I am actively seeking my perfect home office solution-I want a computer armoire.  Has anyone seen it? As a trainer, consultant and (sometimes) writer I have a well-defined set of functional requirements. Easy enough to go to a big box store, an office superstore or similar outlet for an inexpensive solution to my functional requirements.

But, and this is the huge but, I can't find ANYTHING that resonates for me emotionally. And herein is the opportunity for my retail readers..

I have checked out every website I can find and "googled" for others that I didn't even know existed. I typed in lots of different series of keywords hoping to strike it rich (By the way, one very large, well known brand didn't even make it onto page 2 of search results on Google!!!). Guess what? There a...Read More

Dear Readers, The votes are in and this issue wins. So, without further ado...

As many of you have undoubtedly read or heard, more and more stores are going to or are considering going to a salary plus bonus program and taking their people off of straight comission.

I have clients that are on both systems so I am fortunate enough to be able to hear and see the results firsthand.

Since most retailers are still operating in a commissioned environment, I am going to ouline some of the benefits and pitfalls of a salaried environment for those of you considering the switch.

1. Easier to attract employees.
2. Easier to do long-range strategic planning since salaries are now a fixed cost.
3. Much better teamwork within the store environment-in a way that the customer can "feel."
4. Much less turnover as employees feel more sec...Read More