Saturday, February 18, 2012

Last Things First - How the Small Thing Become Big Things

For those in the garment or fashion industry everyone knows that the hassle of following and ordering new clothing lines for the next season is very time consuming. This is not to mention the stress and cost associated with having to keep your store in line with the latest trends. And all of this is done in front of the looming backdrop of insecurity regarding whether or not you are going to get a good enough return on your investment.

Yet we stick to it because this is part of the game, if you want to make it in the world of fashion you have to keep on your toes like a boxer, always ready for the next blow and constantly vigilant, whiting for the opportunity to strike and stand out as a store and a business. This is as it should be and is not unique to the fashion industry because in reality every business has to contend with these factors in one way or another. This is why this article, although it will be focused on the fashion industry, has many lesion and tips for people in every business.

What is of primary concern is where you place the emphasis in your business. Most people, and this goes for all businesses, place their emphasis on the biggest aspects of the business. For us in fashion it is keeping track of the trends and styles that are selling as I mentioned before. And this is as it should be because the big things are what brings in the money and make our bottom line what it needs to be. But the issue arises when we neglect the small things at the expense of the big ones.

In my world, the world of fashion, the focus is too often on the new clothing and on the bills and accounts and on advertising, yet what we so often fail to focus on is the simple in-store shopping experience. From simple display mannequins being in the right places and wearing the right things down to the way things are folded on the shelves. This is all aside for customer service and a clean store which are most essential and should not be listed here as one of the small things (although clearly some store owners do not place cleanliness and customer service as a top priority.) it is these small things that make all of the difference in the eyes of the shopper and is the primary cause of their returning to your store.

If you pay attention to the small things your big things will all come together and you will have a profit that simply does not compare with profits that are the result of emphasis on the big things alone.

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