Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast

Understanding the financial health of your retail business extends beyond just recognizing your profit. In this insightful episode, we're diving into the complexities of retail business finances and learning why being profitable doesn't always mean having a positive cash flow.

We’re reviewing the three critical financial statements in an indie retail business: the profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. We’ll discover how each statement plays a vital role in evaluating your business's financial status and understand how they interconnect. 

Listen in to connect the dots between profitability, financial health, and effective cash management so you can make informed decisions and propel your retail business forward.

For show notes, including links to anything I mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode235. 

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

If you’ve ever faced a cash flow struggle, you know how much stress it can cause you. But before you address the issue, you need to identify the root cause. Are you truly dealing with insufficient income, financial mismanagement, or operational inefficiencies? Or are you experiencing seasonal cash flow crunches that are common in the retail world?

Listen in as I break down these four critical areas and provide insights into identifying what's draining your store's cash flow. Understanding your business's financial ebb and flow can seem daunting, but with awareness comes clarity. Let’s dismantle common myths about cash flow issues and explore strategies for overcoming them!

Plus, learn how normalizing cash flow crunches as a natural part of the retail cycle can help ease anxiety and promote smarter, more proactive financial management. 

For show notes, including links to anything I mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode234. 

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

As retail business owners, revenue is often top of mind. But revenue alone doesn’t give us the complete picture of your store's financial health! That’s why we’re uncovering the intricacies of cash flow in a new three-part series.

Listen in to learn the critical components of cash flow and how managing cash flow effectively protects your indie retail store from financial turmoil. We’ll cover how cash flow ensures liquidity, supports growth, and reveals hidden financial challenges. 

Let’s pull back the curtain on the essential cash flow knowledge needed to make sound decisions and maintain a thriving, financially stable retail business! Plus, learn how you can participate in the Cash Flow Clarity challenge I’m hosting in Master Shopkeepers in 2025.

For show notes, including links to anything I mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode233. 

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

Running a business is already challenging, but dealing with the symptoms of perimenopause while running a business has made the last two years incredibly difficult. That’s why I’m sharing the ugly truth about perimenopause as an entrepreneur and how it affects not just our personal lives, but our businesses, too.

In this episode, I’m opening up about my journey through this phase of life—experiencing symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, inflammation, and more—while continuing to manage and grow my business. I share the moments of realization that led me to understand I was in the throes of perimenopause, the steps I’ve taken since, and the impact it has had on my work.

Listen in as I discuss the importance of awareness, proactive health measures, and open communication about our experiences. This isn’t just about surviving perimenopause; it’s about thriving and driving a conversation around a topic that has been ignored for far too long.

For show notes, including links to the documentary and resources I mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode232.

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

Originally, I planned to record a quick episode to talk about the upcoming Retail Email Bootcamp and let you know that the calendars in the Savvy Shopkeeper planners start now. However, I first want to acknowledge the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, particularly in states like North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. The images and stories coming out of these areas are heartbreaking, and as a brand that deeply values supporting the small business community, I knew I had to act.

After receiving an email from Heart on Main Street, a non-profit that specializes in helping retailers in devastated communities, I decided to donate 50% of all revenue from bootcamp ticket and Savvy Shopkeeper planner sales this week to their Hurricane Helene donation drive. If you're interested in the Retail Email Bootcamp, which is happening October 7-9 with replay access for 60 days, now is a great time to grab your spot and support a good cause at the same time. You can also help by purchasing a planner, knowing that 50% of the revenue will go directly to helping other store owners rebuild. Together, we can make a difference.

For more information:

• Retail Email Bootcamp: www.savvyshopkeeper.com/emailbootcamp
• Planners: www.savvyshopkeeper.com/planner
• Interview with Patrick Kaiser of Heart on Main Street: www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode210
• Donate directly to Heart on Main Street: https://givebutter.com/hurricane-helene-relief

Thank you for your support! I'll share how much we, as a community, donate in a future episode.

Ceri Otero didn’t dream of being a shopkeeper as a kid. But when she decided to open a specialty olive oil and vinegar shop in Carthage, Missouri, it felt like all the threads of her life were coming together.

From selling Avon in 8th grade to a stint as a corporate HR representative to merchandising for Hallmark, each of Ceri’s previous jobs had prepared her for running an independent retail store, even if she didn’t realize it then. Her mom said it best: “Of course, you would. That makes perfect sense.” While outlining a novel during the early days of COVID, Ceri manifested her food-focused retail store. Her book centered on a bakery on a town square—the exact location of Ceri’s future store, Carthage Olive Oil. Finding that location was a series of magical steps that, combined with Ceri’s hard work, have created a successful, tourist-enticing olive oil shop. 

Listen in to hear how Ceri manifested her retail store, why she believes there’s a bit of magic in any successful business, and how Ceri’s courageous marketing strategy has helped the Carthage community attract more visitors.

For show notes, including links to connect with Ceri and get free Savvy Shopkeeper resources, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode231.

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

Customers love visiting indie retail stores and discovering new items, and many indie shopkeepers revel in curating fresh finds for their stores. The part that isn’t enjoyable? Adding new items to your inventory system—especially if your inventory entry process is manual.

Whether you're managing hundreds of new SKUs or reordering popular products, you don't have to feel overwhelmed. Listen in to discover practical tips that can streamline your inventory entry process and reclaim your time.

For show notes, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode230.

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

Jolene Forrester, owner of JoRetro in Havre de Grace, Maryland, has built a thriving legacy retail store with multiple streams of income. What started out in a small antique mall booth has grown into a 5000 square foot retail store with vintage treasures, niche retro-style products, a twice-annual Pyrex & Vintage Festival, and a thriving Airbnb apartment rental business.

With an extensive background in corporate interior design, Jolene’s knack for creative merchandising and unique vintage finds has helped her build JoRetro—along with a few key lessons from Master Shopkeepers.

Listen in to hear how Jolene went from interior designer to indie retail store owner, the key lesson in squares per sale foot that Jolene learned from Kathy inside Master Shopkeepers, and what Jolene envisions for her retail store in the near future.

For show notes, including links to Jolene’s social media and other resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode229.

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

We are thrilled to share you have TWO options this year for store planning tools! Not only are we offering the digital planner again but we also have printed version for those of you who love and prefer pen and paper! Click HERE to learn about both options.

Not sure which is the right tool for you? Click HERE to receive an invite to attend a zoom call with Kathy on Monday, August 19, 2024 so you can learn the difference between the digital planner and the printed workbook.

If there’s one thing that nearly all indie retail store owners struggle with, it’s planning. And when we struggle with planning, using a planner is next to impossible! But our planner problems CAN be solved when we address the real culprit behind our planning struggles. 

Listen in to discover the real culprit behind your planning struggles. Plus, you’ll learn how to build new habits when you combine one of my favorite business books with my favorite business tool—the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner! 

Can’t wait to grab the new and improved Savvy Shopkeeper Planner? Visit savvyshopkeeper.com/planner to get yours at early bird pricing.

Go to savvyshopkeeper.com/episode228 for links to everything mentioned in this episode.

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: Retail Business Coach For Brick & Mortar Store Owners • Savvy Shopkeeper Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers