Book Description
Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy, wrote the foreword to Retail Success! Here's how he describes the book.
If you look at the graduates of the five leading business schools in the U.S. over the past fifty years and look at the first job graduates took with their new MBA in hand, only a tiny percentage went to retail companies.
Retail for the last millennia has been something people discovered they had in their blood. Whether brilliant merchant or plodding vendor, retail demanded a special commitment. At any level the only thing guaranteed was hard work.
The point of entry, if it wasn't through family, was often by accident. A part-time job that turned full-time. Discovering a flair or talent for something that precipitated the need to trade. For many senior executives the retail job offer came as a sideways career move. For many small merchants the step into the retail abyss came from the desire to work for themselves. However, running a store or a chain of stores is harder than it looks from the outside. Giving good store means understanding layout and merchandising. It means being able to lead and inspire employees. It means delivering on your promise to the customer consistently day after day.
Being a good merchant has never been easy. The great merchants of the twentieth century learned the details of their craft the hard way--by doing it. They succeed by guts, instinct, and ability to stay focused. If they were lucky, they had a mentor. Someone who brought insight out of chaos. Someone who was willing to teach and help revisit the fundamentals. Someone who could look and listen. For every merchant or aspiring merchant who has missed having that personal mentor, there is George Whalin.
Unlike Columbia Business School professors, George never uses a twenty-five cent word when a nickel word would do just fine. There are no flow charts or fancy three-dimensional diagrams. George dispenses plain and straightforward good advice. From small comic book store owners to the CEO of giant retail chains, George has been a mentor, coach, and cheerleader. In person, George inspires calm and confidence. He's old enough and gray enough to inspire trust and yet he has an easy laugh and melodious voice that is a pleasure to listen to. In this new book, that sonorous and easy tone comes right through the printed words on the page.
If you are in retail, time never comes to you in big chunks. You get breaks, some when you are bone weary, others when you just need to hide for a few minutes. Believe me, George understands. To be honest, you don't have to read this book cover to cover. You don't have to start at the beginning. You can flip and surf, dip and sip. But if you have anything to do with retail, I do recommend that you get to know George and this book is a great place to start.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent--Very Helpful.......2007-02-14
I thought our store was really good at service and individuality. But after reading Retail Success, I came to realize we have lots of room for improvement. It's an evolutionary process and we must continue to evaluate ourselves. This book is a good kick in the pants and offers constructive suggestions from a guy who obviously has been in the trenches. He wrote about asking myself, "What if...we tried something a different way?" That opened my eyes to the process of change. Also, I now ask my employees for suggestions and I ask my customers what they think. Great read!
Not recommended.......2007-01-05
The book contained basic information and was below expectations. The writing style was boring and uncaptivating. I expected to have my emotions charged while reading the book as consumer retail buying is widely accepted as an emotional experience. It was a disappointing read as the book did not do justice to the topic of retail success.
Good Basic Information.......2006-08-26
The book presented several good bits of very basic information. It was an easy read. For someone w/ any experience or familiar w/ the basics, it was a little too basic. Great for chceking on in a library in that case (since there were a few really good tips that were original) but otherwise save your money. For someone not familiar w/ the basics, this may be a good place to start.
Should have read this a long time ago!.......2003-03-22
This was great. Good advice. Sensible. Logical. Would have avoided so many costly mistakes if I'd had this book when I first got into retail.
Attended Mr. Whalin's seminar and then reread his book!.......2003-03-14
I read this book when it first came out and really got a lot of ideas from it. Every now and again, I would go back and look something up or reread a chapter. Last week, after attending a seminar given by Mr. Whalin, I decided to read the whole book again. I can't say enough--I keep finding more good stuff that inspires me. And if you ever get a chance to go to one of the author's seminars, do it!
Average customer rating:
- Marketing from the Trenches
- Vice President REDS Realty LLC
- Guaranteed Results!
- A Must Read for Every Retail and Food Establishment
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Marketing from the Trenches: Your Guide to Retail Success
Rudolf, J Waldner
Manufacturer: Gotham City Publishers Inc
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ASIN: 0978989309 |
Book Description
Marketing from the Trenches is a must read for every retail business owner, manager, and entrepreneur. Through anecdotes, real-life experiences, and documented growth trends, the book reveals to the reader proven methods that will grow their business. The increasing endorsements are a testament to the author's growing list of followers. The author's three "P"s are far more relevant than the scholastic marketing model's four "P"s, most especially for those in retail operations. The writing style is casual with an ever present tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that won't allow the reader to put the book down.
Customer Reviews:
Marketing from the Trenches.......2007-05-31
What can I say the book is "Outstanding".
