Building a flourishing business takes hard work, but as a SPAR member you'll get help and advice from our Business Development Managers to lighten the load while increasing your turnover at the same time.
Help is at hand
At last count, there were just under 2,600 independent stores around the country already under the SPAR brand. Each one benefits from a specialist business adviser who visits store-owners regularly and offers expert advice on everything from IT systems and training to merchandising and promotions. They can help you develop plans for your store and manage your operating costs. And if you need legal advice, we can provide access to specialist solicitors.
One-to-one advice
Business support means different things to different retailers but it all starts with the relationship built between you, the retailer, and one of our Business Development Managers.
It is their job to help you get the best from your business. If you need advice on legislation, food to go, store development, new product launches, promotional activities, training and best practice, your Business Development Manager is your starting point. While they may not know it all they will certainly “know a man that can”, and with the support of the whole organisation, can more often than not provide the answers to your questions quickly and efficiently.
While our Business Development Managers are only ever a phone call away, they may not always be there when some of the more technical aspects related to convenience retailing crop up. Our Virtual Academy, which can answer retail questions at any hour of the day or night, is just one of our resources that helps retailers help themselves. Your local SPAR Guild may also be able to assist.
As well as this SPAR are also part of the Retail Trust, the only charity that looks after the needs of all three million people working in retail and that includes everyone working at SPAR.
The Retail Trust Helpline 0808 801 0808 is a free and confidential service that offers independent advice and access to free counselling, free legal and debt advice, free hardship grants, free course funding for career development and much more.
For more information, please see the Retail Trust’s website www.retailtrust.org.uk