Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast

Have you ever looked around your retail store and thought, “wow, I could really use some advice on how to make this better?” 

That’s exactly what one retail store owner and Master Shopkeepers member did early last year. Luckily for Patty, a pseudonym gift shop owner from the Portland, OR area, I was giving away an in-store intensive. 

Through a mix of Zoom calls and a day-long visit to her sto...

Did you know that up to 99% of the decisions we make are subconscious? Since our decisions drive our behaviors, it’s crucial that we learn to make more of our decisions consciously rather than subconsciously!

In today’s episode, I’ve invited my coach, Neill Williams, to share the science behind entrepreneurial emotions. With a master’s in economics and mathematics and as a Master Certified Coach, Neill is ...

As your indie retail business grows, leading a team becomes a crucial part of your store owner responsibilities. And while being a leader may not come naturally, being a better leader is thankfully a skill that you can cultivate. 

In today’s episode, I’m sharing the five essential skills you can quickly learn to be a better leader. You’ll be known for your kindness, respect, and humility after implementing...

Let’s face it: being an indie retail store owner isn’t easy. There are shipments to bust, products to merchandise, backstock to organize, floats to reconcile, and tasks to delegate. 

Beyond the day-to-day operations, there are even more high-level tasks that eat at your time and brain power, like choosing what products to bring in and figuring out how to pay yourself. 

Do you know what makes a...

For indie retail store owners who run vendor or consignment-style stores, there’s an extra layer of work on top of running a store: managing vendor relationships. 

Vendors at these stores normally rent a specific booth or section of the store to display their products. And while each vendor is in charge of managing their inventory, cleaning their area, and merchandising their products…

…the ow...

Encouraging your customers to pay in cash is not only great for your business (buh-bye, credit card transaction fees!), but great for your community. 

Accepting cash diversifies payment options, keeps money out of banks’ deep pockets, and gives people without bank accounts access to goods and services. Cash is a win for small businesses and customers alike! 

While taking more cash payments mig...

Have you ever decided to shop small, confirmed store’s hours online, driven over to the store…only to find a “sorry, we’re closed” sign hanging on the door? 

That frustration you’ve felt in that moment is NOT what you want to give to your customers in case of a temporary store closing! Communicating with your customers about a store closi...

With Q1 of 2024 behind us, it feels like a good time to share some impromptu Savvy Shopkeeper updates. There have been a lot of changes within my business and personal life, and I’m excited to share them with you!

Listen in to hear about leaving my retail store behind, finishing my coaching certification, an in-person event you’ll want to save the dates for, a potential paper version of the Savvy Shopkeepe...

Posting on Instagram can feel exhausting and overwhelming, especially as a retail store owner with a million other things on your plate. That’s why I’m sharing a metric for you to track that can make your social media efforts feel worth it—and that no one else is talking about!

Listen in to learn about this hidden metric, plus get a bran...

Between an upcoming leadership month in Master Shopkeepers and wanting to share how I’m learning to lead the Savvy Shopkeeper team, leadership has been top of mind for me. That’s why I was so excited to chat with Shelli Warren, the founder of Stacking Your Team.

After a 25-year stint at Proctor & Gamble, Shelli ventured into leadership coaching for small business owners. She’s got a knack for stacking a te...

From plugging your retail profit leaks to scaling your indie retail business, this year’s Savvy Shopkeeper survey covered a bit of everything. 

I’m excited to share the results with you, especially because it might show you what’s possible for your store. 

I’m also sharing how you can attend my upcoming masterclass, Stop The Drip. In this two-hour class, you’ll learn how to identify and plug t...

If you’re an Aspiring Shopkeeper, figuring out how and where to buy wholesale inventory is a crucial step towards opening your store’s doors. Luckily, there’s a program that makes it super easy to curate, order, and buy inventory for a retail store: Open With Faire. 

Built by one of the most reliable online wholesale platforms around, Open With Faire gives new retail store owners the education, tools, and ...

As indie retail store owners, it’s all too easy to focus on the negative. We’re always thinking about which stores are closing, what’s to blame for industry-wide difficulties, and how each new hurdle might lead to our store failing. 

And while our glass-half-empty view isn’t surprising (we’re only human, after all!), we can and SHOULD try to change our mindset. Celebrating our successes gives us proof tha...

Kate Simpson, owner of Cerulean of Cape Cod, was always a maker and a nurturer. She created her own jewelry, sold it at weekend markets, and even had a spot at a vendor-based retail store, all while working full-time as a nurse.

Eventually, though, she wanted to take the entrepreneurial leap into nurturing a retail store of her own. That’s when Cerulean was born.

Listen in as Kate shares how C...

Bookkeeping is crucial for any business, and indie retailers are no exception! It's the key to understanding your finances, making smart choices, and pushing your biz forward. 

Today, I’m sharing six bookkeeping tips from a recent live lesson I taught to Master Shopkeepers. Listen in to learn what you need to do to keep your books in order so you can work smarter, profit more, and grow. 

For s...

Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters are on the rise. Thankfully, Heart on Main Street is there to support independent retail businesses when disaster strikes. 

After growing up on the wholesale side of retail, Patrick Keiser founded Heart on Main Street to provide indie retailers with the resources, tools, and educational opportunities they need to reinvest in their businesses. 

Our laptops are not only an extension of our physical workspace, but often an extension of our minds. Digital clutter in the form of tons of too many tabs and multiple windows can bog us down. 

But there are ways to increase your web browser efficiency—and just as with other key systems for independent retailers, I’ve got a few tricks up...

After many years of attending AmericasMart as a buyer, this year was my first time attending as an observer. 

It was fascinating to chat with members of the Savvy Shopkeeper community, spot market trends, and be a fly on the wall at showrooms!

In today’s episode, I’m sharing my five key takeaways from AmericasMart 2024. 

Listen in to learn what trends we’ll be seeing later this ye...

Asking your customers for feedback can be scary—trust me, I know! Most years, I ask my customers and community to complete the Savvy Shopkeeper survey. 

While getting feedback directly from the people I serve can be nerve-wracking, it’s an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Read on to learn how you can fill out this year’s Savvy Shopkeeper Survey along with my best tips for conducting a feedb...