This is one of the only books that I was not able to put down. When it was delivered to my home I was pulling up at the same time. I got the package opened it up and read the complete book before getting out of my car. The greatest part of this book is the readability. This book is funny and is packed with great information that I put into play that very moment. If your interviewing skills are a bit rusty you need this book. It will give you a new way to be more effective in interviewing.
To the Author - Thank You.
Vice President REDS Realty LLC.......2007-03-20
This is the direct approach for marketing that brings value to any company, any business. Rudy's approach to marketing gives true meaning to giving customers what they want and deserve, everbody in my office will be reading this book.
Guaranteed Results!.......2007-02-08
I rolled out Rudy's program after attending his seminar (prior to his published book), and it has become instrumental to the daily success of our marketing efforts. Increasing interaction with customers and establishing business partnerships in our trade areas have been two of the most effective strategies we've applied to enhance our presence. The results are clear and measurable: increased traffic and sales. Marketing from the Trenches is a smart, low-cost method that will steer your business in the rigth direction and deliver extraordinary results.
A Must Read for Every Retail and Food Establishment.......2007-01-13
Ever since reading Marketing from the Trenches, I cannot enter a retail or food establishment without checking to see if they follow Waldner's formula for success. I see now why I return again and again to some establishments, while avoiding others at all costs after only one visit. This can be the death nail to a shop without ever knowing why. The book is extremely easy to read and understand. Even the busiest shop owner has time to read this fast-paced book. In fact, it should be required reading. If you own a retail or food establishment, make sure to purchase a copy of Marketing from the Trenches and to FOLLOW it's simple guides. You will be rewarded with continued sales and success.
Book Description
Praise for Winning At Retail
"Winning at Retail offers the most effective strategies available for retailers. At McDonald's, the `Quick-EST' model is crucial, because being close and convenient to where our customers live, work, and shop helps us create maximum value. If you want to harness your company's strengths to become a leader in your category-and stay in tune with what your customers want-this is the book for you."
-Jim Rand, Senior Vice President of Business Development, McDonald's Corporation
"Winning at Retail provides a thoughtful approach to retail differentiation. Ander and Stern warn of the `treacherous middle' into which retailers too easily drift. They inspire us to avoid this peril through case studies of retailers who have assumed leadership through courageous choice."
-Robert L. Price, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Wawa
"In a difficult retail environment, this book provides crucial guidance for staying on top of your competition-by taking the customer seriously and leveraging your strengths to provide experiences that increase customer loyalty. Will Ander and Neil Stern elegantly argue that you can't always be the biggest, fastest, and trendiest place on the block, but it takes only one of these `Ests' to be a category leader. Businesses big and small can benefit from the carefully distilled lessons in this book."
-Bernd Schmitt, Professor of Marketing, Columbia Business School and author of Customer Experience Management
Download Description
Solutions for falling sales and faltering retailers
In Winning at Retail, two prominent retail consultants offer strategies for retailers and chains suffering at the hands of decreased sales numbers. Using case studies from such success stories as Costco, Target, and Walgreens, they cover customer service, retail strategy, demographics, and the latest trends in retailing. For retailers to survive, they must adapt to the new realities of the marketplace. McMillan¿s cutting-edge advice and the unique "EST" model in this book shows them how.
Willard Ander (Chicago, IL) is a Senior Partner at McMillan Doolittle who specializes in strategy and the analysis of consumer trends. He has worked with such clients as General Motors, Sears, McDonald¿s, and Amoco on strategy and new store development.
Neil Stern (Chicago, IL) is a Senior Partner at McMillan Doolittle who specializes in strategic planning and the creative development of new retail concepts. He leads the company¿s food consulting practice and has worked with such clients as Publix Supermarkets, Chevron Oil, and Procter & Gamble.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful!.......2005-07-29
Montgomery Ward, Woolworth's and Pets.com stumbled into irrelevancy before they knew what hit them. Authors and retail consultants Willard Ander and Neil Stern explain what went wrong and tell retailers how to stay alive and thrive. They prescribe their theory, called "Est," as in the superlative suffix. Be the best, they say, in assortment (biggest), price (cheapest), customer service (easiest), speed of service (quickest) or fashion (hottest). Being "pretty good" at everything no longer works. The abundance of choices in today's transparent, digital marketplace has spawned information-overloaded, fickle, demanding customers. The authors tend to generalize about what good companies are doing right rather than describing how also-ran retailers might turn things around, but there is plenty of advice here for those who are willing to take it. We recommend this glib pep talk of a book - if for no other reason than to jolt retailers out of believing they're doing everything possible to keep customers coming back.
