The Resilient Retail Game Plan
Episodes
95 | A Resilient Retail Pep Talk
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it’s via 1-2-1 calls or strategy meetings, through my mentoring sessions or community chat, or in-person and at live events, as you’d expe...
94 | Five main areas to consider to fully leverage your profit potential
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When everything’s going well and your top-line sales are growing, it can be easy to forget to keep an eye on your actual profitability. I hardly nee...
93 | The Importance Of Strategy In Growing Your Sales
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes down to it there are just four core ways to increase your sales - to get more people to buy your products, to get those people to buy mo...
92 |The Important Role Websites Play For Small Business With Aime Cox-Tennant
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Websites have come a long way from the bare-bones HTML pages of the early 90s to the slick world-wide-web we inhabit today. Affordable DIY platforms, ...
91 | Social Entertainment and Embracing The Creative with Thomas Rankin
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You need only take a quick scan of the apps on your smartphone to see how dramatically the landscape of social media has changed since Facebook got th...
90 | The Evolution Of Etsy And Harnessing Hyper Narrow Markets With Lauren Keplinger
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the world of e-commerce, the name Etsy has become pretty much synonymous with small businesses, especially in terms of hand-made prod...
89 | Managing Different Revenue Streams With Fiona Fawcett
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout the course of this podcast, as part of my many presentations and in discussions with numerous clients, I’ve talked a lot about the import...
88 | People, Planet and Profit with Mary Portas and Nicky Chenery
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The shift we've seen in recent years in regards to conscious consumerism and sustainability is encouraging - even some of the largest and historically...
87 | Five Key Factors Impacting The Retail Industry Right Now
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been a strange few years and it doesn’t seem like we can expect an end to the unexpected any time soon. Off the back of a pandemic, we’re ...
86 | The Creative Combining Of Content And Commerce
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As digital and social platforms have continually matured and as our use and dependence on them has grown, we’ve seen incredible advances made in the...
85 | How can retailers thrive in the virtual world?
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The internet, and by extension retail, has come a long way since 1983. From the first tentative purchases made over dial-up to today's lightning-fast...
84 | Resilient Retail: The Book - A Sneak Preview!
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Writing a book has been on my to-do list for quite a while now, and nothing lights a fire under your feet and gets a project moving than telling peopl...
83 | Collaboration, Personalisation and On-Demand Designs with Taymoor Atighetchi
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I speak to Taymoor Atighetchi, CEO and Founder of Papier, an online e-commerce stationery bran...
82 | Pricing And Profitability In The Era Of Rising Costs
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re not already feeling the pinch yourself, you’re no doubt aware from the news that the cost of living is increasing across the board. Fro...
81 | Classics, Candles, Community And Circularity With Thalia Caddy Of Wild Books
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 81 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I speak to Thalia Caddy. As a theatre manager hit hard by the pandemic, Thalia wanted to create oppor...
80 | Innovation In The Circular Economy With Charlotte Morley Of The Little Loop
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Between the ongoing climate crisis, a global pandemic and waves of continent-wide lockdowns, the last few years have seen marked shifts in consumer be...
79 | Empowerment, Experience and Innovation With Connie Nam of Astrid & Miyu
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I speak to the founder of jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu, Connie Nam. Dissatisfied with a market ...
78 | Recommerce With Wilson Griffin and Karin Dillie of Recurate
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charity shops and thrift stores have been firm fixtures of the modern retail space since at least the 1950’s and primarily second-hand product webs...
77 | What Does Success Look Like In 2022?
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - there’s no silver bullet when it comes to creating a successful product business, but we can look a...
76 | Making Plans For Uncertain Times
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One question I get a lot, and one that's certainly become much more pertinent in the last few years, is "Why bother making plans when things are so un...
75 | Creating Communities With Jessica Rose
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the age of Coronavirus, we’re fortunate enough to be better connected than ever. Social media platforms, online forums and community-centric app...
74 | 2021: A Year In Review
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas to all you small businesses owners out there - I hope you had a good season of sales and that you’re having a well-earned rest befo...
73 | Value and Values: What Lies Ahead For Retail In 2022?
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With Christmas Day but a few sleeps away, I hope you and your business have not only survived but thrived this festive season, and hopefully, you can ...
