September 2009
All a Twitter
To your average teenager, Lois Geshiwlm and Nancy Castillo may not look like Internet-savvy businesswomen. But in the world of wild bird retail, they are pioneers.
The two women run a successful Wild Birds Unlimited franchise in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and maintain a strong presence on the Internet. There is a store website, and Castillo writes the popular birding blog called The Zen Birdfeeder.
More recently she started interacting with other birders on Twitter.
You Must Remember This
To where do you turn for guidance when the economy downshifts? Do you pick up a Wall Street-caliber business magazine? Rely on a trusted friend? Gauge national surveys? Or just retreat?
To where do you turn for guidance when the economy downshifts? Do you pick up a Wall Street-caliber business magazine? Rely on a trusted friend? Gauge national surveys? Or just retreat?
This is a difficult question when the economy is moving up or down. The answer should be the same for both circumstances – when business is skyrocketing or when it’s plummeting.
Signs of Progress
Wanna know where business is heading? Our bureaucratic gurus in D.C. tell us that GDP this quarter could grow as much as 3 percent. It might tail off a bit in the fourth quarter but we should still see a 2 percent second half.
Despite the punditry, however, running a business still demands more hands-on attention than it may have a few years ago. In this industry, business seems to be holding reasonably steady for most.
Certainly a lot of retailers have been tightening up on inventory levels, keeping them under stricter control, but the merchandise is still heading out the door.
I’ve visited a lot of stores this summer. I see parking lots almost full, people walking around with shopping bags and smiles on their faces. And that’s street-level shopping, not big boxes and discounters.
5 Binocular Myths
How retailers can dispel these common misunderstandings
Las Vegas stage magicians use smoke, mirrors and lights in their acts to confuse and mislead the audience. The fact that binocular manufacturers also use glass, mirrors and light does not mean they are trying to mislead consumers. On the contrary, good quality glass and mirrors should make things seem much clearer.
Making Dough
Suet can warm up bird feeding this winter
Suet dough appears to be the hottest trend in bird feeding. It’s not a new product. Variations of a popular suet dough recipe have been around for years under different names. But in the last year, two major bird retailers have brought official versions to the market.
Suet has graduated from being a cold-weather-only food several years ago. The fatty substance has come a long way from chunks of beef liver fat in onion bags or deer rib cages strung to tree trunks.
5 Holiday Survival Tips
One retailer’s strategy for uncertain times
What will the 2009 holiday season be like? Similar to 2008? Or worse? Or will the economic recovery finally kick in? Are consumers tired of scrimping and ready to spend eagerly making up for the hard times? Will it be a happy holiday?
Radio and TV shows parade so-called experts. Some forecast gloom and doom. Others say boom. No one can predict the future with any degree of certainty. But everyone has a guess, a hunch, a hope.
Cat Repellent
A company called Messina Wildlife offers a spray bottle full of Cat Stopper. According to the company, the spray is effective up to 30 days after application even if it has rained. The liquid has a smell that is unattractive to cats but not detectable to humans. It’s safe to spray around plants surrounding the bird feeder.
The company also offers a variety of repellents for other animals too.
Nikon EcoBins
Nikon’s latest binocular, the EcoBin, is designed to make an environmental statement.
The Nikon Ecobins Binocular, available in 10x25, features Eco-Glass: lenses and prisms are lead- and arsenic-free. The rubber used on the binoculars is non-chloride rubber; there are no harmful inks or dyes used during production. The binoculars are compact, rugged, waterproof and fog-proof.
Bark Butter Feeder
What’s the latest in bird feeders? A block of wood. No-melt suet dough is a hot product. Wild Birds Unlimited has come out with a line of feeders designed for spreading non-melting suet dough on a piece of wood for customers without trees in their yards. The 4X4 piece of wood has a hook so it can easily hang from most pole systems. Clinging birds like woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches will hang on the block of wood when it has been smeared with no melt peanut butter suet.