New 21st century of retailing.......2005-01-19
This book finally can show a retailer how to set their strengths apart from other retailers. Many retail books talk about setting yourself apart but this book shares the FIVE "EST"'s that you can be, like:
biggEST
cheapEST
fastEST
hottEST
etc
You can probably be 2 but not or 5 of them. Great history of stores that do welll. Even though the book talks in big names (like Target which is HottEST as in up to the minute designer fashions at good prices) a small retailer can do this. You jst can't THINK small.
One bad part.......If you read this and think it will be like a motivation seminar where you'll absorb this and it will happen-well, you're wrong. You need to do a lot of things different starting tomorrow morning. the same old drab store with the same old drab employees won't hack it.
You decide. But if you want to change this book will give you direction. Then go read "The E-Myth revisited"
David Geller
A Winning Book.......2004-10-15
As a business student, the book "Winning at Retail" gave me effective and simple strategies for understanding how to evaluate and critique retail concepts. In their accessible text, Ander and Stern manage to distill complex and constantly-evolving retail concepts into an intuitive model that will guide readers who need to quickly and intelligently assess how successfully a retail concept delivers value to customers.
If you're seeking an outline for the particulars of cash-flow management, marketshare, procurement strategies etc., this book won't satisfy. Stern and Ander don't excavate details. Instead, they hover at a conceptual level and methodically reduce high-achieving retailers' major differentiating factors to a workable, comprehensible 5-point "EST-model". The authors concede immediately that no retailer can (or ought to) be strong on all points of their model, since vigor on one axis may preclude a company from muscle on another. They argue that a retail concept must prevail on at least one or two points on the EST model to secure a place among the top three retailers in a segment (which, the authors say, is how to prevent consumer neglect and ultimately, the company's failure). The strengths of the EST model are both its intuitiveness to the reader and its simple construction.
The tome is pithy and easy to read. Stern and Ander sustained my attention throughout by using a familiar -- yet diverse -- set of retailers to illustrate the models. I encourage any reader who wants to appreciate what differentiates compelling retailers that stay relevant to consumers from the many that end their days in "the black hole of retail" to read Winning at Retail immediately.
The est model wins in Winning at Retail.......2004-09-28
The same retailers win year after year, Wal-mart, Target, Home Depot,Amazon while the rest barely hang on. Winning at retail tells retailers what they need, to be the _ est. Biggest, Cheapest, Quickest, Hottest. Customers have more choice and more options. The build it and they will come approach of most retailers is no longer enough. Retailers need to have the right product in the right place for the customer, or the customer will move on. Just like Good to Great, every retail company should check their strategy against Winning at Retail. Most strategies wouldnt pass, the best ones will.
Book Description
Since Sam Walton's death in 1992, Wal-Mart has gone from being the largest retailer in the world to holding the top spot on the Fortune 500 list as the largest company in the world. Don Soderquist, who was senior vice chairman during that time, played a crucial role in that success. Sam Walton said, "I tried for almost twenty years to hire Don Soderquist . . . But when we really needed him later on, he finally joined up and made a great chief operating officer." Responsible for overseeing many of Wal-Mart's key support divisions, including real estate, human resources, information systems, logistics, legal, corporate affairs, and loss prevention, Soderquist stayed true to his Christian values as well as Wal-Mart's distinct management style. "Probably no other Wal-Mart executive since the legendary Sam Walton has come to embody the principles of the company's culture-or to represent them within the industry-as has Don Soderquist," Discount Store News once reported.
Customer Reviews:
Wal*Mart Way Principles.......2007-08-05
This would give you an idea about the book.. you dont wanna miss reading this one!!
1. Every successful venture begins with a dream that requires determination, passion, and the willingness to grow if it is to be fulfilled.
2. You must have a vision that allows you to see a bigger, better, stronger you in the future - while never taking your eyes off of who you are and now what you are doing today.
3. To build a great company, you must create a culture where everyone shares the same values, purposes and expectations of success.
4. True success is achieved in direct proportion to the degree that an organization treats its people with respect and dignity - and believes in them enough to help them grow.
5. You will succeed when you make a commitment to help your customers succeed first.
6. Achieving excellence becomes a reality when you set high expectations, humbly face and correct your mistakes, stay optimistic, and avoid the quicksand of complacency.
7. Your success is in direct proportion to your ability to plan, monitor, and ultimately execute all phases of your business.
8. To build a great company, you must actively and continually seek out, evaluate, and invest in the tools that best serve people and aims of your organization.
