Best reads for retail start-ups

Starting up in the world of retail? The competition is fierce, so you’ll want to arm yourself with plenty of knowledge to navigate through the sector. The retail world has changed a lot in the last few years, becoming as much about technology in-stores as it is online.

Not only do you need to know the trends of your retail focus, but you need to know the trends of shoppers in general in order to encourage them to look at your brand. We’ve scouted out the best books for you to look at before you kick-start your retail start-ups!

Networking Like a Pro

Ivan R. Misner has written this book specifically for entrepreneurs and people who are new to the sector they seek to start-up in. Read this book, and you’ll boost your knowledge of overcoming various networking hurdles that could hold you back as your company grows.

Networking is vital in every sector. From making useful contacts to develop your business, to implementing an effective referral marketing campaign; Networking Like a Pro offers tools, templates and a results-measuring system to help you action your networking strategy and make valuable business connections.

Your One Word

Author Evan Carmichael has an impressive background for writing this book. He created and sold his own company when he was just 19 years old. Your One Word helps new entrepreneurs analyse their businesses, verify their aims and unlock their potential. If you need a boost of confidence and an injection of motivation to start making your retail-business dreams come true, immerse yourself in the powerful words of Carmichael.

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future

Written by the former executive editor of Wired magazine, The Inevitable investigates how technology will impact various aspects of our lives over the next 30 years. The best part of The Inevitable is how it paints a picture of ways in which technological forces will overlap, mix and come to co-depend on each other — crucial to know if any of these trends relate to your business.

With the spotlight on virtual reality and manufacturing-focused AI, this work is vital to understand how technology will impact behaviours such as work and shopping. Want to prep your company now for the customer of tomorrow? Then, get ahead of the game.

The Upstarts

This next work focuses on real-life examples The best thing about this book is the incredibly detailed account of two global companies: Uber and Airbnb. Reading this book, you find out how these giants began and developed to become two of the most respected and innovative brands in the world. As an entrepreneur yourself, this fascinating read will show you how you can also change standards — such as how people travel and what they expect from accommodation — to mirror these companies’ almost renegade attitude towards the established rules of business. What can your business do to change the world?

Conscious Capitalism

Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey, teams up with author Raj Sisodia to discuss a revolutionary viewpoint in the world of business: capitalism works for everyone. Whether you’re new to business entirely or just new to the retail market, you need to have solid knowledge of how to treat everyone from your workers to your potential investors to be successful. Referencing several other leading companies — such as UPS, Google and Amazon — Conscious Capitalism gives an insightful and expert analysis of how you can infuse your business environment with positivity for the optimum workplace culture (an essential component of Google’s success and almost expected by many people working within a new business today).

Knowing the effect your business will have on the world around you is key to creating a great work environment that fosters creativity and originality. In turn, this can help your business’ success surge early on.

This is just a snapshot of the information available to you when starting up a retail business. Be sure to read up on everything you can to give yourself and your business the strongest foundation. 

Bio: This article was researched and created by Where The Trade Buys, a leading print company based in the UK that supplies innovative pop up displays and a range of other printed products for businesses.