Month: February 2023

Advice for local retail newsagents on navigating economic headwinds

Whether we agree with it or not, there is plenty of news and chatter about economic headwinds. That chatter often reaches the counters of local retailers, like local newsagents.

newsXpress helps newsagents strategically and operationally. In addition to excellent supplier deals and new traffic through new categories, newsXpress provides strategic advice. This article is an example of that advice.

The negative economic coverage, especially in media outlets that love to run negative stories, impacts local retail.

Relentlessly, media outlets overload with recession stories, fuelling worry and anxiety and challenging consumer confidence.

It’s tempting to get drawn to the doom and gloom stories, to amplify the woe is me narrative. But that does not help.

Plenty of people in business, especially small business, prefer to look ahead, to focus on the other side of the recession as it is that view of what could be that motivates.

We think a back to basics approach is what is needed to get us through the chatter and coverage. We think it’s right for our software business, the retail shops we own and for the many local businesses we serve.

The back to basics guiding principles we share here are focussed on this, focussed on providing sure footing today and encouraging optimism for tomorrow.

This is not a list from which you choose what you like. Our advice is that you do everything on this list, because in our experience, together they provide the best chance of navigating the recession well.

  1. Nurture what makes the business money and fix or stop what does not make the business money. Leverage strengths. Fix or eliminate weaknesses.
  2. Embrace ways to broaden the reach of the business.
  3. Make safe decisions, decisions you know will work. For example, buy well. That is, buy what will sell easily, quickly.
  4. Embrace ways you can add value to what you sell without spending more.
  5. Be frugal. Before every spending decision ask 2 questions: do we need this? Will this add value? Review every business expense. Cut those that do not add value.
  6. Your next step is in front of you. Look ahead, not behind. Talk up, not down.
  7. If you feel overwhelmed, take it one step at a time. Every day, do something that makes you happy.

When should you start? Now. But not alone. This is a whole of business project. Involve the whole team and embrace all the points at every opportunity.

How do we know these principles work? We have experience trading through two recessions, one country wide and the other sector wide. We also traded through Covid with excellent results – because we embraced these principles back in early March 2020.

Let’s take a moment to unpack principle #3, make safe decisions. Safe decisions are those you can bet on because they work every time. They may not be exciting, but they are safe. They may not be the best margin, but they are safe. Safe decisions are all about certainty, providing a small step that is stable, sure-footed. Put a few of those in a row and you feel better. Feeling better is key to helping you navigate the Covid recession.

While we understand the value of news, there may be value in consuming less news, staying away from the negative stories. Your success is the most important news right now.

If you would like support in running your newsagency, consider newsXpress. We are a group that provides practical support without any obligation for you to do what we suggest and without any obligation to buy from any specific supplier.

It is cliché, but …. We are here for you. If you think we could help, please reach out to us at help@newsxpress.com.au.

newsXpress helps retail newsagents save time and cut mistakes when receiving new stock.

Every time staff in an Aussie newsagency type details of a new stock item into the POS computer system or manually process an invoice for stock they have received, it costs labour time and could result in data mistakes, which could lead to bad decisions.

This is a waste of time and money for the business.

Electronic invoices save time, and they cut mistakes.

Aussie Newsagency POS software company Tower Systems and newsXpress together help Aussie newsagents save time, cut mistakes and benefit from more accurate business data.

newsXpress supporting doing the tech side as well as the in-business operational side and providing understanding and practical support, newsagents and people who work in newsagency businesses can save time and money and make better business decisions as a result.

The joint Tower Systems newsagency software and newsXpress retail newsagency business management approach is a winner.

Just this month, February 2023, newsXpress and Tower, working together, have helped bring on another major supplier to the world of electronic invoices. This is a big win for Aussie newsagents. More time saved. More mistakes cut. More benefits for the local Aussie newsagency channel.

It is hard work bringing on a new supplier. There is work with their tech, finance and management teams, considerably work, and testing, and more work. It is only those skilled with software tech and the running of a retail newsagency who can do this to the best advantage of local Aussie newsagents.

All newsXpress members have access to these benefits and more.

We nurture your success through opportunities you can leverage, often needing little or no capital investment. We share these in one of our regular (at least twice a week) member emails, or our regular member Zoom meetings.

Opportunities can be new suppliers, new products, in-store tactical changes, out of store marketing ideas. Often, they are early adopter opportunities that can help our members win before other retailers know about the opportunity.

We lay out for your consideration a pathway to a success.

Opportunities can be sales to people who will never visit your shop through any of several national #1 ranked consumer facing websites, and / or your own exclusive website, under a brand you choose.

Beyond this awesome work on the tech side of running a successful local Aussie retail newsagency business, newsXpress also helps you make more money with supplier deals and opportunities.