I have been at the Bauer Connections Conference in Cairns this week. It was good to see the inclusion of several of the newsagency marketing groups at the conference as they offer platforms of consistency, marketing, management and optimism for newsagents. I think Bauer inviting representatives of the groups was a smart move as it is only the groups that have a hope to drive consistency among all businesses trading behind a brand.
The theme of the conference was Fit for Purpose. Each speaker spoke to the theme, aiming to equip attendees with tools for being more fit for running your newsagency.
In the breaks plenty shared good stories about changes in their businesses and the optimism they had for the future and, specifically, their future. It was a thrill to see and hear this optimism.
One of the speakers talked about choosing to be happy. I have written about this here before when I have said we choose to be optimistic.
It is too easy for some to stay in the rabbit hole barely able to see in front of you and as a result lose the opportunity to look at the sunrise on the horizon bringing on a new day that you can make your own.
Today in and newsagency business is about change as is tomorrow and the next day. We can choose to resist this, be grumpy about it and duck down into the rabbit hole or we can choose to lean in and embrace, even chase, change. This latter mindset is, for me, at the heart of being Fit for Purpose.
I think any newsagent in any situation can find optimism and through this make decisions that guide new traffic into the business. Size of the business does not matter. What matters most is the choice you make about your mindset.