How to Get a Grip on Stress
from BNET
If you haven't lost your job, you worry that you will. And while you wait, you've seen your workload increase, your downtime vanish, and your duties expand beyond your expertise (and any conceivable 40-hour week). If all that’s not enough to make your blood pressure rise, a new Florida State University business school study shows that bosses have become more demanding, and that politicking, sucking up, and backstabbing in the office are on the rise. Stress test? The office these days is giving you your own personal version, and, in short, you're barely passing. Stop and take a few deep breaths. In, out. OK? Now read this. You'll feel better. More

Reinventing the Floor Plan to Boost Customer Loyalty
from Integrated Solutions for Retailers
As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But where, you might ask? In several cases, the answer lies in those under-utilized areas of the floor often outfitted with discounted merchandise that shoppers must pass through on their way to the "real" shopping destination. Call it Proprietary Pop-up. Traditionally found in specialty stores, these themed displays will soon be popping up in mass merchandisers. More

Editorial: Credit Fee Probe Needed
from The Hartford Courant
Recent credit card legislation curtailed some of the industry's flagrant anti-consumer activities - but more needs to be done. One pressing item is the amount of money that credit card companies charge merchants. This little-known "interchange fee" or "swipe fee" can amount to 2 percent or more on each transaction. More

Google Gadget Helps Customers Find You in Real Life
from Small Business Trends
Meet the Google Maps driving directions gadget that makes it easy for customers to get directions to your brick and mortar store. Thanks to Google, the directionally-challenged folk out there will no longer have to suffer through directions that are based on the location you’re coming from (ie, North, South, East and West). Businesses can now offer customers quick and easy step-by-step directions. Success! More

The Importance of Retail Merchandising
from Melanie McIntosh via The Sideroad
Recently, the author of this article was told that merchandising and display are frivolous extra expenses for the small business owner who is just starting up. The implication was that expenses such as marketing, rent, inventory, utilities, staffing, etc. are 'serious' expenses, while merchandising and display are 'frills.' She couldn't disagree more. More

Crank Up Your Customers' Confidence
from Entrepreneur
For small businesses that sell online, the importance of protecting customer data is a given. Unfortunately, the best security and privacy practices in the world are useless unless you first secure the customer's trust. Increasing rates of identity theft and other types of online fraud have left many consumers gun shy when it comes time to pull the trigger on an online shopping cart, especially when a site lacks the reputation of industry giants such as Amazon. Here, several industry professionals explain how to present your small business site as safe and reputable. More

To Beat the Recession, Open Your Books
from BusinessWeek
Most entrepreneurs keep the inner workings of company finances hidden from employees, especially when their businesses are struggling. But some executives have embraced open book management, an approach based on transparency and accountability. They train their employees to understand key financial measurements and show workers how their actions affect profits. More

Ten Usability Lessons from Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think
from UX Booth
Many people in the usability community regard Steve Krug’s book Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability as the laypersons usability bible. This book explains briefly and concisely everything one needs to know about getting started with web usability. For more advanced users, it’s a great refresher course. More