chance to reflect on their current business practices and help them to identify key areas for development within their business. As well as practical advice, the courses will provide delegates with the skills and the confidence to take their business to the next level.

Pricing based on feedback 13Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas No recommended retail price Workbooks £25 (discounts will be available for bulk orders) Pricing kept flexible in order for you to test the market and charge what is right locally We will suggest all delegates contact their local skills shops for prices – essential that you have someone to field calls, s etc Our pricing model (next slide) was based on a delegate rate of £85 with a few scenarios

Timeline 14Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas Monthly updates via skills shop newsletter Soft launch - locally and regionally – Feb 12 Delivery commences as soon as trained – Feb 12 Planning needs to start now – Key action - Work out the financial models that work for you - Plan your training dates for the year, book trainers, rooms - Develop a marketing calendar - Plan marketing and sales campaigns – do you have a database, what resources will you be planning to use? will you use social media to engage with local retailers - Identify key target audiences: ATCM, Chambers, FSB etc

Suggested marketing activities 15Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas Update your website with new content Contact previous delegates and encourage booking Organise a mail out to local retailers announcing the launch of the programme Follow up announcing training dates Contact warm contacts by phone to offer introduction price Identify local influencers (social media can be useful) and send details of the new courses Attend local networking groups to present the new programme Work with your partners (board members) and get them to announce the launch of the revised programme to their contacts Promote the training dates on your website and use social media to drive traffic to your website

Example of delegate workbook 16Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Example of trainer guide 17Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

Example of PowerPoint 18Guide to Successful Retailing - Inspired by Mary Portas

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