Inspiration
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25 Storefront Display Ideas To Inspire You
These jaw-dropping storefront designs will spark your imagination.
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25 Retail Quotes to Inspire Your Business Journey
As a business owner, it’s totally normal to feel like you need some extra inspiration and wisdom to refresh your perspective. That’s why we’ve rounded up the most inspiring retail quotes from some of business’s greatest minds.
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We Changed Our App Icons. Here's Why
Our app icons are sporting a new look. Find out why we parted ways with our old designs and how you can create a powerful visual identity for your business.
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Opening a Coffee Shop? Here is the Equipment List You Need
Are you in the process of opening a coffee shop but not quite sure what you’ll need? Here is the ultimate coffee shop equipment list to help get you started.
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Resources Related to #BLM
ShopKeep stands against racial injustice in all forms, and we are committed to driving and sustaining real change in our communities. We’ve listed over 65 resources here so we can learn, donate, sign, engage, vote, watch, and listen together.
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10 Ways Small Businesses Benefit the Local Community
The impact small businesses leave on local communities are profound. We list 10 examples to prove it.
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How to Prepare Your Store for Valentine's Day with Hayley Cakes and Cookies
We spoke with superstar baker Hayley Callaway to get her expert tips for making the most out of the season of love.
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26 Inexpensive Customer Appreciation Ideas
You know that customer appreciation is important all year round. So to keep you in that mindset we've put together a few inexpensive ideas for 2019.
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Creative Food and Beverage Name Ideas for Menus
Lost as to what to name your latest dish? This guide to food and beverage name ideas is sure to spark your creativity!
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How to Start a Successful Pop-Up Shop in the New Year
Starting a pop-up business is lucrative for retailers and restaurateurs looking to attract more customers. These 9 tips will increase your chances of success.
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The Most Profitable Retail Companies in the U.S. — And What You Can Learn From Them
Learn how the largest retail companies rose to the top and what you can learn from their success.
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Hiring an Employee Checklist: Everything You Need to Know
From establishing an EIN to scheduling and mastering the onboarding process, this checklist is your cheat sheet for hiring quality employees. Complete with downloadable pdf.
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How to Start a Juice Bar (Your $2.2 Billion Dollar Cash Cow)
Read this guide for tips and tricks on starting your own juice bar. Evaluate start-up costs and learn how to operate it successfully.
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Creating the Perfect Food Truck Menu Concept - The Ultimate Guide
The key to starting a successful food truck is designing the perfect food truck menu concept. In this post, we give you the best practices for getting started.
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5 Proven Tips for the Perfect Coffee Shop Design
Choosing the perfect coffee shop design doesn't have to be so perplexing. Use these proven tips to model the ideal ambiance for your customers.
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How to Start a Successful Food Truck Business
Starting a food truck business is an exciting but complex endeavor. Here are a few tips to help you successfully launch or buy your first food truck business.
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What is a Pop-Up Restaurant and Is it Right for My Business?
Curious about pop-up restaurants and whether they're the right fit for you? In this post, we explain their many benefits and offer tips for getting started.
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Your Retail Dictionary: 72 Industry Terms Every Small Retailer Should Know
A retail dictionary to help you navigate 72 of the most common industry terms that every retailer should know.
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Smart Tips for Choosing a Restaurant Concept
Learn why choosing and developing a restaurant concept can be the difference between a successful business and a total flop.
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Get Visual: How to Merchandise Your Store
In this post, learn how to use retail merchandising and visual merchandising techniques to attract shoppers and persuade them to buy from you.
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Expert Tips On How to Make a Profitable Restaurant Menu
How to create a restaurant menu that brings in more profits and keeps customers coming back for more.
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Simple Guidance For You On How To Manage Restaurant Staff
Unsure of How to Manage your Restaurant Staff? ShopKeep gives you tips and tools to successfully manage your staff and run a thriving business.
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Top Five Reasons to Start Your Own Small Business
Thinking of starting your own small business? Here are the top 5 reasons why starting a small business might be the right move for you.
