As I was preparing for my presentation to the Queensland Newsagents Conference yesterday on the Entrepreneurial Newsagent, I pondered how incestuous our channel was. While networking with fellow newsagents is important, too much of this works against us.Â
Hiring from within, newsagents leaving to work for suppliers, vice versa … too much of this makes us unhealthy as we feed of each other’s insularity. Â
I suspect we are more likely to find more useful ideas by socialising outside our channel, by attending non newsagent trade shows and non newsagent conferences, by visiting other retailers and by working with people with no newsagency experience.
Just as we can become store-blind about our own businesses, we can become channel-blind as to opportunities which we ought to consider. The only way to break this is to mix more with people outside our channel.
While it was great to catch up with colleagues in Queensland yesterday, for our own future, a more innovative view of the future, we need to cast our eyes far and wide. Here are a few of the points from slides I covered in this part of the presentation:
- Spend more serious time outside your shop
- Visit your competitors, not newsagents but others
- Visit other retailers, really out of the box retailers
- Trawl the Internet, for non newsagent related business tips
- Read about retail
- Visit non newsagent trade shows
- Hire from outside the channel
- Engage a business angel (usually a retired person) with retail (non newsagent) experience
- Spend less time at newsagent dinners and more networking with non newsagent business owners
- Enroll in training outside the channel and disconnected with newsagent suppliers
- Visual merchandising training
- Retail management training (Harry Friedman)
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for newsagents networking. My sense, however, is that we will get more value, for our future, by networking more outside our channel. Fresh ideas (fresh blood) will strengthen us.
Thanks.
Daniel Gara
Wise words. Most newsagents won’t appreciate how wise – until they actually do this.
The independant retail industry in Australia has become a strong force. There are plenty of opportunities to network outside the channel and the benefits are not just centric to individual businesses, but the industry as a whole.
If i remember correctly, one other correspondent to this blog was very recently howled down for suggesting that newsagents ‘network’ with community members, including Rotary, Lions and church. The idea has been recycled and now acclaimed.
Mary I think you are mistaken.
Mary,
I assume you are refering to me. I rejected the notion that “commercial success” comes from “real involvement in the local community” as it was put by another commentator. I stand my words. But im not sure where your comment comes from, because it has absoultly nothing to do with this article … ???
You miss the point. Mark is talking about fresh ideas – newsagents not becomming jaded. One of the best ways to acheive this is to expand our commercial networks (note the word commercial, not community). It is about the learning and innovation we can gain from other non-traditional commercial sources. It has nothing to do with the commerce of community involvement.