This week, I had the chance to sit in an audience with Steven Bartlett.

I'll be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan going in.

I really only knew of him from his time on Dragons’ Den.

But as he started speaking, I was blown away.

He didn’t overwhelm us with dozens of ideas. Instead, he focused on just a few nuggets of wisdom.

And one of them hit home hard for me:

“Always sweat the small stuff.”

His message was simple: if you’re not focused on the small details, you’ll struggle with the big challenges.

It struck me how much this applies to retail - because retail, after all, is all about detail. And while I’ve always thought of myself as someone who pays attention to the small things, being honest with myself, Steven’s talk made me realise something.

While I’m not bottom of the league... I’m not at the top either.

It’s worth asking yourself, are you really sweating the small stuff in your shop?

Be honest.

When was the last time you really took a hard look at the finer details?

Here’s a quick checklist to get you started:

·      Is the pavement outside clean and inviting?

·      Is your paintwork fresh and your windows sparkling?

·      Are your shelves fully stocked and dust-free?

·      Is your in-store signage up-to-date?

·      Do your lights work, and are your staff uniforms spotless?

These small things might not seem like much on their own.

But together, they can have a massive impact.

And with Christmas around the corner, there’s no better time to give your shop a fresh set of eyes.

Take it from Steven - and me.

Getting the basics right is the foundation of greatness.

It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.

Let’s make “Sweating the Small Stuff” our mantra for the new year.

Have a great week,

Mark