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RETAIL COACH FROM THIS NEW LOW TO A BRIGHT FUTURE In his new book, the business coach who was one of the key figures in launching IGA stores in Australia guides retailers with tactics they can use over 30 days to start rising out of the pandemic-created hole and heading for prosperity. IBy ActionCoach business coach Chris Mackey n the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, 007 goes to Mexico City to follow a message he received from the then deceased head of Britain’s MI6. Her name was M. Bond is ready to take the kill shot through a window when the building he is on collapses beneath his feet. The same thing happened to businesses in March of 2020. Previously solid methods of doing business collapsed overnight. All thanks to this crazy global pandemic. Independent retailers are at a new place in history. A new bottom. The first wave of lockdowns came and went, then most areas in Australia began relaxing their restrictions. It started with a shock. No one thought the virus was coming to Australia. We thought it was never going to affect us. That was followed by frustration, changing rules, changing ways of doing business, and stock shortages. Then there was anger as retailers and their customers saw the plans they had for 2020 fall away. The Biggest Secret in Retailing will provide you with tactics you can use over the next 30 days to start your journey out and up to prosperity. An implementation phase will follow this period of uncertainty, and the book will help you collect and strategise the tactics for your business and the communities that your business depends so much on for your livelihoods. Then there’ll be the activity phase. You’ll need to act on what you’ve learnt, gather the skills, and form your team. After the activity phase, a bright future will follow. Right now, independent retailers are more focused on saving the roof over their head than a plan that delivers a mansion. By using your existing skills, returning to the basics and getting creative, you’ll have a future that thrives. Retailers want their supply of goods guaranteed. They want things to go back to the way it used to be. They want their team to be treated with respect. The level of abuse and stress their teams are suffering is going to manifest into sick leave, if team members even turn up for their shifts at all. One of the wins that has come out of these crazy times is that the community is looking at local retailers a lot more differently than they ever have before. But along with aspirations there are also frustrations. The cost of doing business is rising, which is leaving less profit for the owners. Not having a guaranteed stock supply means there are opportunities you’re missing, and you’d rather be able to serve your customers’ needs better. Here are three reasons to do something about your situation right now: • 49 per cent of businesses are just surviving and are under extreme pressure. • 42 per cent of businesses are in a hold pattern. They’re reacting to the situation as it arises. They seem to be moving between boom and bust, not in control at all while still strongly believing they’ll be OK. • Nine per cent of businesses are growing. There’s no pressure but there is a sense of calmness. They can see a bright future. There’s always some crisis a business must navigate, like floods or fires, and we’ll navigate our way through this pandemic as well. So, I promise I’ll give you a plan in my new book, The Biggest Secret in Retailing. The biggest secret in retailing is that by using your existing skills, returning to the basics, and getting creative, you can find new ways to thrive in these ever- changing times. Let me share with you how you can use your skills to develop a plan for operation that will help you overcome these challenges and be successful. You’ll be able to recognise new opportunities as they appear. I’ve been in the retailing and wholesaling industry for more than 45 years, and a key person responsible for launching IGA supermarkets in Australia. As a business coach, I guide retailers all around the country on how to grow their businesses and prosper. Now, I’d like to guide you. The Biggest Secret in Retailing is available with an RRP of $5.80 plus shipping ($2.20) and tax (10 per cent). Available for purchase here. ActionCoach business coach Chris Mackey. 76 RETAIL WORLD AUG, 2020