72 | Slow Marketing, Social Enterprise And The Personal Touch With Charlotte Pearce
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As business owners, and in a world that seems to be evolving at an ever-increasing pace, the convenience, reach and speed that today's marketing tool...
71 | Staying Resilient: Self Care and Rest with Ekua Cant
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the big day but a few weeks away, we're truly bang-in-the-middle of Christmas crunch-time. You're no doubt juggling orders and shipments as well...
70 | Managing The Demands Of Your Business And Your Body With Beth Coldrick
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Between the numerous learning curves, family commitments, marketing schedules, profit margins, post office runs and, well, the list goes on, I think...
69 | Charitable Giving And Purpose-Led Product Businesses with Veronica Bamford-Deane
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today marks one of the US’s biggest holidays, as well as the eve of one of the biggest retail events of the year: Blac...
68 | Real-life Retail With Club Members Rani, Annabelle and Emily
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether this is your first festive sales season or you’re a Christmas retail veteran there’ll always be challenges to overcome and surprises you d...
67 | Quick Wins And Tik Tok With Charis Varley
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have completely revolutionised the way in which small independent businesses can reach potential c...
66 | The Importance Of Showing Up At Christmas With Elizabeth Stiles
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I think we can all agree that Christmas wouldn’t be much of a success if Santa Claus didn’t show up, and the same holds true for your business. I...
65 | What Does Black Friday Mean For Your Business?
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since originating in the United States, developed as a major sales stimulus event based around Thanksgiving, Black Friday has since migrated to many o...
64 | Anxiety-Reducing Accounting with Rachel Martin
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Managing finances can prove to be a major source of anxiety for many business owners. From trying to navigate the maze of bureaucracy that is self-emp...
63 | Spreading Happiness with John’s Crazy Socks
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers are thinking more about how they connect and relate to their purchases than ever before - from shopping small and local to seeking out prod...
62 | Connected Packaging With Cameron Worth
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From AI chatbots to cloud computing, I hardly need to tell you, small business owners, that technology is constantly changing how the retail industr...
61 | Consumer Personalization with Michael Osborne
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one advantage of being a small business over mainstream retailers, it’s the personal touch and connection you can foster between you an...
60 | How Can You Maximise Your Efficiency?
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With just under 100 days left until Christmas Day, I’ve got my festive fingers crossed that with a little help from The Resilient Retail Game plan y...
59 | Mapping Out And Planning For The Festive Season
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we’ve covered over the last 10 or so episodes, there’s a lot to consider and arrange when it comes to getting ready for the festive season. Fro...
58 | Bringing Big Retail And Small Brands Together With Matt Hopkins
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whilst big retail isn’t exactly going anywhere, we’re seeing more and more that customers want something that mass-produced products and high stre...
57 | Three Questions To Ask Yourself When Ordering Your Christmas Stock
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we’ve covered in previous episodes, Christmas has all the potential to be the most profitable point of your financial year, but a lot of your sal...
56 | 5 Books That Have Made An Impact On Me And My Business
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In my first solo episode in three and a half months and as a break from my Xmas content, I thought I’d spend this podcast sharing with you the five ...
55 | The Power Of The Personal: PR And Branding With Lucy Werner
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers, now more than ever, want to connect and relate to the brands and businesses that they buy from. It’s not enough to just send your product...
54 | Mastering Management with Pip Foulsham
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’ve already established a crew of handy helpers or you’re looking to add your first extra pair of hands to the production line in time ...
53 | Seeing The Funny Side With Small Biz Memes
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So, today's episode is a little different for two reasons. Firstly, we experienced a little technical issue during this recording, consequently, the...
52 | Santa’s Little Helpers: Hiring and HR with Mandy Hamerla
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It may not be a workshop at the North Pole, but your small business is likely to be just as busy come Christmas time. By the same token, you may not h...
51 | (Merry) Digital Marketing with Narada McKoy
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If the previous few episodes hadn’t made it abundantly clear, prepping and optimising your product business for Christmas is absolute vital if you w...
50 | PR, Press And Product Placement With Rosie Davies-Smith
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You may remember that the power of PR played a large part in the results of my recent product business survey, and with Christmas, technically, on the...
49 | Getting Ready For Christmas…In July with Joanne Griffin
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From the sounds of Slade and Band-Aid permeating the airwaves to the snowflake fringed points of sale at seemingly every checkout, for better or worse...