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5 Tips You Need to Know for Overcoming a Sales Slump
For any business, a sales slump is unavoidable but you don’t have to panic. With these 5 tips for overcoming a sales slump, you’ll learn ways to turn it around.
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38 Small Business Blogs Every Retailer Should Read
Small business blogs are a dime a dozen. To help you weed out the good from the bad, check out our list of 44 small business blogs every retailer should follow.
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Top 23 Best Small Business Apps for Retailers
Since more hours aren’t likely to fall into your lap, here are 23 of the best small business apps for retailers. So read up, download, and optimize your day.
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How To Attract More Restaurant Customers On the Cheap
Learn how to attract more customers to your restaurant without breaking the bank. Here are 11 ways keep loyal customers and attract new ones.
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10 Restaurant Management Apps We Love and You Will Too
Because managing a restaurant is hard. Here are 10 of our favorite restaurant management apps that will make running a restaurant as easy as pie.
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5 Inexpensive Ways to Maximize Retail Sales for the Holidays
As a small retailer with an even smaller budget, getting in front of the same customers that big brands are targeting is tough. Maximize sales with 5 easy tips.
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How Much Does it Really Cost to Start a Food Truck
Always wondered how much it costs to start a food truck? Here’s a handy guide to keep close while launching your culinary dream.
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10 Tips for Starting a Successful Ice Cream Truck Business
Want to learn how to start an ice cream truck business? These 10 actionable steps break down all you need to know to start a lucrative, long-lasting business.
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The Best of ShopKeep's Small Business Hub 2016
This past year, the content team at the Small Business Hub has written more articles than we can count. These 10, however, were without a doubt audience favs.
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6 Clever Food Truck Ideas that Pave the Way to Success
Need help coming up with unique ideas for your food truck business? Here are a few guaranteed to set you apart from the competition.
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Difference Between Franchising and Licensing — What to Know
Confused by the difference between franchising and licensing? Here’s what you need to know and which option is best for your small business.
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18 Time Management Tips that Boost Productivity in Retail
You’ve heard the saying “time is money,” but do you understand why it’s true? It boils down to better time management. Here are a few tips to get you started.
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How to Build a Retail Website
Online shopping sales are becoming more important than ever before. But getting online can be tricky. Here’s how to build your own retail website.
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5 Best Books for Business Owners Not To Be Missed
Looking to do a little reading over the holidays while sprucing up your business skills in the process? Here’s our pick of the 5 best book for business owners.
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10 of the Most Inspiring New Year’s Resolutions for Retailers
Looking to keep your brick and mortar store ahead of the curve this year? Start the New Year off right with these 10 resolutions!
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Brewing Up The Best Coffee Shop Location
Choosing the best location for a coffee shop can take a lot of time and research. If you are not sure how to choose that special spot, consider these 3 factors.
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5 Ways Businesses Can Give Back this Holiday Season
Is your business looking to make a difference this holiday season? We’ve got a few great suggestions to show your community you care.
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Four Things Retailers Can Learn from Realtors
If you are a retailer, you may not think you have much in common with realtors. But there are four areas that top realtors have mastered that many local retailers have yet to perfect.
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Billion Dollar Business Ideas for Pet Lovers
Take advantage of a $60 billion market — some ideas to help start a pet-friendly business of your own.
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How to Take a Real Vacation While Running Your Business
Read these 5 surefire tips to take the stress out of running and managing a small business while you’re away on vacation.
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From Child’s Play to Payday: How to Raise Kid Entrepreneurs
There are hundreds of business ideas for kids, but which one is right for your child? Learn how to guide budding kid entrepreneurs.
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Offering Gift Cards Can Help Your Business More Than You Think. Here’s How.
Read about the positive impact gift cards can have on small businesses and how The Mill Coffee & Tea is using them to increase sales and create loyal customers.
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How To Define Your Brand and Create a Killer Small Business Logo
Get tips and online resources on how to establish your brand as a small business and how to represent it by creating a great business logo.
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Putting a Positive Spin on the Pop-up Shop, the Zoomos Way
Read about how Zoomos Pop-up shop combines traditional retail elements with consignment and doubles as a business incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Social Still Makes History While Redefining the Restaurant and Bar Experience
Find out how Social Still – a bar, restaurant and micro-distillery – is redefining the restaurant and bar experience by delivering unmatched customer service.
