Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2016 58 A few years ago, I met a pastor friend of mine for lunch. When I sat down in the booth across from him, I noticed the troubled look on his face. When I ask if everything was OK, he replied that he wasn't sure. He went on to tell me that he felt emotionally drained. Burned out even. Partly because it was his responsibility to shepherd the members of the congregation but there was no one there to shepherd him. This left him feeling drained, anxious, and at times confused. Not to mention guilty for feeling these emotions in the first place. It reminded me a lot of the way I felt as the owner of my family's furniture company. I was supposed to know all the answers, encourage all of the people all of the time, and be solid as a rock. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. Like my pastor, I felt as if I needed a shepherd. Someone who understood my difficulties and that could appreciate my victories. Often times, entrepreneurs and small business owners don't have the luxury of connecting with like-minded individuals. Sure, they may have a network of friends and family that care about them very much, but don't understand just how challenging it is to be a small business owner in 2016. Here are three ways you can rise above the pressures of business leadership. EMBRACE THE COMPETITION A hundred years ago, small business owners only needed to worry about the two or three other competitors in there buying market. Today, thanks to the Internet, social media, and the globalization of almost every industry, it seems like everyone is a competitor. This is enough to drive any business owner mad. Like my grandfather use to say, "Retail can make a crazy person out of any person". If you consider the other appliance retailers in your market as people who are fighting the same battle as you are, you may find that they are friendlier that you might have expected. Because the truth is, your competition isn't the same as it was 100 years ago, the game has changed and the real commodity is the attention of your customers. In what ways can you learn from and connect with the other retailers in your city? Odds are, there is much you can learn. You might even realize a few new friendships. BUYING GROUP CONVENTIONS Another place to find like-minded people is buying group conventions. Twice a year, MEGA Group USA hosts world-class conventions were retailers connect, learn, and discover new strategies that they can take back and deploy in their business. There are literally hundreds of opportunities to grow your business. Some retailers take advantage of meeting like-minded people and learning from those who have similar business models. Others double down in the workshops, where they learn new tactics from industry experts. Still others, do a combination of the two. If you think you can't afford to be away from your business for a couple of days to attend an event like this, the truth is, you may not be able to afford not to. LEADERSHIP RETREATS Having a strong understanding of the difficulties of owning and operating a small business, MEGA Group USA is going the extra mile to make sure that every retailer has an opportunity to connect with other business owners who also want to grow and strengthen their business. This year, we have started bringing together small groups of business owners to connect with each other, learn from each other and experience strong coaching that will not only help them drive their business forward in a meaningful way, but also help them to reduce their stress and improve their overall outlook on their future as a business owner. Our goal, and ultimately the reason for existence, is to strengthen small businesses and help owners compete at the highest level possible. We believe that encouraging retailers to connect with each other, then providing them with world-class tools and opportunities to experience strong training, will provide the value that we've set out to add to this industry. The truth is, whether you ever attend one of our conventions or one of our leadership retreats, there is tremendous value in connecting with other like-minded people and learning from those who understand the challenges you face every day. You are always welcome to join us in the journey. B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S RO Doug Stewart, Director of Training at Mega Group RO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

• Cover