Retail in Detail, 3/E

by Ronald L. Bond

Book Overview

Provides information on how to plan, launch and manage a retail business. This book shows readers how to: select the ultimate location and develop their brand image; overcome the common problems of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932531491
• ISBN13: 9781932531497
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Entrepreneur Press
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great resource!

If you want a nuts-and-bolts, no-frills treatment on the subject of starting and running your own retail business then I couldn't recommend this book more highly. This book is reasonably priced, written with humor, humility, and insight, and does not include the "candy" of a CD-Rom. Everything Bond has to say is printed and can be read in the book. All charts and worksheets are in the book and he means for the reader to copy and use them. He does not take the time to list a bunch of websites which is great because if I wanted to find information on the web I would, as he recommends, "google" it for myself. His approach is direct and simple; If you want your own business expect to work hard and don't expect to have a whole bunch of money for the "finer" things in life or for fripperies, especially at first, though with well-planned finances those perks are eventually affordable, too. The worksheets are clear and consise. There is enough basic information to really get a good start in any small retail venture. It reads VERY easily and quickly. Excellent resource! Thank you, Ron.

This book has information about retail that others leave out

This book is an easy read and has almost all of the information you will need to start putting together your own retail store. I have been thinking about starting my own online boutique and have gotten a few different books to get more background information - this is by far the best that I've read so far. The author provides a lot of specifics which I've felt have been lacking in other books - details on estimating how much money you will need to start out and how and where to go about buying products to sell. Other authors seem to stay very high level, but this book provides some of the information that I was planning to talk directly to other retailers about (which makes sense because the author had his own store). I wish it were a little more broad and had more information about selling online - it has a little, just not quite as much as I would've preferred which is why I didn't give it 5 stars.

Dependable Advice, Based on Experience

Would you like a realistic picture of what it's like to operate a retail store? That's what you'll find in this book. For this reason alone, it's well worth reading, if retail proprietorship interests you. Based on the author's experience in operating gift shops, this book is particularly suitable for giftware and home décor retailing. But much of the advice can be applied to retail in general. A lot of ground is covered, including how your business will impact your life; how to choose a good location; how to purchase, price and display your goods; how to maintain good customer relations; how to manage your cash and inventory; and how to sell or close your business. Among this book's many words of wisdom, that author cautions that you should focus on what you do best, and let your partners or employees do the rest. For instance, the person who has a creative flair for designing eye-catching displays may not be the best person to manage the computerized accounting system, and vice versa. Opening a retail shop requires courage, determination, and sound business judgment. It's not for the faint of heart. But if you have your heart set on retail, this book may help you make your dreams a successful reality. Paul Francis Musgrave, author of Indispensable Marketing Strategies - How to Outwit Your Competition, Attract and Retain Customers, and Multiply Your Profits - Marketing Strategy Secrets for Profitable Small Business Management

Good Info

I am thinking about starting my own small business & found this book to contain very good info about what to do & even more important what not to do. Gives both the pros & cons of starting your own business in a enjoyable reading style but does not sugar coat the difficulties involved. I found lots of helpful info about who to contact & where to go to get both additional info & purchasing wholesale.

Retail in Detail, very informative!

Retail in Detail, How to start and manage a small retail business, was the most informative book I have read to date. In all the information out there to help you decide what to do and when, it gets a bit overwhelming. This book broke down very important points and explains them in detail. Other areas are hit lightly but you are given a variety of other areas of interest to answer them whether it is another book, etc. I will keep this with me for a long time.