The Retail Business Challenge encourages owner/managers and their teams to make a greater contribution to and in the business they are involved. For the purposes of this activity I would suggest that the ?greater contribution? is for the customers and community in which they are located.
Background
My Company has been running the ?Management Challenge? for:
? outlets under the same corporate ownership
? management teams in the same company
? differing businesses serving a similar customer, e.g. an airport passenger
? a franchise network where the franchisees need to operate at a similar standard in order to project and enhance the brand and brand values.
The process is equally applicable to larger towns where there are a number of more substantial retail businesses (independent and regional/multiples).
The Retail Business Challenge encourages owner/managers and their teams to make a greater contribution to and in the business they are involved. For the purposes of this activity I would suggest that the ?greater contribution? is for the customers and community in which they are located.
I am quietly confident that the framework (a distance learning medium, which may have face to face applications for completion) is applicable to independent businesses serving communities and could engender and support many of the objectives and philosophies of the WDA to encourage greater entrepreneurship and collaborative activity to serve the needs of the community in and throughout Wales.
We have previously run the Retail Business Challenge initially as a challenge (more people are prepared to rise to it) and when we?ve reached a certain stage we switched to a competition, so that exemplars of ?best practices? may compete with each other to win recognition and reward (usually advice and consultancy to do even better!)
I believe this has a pan-Wales application and could raise the profile of retail communities and the work they do in serving the needs of the community, either across a wide range of business issues or a common issue that is beneficial to improve wherever and whenever there is a retail activity, e.g. customer service.
I?d welcome the opportunity to explore and scope this activity with you, as it may sit either comfortably with the Rural Retail Initiative but it may be most applicable in either larger market towns or more substantial towns and cities in and throughout Wales.
In essence I may describe it as follows:
1 Proposition ? The WDA Retail Business Challenge ? To create a greater collaborative contribution from independent businesses serving the community in which they are located.
2 Justification ? The social and economic advantage of addressing the needs of the community is beneficial to all concerned. Without it the retail business is selfish or isolated, with it it is part of the reason for being where it is.
3 Method ? Using the already tried and tested Retail Business Challenge framework, we may make this available to the WDA, providing the framework, adapting it and the project management resources to undertake this activity for participants/invitees in and throughout Wales. The process covers a 6 month period. The competitive element approximately 3 months, may be sponsored with businesses involved in Wales. The initial Retail Business Challenge is a blend of self help consultancy, coaching and development and, therefore, may be eligible for funding facilities already existing in WDA, ELWa and other sources.
The process will encourage entrepreneurs and their teams to do different things, to do things differently and to achieve a better result for the community they serve.
4 Intended Result ? To leverage contribution and performance from independent retail businesses for the communities in which they are located in a cost effective and sustainable way.
