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"Some overtime work is essential to give enterprises the flexibility to deal with unusual pressure of work, fluctuations in demand, or other special circumstances." - International Labor Office. Scheduling overtime can be a difficult task for employers. It requires...

"A schedule defends chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time." - Annie Dillard. Posting the staff schedule 2-3 weeks in advance can be a great way to ensure a smooth...

"Every company has two organizational structures: The formal one is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization." - Harold S. Geneen. Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) is a popular management technique in...

"In the absence of any other Marketing messages, our packaging – comprised of the trademark, our design, color, and information – is the sole communicator of our brand essence. Put another way – when you don't have anything else – our packaging is our Marketing." -...

"People are always going to go shopping. A lot of our effort is just 'how do we make the retail experience a great one?" - Phillip Green, Chairman, Arcadia Group.  Experiential retail is an effective way of engaging customers and building relationships with them. It...

"Why are you doing this? How are you making a difference? What is your reason for being besides making money? There is no engine or vehicle-like business to make a difference." – Walter Robb, Co-CEO, Whole Foods. Retail businesses are an integral part of society and...

"If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it." - Lord Kelvin, 19th Century Scientist. Employee scheduling is integral to running a successful retail and service business. It helps to ensure that the right staff are in the right place at the right time to meet...

"Where people are faced with so many choices that they can't decide among them and make no choice at all." -  Ulf Bockenholt As a retail manager, you know customers can become overwhelmed with too many options when browsing your store. This phenomenon is known as...

"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." - Paul J. Meyer. As a retail manager, you're probably familiar with employee scheduling basics: ensuring all shifts are staffed...

"Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill. Running a successful business depends on motivating employees to achieve excellence. However, if your staff's enthusiasm is waning and morale is low, keeping productivity high...

“There are seven negative factors that contribute to the failure of relationships; namely, cost, time constraints, satisfaction abuse, stress, resource constraints, conflicts, and unmet expectations.” – Mitta Xinindlu. As a business leader, it’s crucial to understand...

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. “- Dale Carnegie. A Customer’s experience (CX) spans all interactions between a business and its customers. Companies that provide memorable CX will enjoy...

“Without big data analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the web like deer on a freeway.” – Geoffrey Moore, management consultant As a busy small-to-medium-sized retailer, it is challenging to keep track of your overall business performance and...

“There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.” – Henry Ford In today’s highly competitive business landscape, compensation and benefits play a critical role...

"People don't remember the pitch; they remember the experience." - Dharmesh Shah. In the retail sector, online sales and digital marketing have become more prevalent than ever; it can be easy for business owners to overlook the importance of taking inbound calls....

"the two most important things in any company do not appear in its balance sheet: its reputation and its people" - Henry Ford. The trend toward skills-based hiring will accelerate in 2023 as the labor market adapts to new technologies and ways of completing work. Now...

“Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” – John F. Akers, IBM CEO Business values have a profound influence on organizational culture. Values...

"Identify your niche and dominate it. And when I say dominate, I just mean work harder than anyone else could possibly work at it" - Nate Parker. As the retail sector evolves, it's becoming increasingly crucial for business owners to shift their focus toward niche...

“The future of mobile is the future of online. It is how people access online content now.” – David Murphy, Founder, Mobile Marketing Daily  Think about all the times you have been scrolling through your phone, looking for something to buy. Whether it is a...

“In business, you don’t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate.” – Chester Karrass. Negotiating successfully is an essential skill for any business owner, as it is integral in working out mutually beneficial agreements or resolutions with partners,...

“Entrepreneurs don’t ask for permission. They act per a mission.” – Ryan Lilly. As a business owner, having an effective mission statement is essential for shaping your company’s focus and direction. A mission statement can serve as both motivation for you and...

“Surround yourself with people that push you to do and be better. No drama or negativity. Just higher goals and higher motivation. Good times and positive energy. No jealousy or hate. Simply bringing out the absolute best in each other.” ~ Warren Buffet Successful...

“…excessive meetings are the blight of big companies and almost always get worse over time.” – Elon Musk Business meetings can be a valuable part of any business owner’s day, but they can also become unproductive if not organized to focus on value. Enter Elon Musk—the...

“Individuals high on the dark triad traits appear to exhibit an empathic profile that allows them to retain their ability to read and assess others’ emotions, and subsequently utilize this sensitive information to formulate strategies with which they can acquire what...