9. The most basic operations in your company represent tremendous opportunities for improvement, growth and savings. Dont overlook the obvious.
10. When you create win-win relationships with your business partnerships based on trust and open communications, you maximize your potential for growth.
11. The ongoing sucess of your organization is in direct proportion to your ongoing commmitment to grow.
12. When you cultivate a spirit of charitable giving and civic involvement within your organization, you exponentially increase your tangible and intangible returns - including the personal character of your team.
Insider's account of how Wal-Mart does business.......2006-09-18
Author Don Soderquist, Wal-Mart's retired Vice Chairman and COO, writes passionately about the company its founder, the late Sam Walton and its corporate culture. Once dubbed 'keeper of the culture,' he is not here to write a balanced, objective corporate biography. Instead, his admiration and respect for Walton and Wal-Mart shine from every line. He examines the company's workings from its humble beginnings to its rapid, phenomenal expansion. Soderquist describes Wal-Mart's commitment to its customers and employees, and describes its cost-cutting zeal. He details its use of new technology to revolutionize internal systems. These insights from the inside are very interesting, but - perhaps because the author was in the highest ranks of the company's leadership - the tone is so pro-Wal-Mart that it has the taste of public relations. However, if you seek immersion in this distinctive corporate culture and want to emulate the principles that worked for it, we stand beside the big glass doors and welcome you to Wal-Mart. Do you need a shopping cart?
Don Soderquist is a great American.......2006-07-19
Reading this book you get to know a humble, God-fearing man who pursues excellence in everything he does. Don Soderquist would never say so, but he is a great American and a role model for any young businessman.
And Wal*Mart is proof that the strong American work ethic is really what makes our corporations so successful. Not the 'exploitation' schtick that the demented newscasters constantly try to peddle.
Principle Driven Business.......2006-04-30
For me, this book wasn't primarily about Wal-Mart. It was about a man who took his principles to work with him and became incredibly significant. In a world severly lacking in principle driven living, it shines as a beacon. Here's an example:
The closest competitor prices a product at $19.95. Wal-Mart prices it at $14.86. Why doesn't Wal-Mart raise their price to $17.95, beating the competition but earning $3 more on every unit? Answer: Because Wal-Mart believes it holds a fair profit margin at $14.86 and wants the customer to have the lowest possible price. (Page 94) That's principle driven marketing.
I learned about the ten foot rule: When a Wal-Mart associate comes within ten feet of a customer, he or she is to look up, look the customer in the eye, and speak to the customer. If the customer asks where something is, the associate does not tell the customer, but takes the customer to the product. (page 91) That's principle driven customer service.
The development of corporate culture as a combination of shared vision, shared values, shared purposes, and shared expectations was helpful to me (Page 25). It was interesting to see how the corporate culture was promoted in Wal-Mart.
I believe I can apply these principles in my life, so this book really speaks to me. Forget about your pre-judgments of Wal-Mart, good or bad, and harvest a gold mine of life principles from these pages. I would use this as required reading in a college leadership class.
George A. Goolde
The growth prescription.......2006-01-20
Wal-Mart is simultaneously admired, feared, loved and hated depending on from which perspective one looks at this giant retailer. In this book, the author's view is that of an insider, one who is passionately involved with the company's growth for over two decades and who has lived by the core principles and beliefs of the company and finally reaching the position of COO and vice-chairman.
This book is not a business story of Wal-Mart or a biographical outline of its founder. However, background knowledge of the world's biggest company will help in understanding the basic principles that helped it reach the current position rapidly with a clear vision and determination.
Frankly, my admiration for Wal-Mart has substantially increased after reading this book. This is not because I am in complete agreement with what can perhaps be termed as one-sided view for the author. The difference lies in the listing of the 12 core principles on which the company has been built and continues to grow rapidly even after reaching the magic figure of World # 1.
In terms of its global sourcing strategy, Wal-Mart procures aggressively from low cost locations especially China. This has resulted in reduced prices and abundant supply of merchandise in America. This practice is often accused as taking away of jobs from America and instead creating sweat shops in China. The book challenges these allegations and explains the global supply chain strategies that need to be emulated by any multinational.
What I found more interesting about the book is that about certain assumptions that we may make about business strategy. For example, in simple economic terms, price elasticity of demand means lower prices would ensure higher sales for most merchandise. However, Wal-Mart is driven by customer satisfaction and the commitment to putting an extra dollar into the average American consumer's pocket as the drivers and enablers that increase sales. Price reduction is the effect and not the bait.
The incident where a lady customer is given a free frying pan by the manager of a Wal-Mart store, just based on her declaration that she had lost the one she bought in the parking lot while taking it home is a good example of how much the employees are driven primarily by customer satisfaction and not just by sales targets.