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Creating a Strong Social Following is a Science. Here’s How David Caceres and His Team at La Panaderia Did It.
Find out how David Caceras, co-owner of La Panaderia in San Antonio, TX, developed a strong social media following, as well as his top pieces of advice for small businesses.
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Tracking Industry Trends In Retail with Mackenzi Farquer
Mackenzi Farquer — of Lockwood Style — gives small business tips and explains why understanding retail industry trends is important for retail store owner.
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Top 10 Things to Get Right When Opening a Coffee Shop
If you’re dreaming of opening a coffee shop, or just looking for a few ways to improve business, these are the top 10 things you want to get right.
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Ponshop Studio's Gabriel Pons On Transitioning from Corporate to Small Business
Ponshop Studio Owner, Gabriel Pons talks about transitioning from a safe, corporate career to realizing his dream of owning his own small business.
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Looking to open a bar? Here are 5 tips not to miss.
Whether you’ve just decided that you’re opening a bar, or have been planning it for years, here are 5 not-to-be-missed tips you’ll thank us for later.
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OnePiece Builds Buzz About Their New Manhattan Location With #SocialCurrency
ShopKeep merchant, OnePiece showcase their social ingenuity with a clever way to let customers turn their follower count into discounts.
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Mark Cuban's 12 Rules for Startups
A quick look at 12 Rules for Startups from Dallas Mavericks owner and self-made billionaire, Mark Cuban
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Who Are The Top 25 Restaurant Industry Leaders To Follow?
We've compiled a list of the top 25 Restaurant Industry Influencers and Thought Leaders to follow for news, trends, and tips for success.
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Cultured Counters: Inspiration for a Beautiful and Effective Point of Sale
The right counter environment can hammer home your brand message, engage your customers at crucial moment, and give you an opportunity to upsell.
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25 Blogs Every Small Business Owner Should Be Following
Counter culture has compiled a list of the top 25 Small Business Blogs: Social Triggers, Local Vox, Retail Insider, Small Biz Technology and more.
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Small Biz, Big Ideas Runner Up: Exile Salon
Check out Exile Salon, finalist of the Small Biz, Big Ideas Competition. See what’s their small business idea and how they will implement it.
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OpenSky Merchant Jill Ehrlich On Her Online Retail Experience
OpenSky merchant Jill Ehrlich gives an honest review of her online retail experience. She explains how to use OpenSky to drive sales and keep customers.
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Announcing the Small Biz, Big Ideas Grand Prize Winner: The Philly Pack
Krista and Jeremy have won the Small Business, Big Ideas Contest and will be receiving $10,000 to help turn their idea into a reality.
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New Data Shows Which States Are The Best For Starting New Businesses
Thinking about starting a business? A new study has come out revealing which US states are the most friendly for entrepreneurs seeking to open a business.
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Are You Really Ready To Open A Restaurant?
There are countless decisions to make when opening a restaurant. Counter Culture gives you all you need to know about starting your own restaurant business.
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25 Great Websites Every Small Business Owner Should Bookmark
Are you a small business owner? Counter Culture selected 25 Great Small Business Websites you absolutely need to know about to help your business thrive.
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Three Small Business Ideas That Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Try
Get 3 small business ideas and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on how to start a small business. Counter Culture lists 3 promising business types.
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Eat Here or We Both Starve: Cool Chalkboard Marketing Ideas
Explore our hand-picked collection of Chalkboard Ideas and messages. Discover how to engage your customers and boost your sales.
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60 seconds with Teaffee: 4 tips on how to start a business
Discover the story of Teaffee, a coffee and tea shop in Caroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Owners, David and Meno, share 4 tips on how to start a successful business.
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Wine Preservation System Personalizes Human Interaction At USW
Are you a wine shop owner looking into technology? Take a cue from Union Square Wines to see how their investment in tech helped their business boom.
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Free Wifi in Exchange for a Facebook Like? Small Biz May Have Finally Found a Way to 'Monetize' Internet Access
Counter Culture examines the evolution of Free Wifi. Read about how you can provide free internet access while also making money.
