If you run your own fashion business, it’s probably safe to say that December is one of your busiest times of the year. Especially if your business is in retail. People want so much more from fashion over the festive period. They are searching out the perfect gifts for their friends and family. They want a comfortable, yet stylish outfit for a busy Christmas day. They want those perfect day to night outfits to take them from the office to the dance floor as Christmas parties get into full swing. Then, they want that show-stopping New Year’s Eve outfit to help them to start the New Year with a bang.
Whatever area your store focuses on, you’ll have spent the last few weeks absolutely rushed off your feet. While the Christmas shopping surge is starting to wind down, there’s no end in sight for you, as you start your preparations for your January sales.
If you do manage to get a second to think, perhaps in the coming weeks, before the sales hit, this is the perfect time to make some New Year’s Resolutions. Instead of thinking of personal targets, that you’ll have forgotten by February, focus on your business. Make some New Year’s resolutions that will see your business grow and improve through-out 2018. Give yourself clear targets, and make plans to help you make them easy to meet.
No business can be successful without its staff. Whether you employ one person, or one hundred, they are the heart of your company. They are the people that make things happen. If you want to hit all your goals this year, you’ll need their help at every step of the way. So, you need to look after them.
It can be a tricky balance, finding the middle ground between your staff respecting you and doing what you ask of them, and getting on with them and having a great relationship. But, if you can find it, they’ll be loyal, they’ll work hard, and they will give you their all. This is essential for your growth and development.
The key to looking after your employees is getting to know them. If you know them, you can meet their needs much more easily. You can offer them the flexibility that they need. You can provide them extra support and training when they need it, and you can be there for them. Try new things with your team. A rotating schedule can have massive benefits, as can a four-day week and regular appraisals. Whatever you do, make 2018 the year that you put some time into looking after your staff.
Take Risks
Fashion is all about taking risks. Designers wouldn’t get anywhere if they stuck to the same things and copied everyone else. To stand out from the crowd, they must be brave and bold and get ahead of the rest.
Believe it or not, the same goes for retail. Whether you are designing and selling your own products, or your store sells existing pieces, you need to find ways to make it stand out from the many other shops on the high-street or online. Be bold, take risks with your placements, partnerships and décor. Do something new in 2018.
Work on Customer Service
Customer service is what truly gets a business remembered, and yet it’s something so few companies today are giving the time to get right. Loyal customers can be the difference between success and failure, and despite the enormous growth of digital media marketing, nothing will ever beat word of mouth. People trust other people far more than they will ever trust machines. Excellent service will get you remembered, and noticed. It will get people talking about your business for the right reasons.
If you run an online store, don’t make the mistake of thinking that customer service doesn’t matter. It is still unbelievably important, if not a little different. Make sure your store is easy to shop on all platforms and that it offers your customers a comfortable experience. Offer a range of payment options, and check that your site is easy to look at and navigate. Offer extra content, such as tutorials or guides, which give the customer more, and keep in touch via email, without being annoying.
If your shop is brick and mortar, again, it should be easy to shop. But, there is more to it than that. Speak to your customers, get to know them, and then offer a little extra. Be willing to go the extra mile to help them, or offer something more, such as comfy seating and some hot drinks. Turn coming to your store into an experience. Make 2018 the year that you give your customers everything that they need.