Learning from competitors is another great trait that has been well explained.
Wal-Mart not only excels in customer service within its stores. Its truck drivers for example have helped many people who needed help on the roads especially women struck with vehicle breakdowns during late evening hours. What more can customers expect. No wonder they keep coming back again and again to what is now and will remain the planet's biggest company as long as it continues to pursue its 12 core principles in action and in spirit.
Book Description
Let a franchising guru show you how it's done.
A multimillionaire who built Action International up from a home-based operation to the 16th fastest growing franchise in the world in just twelve years, with nearly 1,000 franchises worldwide, Brad Sugars is one of the most successful franchising experts in the world. With the help of real-life examples, including KFC, Subway, and Howard Johnson's, Sugars arms you with powerful information you can put into action-immediately. You'll discover:
- Everything you need to know about buying a franchise
- How to franchise your own business
- The pros and cons of franchising versus licensing
- Insider tips for selling a franchise
Get real results right now when you discover all that Instant Success has to offer!
Instant Advertising * Instant Cashflow * Instant Leads * Instant Profit * Instant Promotions * Instant Referrals * Instant Repeat Business * Instant Sales * Instant Team Building * The Business Coach * The Real Estate Coach * Successful Franchising * Billionaire in Training
Customer Reviews:
Let the Franchising Guru show you how it's done!.......2006-05-10
Successful Franchising reveals the process through which Bradley J Sugars built his company Action International into a worldwide business coaching leader.
The book teaches you how to buy and sell a franchise business, as well as the basics on how to franchise a new business enterprise. Sugars outlines the elements of the basic Business Chassis, a schematic that can be used to describe any and all businesses, and demonstrates how readers can use the Business Chassis to better understand their own business's future.
Successful Franchising provides business owners with the knowledge of how to go about speeding this transition. Successful Franchising gives entrepreneurs a clear and accessible recipe for franchising success so that they can start moving towards their own professional satisfaction.
Find out the why's and how's of successful franchising.......2006-01-04
Successful Franchising explains in Sugars' familiar, relaxed writing style how to buy and sell a franchise business, as well as the basics on how to franchise a new business enterprise. Sugars outlines the elements of the basic "Business Chassis," a schematic that can be used to describe any and all businesses, and demonstrates how readers can use the Business Chassis to better understand their own business's future.
The business methods Sugars outlines in Successful Franchising are drawn from the author's many years of professional success. Financially retired at 26, Sugars is a multi-million business mogul who assists, motivates, and trains hundreds of thousands of business professionals worldwide through books, DVDs, seminars, and Action International's team of business coaches.
Average customer rating:
- Very informative and easy to read
- A great starting point.....
- Very, Very Useful Primer on Vacation Rentals
- Nice title, but way too basic info, too wordy (filler)
- Limited and biased
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How To Rent Vacation Properties By Owner: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment
Christine Hrib-Karpinski
Manufacturer: Kinney Pollack Press
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Binding: Paperback
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The Vacation Rental Organizer
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Profit from Your Vacation Home Dream: The Complete Guide to a Savvy Financial and Emotional Investment
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How a Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment: New, Tax-Free Methods for Using a Vacation Home for Recreation, Retirement...AND Investment!
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Investing in a Vacation Home for Pleasure and Profit
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The Complete Guide to Second Homes for Vacation, Retirement, and Investment
ASIN: 0974824909 |
Book Description
Author and speaker Christine Hrib Karpinski takes readers through all the steps necessary to purchase and rent out a vacation home. This book contains practical, hands-on advice that shows the reader how to do it without property management companies, and keep 100 percent of the profits. It offers realistic strategies to create a situation in which renters pay the mortgage, while still allowing the owner several weeks a year in that little slice of paradise.
Customer Reviews:
Very informative and easy to read.......2007-09-11
For a person like me who is going to start in the Vacation Rental Business, this book was very helpful and informative. For someone who has experience in the business maybe will find it too elementary or too basic. For me it was a good start.
A great starting point............2007-08-28
I own 5 rental properties, 2 are vacation rentals. I bought this book with pretty high expectations. Well, even though I've been doing this for 15 years, Christine still had some new advice to share. I thought her formula was great for some areas, but in Colorado Ski country it just doesn't work.
I love how she does give a couple different points of view pertaining to financing your vacation home.
I would also preferred more depth, that a chapter on properties outside the US, and buy multiple properties. But as some reviewers have stated, it is an excellent primer.
I do think that her book on booking rentals, The Vacation Rental Organizer is a very useful organizer for the money. I intend to purchase one each year.
