Despite truckloads of lobbying and advertising cash being spent by property developers and landlord groups keen to see their property assets achieving good returns for them, working from home is here to stay for a chunk of people. Indeed, we expect it will expand as the nature of work evolves.

The COVID pandemic that kicked off in early 2020 showed the world what mass working from home looked like for those in office-based roles that could be fulfilled from home.

In our own businesses, a software company and a retail marketing group, as soon as COVID hit, everyone usually in the office was given the option to work from home even though we were classed essential by the government.

We have not asked or required people to return to the office. Eighty per cent of the workforce across both businesses continue to work from home. The average employee saves eight hours in commute time each week. That right there is a compelling reason they prefer it, I think.

Our view for a business with work that can be done anywhere is that if you have the right people in the business and provide them with good tools, an office is not as important as it once was.

While some big businesses have forced employees to the office either full time or on some regular cycle, my sense is that working from home is here to stay for many previously office-based employees.

This is an opportunity for local retailers to serve those living and working locally with food, home office support products and office-related services.

Here are some other ways local retailers can cater to those working from home:

• Offer a weekly or some other regularly scheduled catch-up for those in the area working from home to talk business. One of the benefits of being in an office is the chat between colleagues. Your business could fill this need by facilitating a local group.
• Out of home office. There may be a need for a quiet space away from home but close to home for an important call or to complete a project. If you have space in your shop, you could create a pod or two for people to rent by the hour.
• Communal table. People working from home are often able to work mobile, with just their laptop. If you have the space, consider offering a large table to seat several people. They can use this as they wish by paying a low hourly cost or even subscribing for unlimited access.
• Friday drinks. Host Friday after-work drinks for people working from home in the area. This goodwill gesture could help better connect them with your business.
• Secure document destruction. Some folks working from home will print documents that need to be securely destroyed. You could offer a secure collection point for these for a modest fee, offering their employer peace of mind.
• Help them spend saved time. Think about the commute time saved each week and how this could be used in ways related to your business. Are there services or products you could sell from which they would benefit? Consider packaging these as WFH timesavers or similar gifts.
• Host a food truck. Every couple of weeks or so, arrange for a food truck offering a cuisine not offered in town to park outside your shop. Pitch this on social media, demonstrating that you’re providing those working from home a fresh option for lunch.
• Ask what they need. Talk to people working from home and ask if there is anything they need that they cannot easily access locally. The old advice of find a need and fill it’s so true.

Local retailers are well positioned to leverage the work-from-home opportunity. Don’t be restricted by what is expected of your type of business.

Just as working from home has disrupted how, when and where people work, serving this community unshackles local retailers from what is expected of their type of business.

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newsXpress is a marketing group that supports small local independent retailers to thrive. Find out more at help@newsxpress.com.au.

How do you answer the question what do you do? when someone asks? Do you have a good answer ready to go, something that takes 30 seconds or so to get out, something that shows your pride and excitement and has them wanting to know more?

In business books, they call it the elevator pitch—something you can get across in the short time you’re on an elevator.

So, what do you do? Your answer needs to speak to how you see yourself, the value you apply to it, and how it makes you feel.

In this short pitch, you’re going to speak about what matters about your business and why it matters.

When someone asks you the question, don’t be shy or self-effacing. Rather, smile, face them, and launch into your pitch because that is what the answer is: a pitch; your pitch.

Be ready.

Take your time and work on it until every word feels right, until it has the right emotional connection and demonstrates a value of which you’re proud.

Do it in a way and with words that encourage an emotional connection.

Be memorable.

Be proud as you answer.

What do you do?

Now, for some tips:

To get started, try moving past the function of what you do and focus on the outcome you create. Instead of just stating your job title or industry, describe the problem you solve or the joy you bring to your customers. Think about the best compliment a customer has ever given you, what did they say? That specific feedback often holds the key to your most powerful pitch. It turns a mechanical description into a story about connection and service.

Once you have your draft, don’t just keep it on paper, speak it out loud. Say it to yourself in the mirror, say it while you’re driving, and test it on friends who will give you honest feedback. You want to reach a point where the words roll off your tongue naturally, without sounding rehearsed or robotic. When you believe in what you are saying, your body language changes, your eyes light up, and that energy becomes infectious.

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newsXpress is a marketing group that supports small local independent retailers to thrive. Find out more at help@newsxpress.com.au.

Are you—a shopkeeper, an agent or a retailer? One of these is the best option to choose

If you own a retail business, it’s important to know what type of retailer you’re.

A shopkeeper keeps shop. They keep it clean and tidy and keep the doors open. They tend to follow expectations and don’t innovate.

An agent sells products on behalf of others, usually for a low-profit margin, essentially a commission. They don’t control product prices or marketing.

A retailer controls their business, what they sell, prices and marketing. They determine their own future.

How you see yourself can determine how you run your retail business.

A shopkeeper tends to do what is expected for their type of shop.

An agent will follow the requirements of the supplier.

A retailer is more likely to be an entrepreneur, looking to maximise returns for the business.

We know plenty of happy business owners in each of these three categories.

In our experience, shopkeepers and agents tend to be risk-averse, thinking hard work can grow their businesses within the parameters of expectations. Retailers tend to be more open to risk in order to grow the business and maximise their returns.

Knowing the type of retail business owner you’re can help define your business focus and set the boundaries of expectation.

Now, some tips:

To figure out where you currently sit, look at your to-do list for the week. Is it dominated by maintenance tasks, cleaning, restocking, and administration? That is shopkeeper work. Is it filled with processing orders for big suppliers where you have no say in the price? That is agent work. Or, are you spending time scouting new unique products, planning your own marketing campaigns, and calculating how to increase your margin? That is retailer work. To change your business results, you first have to change where you spend your energy.

The good news is that the label you have today is not permanent. You can choose to stop just opening the doors and hoping for the best. You can decide today to take back control from suppliers who treat you like a passive distribution channel. By shifting your thinking from ‘keeping shop’ to ‘running a retail business,’ you unlock the freedom to experiment, to make mistakes, and ultimately, to build an asset that works for you, rather than you just working for it.

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newsXpress is a marketing group that supports small local independent retailers to thrive. Find out more at help@newsxpress.com.au.

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