When was the last time you REALLY TOOK A CHANCE with your business? I’m not talking about ordering something different from the menu, or taking a different route to work, I’m talking about a REAL CHANCE.
Grab a pencil & paper right now, or open an empty word doc on your computer, and just start listing things you have been thinking about doing or changing in your store. Want to change where the cash register is? Change around the clothing? Add a Pro section with high-end pro frames? You get what I mean…
Now, TAKE A CHANCE. The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work,. Nobody will dare say that’s a stupid idea, because they will be too busy being amazed that you are actually doing something different…
If your change is easy, assign your staff to get it done. Then they are now part of the change and will take some of the credit when it succeeds. If the project is more complex, like adding a pro section, and it will cost money, time and serious planning, then head the change yourself. You make the calls to the frame makes, You call up Shimano go get the specs on the new groups, You call a freelance artist to mock up a brochure for your shop. Once the systems are setup, then put someone else in charge of the new project.
Now there’s risk and there’s calculated risk. If there is a lot of money needed to get the project off the ground, try to share the risk. Ask the manufacturers rep to give you a guaranteed sale on the products. Will they take back the unsold goods after a certain amount of time? Will they give you all the brochures, marketing materials, demo frames, pro deals, etc that your store needs? Will they send a tech rep to your store for the “grand opening” of the Pro Section?”
Dig in. Make this successful. Take the chance. What’s the WORST that can happen? Failure? That’s OK. If you don’t try, you can’t succeed.