Very, Very Useful Primer on Vacation Rentals.......2007-08-01
I have to laugh at the previous two reviews, obviously written by the same person, an admitted student with a bone to pick with the author. Christine is the most well-known expert in the very small field of vacation rental consultants. She literally "wrote the book" to walk potential investors, vacationers, and home owners into successfully taking advantage of the blossoming vacation rental market.
This student disagrees with Christine's recommendations that owners not rent to those under 25 years old, then proceeds to show a perfect example of why owners shouldn't. He attempts to trash her reputation, rather than someone's rental property. I'm a rental owner and have the same rule, based on personal experience and the many experiences of friends and acquaintances. I imagine this student has stayed in 1 or 2 rentals and as a result is now an "expert"...much like the hotel commercials we all laugh at.
As the student says, some of the information in Christine's books is on the Internet, as is information from every book ever written. However, this new version of her "How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner" contains everything anyone needs to know to look for, purchase, furnish, and rent a vacation home. Some of the information is common sense but much is 'insider information' from her many years as a seminar leader, training thousands of owners and being a 'by owner' property manager herself.
Take the previous reviews for what they are, feeble attempts to get even with someone that disagrees with him. If you want to learn about this industry and how to rent 'by owner' get this book and read it cover to cover and decide for yourself how valuable it really is.
Nice title, but way too basic info, too wordy (filler).......2007-07-31
I thought the title of the book was exactly what I was looking for. I had a property to rent and thought about making it a vacation rental. So, I bought the book thinking it would help point out some not-so-obvious issues about renting a vacation property. But after reading it, I was disappointed with the lack of any real advice or tips. There are a A LOT of words, but they seem to be mostly filler with only very limited and basic useful information. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in running a real business.
Limited and biased.......2007-07-19
I purchased this book with the intention of gaining a working knowledge of vacation rentals to start a small vacation rental project in Baja California, in Mexico. This guide was not particularly helpful at all, providing only rudimentary information that was already somewhat obvious. It also relies on some dangerous business practices, fundamentally on speculating on the property that you are going to buy and trying to make significant profit that way. It seems to be very limited and unprofessional, almost hokey, in its view of vacation rentals.
I was personally offended as a student in that it explicitly recommends discriminating against students or anyone under 25 as customers.
Book Description
A book to help organize all aspects of a vacation rental property. Keeps track of rentals, maintenance, and much more. This book helps readers manage their rental properties and keep track of important information all in one place. Specifically designed to meet the needs of vacation property owners, The Vacation Rental Organizer is convenient, easy to use, and best of all, portable — so vacation property management can go anywhere!
Customer Reviews:
Too much "renter" not enough "expenses" space...could be improved.......2007-09-21
I bought this book along with "How to rent Vacation properties by Owner".....THAT book is great, but for me, I was hoping for a better organizer. My main disappointment is simply not enough pages for expenses, but like over 50 pages, (thats over 200 renters) for your renters. Perhaps that is OK for those who rent nightly or weekly, but for me, who rent my vacation home for one month minimum, and usually for 3 month at a time, this was off balance.
I have many expenses that I need to keep track of, utilities, mowing, cleaning,etc,etc......for me, I need WAY more then the 6 pages they give for expenses.....I would think any owner would. Pockets and tabs would have been nice, but the main thing is it needs WAY more pages for expenses.....6 pages is not enough.
World Ventures, Dream Trips, Vacations.......2007-03-01
This book was very thorough and easy to read. If you're looking for a dream vacation also check out, "World Ventures, Wayne Nugent".
Must-have for anyone renting "by owner".......2007-01-16
This organizer, along with it's companion book "How to Rent Vacation Properties By Owner" are indispensible. I used to rent my vacation home through an agency. Last year they got me 2 rentals for the entire winter season for my ski home! Plus they took almost 30% for commissions! Thanks to these 2 books I'm doing the renting myself, and I couldn't be happier! I've had every weekend booked so far this season. And I've already earned enough to cover 80% of my expenses for my home for the entire year. My home pays for itself thanks to Christine's books, and yours can too, with a little effort! Don't waste any more money on an agency - do it yourself with these ingenious books.
Vacation rental Organizer.......2007-01-04
I do think that she could have explained how to organize it in a clearer
manner.
Also, the the examples in the explanation page are not in large enough print.
I do use it but I need another book to put my leases and calendars.