48 | Pitching To The Press with Komal Pandya-Rao
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode marks the one year anniversary of the launch of The Resilient Retail Game Plan podcast, and to all my guests and those that have tuned in...
47 | Purchase-Planning and Pinterest with Vanessa Rinaldi
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With ever-improving engagement platforms and tools giving business owners so many different ways to reach potential customers, it’s important to div...
46 | Guest Blogging with Colette Machado
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Between securing product placements and getting featured in gift guides, guest blogging isn’t perhaps the first thing you’d think of when it comes...
45 | SEO Strategy with Khaleelah Jones
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO, in simple terms, is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website, and with more sma...
44 | Effective E-Commerce With Anna Hennebeck
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From marketplace apps like Depop to capitalist behemoths like Amazon, E-commerce comes in many shapes and forms but none often so critical as your own...
43 | The Power Of Email Marketing With Eman Ismail
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Email has become as ubiquitous a form of communicating with customers as any of the traditional marketing mediums, and in an increasingly digital worl...
Birthday Bonus Episode - 5 things I've Learnt About Creative Product Businesses From Running My Membership
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From my long career in the retail sector to working one-to-one with large clients and hosting numerous courses I know first-hand how confusing and ove...
42 | Lessons in Loyalty With Fiona Stevens
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Loyalty is absolutely key when it comes to selling creative products, but it’s something business owners often don’t prioritise. It’s easy to g...
41 | Etsy And Empowerment with Silvina De Vita
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Way back in episode 28 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan I spoke about where to sell your creative products. Each of the better-known e-commerce platf...
40 | The World Of Wholesaling With Therese Ørtenblad
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The product business survey I conducted this march turned up a lot of interesting information as well as a few surprises, and in episode 36 of The Res...
39 | Sharing your journey with Manmeet Sokhi
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's been a massive sea change in recent years when it comes to consumers and the relationships that they have, and maintain, with the people, comp...
38 | All Things Video With Jessica Wreford
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From our favourite classic adverts to the advent of celebrity Youtubers, can you think of a more powerful, versatile, or memorable way to promote a br...
37 | Award-Winning Aspirations with Katie Glickman of Bibbily Boo Bibs
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After what seems like an eternity, lockdown has finally been lifted! Non-essential retail can now re-open, and I couldn’t be happier for all you cre...
36 | The Resilient Retail Product Business Survey: Part 3
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the final episode of my three-part analysis of the 2021 Resilient Retail Product Business Survey. In the previous two episodes, we’v...
35 | The Resilient Retail Product Business Survey: Part 2
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to my analysis of the 2021 Resilient Retail Product Business Survey. Last weeks episode was all about the numbers, and hopefully, you wer...
34 | The Resilient Retail Product Business Survey: Part 1
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I’m excited to announce that this episode marks the start of my deep-dive into the long-awaited results of my recent product business survey. There...
33 | Workload Management: Balancing The Demands Of Your Business
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode was requested by one of our listeners, and the challenges it speaks to are something we’ve touched on in previous episodes - it’...
32 | The State Of Retail In 2021
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Finally, the roadmap for lifting the current (and hopefully final) lockdown in England has been laid out and there’s plenty to review, analyse and d...
31 | My Breakdown Of Break-Even Analysis
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A Break-Even Analysis is an indispensable tool for businesses of every shape and size, and reaping its benefits only requires inputting a few simple ...
30 | Paying Yourself In 2021
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Firstly, a quick PSA - The Resilient Retail Game Plan has hit 10,000 downloads! Thank you so much to all of you that have, and continue to tune in - ...
29 | The Trading Mentality - from Aggressive Arcadia to Positive Patagonia
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Trading Mentality is an approach that is prevalent within the inner workings of some of the worlds biggest retailers. It’s an ideology that hark...
28 | Where To Sell Your Creative Products
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From eBay to Etsy and Stripe to Paypal, there are a hundred different options when it comes to selling your creative products online and getting paid...
27 | Postage And Packaging
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Postage and packaging is one of those funny issues that you don’t really have to grapple with until you have to do it yourself - but as a creative p...
26 | Six Steps To Being More Productive
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With a lot of people struggling to juggle life, work, homeschooling, side-hustles, relatives and self-care right now, I want to spend episode 26 of Th...
25 | What Success In 2021 Looks Like
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Facilitated by improvements in technology, we’re seeing a big rise in people starting creative product businesses. With digital services and the eve...
