Product Description

In the highly competitive retail world, the small-business owner needs pragmatic, current, down-to-earth advice to be successful. "So You Want to Own the Store" is a comprehensive handbook that provides step-by-step help for the prospective shopkeeper or home-based retail-business owner. Included are helpful hints from experiences of store owners about every aspect of the business: choosing a location, defining store policies, training personnel, ordering, pricing, and displaying merchandise - even negotiating with the bank.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #222585 in Books
• Published on: 1996-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author

Mort Brown has been a retail merchandiser for almost 30 years. He now works as a consultant for small businesses ranging from ice cream parlors and gift shops to video stores.

Thomas Tilling is a financial columnist who has been a contributing editor to the New York Times, Parents, Success, and New York magazine, among other publications.

Customer Reviews

US book but recommended for the UK as well
Whilst this American book is written from the US retail perspective most of it is relevant to the UK entrepreneur seeking to set up their first shop. The suggestions about lease negotiation, choosing a location, merchandising and good retail practice are excellent.

It is a very practical book, rather than the usual UK books about buying shops which seem to be written for A level business studies students. This book is written by Mort Brown who has been there and done it, rather than a bank "business liasion officer" whose most useful experience is having once had a Saturday job in a shop. There is no UK book quite like it.

At first glance a huge amount of space in the book is taken up by a typical US retail store lease, but a UK lease is just as frightening if not more so, and the book at least prepares the ground of what to expect and how to set about negotiation. Some of the law is different but a surprising amount is common. The difficultly of finding a commercially aware lawyer and accountant are universal.

A must-read for any aspiring retail entrepreneur
Mort Brown offers indispensable advice to people considering going into retail business for themselves. His conversational style and examples from his own experiences running a candy shop and a pet store offer the reader a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the retail operation. From the daily interaction with customers, to the satisfaction that comes from being your own boss, Brown shares his wisdom on every topic related to running a profitable retail operation. If you're thinking about opening your own store, you'd be wise to read this book before you draft the first page of your business plan. One wonders how many retail failures might have been successes if only their proprietors had read Mort Brown's "So You Want To Own The Store" and taken his advice to heart.