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Learn From Her Story: 'Soup business changed my life for good'

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Food business is one business that can never go out of fashion because people must eat whether they are rich or poor. From the days of “buka” to the era of exotic eateries and restaurants, people have diversified into different aspects of restaurant business. Mrs Adewumi Ayo has focused on an aspect of restaurant business - strictly making soups and stews for sale. She is one of my projects works whereby she shared her success story. People who are involved in restaurant business typically possess abundance of highly desirable traits and skills.  They are very capable individuals who are naturally optimistic, creative, dedicated, highly motivated, action-oriented, and are not afraid of hard work and long hours to achieve their goals. Adewumi Ayo possesses these traits and that was why she was motivated to go into restaurant business. It is common to see restaurants serving all kinds of delicacies in our society but rare to see one handling only soups. Her business, ‘Soup Paradise’ w

The Hidden Psychology Of Why Customers Come Back

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As a Customer Service Professional, I have come to terms that excellent and quality service sticks in the heart of customers which keeps them coming back again and again!.  Psychological factors affect the decisions we make every day. Of course, most of us are blissfully unaware of the tendencies that influence our actions. However, businesses can use the hidden psychology driving our behaviors to yield big profits. From the work that we do, to the habits that we form, to the rationalizations we make, our behavior and mental state influence tastes and preferences in unusual ways by getting us to invest in products and services in seemingly inconsequential ways. Labor = Love In a 2011 study, three researchers measured how work affects the  value of things. University students were given instructions to assemble an origami crane or frog. After the exercise, students were asked to purchase their creation, bidding up to $1. Meanwhile, a separate group of students located in another roo

How To Handle Tough Customers

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Successful retailers don't just sell products. Today, quality customer service may be what differentiates a company from its rivals. Retailers with poor customer service risk losing revenues, profits, and even going out of business. But retail pros know that they're going to be dealing with angry customers, the very customers who make offering high-quality service difficult. Here are a few different types of angry customers and how to deal with them as a customer service representative. Types of difficult customers Difficult customers come in several varieties, including:     Angry     Impatient     Intimidating     Talkative     Demanding     Indecisive Dealing with them professionally First, realize you can't control anyone else's behavior. You have control only over your own actions. But you can influence how customers respond to you to some degree. Dealing with angry customers: When a customer tries to intimidate you, stay calm and ask, "What can we do to he

5 Key Elements of Visual Merchandising In Nigeria

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Visual merchandising is a powerful tool in retail that helps create an appealing shopping environment and drive sales. In Nigeria, where diverse cultures and vibrant aesthetics influence shopping habits, effective visual merchandising can make a significant impact. Here are the key elements to consider for successful visual merchandising in the Nigerian market: 1. Understand Local Culture and Preferences - Cultural Sensitivity: Nigeria is rich in cultural diversity, with varying tastes and preferences across regions. Tailor your visual merchandising to reflect local cultures, traditions, and colors. For instance, in the northern regions, traditional patterns and earthy tones may be more appealing, while in the south, brighter colors and modern designs might be preferred. - Festivals and Celebrations: Incorporate local festivals and celebrations, like Eid, Christmas, or the New Yam Festival, into your displays. This makes your store more relevant and engaging to customers. 2. Use Vibran

What Is Merchandise Mix?

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Merchandise mix is the total set of all products offered for sale by a retailer, including all product lines sold to all consumer groups.  The retail industry covers everything from large supercenters (Big box stores) to small vendors pedaling goods along the roadside.  The biggest dilemma a retail store owner faces, is what to sell, or what their merchandise mix should consist of. If retailers stock too much of a variety of merchandise, they risk appearing like a jack-of-all-trades, potentially losing money in the long run.  If they stock a small merchandise mix (few items) they run the risk of losing business, especially to local brick-and- mortar stores and online competitors. For retailers, deciding on their marketing mix is similar to deciding on their market segments. Retailers need to decide who they are selling to and the needs of their market segment.   Selecting and presenting the right merchandise is critical as product is the focal point of customers buying.  Th

The Major 14 Steps To Start And Grow A Profitable Business In Nigeria

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How to guide yourself through this– A step by step guide towards how to effectively start a business in Nigeria. Understand yourself The ability to understand yourself as an entrepreneur is one of the very essential attributes entrepreneurs must have to be successful. Understanding yourself has a lot to do with why you would want to become an entrepreneur and not sit behind a desk working a nine to five job. You need to also understand why you intend to start a business: Are you seeking freedom from the stress of having to work for someone and have more control of your time, or are you trying to make more money and believe that you would be more successful as an entrepreneur? Scout for opportunities Opportunity discovery or otherwise known as entrepreneurial discovery – has been defined by many thought leaders as the process of systematically scanning for changes in technology, social, demography, the political and regulatory landscape of a people or place to co

How Color Blocking Affects Mood and Store Ambience

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One of the best things you can do to beat the competition and gain the attention of shoppers is understand merchandising. In today’s content, I am going to guide you through a merchandising technique called color block merchandising and how you can use it in your displays to stand out from your competitors and ultimately give your customers a memorable experience. What is colour blocking? Colour blocking is the use of color to support merchandising of products. It is an effective weapon which visual merchandisers can use to improve the way products are displayed. Here are the basics before you move to implementing colour blocking: 1. Colour wheels A colour wheel is used to show the relationship between different colours based on three primary colours - red, blue and yellow. Primary colours create secondary colours when mixed which go on to create tertiary colours when mixed with primary colours, creating a six and twelve colour wheel respectively. It’s also important to rem