Starting the day with a business book helps the mind awaken and perform during the day.
April 21, 2024
I start each workday looking at notes I took when I read $100m Offers by Alex Hormozi. I read the notes, then assess how I can put them into action on our platform. I may add additional notes on top of the existing notes. I may grab a cafe napkin and doodle a feature on it.
These notes have directly benefited our platform: We have used them to launch new features, more clearly explain our services, and overall ensure we're performing our duties for clients.
Carol Schroeder recently shared how local shops help our communities and their environment. I liked the excerpt below from her post:
”Returns are one example of something local shopkeepers do better than Amazon and other giant web retailers. The e-commerce return rate is estimated to be two to three times that of brick & mortar stores – averaging a shocking 20%-30%. According to The Guardian, a returns platform “recently calculated that only 50% of ...
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How a drawing on a bar napkin led to a software platform that processes trillions of calculations
April 15, 2024
In 2007, while sitting at the pub Moran’s with a beer, I drew a sketch on a napkin that would change our business. I drew a software model that would allow an indie store to instantly show (and sell) thousands of products online—without any labor. (The secret sauce: The respective brand would do the product update work for the merchants.) The immediate goal was to help my two retailers more efficiently load products onto their websites (and save me the boredom of doing it).
The Wall St. Journal shares how Amazon takes other companies’ ideas on a mass scale, such as from Trader Joe’s. The article is an excerpt from “The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power,” a new book by Dana Mattioli.
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What your business can learn from the celebrated economist Daniel Kahneman
April 3, 2024
Daniel Kahneman, the celebrated economist, passed away last month. The Nobel Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom winner gave us insights into the economics of the mind, such as people fearing loss more than gain, making short sighted decisions, and overly relying on feelings.
We can often use Mr. Kahneman's insights in our business's daily operations.
Whether it's a family dinner or a quiet night in with a favorite book and a solo meal, MacKenzie-Childs dinnerware pieces add a touch of whimsical charm to every bite.β¨
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We support the shop local ecosystem, and an ingredient in that is local jobs. Marc Levinson in The Wall St. Journal reviews two books that address made-in-the-U.S.A. ventures.
Spoiler alert: Doing the right thing often costs more. These all likely cost more: Shopping local, using local labor, and running local manufacturing. If you’re involved in one of these area, we hope you’ll appreciate those in the others. I’ve met local shop owners that outsource their ...
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We follow the travails of indie stores and the Internet in real life—and on the silver screen. The Times shares how the blockbuster film “You’ve Got Mail,” a story about an indie bookshop owner who finds love online, has fared over 25 years.
Perfect for gifting and for Christmas Eve reading, The Magic of Old St. Nick children's book series brings Italy's Santa Claus, Babbo Natale, to life and is written by VIETRI Founder Susan Gravely. ππ πΌ
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How a checklist can be used as a valuable tool for existing clients or prospects.
December 20, 2023
This past Thanksgiving, Austin Kleon, the author of "Steal Like an Artist" and other inspirational books, shared a free gratitude journal via his weekly email newsletter. (Please view that clever, hand-drawn journal here: https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/a-gratitude-zine) A part of this journal is making a list of what one is grateful for. (He also has an ad lib for gratitude!) I can imagine him having a gratitude checklist. A checklist is a very efficient tool to deliver...
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Staff at manor department stores like Saks are finding success with Instagram and social media. The Information shares this:
……….
Tyler Bell was encouraging all her clients to “tag your bag.” Every time Bell, a Saks Fifth Avenue stylist in Troy, Mich., closed a sale, she asked the buyer to show off their purchase on Instagram and tag her account, @tyler.saks. Bell posts Saks inventory multiple times a day on Instagram Stories. Her 27,000 followers will...
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Inspired by a storybook setting nestled in the French Alps, enjoy après-ski with mulled wine and a hearty meal served on this charming collection depicting Santa’s snowy village.
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Part of my job is to review registry software. I ensure it works well for retailers, registrants, and gift-givers (family and friends). I also assess whether it offers good value (price vs. results).
When looking for registry software, some retailers consider MyRegistry.com for their registry service. I reviewed a retailer's site using MyRegistry.com and assessed how a customer would make a registry purchase. For privacy purposes, I blurred the store's name in the screenshots shown.
Small businesses are getting hacked via Facebook ads, shares Today’s The Wall St. Journal. The ads purport to offer Google’s AI engine Bard, but instead steal the business’s social media account access.
How restaurants, hotels, and tableware brands are using loyalty programs--and what indie stores can learn from this.
October 11, 2023
Perk-y
I recently read about a new loyalty program and wondered what we could learn from it. The founder of Eater and Resy, Ben Leventhal, has started Blackbird, a loyalty program service designed for indie restaurants, reports The New York Times (Read the article). Using the Blackbird app, a diner receives a perk for eating at a restaurant. The retailer sets tiers for which the user qualifies for the perk. For example, a restaurant, Nat’s on Bank in New York City, gives tier 1 customers ...
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I found this in an old entertaining book. Does anyone set a formal table anymore? 12 pieces of cutlery and 5 drinking glasses, The world has certainly changed and gotten more casual. By these standards, our formal tables would be considered at most semi-formal.
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