Make the Most of Your August and September

July 28-Aug. 3

SERVICE It’s hot out there. Welcome customers into your store with a cool washcloth and an ice-cold beverage.

OPERATIONS If things slow down during the summer, shake things up: Take off every other Saturday in July, but work whatever your usual day off is in August.

Aug. 4-10

FINANCIALS if you’re like a lot of small retailers, you may be underpricing a proven seller compared to your competition. “Fast-sellers, in particular, need to be fully priced,” says the Edge Retail Academy’s David Brown. This week, spend time researching what prices your bestselling items and services are fetching at other stores and make sure your prices are in line.

INTERNET With all the social media sites that come and go (MySpace, anyone?), it’s easy to have dated store information floating around the Web on inactive accounts. Close down those accounts.

Aug. 11-17

SELF-DEVELOPMENT Seek novelty this summer: Your brain loves new experiences and sensations, which help it continue to build neural connections for work and life.

SYSTEMS Write scripts for greeting customers: how to welcome, what to show them, handling returns and complaints.

Aug. 18-24

INTERNET Need a tech project? Learn how to integrate the tools on Google Docs so you can share store information (training tips, store manual, rosters) among staff.

TRAINING Try something different: Talk to your vendors about providing some training to staff.

Aug. 25-31

MARKETING The Internet is no place for modesty. Consider posting everything that will enhance your image or inform: your credentials, your experience, your location, your hours, your blog, links to articles about you and volunteer efforts with which you’re involved.

MERCHANDISING Gather staff to inspect your show finds and go through what you ordered at SuperZoo. Develop a product launch plan and schedule training sessions to ensure the successful sell-through.

Sept. 1-7

WINDOWS Labor Day (Sept. 2) marks the unofficial end of summer. Time to change your window displays.

Sept. 8-14

SALES FLOOR Make an extra effort to listen to how your staff interacts with customers. Focus on the words they use to describe products and services and build perceptions of value. Remember that to be effective, feedback needs to be specific, actionable and timely.

Sept. 15-21

SOCIAL MEDIA Want to take your social media efforts to the next level while teaching folks about pet health in a way they’ll remember? Think infographics. Whether explaining the benefits of CBD, providing tips on grooming, or educating about raw foods, infographics are a shareable way to get the word out. Try these free websites: Canva, Piktochart.com, Venngage.com, Easel.ly.

Sept. 22-28

NETWORKING Write a letter to someone you admire. Whether in the short term or the long term, it could result in a valuable new relationship. Or it might just might be a way of making a person who inspires you feel good. Either way, you win.