As I am out on the road, I see many bridal businesses which are managed very differently, and in turn, perform differently.  Below are some of the best practices I see in some of these established and multi-location stores, along with some of my usual hacks for elevating your business. Please remember to consciously categorize a few basics first which help keep you on the right footing:  

Established stores are not the excitable new baby business they once were. They have grown into an educator, influencer, AND a leading establishment by following a few simple tricks:

A purpose

The main purpose is to spread love and make a positive difference. An established store has a more steadfast leader - or should do - and good leadership is all about what we bring out in others. So here I see a purpose which equals a history of good working practices. Coupled with selling gowns!

A personality

The personality of an established store should be one of an educator OR inspirer. We don’t want pretentious business owners who know it all. This state of mind affects your unconscious decision making (see below). We need to always move forward, galvanizing reliability and credibility!

A story

Successful stores don’t show off a corporate, dull online story: they tell people their true story, and getting people excited about wanting to experience their business. I think more so, they are relative and adjusting of their story to meet the client demand. This is one of the most important parts of our business right now especially as we need to sell with so much compassion to our consumer. A strong story is a belief system and a way of life that they can share (like a new store) but this time, there is a boat load of reliability and history backing up the story and storyteller.

A niche

Understanding your specialised segment of the market, whether it be through your products or services, and the demand for products or services, is absolutely crucial.

A drive

Being unconscious to demand can keep us from seeing opportunity to scale! To make ourselves more conscious, we simply need to appreciate that learning something new brings our conscious state to the forefront. I love this concept! When I owned my bridal store, I used to learn and ensured my team were learning frequently, highlighting consciousness in our everyday. Skilled management techniques make the difference in your business here. 

Jo’s top ’hacks’ for established businesses

•    Be aware that product training is crucial and a critical part of your training programme. Know your inventory inside out! Sizing, shipping dates, colours, costs, personalization - the list is endless. 

•    Sometimes we can grow unaware of our outgoings. Not a good place to be, and one that will trap you into desperate mode - you are setting yourself and your team for failure. Fail to plan, plan to fail - this powerful statement is especially true when you are battling with cash. The mindset of I need, I need, I need the sale, doesn’t get you the sale.

•    Evaluate your customer experience with an unbiased mindset. Are you creating maximum charm?  Please evaluate your financial status / staff performance reviews / client satisfaction checks / consumer reviews. And if you think you are making some bad choices, step back, re-evaluate and seek expertise advice. Sometimes speaking to like-minded people who have been in your shoes is super refreshing! 

•    The right manager mindset: we don’t work a day in our lives if we love what we do right.  Mindfulness is the key to being a great leader, especially now. We need to understand ourselves as leaders to build an effective staff plan and be able to inspire others to be better! According to The Retail Doc, retail managers should have seven key leadership skills. Ask yourself, have you the ability to:
o    Make difficult decisions?
o    Can you get everyone on board even if they disagree with you (a strong sense emotional intelligence is needed here)?
o    Do you give feedback on a regular basis? 
o    Do you listen to your team?
o    Do you communicate clearly with focus?
o    Can you gain and hold the trust of others?
o    Have you the ability to always stay positive?

My two main traits, I not only carry with me in my two businesses, but in my everyday life are working with ‘honesty and integrity’: capturing and embracing a growth philosophy and making change part of my/our teams every day. A successful bridal store is a place filled with owners/manager and a team of people who operate understanding that scaling is growth, managed intentionally and strategically. But don’t forget: it is also a place of fun, laughter and love.