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Yet another "disruption" | Free access: Retailer's 3-in-1 Cash Flow Calculator | Time to shop for new customers?

Monday, March 30, 2020

From The Co-Founders

Patricia M. Johnson & Richard F. Outcalt
Outcalt & Johnson: Retail Strategists, LLC • Retail Turnaround Experts

This is Disruption with a capital D!

Remember thinking that Amazon was the most disruptive force to happen to retailing? (Well, at least since Walmart was the most disruptive....)

However, the coronavirus pandemic eclipses them all. No matter where you live or do business, it is not whether, just when, COVID-19 will impact your life. Disruption with a capital D!

But, retailing has forever been a dynamic industry. Retailers have proven to be resilient through many unpredictable times.

Indeed, that constant change is what attracts many to retailing in the first place.

What also attracts folks to owning a retail business is the opportunity to be their own boss, to be in control.

That's what makes this crisis so demoralizing. Given its dual nature – first, the virus; then, the looming economic repercussions – how can one have any sense of control?

We get that! We do understand.

Just remember, at some point, the COVID-19 virus will subside. In the meantime, unless you are a health care professional or operate a grocery store, you have a precious asset: lead time.

Want to regain a sense of control? Use that lead time!
And read on

Today requires that we summon as much fortitude, resilience and grace as possible. Wise use of lead time makes that much more possible.

And that's where The ROI can help you out. The ROI site is chock full of self-serve resources and tools available precisely for uncertain times.

At the top of your to-take-advantage-of list should be The ROI's 3-in-1 Cash Flow Calculator. Now available for unlimited free access to everybody, it can and should be your new Best Friend!

You don't need to be able to tell the future.
You do need to have an idea of the financial implications of each idea you consider in order to weather this crisis.

Go here on The ROI site to get started. Click the "Here's how to get started. Let's go!" button to see step-by-step guidance.

It's a little like skipping ahead to the last chapter of the book to see how things will turn out. It's an important step toward more peace of mind.

One More Thought from The Co-Founders
For 21 years, The Retail Owners Institute has served in excess of 200,000 retailers worldwide annually.

Recently, we've become aware of several "newbies" to retailing offering calculators, prescriptions, advice, and the like – much of which we have found to be well-intended, but either not accurate or not appropriate.

Make no mistake: The ROI's 3-in-1 Cash Flow Calculator has been used and proven by thousands of retailers. It continues to be state-of-the-art, head of the class, and by far the most accurate and beneficial tool available. Unsurpassed for twenty-one years and counting.

Free Access

Retailer's 3-in-1 Cash Flow Calculator

Your goal: quickly get to a first draft.

Make some assumptions, some educated guesses. Put those into the 3-in-1 Cash Flow Calculator. Immediately, see what that would mean

for profits
and your buying plan
and most of all, your cash flow

All in just minutes. On your own. Without having to do any of the number-crunching yourself.

Then, and this is the powerful part, consider what else you might do.

What changes could you make?
What might each of those potential responses mean financially?

BTW, expect to be doing this many times, even sometimes in the middle of the night.

Go for it! It is all healthy. These totally volatile times cause a lot of opinions and fears to be swirling around. Showing "what if...?" can be very helpful.

Ready? You need to make only a few entries.

Get started now on your first draft. Click the "Here's how to get started. Let's go!" button to see step-by-step guidance.

3-in-1 CASH FLOW Calculator

About your customers: Study their habits

Here's another good use of the "lead time" now available. Use this time to dive into the data residing in your POS system, and turn it into information!

That is, learn much more about your customers. They are not a monolithic group.

Even more important, this is the time to be brutally frank with yourself: Who will your future customers be?

Here are some Big Picture questions for you as starters:

What do your shoppers depend on for their livelihood?
How much has that been jeopardized?
What might that mean to their purchasing?
How relevant is what you are selling today to what they will need tomorrow?
And would they buy that from your stores?

In other words, how many of your current customers can you reasonably expect to retain? How best to do that? And, how best to be positioned to appeal to and attract new kinds of customers?

Adapting to disruption!

And for more ideas of how to do this, check out the TOPICAL TUESDAYS Webinar of the Week to find your most PROFITABLE customer!

Shopping for new customers?

Okay Zoomers

Have questions about using the 3-in-1 Calculator?
Worried about when – or whether – your customers will come back?
Concerned about your key employees?
Need some way to calm the worries of your family and friends?
Or...?

Talk it over with The ROI's Co-Founders. We are available for private, confidential web conferences. Free.

We have no magic solutions, of course. But we can offer objectivity, some perspective, perhaps even some fresh ideas or a sympathetic ear. We are here for you.

Just go here to contact us to set a time to talk.

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From The Co-Founders