As a business owner, I’m always in search of the next great business book that going to teach me something new, or tell me something I’ve heard before, but in a way I’ve not heard it before.
I’m happy to announce that this book fits the bill. Not only does it tell me things I have not heard before (like the importance of not allowing seasonal dips to get you down), but it also told me things I already knew in a way I hadn’t heard before (such as scheduling people well in advance so that they can have a life that’s more predictable, and thereby find one less reason to hate their job because they never know when they are working).
The author of the book gives a nice, long introduction, which at first I didn’t understand, but as she drew me into her background and story, I understood why she recorded it herself. The audio quality of the author’s intro was inferior compared to the recording of the book itself, which was rich and professional. But I forgive her for the tinny quality of the recording because it was brief, and the content was great.
After the author’s intro, Jim Seybert did a fantastic job narrating. He threw himself into the narration with the perfect balance of acting when there was a phrase with emotion or frustration to convey to the reader, and he was great in that regard. Not once did I sense that he was reading a book. It was like he was just telling me the advice, making it up as he went. That’s how smooth the reading was. Right on cue, Jim became a confident authoritarian when conveying the solid advice given by the author in terms of how to run your business like a pro.
This book focuses on so four main aspects of retail management, but my favorite aspect was Operations, which is the area where I have the least experience.
If you work in retail, have aspirations to manage a store or anywhere people may one day show up, this book is a must. As more and more stores are closing their doors in the wake of internet sales taking over retail store sales, a book like this has never been more crucial to the success of a brick and mortar business.
I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I enjoyed it so much, I’m going to seek out other non-fiction business books by this same author if they exist. Highly recommended business book, packed with practical advice you can use the same day you listen to it. I sure did.