24 | The Planning Process: SWOT Up And Get SMART
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With rolling lockdowns and forever changing pressures being placed on our time and availability, such as home-schooling and store closures, putting an...
23 | Festive Feedback And Lessons Learnt
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to 2021! The festive period may have come and gone, but we’re not quite done with it yet. As Small Business Owners the Christmas sales seaso...
22 | 2021 Retail Trends
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
2020…what a mind-boggling year for retail! With a lot of this year’s news and headlines having focused on depressed sales, supply chain challenges...
21 | Post Christmas Spring Cleaning
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You may have only just recovered from the Christmas rush but after some well-deserved rest and relaxation, we need to click ‘reset’ on our seasona...
20 | Growing And Scaling Your Creative Product Business
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Christmas sales period, and the likely increase you’ve experienced both in traffic and purchases, might have offered you a brief taster of what...
19 | Driving Traffic To Your Website
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a creative product business, the first step to making a sale is driving traffic to your website - but it’s important to recognize that not all tr...
18 | Christmas Spending In 2020: Five Key Takeaways
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
2020 has been a year like no other for retail. With the pandemic ongoing and the uncertainty surrounding what a post-lockdown December looks like, con...
17 | How To Have A Sale
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In my many years of experience working for and dealing with creative product businesses, and of the many tactics and strategies people use to shift th...
16 | Staying Sane In The Run-up To Christmas
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a creative product business owner, the run-up to Christmas can be stressful. There’s so much to do, plan, consider, and manage and it’s all too...
15 | My Guide To Christmas Promotions
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the hectic run-up to Christmas. As the winter months run away with us, it can sometimes feel like you’re constantl...
Lockdown 2.0: 7 things you can do to help your business right now
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Though you might be feeling deflated and frustrated upon hearing the news that we’re in for a new month-long lockdown, we have the advantage of havi...
14 | Selling On Third-Party Marketplaces
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a creative product business, there are many ways that you can get products in front of potential customers, and it’s thanks to the ever-growing r...
13 | The Fundamental Flaws Of Financial Quick Fixes
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todays episode is a little bit different - a little bit of a rant, if you like! Starting a business is often a minefield in terms of your self belie...
12 | Paying Yourself From Your Product Business Is Essential
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last year I conducted a survey where I asked about 50 small creative product businesses a wide variety of questions, ranging from how they managed the...
11 | Getting Ready (And Resilient) For Christmas
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In mid-September, I ran the Resilient Retail online summit, which was all about getting ready for one of the most important sales touchstones of the y...
10 | Creating A Sales Plan For Your Business
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 10 of The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I want to get you moving from being a reactive to a proactive creative business owner, and that all s...
9 | Selling On Social Media
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Social Media is an inescapable and vitally important channel through which to reach and connect with your customers. With the right mixture of cont...
8 | Four Ways To Grow Your Sales For Your Creative Product Business
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There’s so much to do once you start your own creative product business! When you’re in charge of doing everything and find yourself juggling so m...
7 | Five Things You Need To Know Before Starting Your Creative Product Business
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you find yourself bursting with business ideas, think that you've spotted a gap in the market or are simply just tired of the 9 to 5 and are r...
6 | Correct Pricing And The Value Triangle
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Profit is the engine that drives everything you do, so if you don’t price your creative products correctly you can’t hope to last very long or to ...
5 | Controlling your stock
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stock management can make or break product businesses. It’s all too easy to fall victim to ‘shiny new stock syndrome’ and bulk buying discounts...
4 | Great Products Sell Themselves
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to sell more as a creative product business you need to be as passionate as I am about those products at the centre of your business - why...
3 | Healthy Profit Margins
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Profit margins are like the foundations of your business so it’s very important you pay close attention to them and that you’re fully aware of how...
2 | Retail: A Modern History
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Retail isn’t in trouble, boring retail is in trouble. Witnessing the collapse of behemoths like Debenhams can certainly knock your confidence, but ...
1 | To Resilience...and Beyond!
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
So, why am I here and why am I talking to you about the retail industry? Well, first - a little background. After graduating from Warwick University...
Welcome to The Resilient Retail Game Plan
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Resilient Retail Game Plan.A podcast for anyone wanting to start, grow or scale a profitable creative product business with me, Catheri...