Article Number : 4461 |
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| Date | 5/12/2009 7:09:19 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4461 |
| Abstract | “You’re not still going to Mexico, are you?”... |
| Article | “You’re not still going to Mexico, are you?” “Why wouldn’t I be going?” “Haven’t you heard? The swine flu is all over the country. People are dying.” OK. I admit I’d been exceptionally busy here at FCNews and may had separated myself from the news and dailys for a few days. But after a bit of investigation, there was no way I wasn’t boarding that plane and heading to Cabo San Lucas for the National Floorcovering Alliance convention two weeks ago. First of all, there were more confirmed cases of the illness within 15 miles of my apartment on Long Island than there were in Cabo, which didn’t have one. Second, I had a better chance of catching my son’s stomach virus had I not gone. Third, I’m a New Yorker. I lived through 9/11 and was in the air 9/16 going cross-ountry. If I’m not going to fear terrorists, I’m not going to fear the flu. But most important, the NFA represents opportunity. Opportunity to meet with some of the best retail minds in the business. Opportunity to meet with high-level executives, many of whom wouldn’t miss an NFA convention for a SARS scare, let alone the pig virus. Spend a few days with these retailers and manufacturers and you’re going home a smarter individual. Period. Why do I mention this? Because you also don’t want to miss your opportunities because of fear—fear of the economy, fear of doing business the way you know how, fear of being aggressive, fear of what the future holds. You don’t know the opportunities that await, but you’ll never find them if you bury your head in the sand like an ostrich. Here’s an example: During every NFA meeting a couple of members are asked to share their best practices. This time around, it was Airbase Carpet & Tile Mart, the 40-plus year-old brainchild of the reserved but brilliant Richard Longwill. His son, Michael, delivered a flawless presentation on how to buy promotional goods. Not only did the NFA members learn what Longwill developed into an art, but even I came away with some ideas on how we can apply some aspects to this magazine. This all leads me to the 28-page insert you’ll find inside these pages titled, “Surviving the Storm.” In it you’ll find many ideas for improving your business, not just in this landscape but also when things do turn around. Not every idea will apply to everyone, and certainly many retailers have already instituted some of the practices highlighted. But if you come away with just one idea from reading this guide, we at FCNews have done our job. See, you may have fewer customers walking through the door, and we may have fewer doors on which to knock when it comes to advertising. But we see the value in being aggressive with useful tools that can help the retailer. That’s our opportunity. By the way, I’m back from Mexico, and all I caught was a little sun. |