“When I was in college, I wanted to be involved in things that would change the world.” – Elon Musk. Running a successful business takes more than hard work, dedication, and excellent leadership skills — it requires innovation. So many entrepreneurs have achieved...

“The tribe often thinks the visionary has turned his back on them. When, in fact, the visionary has simply turned his face to the future.” ― Ray A. Davis Groupthink is a phenomenon that can cause even the most successful organizations to stumble. Groupthink is a set...

"Competitive advantage is a company's ability to perform in one or more ways that competitors cannot or will not match." - Philip Kotler. Are you a manager or retail salesperson looking for ways to give your business a competitive edge? You're in luck. In the digital...

"It's no longer about interrupting, pitching, and closing. It is about listening, diagnosing, and prescribing." – Mark Roberge. Retail operations can be challenging. While it may seem like the process of selling goods and services is straightforward, there is much...

Retail and service sector businesses must have a predictable and reliable employee schedule to meet operational needs. Finding the perfect balance between having enough staff members to provide top-tier customer service without exceeding your budget is challenging....

"When given the proper tools and the trust to be empowered and make decisions, HR can be one of the most vital voices at the table." - Steve Wynn Human Resources Managers are responsible for coordinating the team of individuals within a company, as well as working...

"Marketing is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world you are one.” - Robert Rose Are you searching for an effective way to attract more customers? With the right retail marketing funnel, you can create a customized pathway for...

Wishing You & Your Family A Happy New Year From TimeWellScheduled!!!   About TimeWellScheduled TimeWellScheduled is a secure online time and attendance software that is 100% tailored to meet your scheduling needs! In addition, TimeWellScheduled facilitates...

 “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” — Sundar Pichai Working in an English as a Second Language (ESL) workplace can bring many challenges, particularly regarding communication. Effective communication is...

"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress." - Mahatma Gandhi. It's inevitable that you will disagree with colleagues in the workplace, but there's a professional way to express your opinion. As a business leader or employee, understanding how to...

"Your first blog posts won't be perfect, but you just have to do it. You have to start somewhere." – Shane Barker An efficient and strategic business website is essential in today's digital age. But few businesses understand the power of blogging as part of their...

"Treat your business relationships like friendships (or potential friendships). Formality puts up walls, and walls don't foster good business relationships." - Steve Pavlina. One of the essential factors in success is knowing how to maintain positive working...

"Loyal customers, they don't just come back, they don't simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you." - Chip Bell. Customer loyalty is critical for businesses to succeed in today's hypercompetitive marketplace. It drives customer repeat...

Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Gatik of California have launched a test pilot fleet of five driverless box trucks that deliver grocery orders for Loblaw's online PC Express service. These driverless trucks have been cleared to travel on fixed, repetitive, and predictable...

"Whenever you conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." - William Jame. Conflict resolution in the workplace can be a challenging task for any business leader....

"Human resources are like natural resources; they're often buried deep. You have to go looking for them; they're not just lying around on the surface." - Ken Robinson. As the search for talent intensifies in today's hyper-competitive job market, HR professionals and...

"Time spent on hiring is time well spent." - Robert Half. Are you struggling to create a successful applicant screening strategy? You're not alone. Many organizations find identifying the best candidates when filling job vacancies challenging. But with the right...

 "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." – Bill Gates Online customer reviews are essential for business owners and managers. They provide a public forum for customers to share their thoughts and experiences with your company; customer...

"Gratitude is not a limited resource, nor is it costly. It is abundant as air. We breathe it in but forget to exhale." - Marshall Goldsmith. As a business owner or manager, you know it's important to express gratitude to your customers. But sometimes, it can be tough...

"TimeWellScheduled is very easy to use and well worth the low cost for the time it saves me. I can get in (to the system) quickly, do what I need to do quickly, and get off so that I have lots of time to attend to my clients." – Colin R. Manager, Information Services....

"The future is electronic. It's radio, television, and the Internet; it's not really newspapers anymore." - Will McDonough. In the past, legacy advertising methods such as television commercials, direct mail and radio spots were considered mandatory for businesses of...

"Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man." - Ronald Regan. If you are in the retail business, you have likely experienced price increases from suppliers over the past several months. For retailers in 2022-23,...

"We do one webinar and get between 500 and more than 1000 leads... with an hour of live webinar and a little promotion." - Patrick Whatman. Are you looking for an innovative way to develop sales leads and promote your products? If so, consider hosting a webinar....

"TimeWellScheduled (Software) has been an excellent tool for our scheduling and HR purposes. It's easy to use, and the support team is always responsive. They have also been open to building the infrastructure we need for our reporting purposes." - Jon Wilcox,...

