Open regular communication is important to getting the most from everyone working in your newsagency. I rely on a communication book for noting tasks to be done and sharing information. This is supplemented by a noticeboard in the back room – if the business has a back room.
It’s a daily (or otherwise regular) check in on the phone that I find of the most use. An agenda free catch up with the manager or senior person in-store can provide insights that feed into key management decisions. Comments made in passing, not thought important by one person, can turn out to be invaluable in guiding decisions.
In addition to finding out what’s been happening in the business, the daily check in also lets your key people know that the business is important to you and that you value their input. This can be encouraging.
If you don’t work in your newsagency every day, my suggestion is a daily check in call – at around the same time each day. Not to check up, but to check in.