We've been hearing concerns about the viability of independent barbershops and hairdressers in the UK. Are you noticing a trend of closures, stores reducing their sq ft or relocating in your area - many going to work from home or home visits? If so, what do you believe are the primary factors contributing to this? Is it primarily due to rising overhead costs or perhaps changes in consumer grooming habits?  ... View more

Before opening my retail cheese shop, I was in digital marketing for 10 years. The number one concern for almost all of my clients was not wanting to "bother" their customers. But the thing is, customers want to hear about you! And they'll just ignore messages that aren't relevant. If you start getting a high number of unsubscribes or people mentioning to you that you're communicating too much, then you can re--evaluate your messaging and if it's relevant for your customers/fans. One key is to keep it casual and friendly, like you're sharing something cool with them and not "marketing." If you're just constantly spamming coupons or sales messages, people won't have any reason to open/read them. Here's a few ideas for weekly text messaging/email: --New/featured products: I do this every week and it's so effective, people regularly walk into the store holding their phone saying "I want the cheese from the text." With Square's ability to add photos, you have a big opportunity to make them excited about coming in for something specific --Upcoming events: We have a cocktail bar and regularly do "themed" nights or feature a certain spirit. We don't have to change what our bartenders are doing, just highlight certain cocktails. --Coupons/specials: We occasionally offer discounts/coupons. You want to make sure you don't do this too often, and when you do, make it a "flash sale" good for 1-2 days max. If you send too many coupons, you'll "train" your audience to wait for a sale/coupon to shop with you. We always have a "reason" for a coupon (lapsed customers, regular customers, birthdays, etc.)... it makes it feel more special/rare --Fun stories: Our customers love behind-the-scenes stories and photos about our staff. For example, when I visit a producer or cater an event, I'll send a picture via email to share the story of the product/event. This also promotes the product or our catering services. --Reviews/Client Stories: We love to share "case studies" or your Google reviews. Client stories are great marketing tools and fun for your customers to read! --Personal Holiday messages: Something simple like, "This Thanksgiving, all of us here at the shop are thankful for you." and a picture of your and/or your staff. You can even pair with a regular/lapse customer coupon.  --Basic info reminders: we regularly send out our hours and ordering processes. Most people that are on your list won't know/remember your policies. We create pretty graphics and say something like, "Did you know we're open late on Thursdays and Fridays? So if you're trying to pop in after work, we're here until 8pm! You can also order online 24/7 at [WEBSITE] --Social media links/media mentions: If we're mentioned in the local newspaper or publish a fun social media video/post, we'll send out a link. This is called "social proof" and shows your customers that you are being recognized. Also can grow your social media. Instead of just "follow us on Instagram," we'll send something like, "Our teammate Jamie had a little bit too much fun testing out our newest cheese. Check out the video he made here: [LINK]. While you're there, be sure to give us a follow for more behind-the-scenes craziness around here." What do you use for your text message and/or email content? Any campaign that was particularly effective in driving sales? I'm always interested in what other businesses come up with! ... View more

I was just wondering what other users experiences are of the Square Cart on checkout and could this be improved, streamlined or is it doing a great job as it is?   For me it feels a missed opportunity to drive sales and connect with the customer on checkout. So looking at the checkout for other systems, things like the spend bar, which shows the progression of our spend to unlock free shipping, is great it encourages more buying (even with the concession of free shipping), then there is gift wrapping at checkout and add a note (not at the item level but at checkout), nice personal touch. Then there is the upsell, the 'you may also like' in the cart. These are all super ways to engage and drive sales. See image below.   What features like this have you comer across which would enhance the checkout experience and help drive your sales.   ... View more

Hi sellers!   We’re thrilled to invite you to test out a new and exciting beta feature. This update will make it easier for you to bulk upload and automatically associate images to existing items in your Square Catalog via Bulk Edit.    Interested in joining? 👇 Reply directly to this post below and we’ll get you set up so you can start testing over the next few weeks. Once you drop a comment below, we will acknowledge your opt in to this beta by liking your reply and will follow up with you individually with any additional information.   We look forward to hearing from you!   ... View more

Is everyone else like me who has a hard time letting go of control or feel the need they need to be there 24/7? I have been working on this 😉 (trying) and I have great employees who can do it all very well I will say. But I feel like I run in circles 24/7 and go nowhere! Business has picked up very close to 2018 and 2019! We were doing amazing numbers. I had to close for two days to keep up, allow for more delivery days, and hire 2 more people at one location, and Feb 1st location number 2 will open (fingers crossed) we are in single digits for the 2nd week. I will be opening a new store 3 building down from our big store. Blessing or curse? Is anyone else that just feels like they HAVE to be there and honestly don't and know that your staff can do it and very well without for a day?  ... View more