It could use "at a glance" monthly and yearly calendar
This Book Got Me On Track!.......2006-05-17
First I bought "How to Rent Vacation Properties By Owner". This gave me the confidence to self-manage our own beach house. The rental organizer was just what I needed to keep track of the various stages of the life of a rental period from inquiry to deposit return. The only thing I have added is an item under check list for "changed availability calendar". This book goes everywhere with me.
Book Description
Practical advice by people who have done it and helped others do it. Just one example: how a small store turned a sale into a community event - cleared old stock, sold more, made a profit, raised cash for a charity, had fun and had customers making sure they were on the invitation list for next year
Our feeling is that retailers are going to want to dip into this book for ideas as they go, so we've made the contents listing extensive and included an extensive index. There are also margin notes of cross references. It's a book to keep by you and refer to again and again.
Customer Reviews:
Useful but short.......2005-07-15
This book gives you a glimpse of retail business. Helpful but lacks of more detailed info on operation. I think this is just a compilation of articles from a certain book/mag.
Great Book For Anyone Contemplating A Retail Operation.......2003-09-28
If you're thinking of starting or buying a small shop, you'll learn a lot by reading "Success in Store- How to Start or Buy a Retail Shop, Enjoy Running It, and Make Money" by Geoffrey Heard and Gordon Woolf.
Heard and Woolf cover many aspects of running or evaluating a shop including:
* The Importance of the Lease
* Licenses
* Recordkeeping
* Buying and Selling a Shop
* Dealing With Existing Staff
* Calculating Gross Profit Percentage, Markup, and Profit Margins
* Cash Flow
* Dealing With Customers, Including Shoplifting and Security
* Evaluating Stock
* Working With Sales Reps
* Purchasing Stock
* Promoting Your Shop
* Planning For the Growth of Your Business
* Deciding If You Should Purchase a Franchise, Start a New Shop, Or Purchase an Existing Shop
Heard and Woolf give specific advice for running many different kinds of shops, including bookstores, giftshops, clothing stores, antique shops, cafes, rental shops, and bakeries. The authors speak from experience having operated many types of shops. For example, Woolf owned (or owns) newspapers, a publishing company, a convenience store, a bookshop, and a small printing company.
Heard and Woolf point out that nearly anyone can start or buy most types of shops, but there are a few limitations-for example, only a pharmacist can operate a pharmacy.
Heard and Woolf write: "The first question to ask yourself is whether the business you are considering requires specialist knowledge and whether you have that knowledge (or a substantial part of it). There are businesses which require little specialist knowledge, but it is important to know how to obtain that small amount of knowledge if you do not already possess it."
Many shops fail though, possibly because it's so easy to start them. Heard and Woolf write: "While the majority of small businesses fail, and fail quickly, the business run by someone who seeks help from experts and who is prepared to admit mistakes, and do something about them, stands the best chance of success."
"Success in Store- How to Start or Buy a Retail Shop, Enjoy Running It, and Make Money" provides new shop owners with the benefit of the authors' experience, including important, but easily overlooked topics.
For example, there is a great discussion about leasing space. The authors write: "One of the fundamentals in which many new businesses go wrong is in signing an unsuitable lease."
Heard and Woolf warn new owners they might not get the same lease rate as some larger, more established stores, called "destination stores," because people go to particular shopping centers to shop at those stores. Thus, destination stores have more negotiating power.
In addition, Heard and Woolf address how running a business might affect your marriage and family. And, they address the important question: Will you make money with your own shop? And, how can you grow your business, if that's your goal?
If you're contemplating starting or buying a shop, I highly recommend "Success in Store- How to Start or Buy a Retail Shop, Enjoy Running It, and Make Money."
A wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques.......2003-09-14
Authoritatively co-written by marketing consultant Geoffrey Heard and experienced convenience store owner Gordon Woolf, Success In Store is a practical, "nuts-and-bolts", no-nonsense guide to acquiring and running a retail business, whether personally established or purchased from another. Individual chapters deftly address ways to promote one's store, basic information on day-to-day business operations, making the most of the internet, and a great deal more. A wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques make Success In Store indispensable reading for anyone seriously considering retail business as a career.
Average customer rating:
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Thriving in the Shadow of Giants: How to Find Success as an Independent Retailer
Eddy Kay
Manufacturer: Armarium Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Retailing
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Take Charge! A Manager's Guide to Specialty Retailing
ASIN: 0970782500 |
Book Description
From bookstores to stereo shops, independent retailers have been struggling to stay alive in the shadow of the superstore giants. In this new book from The Armarium Press, international speaker and sales trainer Eddy Kay shows small business owners how to turn the challenges presented by superstores into unprecedented opportunities for success.