“Memes just show that people are engaged about something. A meme is just a little inside joke for a group of people that care about a certain thing.” - Anthony Fantano  Meme marketing is a fun and effective technique for boosting content exposure online. Memes are...

"If there is a viral video on the internet, you know it's on YouTube. You can search for it, find it, see the view count, and then take that link and share it with whomever you want. That's what we are doing for images." - Alan Schaaf. A well-executed marketing...

"The key to competing and surviving against Wal-Mart is to focus your business on a niche or pocket where you can leverage your strengths in the local marketplace." - Michael Bergdahl, former Director of People at Walmart. Many factors go into making a successful...

"A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time." - Annie Dillard. If you're running a business, it is critical that your employees work as...

"Take risks now and do something bold. You won’t regret it." - Elon Musk The Value of Inspirational Leaders & Managers Inspiring others is an important personality trait for leaders. Inspirational leaders and managers can revive burnt-out employees and peers....

Which retail companies are the most successful in 2022? What factors have contributed to their success? Retail Information Systems (RIS) partners with wRatings to rank the industry's most powerful retail organizations. Theses rankings look at market share, how it...

If you are a new manager, congratulations! It can be an exciting and challenging role. There are many things to learn in your first week on the job. Moreover, first-time managers often find it challenging to transition from the role of a coworker to that of an...

"We don't want to push our ideas onto customers; we simply want to make what they want." -Laura Ashley. In today's digital age, customers expect a smooth and effortless shopping experience, regardless of whether they purchase online or in-store. Unfortunately, many...

"The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves." — J. Carla Northcutt When most people think of leadership, they think in terms of "commanding," "being in...

"Millennials became the first generation to fully conceptualize themselves as walking college resumes. With assistance from our parents, society, and educators, we came to understand ourselves, consciously or not, as "human capital": subjects to be optimized for...

“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.”  Jeff Bezos, CEO at Amazon.com You're missing out if you're not using hashtags to market your...

“My goals are to travel and become a founder of an organization to help people.” –Anonymous Female, 14 As the current business landscape evolves, more and more businesses are having to adapt to the needs of Generation Z. Born between 1995 and 2012, Gen Z is unique and...

“Research is creating new knowledge.” - Neil Armstrong A focus group might be the perfect option if you're looking for a way to dig deeper to assess how a product or idea will do in the marketplace. This method allows you to gather feedback from potential customers...

"When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an organization." – Pat Wadors A vital component of a successful company in 2022 is creating an organizational culture that fosters inclusivity. Employees...

"If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to build theirs." - Bill Gates. Are you an entrepreneur? If so, there's a good chance you have some of the same characteristics as other successful entrepreneurs. Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer...

Are you still tracking employee hours with spreadsheets and paper time cards? If so, you're missing out on many benefits cloud-based time and attendance software can provide. Here are five solid reasons to make the switch: Optimize Employee & Managerial...

To our Amazing Customers & On Behalf of the TimeWellScheduled Team  We wish you a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving Canada!!         About TimeWellScheduled.com Thank you for reading our article! TimeWellScheduled.com is a secure, online time and...

“Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches—at scale.” – David Newman Are you managing your formal email and signature effectively? Many people don't realize how important it is to have a well-structured email. It's essential to...

Our TimeWellScheduled team was on site in Toronto for the 2022 Canadian Tire Convention this weekend. We were excited to meet the dealers, partners and senior staff of the 385 stores we have on our solution. And soon we will welcome more stores whom we met over the...

W"Americans plan to spend more than ever to make this (2022) Halloween a memorable one," - Matthew Shay, CEO National Retail Federation (NRF) It's that time of year again! Halloween is an excellent opportunity to have a little fun and, at the same time, increase...

In order to make the best hiring decisions, employers must, within reason, use predictors of job performance during the recruitment process. For example, certain personality traits and work habits can be good indicators of future success. By understanding these...

"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters." – Albert Einstein. An ethical company is an organization that has clearly defined environment, social, and governance principles. Ethical companies have policies and...

    "Our reputation is more important than the last hundred million dollars.” — Rupert Murdoch Maintaining a positive reputation is an essential career management skill. Whether you are just starting in your career or have been working for years, following...

"You may delay, but time will not." ~ Benjamin Franklin Time management is an essential skills in the professional world. However, many people struggle to stay organized and productive throughout the day. If you're looking to improve your time management skills, there...

“Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player."-Bill Gates, 2013 Coaching is a proven resource for small business owners who have hit a roadblock in their business. The structure and...

Case studies are a great way to show potential customers what your product can do to solve their organizations' problems. A Case study is a form of marketing that B2B advertisers or salespeople can use to promote product solutions. Case studies build customer...

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” - John F. Kennedy, 1963 Identifying and developing new leaders who can replace senior executives when they retire or leave an organization is critical. Succession planning is the process of training and...

A job posting is an advertisement for an open job position within an organization. The purpose of a job posting is to inform potential job candidates about new job openings and attract them to apply. Using different components, recruiters can create a job posting that...

“Facts are approximately 22 times more likely to be remembered if they are part of a story” - Jerome Bruner The art of storytelling is about having the ability to connect and inspire people to change their minds or take a particular action by presenting a narrative...

How do the different generations think about work? What motivates them? How do they prefer to communicate and collaborate? To answer these questions, you must understand the generational values and attitudes that drive their behavior. The current workforce engenders...

  “Going viral is not an outcome; it’s a happening. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t. Just remember, fans are vanity and sales are sanity.” – Lori Taylor Social media optimization is critical to increasing brand and product awareness. When businesses...

"Humans are hard-wired to enjoy games and have a natural tendency to interact more deeply in activities that are framed in a game construct." - Gartner Organizations are looking for ways to be more innovative and engaging. Gamification has been proven to do just that....

“People don’t leave jobs, they leave toxic work cultures” - Dr. Amina Aitsi-Selmi A toxic workplace can manifest in many ways, including low morale, gossiping, bullying, and general unhappiness. However, the catalyst for a toxic environment often begins when workplace...

Introduction The wave of people leaving their jobs over the past several years shows no sign of letting up, and for those who choose to quit, a massive re-evaluation of their work values and expectations has begun. While the pandemic was the catalyst for the great...

"A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them." -M.D. Arnold Managers and leaders, if you want to be successful, you need to start thinking like a boss. That doesn't mean being demanding or ruthless; it means being...

As a business owner, you know that conducting thorough market research is essential to your success. Retail market research gives you insights into the size of your target audience, how competitive the environment is, and where there's room for improvement.  This...

“You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless they are willing to climb.” –Andrew Carnegie  There's no question that HR is a critical piece of any retail operation. But with today's competitive landscape, it can be tough to create an HR strategy that works well and...

“Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.” – Steve Jobs   As retail managers, it is vital to stay up-to-date on the latest technology trends. Not only will this help keep retail stores operating smoothly and efficiently, but it...

"Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and business success." — Paul J. Meyer. A recent study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that poor communication leads to workplace conflict, damages employer-employee relations, reduces...

Have you ever felt you're not being heard in meetings or conversations with your peers? If so, you likely need to work on your assertive communication skills. Assertiveness is a key ingredient for success in the business world, and anyone can learn it. In this post,...

The Canadian Tire Corporation is a Canadian retail staple that operates 503 stores nationally in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure, and housewares sectors. The company has been successfully providing Canadian consumers across the country with everything from...

The main retail principle to guide your decisions is the value proposition you provide for your customers. The customer is the focal point of your retail operation, and everything you do must revolve around serving them. When in doubt, remember the customer came in to...

"First, you must have entrepreneurs who fully grasp their customers. They understand their product so well because they themselves are customers. The second thing is having an awesome value proposition." Craig Sherman As a business owner, you know that your success...

Just as customers provide referral marketing for businesses they like and trust, companies can return the favor by referring customers to other firms. In the business context, this is called a referral program. 78% of B2B marketers say that referral marketing programs...

  If you own or manage a retail business, it is useful to know the four social styles. When you understand an individual's default social styles, you can create more meaningful customer interactions resulting in improved customer experiences. In this post, we'll...

As a business owner, one of your top priorities should be to build customer trust. As will be shown in this article, data from many studies have concluded that organizations that earn the trust of their customers enjoy customer retention rates that are six times...

 "The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment." - Anthony Robbins When interviewing candidates for your business, it's important to ask questions that will reveal their level of commitment. Lack of commitment can lead to high employee turnover and...

If you're a retail business owner, you probably know that finding and working with a suitable vendor can be essential to your success. However, before you commit to a partnership, you must ensure that your vendor can align and support your mission and value...

Although the self-checkout kiosk has been around for a while, the pandemic has further accelerated their acceptance, usage and application. As retail business owners and managers, staying up-to-date on what customers expect from these machines is essential. This blog...