Prior to a store’s grand opening, a small to mid-sized business owner newbie must recruit, hire, and train ideal workers. Investing time and energy in research and preparation about everything from where to find the best staffers to preparing relevant interview questions can help gather information on the training process. Business owners need to keep…
How Should Independent C-Store Operators Approach Project Management?
“The nice thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression.” — John Harvey-Jones If you get in a car in Chicago with the intent of driving to Los Angeles, the GPS rarely plots the California portion of the map while…
How Can Independent Marketers Compete With Big-Box Stores?
If you’re a small or medium-sized business owner, staying ahead of the competition is essential. A small business owner’s primary concern is how they can outperform their competitors by offering superior products and services at tempting prices. Getting ahead in any retail industry includes many responsibilities such as marketing, inventory management, sales tracking, and cost…
Why Should an Independent C-Store Operator Develop a Policy and Procedures Handbook?
“Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!” – from “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” As a small business owner, you may wonder why one would need to get organized from a policy and procedure standpoint. After all, you may only have…
New-to-Market Curby’s Opens First Store
In a new initiative to offer a convenient, quick-service concept to the southern market, Lubbock, Texas-based Curby’s opened its first store on Feb. 1. Given that cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have spiked, the on-the-go service is expected to be well-received. The grand opening celebration of the first Curby’s Express Market is projected for…
How Can the Independent C-Store Improve Sales Forecasting?
A while back, a gentleman who wanted help selling his company approached me. I asked him, “So, what do you hope the purchase price to be?” He looked at me and said, “$5 million.” I then asked, “How did you come up with that figure?” He looked at me and said with a straight face,…
Macfood Mart Supports St. Jude’s
With the help of in-store customer donations, locally owned and operated MacFood Mart’s c-store locations raised more than $1,300 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in January 2022. As Partner’s in Hope for K105 FM Country Cares for Kids Radiothon, donation jars were placed at all registers in stores throughout the month of January, and…
How the Independent C-Store Operator Can Become Operationally Excellent
Managing a retail store is tough work. Between operations, merchandising, marketing and facility upkeep, retail business owners have their hands full. Managing the details of retail is the difference between making it or not. All too often, retail owners become lax in their operation and put themselves at an unnecessary disadvantage with their customers. It…
Strong November for Independent, Small-Format Retailers
The U.S. Travel Association reported that Thanksgiving weekend travel almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, only 4% below 2019. Travel and the holiday shopping season usually means good news for the convenience store industry. As travel increases consumers will fill their gas tanks, but will they stop in to grab a candy bar and a soft…
What Are the Hand-Washing Best-Practices for C-Stores?
Even more than chains, independent c-store operators need to earn consumers’ trust every time they enter the store, and nothing can destroy that trust more quickly than unsanitary food handling practice. Foodborne illness can cripple a c-store’s foodservice program, which makes teaching and enforcing the basics an essential part of an independent’s training program. The…