Dear Reader,

I have been in the retail industry for a little over four decades. I started in retailing when I was 16 years old on the south side of Chicago. Why did I get into retail? Real simple—three reasons: 1) It was an easy job to get; 2) You could wear clean clothes; and 3) You could meet girls!

For a 16-year-old, that was all you needed to know about retail. I was hired by utilizing the same test that some retailers still use today. It’s called the “Pittsburgh Plate Glass Test.” They put me up against a mirror, some breath appeared, out on the floor I went. Yes, I was likely the sales associate from hell. I had no training on how to sell and no product knowledge.

While some retailers may still do that, you certainly don’t want to. Retail is an ever-changing, complex business today, and you can no longer count on the concept “If you build it, they will come.”

Before opening your store, you must find a unique concept that fills a niche in a way no one else is doing. That could mean a new product, a new service, a new brand, or something else that you think is missing in your community.

In this book, I take you through the steps of developing your idea, building your strategic plan, designing your store, picking your products, and marketing and promoting your concept. Then I give you the basics you need to run that store and the techniques and tools to analyze your business and make financial and business decisions that will make you profitable and thrive.

While it is true that when I started in retail I didn’t know anything about it and I didn’t think that I would like it, after over 40 years in this industry I can tell you that I have experienced some of the most exciting changes and opportunities any industry has to offer and I couldn’t think of any other field I would want to work in. I have also seen a lot of retailers crash and burn, but I have seen a lot more succeed and love what they do. If you follow the rules, you can, too.

Good luck and happy retailing!

James E. Dion