Written for store owners and top managers, Thriving in the Shadow of Giants opens with a brief romp through retail history to remind readers that evolution is a fact of life in business. Kay then walks his readers through a refresher course in “acting like a specialist” - addressing topics from developing “personal trade” with customers to providing service that results in customer satisfaction.
Each chapter concludes with a “Specialist Spotlight.” These profiles feature successful specialists who have learned to turn the superstores' strengths to their own advantage and to exploit market niches the big guys are forced to ignore. Readers meet an appliance store owner who decided it was smart business to open up shop across from Wal-Mart… partners at a neighborhood bookshop whose customers come from around the world and through referrals by Borders up the street… and a model train store owner who explains how he and his colleagues forced the big-box retailers out of their industry completely.
Kay's lively writing style reflects his understanding that small business owners don't have the time to wade through statistical analyses of superstores' sales patterns - as other books might have them do - but neither are they going to be placated with quick-fix solutions for their woes. Retail is hard work, Kay reminds us, but his real-world examples and humorous anecdotes leave readers agreeing that running shop in the shadow of the giants can be fun and rewarding as well.
Book Description
If you want to make it in the real estate business without reading dozens of books, spending endless hours in classes, and dropping bundles on unwise investments, look no further than Magic Bullets in Real Estate. Information-packed, this book reveals proven secret strategies in a unique, reality-based approach. This invaluable resource shows how every person can live a life of prosperity and security. It details a concrete plan to find, negotiate, contract, buy, sell, rehabilitate, and flip properties - as well as manage tenants, taxes, and trades people.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for Beginners and Experienced Investors.......2007-05-21
Very well written book, loaded with good information on how you can actually invest in realestate. Got me from wishing and thinking about it, to actually doing it. Thank you!
For anyone with time to read just one book on real estate investing........2007-05-15
Having had lots of experience in real estate investing, lots of friends ask me "What's a good book to read on the subject?" I usually tell them to check out armloads of boo0ks from the library, as I did, as none covered the subject very fully or deeply, but each added something to your knowledge. This was never a good answer because you had to plow the same ground over and over.
Magic Bullets in Real Estate became the real one-book answer. I was so impressed by it, that I have bought lots of them as gifts to people with whom I wished to share my enthusiasm for real estate investing. If I had the time and inclination to write a book on investing, this would be the one I would strive for. It confirms most of what I have learned of the subject and pulls it all into a workable perspective to guide me into the future. It is thoughtfully written so that few questions go unanswered. The author posesses a true flair for writing that few of the big "gurus" have mastered though, unfortunately, they get all the attention. His book is very upbeat and fun to read, and his grasp of clear communication eliminates the usual need to ponder what he meant to say.
Although the title has no zing, this book is full of great ideas from cover to cover. It deserves far more attention in the investment world than it will probably ever get, so I suggest that anyone reading this, buy it, enjoy it, and recommend it to anyone who asks you "What's a good book to read on the subjest?"
GREAT BOOK!.......2007-04-30
Great book!
Detailed and informative.
Written by a man who clearly wants to help people learn to improve their lives.
EVERY man,woman and child should read and re-read ONCE PER YEAR:
1) Think and Grow Rich;
2) How to win friends and influence people;
3) The Richest man in Babylon; AND
if they want to pursue Real Estate Investing...
4) Magic Bullets In Real estate!
Every "self help" and "financial improvement" book, ever written. that is worth reading, is contained in the above books.
Howard Spiva
Attorney, Investor, Land Lord
Savannah Georgia
[...]
Outstanding .......2006-03-06
I have read quite a few real estate books lately like Renovate to Riches, 40 Days To Success In Real Estate Investing, and several of John T. Reed's books among others. This is one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand books I have read so far.The author provides an outline on how to get started and who to contact to assemble a real estate investment team. His chapter on selling your own house is dead on.
Worth the effort.......2005-10-24
This is a quick read with many useful ideas. The best chapter is the one regarding 2 week fix ups. If you are new to real estate this would be a good starting point.
Books:
- Retailing Management
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth
- Selling the Dream
- Skills for New Managers
- South Park Conservatives: The Revolt Against Liberal Media Bias
- Starting an Online Business For Dummies, 4th Edition
- Strategic Compensation (4th Edition)
- Successful Project Management (with Microsoft Project 2003, 120 Day Version and InfoTrac )
- Supply Chain Management (3rd Edition)
- Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operations, Second Edition
Books Index
Books Home
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1001 Ideas to Create Retail Excitement, Revised Edition (2003)
Winning At Retail: Developing a Sustained Model for Retail Success
Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping
Retail Selling Ain't Brain Surgery, It's Twice As Hard
Retail Business Kit for Dummies
