Village Shops

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Playing music in your shop can make a real difference to how it is perceived by your customers. Getting it right can help retain customers in your shop for more time and encourage purchases, get it wrong and they may not even come through your door.

When considering what music to play remember that if it is to be heard by your  customers your personal choice may not be ideal and the music needs to compliment the retail environment , not conflict with it.

In addition you will almost certainly require a Performing Rights Society Licence (PRS) and a Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) licence, two separate organisations dealing with different sectors of the music industry.

For further information about PRS visit:  www.prsformusic.com 

For further information about PPL visit:  www.ppluk.com 

For a brief overview of PRS and PPL click here for information extracted from each of the organisations websites

 

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With further Retail Masterclasses delivered on the evenings of Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th April at Blakemere Craft Centre and Castle Park, Frodsham, and 11 businesses visited to receive ‘one to one’ advice our Shop Doctor was extremely busy last week in Cheshire.

In total 18 independent businesses have now been visited under the ‘Let’s Talk Shop’ Retailer support programme currently being delivered in conjunction with Cheshire West and Chester Council and many positive recommendations identified to help develop retail opportunities in all of the businesses visited.

When visits are as diverse as a Bridal Gown Shop to a Pet Shop, Jewellery Shop to a Bike Store, within a short timescale immediate impressions play an important part of how the business is perceived by the Shop Doctor and usually the outside impact of a business reflects opportunities to be found within.

Even good businesses can lose their way and the philosophy adopted by the Shop Doctor of helping to make good businesses even better is found to be a far more effective route to success than seeking routes to criticise.

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BT came good with their ISDN line, Dalecom worked wonders with re-installation of our telephone system and  Ultimate Link, 01539 987654 helped resolve our broadband and networking connectivity issues.

Communications now fully restored and we are feeling far more organised in our new offices.

We are contactable again on our main number 015394 40020

Our fax number is 015394 46140

Our email contact is bill@sldt.co.uk

…..and, as you are here already, you have the website address!

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Our telephone lines are being moved to our new offices this morning (Fdiday 20th) and, as a consequence, or main line 015394 40020, and those associated with it, are presently not available.

BT advise that we should be up and running again by 13.00.

For some of the time we can be contacted via our fax number 015394 46140 or you can contact Bill Smith direct on his mobile 07766 208 082

Also apologies for the intermittent Twitter feed to our website – normal service will hopefully be resumed as quickly as possible

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With effect from the beginning of January 2012 our new office address will be:

Let’s Talk Shop Ltd
“Overbeck”
Woodland Road
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 2AN

All other contact details will remain unchanged.

PLEASE ADJUST YOUR RECORDS ACCORDINGLY

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Adopting some simple resolutions for the New Year could help attract new customers to your shop.

Why not try some of these:

  • Regularly look at your business from the customers point of view, remedy any failings immediately.
  • Keep your shop front well swept and free of weeds and rubbish.
  • Refresh the message on your ‘A’ sign, keep it informative, clean and sensibly located.
  • Display your business contact details clearly on the shop fascia or window.
  • Request the window cleaner to clean the shop fascia on a regular basis. What about cleaning the insides more regularly?
  • Ensure window displays are regularly changed and that the window is working for you even when the shop is closed.
  • Illuminate your window effectively and keep window lighting on after the shop is closed.
  • Repair light fittings immediately something goes wrong and keep bulbs to the same specification.
  • Remove unnecessary notices from your shop window and door – particularly if they are promoting another business.
  • Remember the age old retail adage – “EYE LEVEL IS BUY LEVEL” and use it to maximise the appeal of your window and interior displays.

Look out for more simple resolutions from ‘The Shop Doctor’ to help make your shop work harder for you in 2012.

Sometimes addressing the simplest of things can make the greatest impact.

Wishing you a Happy New Year, and let’s hope for a more prosperous one.

 

 

 

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Public toilets are not always available where or when you need them, there is often a queue at the ladies, and facilities for disabled people, children and for changing babies are not always adequate.

However, public toilet provision is at the discretion of local authorities, and there is currently no legal requirement for Councils to provide any toilets at all. In fact 40% of public toilets have closed in the last ten years. The campaign group ‘We need the Loo’, a joint venture between the Women’s Design Service, the British Toilet Association and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has therefore launched an online petition to ask the Government to make adequate public toilet provision a legal requirement.

They are asking for adequate toilet facilities for everybody, including men, women, children, babies and disabled people.

If you would like to play your part in ensuring we have public toilets as part of more sustainable, comfortable and inclusive communities, please publicise this petition. It has its own Facebook page, and the petition can be found by searching for public toilets on the government’s e-petition web site, or by using this link –  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15258

Well maintained, well equipped, clean and easily accessible toilets can make a real contribution to how customers use our towns – a way has to be found to improve, not remove, public toilet provision.

epetition flyer – we need the loo

epetition press release

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1st July has seen the adoption of our new logo developed for us by Cypher Digital in Milnthorpe.

The refreshing style reflects our commitment to the high street and our role advising, motivating, mentoring and supporting to the needs of the independent retail sector.

Working either directly with private clients or reaching greater sections of the retail community through business or economic development initiatives being delivered thorough  local councils we develop and deliver bespoke programmes individually orienated toward meeting the need of the particular trading environment or retail sector involved.

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The latest round of Shop Doctor in store surgeries will be taking place in three areas of urban Carlisle in the near future.

Up to 16 businesses across Currock, Upperby and Harraby will be receiving visits from The Shop Doctor in this latest round of business support specifically targeted at assisting the independent retail sector.

The work  has been commissioned by Carlisle City Council and follows previous support delivered to retailers in Brampton, Longtown and Dalston.

The asistance will be provided on a first come first served basis and retailers within the nominated areas are urged to make contact to arrange a visit without delay.

Visits can be arranged directly with the Shop Doctor via 015394 40020 or email bill@sldt.co.uk.

Alternatively contact Chris Pearson, Carlisle City Council Economic Development Manager on 01228 817015 or email christopherp@carlisle.gov.uk

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