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The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure
 
 
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The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure [Paperback]

Bob Phibbs (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

‘‘DON’T BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE A COMPETITOR OF MINE!—but otherwise Bob Phibbs has great advice that that will enable you to make more money and have a successful business.’’
—Tom Sullivan, Chairman/Founder, Lumber Liquidators

‘‘There’s no denying that retailers have taken a beating lately. But the smart ones find a way to stop the bleeding and start looking ahead for new opportunities. With his plainspoken style and real-world anecdotes, Bob Phibbs gets back to basics and provides a helpful guide for entrepreneurs determined to survive the current downturn—and position themselves for the next big upswing.’’
—Rod Kurtz, Senior Editor, Inc. magazine

‘‘Everyone knows that it is important to gain sales, but most do not know what that really takes or how to do it. This book will lead you on a journey that describes, analyzes, and provides real world examples how to really affect change with your business. If you will follow the treatment given, you’ll be rewarded with the most important measures of a business’s success—profits, not just sales.’’
—Georgette Mosbacher, President and CEO, Borghese Cosmetics

‘‘Bob Phibbs presents more useful information in his typically direct and thought-provoking style that challenges you to really assess the performance of your business, your employees, and most importantly yourself. We often talk about personality types in leadership training and development, but it is not typically thought about in relation to the customer. Bob shows how these personality types play a role for you, your employees, and your customer, and how it can be most useful in looking for new approaches.’’
—Kurt Rachdorf, Retail Operations Senior Manager, LEGO

‘‘Phibbs’ no-nonsense approach to understanding your business and how to improve it is direct and refreshing. The concept of being objective and taking responsibility for your business can quickly make all the difference between success and failure, and Bob brings that to the table right from the start of this book. Great inspiration for any business owner!’’
—Jeff Janke, Vice President, Retail Alliance Programs, Hunter Douglas Window Fashions

‘‘Bob blends his extensive retail experience and his direct style to tell it like it is. As retailers, we may not always likewhat he says, but it’s hard to argue with the basics of running a successful business. In a market influenced by almost endless competition for the consumer’s dollar, retailers need to continually ask themselves tough questions about what TRULY differentiates their offering. Bob effectively reminds us of this hard reality. Bob’s analytical approach allows us to better understand the filter throughwhichwe see our businesses. Only by adjusting our focus are we able to evaluate the true state of affairs.
—Alistair Linton, Director of Retail Development, Benjamin Moore Paints

‘‘During my 30 years in the small business arena, Bob stands out as a ‘pro’s pro’ in retail marketing. If you’re determined to accelerate your growth, his street-smart book is a must. Buy it, read it, do it!’’
—Steve Olson, Publisher, Franchise Update Media Group

‘‘Phibbs’ new book addresses everything necessary to take the pulse of your retail operation so you can find the cure. Whether it’s managing staff, merchandising, or producing real sales, it prescribes a hands-on, real world, step-by-step approach to managing your business. Good news! The Doctor is in the house.’’
—Joseph Dagley, Yamaha Motor University

‘‘Bob Phibbs has been my go-to retail expert for many years and his book shows why: he draws from a deep well of knowledge, presenting his advice in practical, easy-to-digest fashion. By explaining how entrepreneurs can evaluate themselves and their customers, Phibbs tailors this book to specific individual types that retailers will be quick to recognize. This is not a shallow primer, but a comprehensive prescription from The Retail Doctor1.’’
—Karen E. Klein, Small Business Columnist, BusinessWeek.com and the Los Angeles Times

‘‘Nothing in business is guaranteed. However, The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing your Business is guaranteed to help you gain insight into the do’s and don’ts of successful retailing. Consider this book your survival manual to compete in the challenging world of retail.’’
—Dean F. Shulman Sr., Vice President, Brother International

‘‘If you want to grow your business, the book in your hand right now is the place to start. Bob Phibbs is one of the top retail experts in the country; he’s not called The Retail Doctor1 for nothing. This step-by-step guide will show you—using real life examples and savvy strategies—just how to get from here to where you want to be. My prescription for small business success is to read The Retail Doctor’s1 Guide to Growing Your Business.’’
—Steven D. Strauss, USA Today Small Business Columnist and author of The Small Business Bible.

‘‘Bob’s approach is no-nonsense, and his back-to-basics philosophy is something a lot of retailers need to hear right now. I would advise keeping a highlighter handy.’’
—James Bickers, Senior Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com

Product Description

It's one of the toughest economies in years, but don't fear-the doctor is in

Are you among the thousands of retailers frustrated by market challenges and looking for ways to take control of your business? Are you looking for the advice of an expert consultant, but unable to spend the money? Then The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business is for you.

