Staffing your Store:

Tips to Help You Do it Well

As your shop grows, having staff, whether paid helpers or volunteers, is vital. One person, even the most motivated shop owner, can't do it all, and do it well enough to make the shop truly grow and succeed. Many entrepreneurs have a difficult time "managing" people, but it's really just common sense, as these tips, from Team Work: Staffing your Store, shows.

To build a good crew that’s happy and productive, assign staffers where they are most effective. One person may be very good at dealing with one type of customer. Another might be more of a detail person, good at keeping your records straight. Perhaps that shy member might love to do displays or change hangers and mark down and straighten stock. Don’t force someone to do a task that he or she cannot handle. Watch for subtle clues that a worker does or does not enjoy a given task.

A coffee maker, microwave and refrigerator will save money, encourage healthy eating habits, promote staying in-store for lunch, and save time by cutting down on “Can I run get a Coke?” requests.

Have your staffers been working long hours for something special going on at work? Send the staffer’s spouse a thank-you gift when your staffer has been spending an extraordinary amount of time away from home. Flowers or a “dinner-for-two” certificate will tell that spouse that you appreciate her or his patience!

Once you have more than one staffer, it will save time and discussion (and even "I didn't know that" comments) if you have an employee handbook. Our TGtbT Resaler's Resource List: Your Employee Handbook is a compilation of sources to help you write this unique and useful procedural guide for your shop.

Copyright 2010 Kate Holmes, TGtbT.com. All rights reserved and enforced.

Resources

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On Auntie Kate The Blog:

Give your staff the tools they need.
The "task" board is a great way to manage helpers and volunteers

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Team Work: Staffing your Store

Resaler's Resource List: Your Employee Handbook

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TGtbT.com is the premier web site for professional resalers. Start a consignment, resale or thrift store with our free articles and the TGtbT.com Products for the Professional Resaler. Interested in business plans, operating your shop, consignment software and selling secondhand clothes, upscale designer fashions, children's gear or used furniture? Consignment shops, resale stores, thrift stores and consignment sales use Too Good to be Threw. As a lifelong member of NARTS and a consignment consultant, our information is designed for the resale industry.

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