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Could SocialSign.In Change How You Think About Small Business Wi-Fi?
Interview with the founder of SocialSign.In, a service that lets you ask your customers to 'sign in' with a Facebook account in exchange for access to Wi-Fi.
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Memorial Day: Veterans and Small Business Resources
We thought we'd do a little research and pull together some resources for any veterans looking to pursue a post-service career in Small Business entrepreneurship - outside of our very own Small Business 101, of course.
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The Sweet and Simple Guide to Opening an Ice Cream Shop
Are you thinking about opening an ice cream shop? In this post, we break it down for you and help you decide if you’re really ready to take the leap.
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60 seconds with Ike Escava from The Bean, Coffee Shop
Ike Escava owner at The Bean in New York City shares practical advices on retail business. Discover how to manage and set up your own coffee shop.
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The Blunt Axe: Are You Working Hard? Or Working Smart?
Two woodsmen are entered into a famous wood cutting competition. One is big and strong, the other small and lean and both are known throughout the land for their skill with an axe. Who wins?
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Technology and Retail : 3 Inventions That Won't Change the Future of Retail
Great technology can change the world. We profile three new retail technology trends that probably won't.
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CUPS: A Coffee Subscription Service Helping Small Business
CUPS, a coffee app that provides addicts with the caffeine fix they need, might also be the next saving grace for your small business. Read on to see how!
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5 Quora Questions Worth Reading Before You Open a Coffee Shop
Discover 5 Quora Threads to consider before Opening your Coffee Shop. Learn about major challenges and needs associated with starting your cafe.
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Where Do Great Business Ideas Come From?
Where do Great Business Ideas come from? Here are 5 ways to find ideas that are likely to become a viable opportunity.
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Top Tips from the original London retail impresario, Mr. Selfridge
The new PBS mini-series, Mr.Selfridge provides the student of Small Business with some interesting insights into the world of retail innovation. Find out why!
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Are You Really Ready to Open A Coffee Shop?
Are you Really Ready to Open a Coffee Shop? Here are essential questions you should ask yourself before starting up.
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How Coffee Subscription Service, Tonx Got Bought by Blue Bottle Coffee
So, you dream of opening a Coffee Shop? Learn about Tonx Coffee Subscription Strategy and see how they compete against mega corporations like Starbucks.
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How to Write a Business Plan on a Cocktail Napkin
You’re sitting in a restaurant, enjoying good food and drinks when an idea hits you. An amazing idea. You scramble for a pen and paper.
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Velo Cult, Bicycles and Beers: the Art of Standing Out
Portland, Oregon. Roadways are designed with commuting cyclists in mind. Asphalt is painted with green right-of-way indicators giving cyclists preference and the Portland Bureau of Transportation will install free bicycle racks at your place of business.
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Are You Really Ready to Start A Food Truck?
So, you’ve caught the food truck bug. That's awesome! It's a great way to enter the small biz community. There are however some practical issues to consider.
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5 Terrible Reasons You’re Not Starting Your Business
There are lots of reasons why people don’t start their own business. Fortunately, those reasons are, by and large, terrible. Here’s why:
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Infographic: Small Business is Big and Growing Fast
This unique and beautiful infographic demonstrates in clear numbers how small businesses are the lifeblood of our local communities and the engine room of the economic recovery.
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ShopKeep Merchant of the Month: Steve Zengel of Beach House Cigars
Steve Zengel, founder of Beach House Cigars in Wall, New Jersey shares his experience of brick and mortar business building.
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Tiffany Balk is putting Michigan Blueberries on the Map!
Blueberry Haven was one of our first iPad point of sale users back in the day. We asked owner Tiffany Balk to share her small business story.
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The Lean Retailer is now live!
The Lean Retailer is a place where the retail community can come together and share best practices, exchange updates on the latest retail technology trends and get inspiration from other merchants and tech entrepreneurs.
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Sweet, Sweet Success with ShopKeep POS
Tara and Billy Koenig of Sweethaus Cupcakes and Candy share the story of how they achieved a massive 416% annual growth in their business.