By providing a step-by-step approach to evaluate your current business practices, The Retail Doctor offers professional guidance

  • Redesign your organizational structure
  • Reap the maximum returns on your investment
  • Keep your business financially healthy

Following the advice in these pages will help you devise a sound strategy to accomplish your goals and outperform your competitors. You'll also gain clear insight into all areas of human resource management, sales training, merchandising methods, and marketing.

While your competitors are looking for a magic bullet to solve their problems, with The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business, you can be making changes that will guarentee enormous returns and financial success.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 246 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1st edition (May 3, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470587172
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470587171
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #201,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #25 in  Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Retail Businesses

More About the Author

Bob Phibbs
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Inside This Book (learn more)
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure
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The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure 4.8 out of 5 stars (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best retailing books I've read.... well, period., May 4, 2010
This review is from: The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure (Paperback)
Let's face it: most business books have one good, solid idea- ok, maybe two- and the rest of the book is just fluff. The Retail Doctor's new Guide to Growing Your Business One of the least-fluffy business books I've read... I was going to say "in a long time", but I think I can just say "period.". This has become a new addition to the required reading list for my retail management staff, along with "First, Break All the Rules" (Buckingham & Coffman) and "It's Ok to be the Boss" (Tulgan). Well written, good ideas that can be applied both short- and long-term, and a variety of real-world examples without becoming bogged down in a litany of case studies. Do I agree with everything the Retail Doctor has to say in this book? No. Will you? Probably not. The point of this, as with all business books in my experience, is to find that one, maybe two good ideas and put them into action in ways that make sense for you. This Guide has a goodly number of solid, actionable ideas and a bit of a wake-up call (perhaps more of a "kick in the behind") to get beyond the "oh, we should do that" stage and into the "we're doing this" stage. The Retail Doc really helped me move from "thinking about" to actually acting to improve my store and improve my business. He can do the same for you.

I have been following the Retail Doctor's thinking for awhile, and this book is a good synergy of his ideas, both old and new, all written in his nice, snappy writing style. As my Dad might say, well worth the price of admission.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Don't wait for a rainy day to read this book!, July 27, 2010
This review is from: The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure (Paperback)
The Retail Doctor's "Guide to Growing your Business" is a must read by any retail manager or proprietor, and you should not wait until your small business needs a doctor to explore this book! Bob Phibbs' valuable personal experience as the Retail Doctor advising business owners is now accessible in his new book....read full review at [...].
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4.0 out of 5 stars Skip the info on search engine rankings, but underline and highlight the rest, July 27, 2010
This review is from: The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure (Paperback)
I'm looking at this book from a different angle than others who will review it. I want to know if this book really helps small business owners dominate their space on the web. I want to know if I would recommend it to you based on that criteria. Before I tell you my answer, let's discuss how the book addresses marketing your business online.

First, the book devotes one chapter to marketing your business online. I was surprised at how well researched this chapter was. Much of the information Phibbs provides is right on the money and current. But I found one glaring omission.

On page 180, he lists 5 things that determine your web site ranking on the search engines. But he leaves off one of the most important factors in getting high search engine rankings. He doesn't talk about how backlinks, the links from other websites to your website, affect your search engine ranking. He doesn't talk about anchor text in your links either. Big mistake.

How Search Engine Experts Get You Higher Rankings

Most search engine optimization experts spend the majority of their time getting better quality and more backlinks for their clients. If you do everything else wrong, but have higher quality backlinks with the right "anchor text," your website will rank higher on the search engines.

He also says your source code is the same thing as your "meta description tags." That is wrong. Meta description tags are part of your web page's source code - they aren't one and the same. But your meta description tag is extremely important for search engine optimization. All-in-all this is a minor flaw.

If I were to grade the search engine ranking part of this book, I would give it a "C" or even a "D." Omitting backlinks from this chapter is too big of an error. But the rest of the chapter contains top notch information that is fairly current. His information on Twitter and Facebook includes good examples you're able to easily learn from.

Is there a good reason for you to read this book?

A few years back I ran a retail store called the Sportsman's Gallery. In one year my team and I increased revenue from $240K annually to close to $500K annually. But after reading this book, I know I could've done a better job.

In The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business, Bob shares information on managing the financial health of the business. He shares information about hiring and training your team. He includes information about merchandising and store traffic flow. He also includes a lot of information on what you should be looking at weekly to keep your retail store on track for growth. He does a great job in these areas.

Despite the search engine ranking issues with the book, the other chapters more than make up for these deficiencies. There are several great lessons any independent retailer can learn in this book. It doesn't matter if you're a new business owner or if you own a multi-generational family business, this book teaches retail management and marketing for whatever ails you.
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5.0 out of 5 stars The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business Review
I have been following Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, for about a year. After purchasing and reading "You Can Compete: Double Sales Without Discounting", I figured there wasn't... Read more
Published 2 days ago by kyteman4

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