Operations

“A penny saved is a penny earned,” or so goes the old adage. When you think about improving profitability, it may be easy to spot the big ways to cut costs. But if you start looking for smaller cost-cutting measures …

As consumers turn to technology for home improvement tips, there are opportunities for retailers to offer advice before a customer even walks into their business. One easy way is through maintaining a blog. Blogging is a great tool to use to create a stronger web presence …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. By Jesse Carleton, jcarleton@nrha.org, Chad Husted, chusted@nrha.org, and Liz Lichtenberger, llichtenberger@nrha.org Despite an enviable location in Hawaii, HPM has survived its share of hard times. Established in 1921 during the Great Depression, it survived a …

Establishing a plan that addresses your business’s needs immediately before, during and after a disaster could be the key to keeping employees safe, protecting your building and staying operational. No matter what kind of emergency you face, having guidelines in …

Finding quality employees who stay long term and have the potential to become a next-generation store leader is a concern independent home improvement retailers express to the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA). Recruiting members of Generation Z—who are the …

Has your company considered the cloud? Small businesses from all sectors are seeing the benefits of implementing cloud technology—which means storing data remotely and accessing it through the internet, instead of storing in your local office computer. From allowing extra …

Lowe’s recently launched a program called The UpSkill Project that trains consumers on the skills they need to complete DIY home improvement projects, the company reports. The program will send Lowe’s employees to 40 communities in the U.S. to teach nearly 200 consumers the …