Many commentators are already referring to the global and banking meltdown of 2008 as the Great Recession, and there is plenty of anecdotal and hard evidence to support that assertion. To many people, the current recession certainly seems like much more than a mere downturn, with staggering levels of unemployment and general anxiety about the state of the economy.

Even those who have lived through the deep recessions of the 1970s and 1980s have nagging thoughts that this time it is different, and that many of the changes in consumer spending and personal attitudes toward money are likely to remain long after the current downturn has ended. That presents a real challenge for retailers, both at the chain level and at the store level. Companies who fail to adapt to the changes might find themselves in search of customers who never come back.

If you doubt the importance, and the significance, of the current downturn, just consider how sharply the personal savings rate has turned around in this recession. Before the Great Recession hit, the personal savings rate was actually negative, meaning consumers collectively not only spent every penny they made at their jobs but that they borrowed money to spend even more. That has turned around quite dramatically, and recent statistics found a personal savings rate in excess of 5X. That might not seem like much to our ancestors who hoarded cash after the Great Depression, but it is a dramatic turnaround no matter how you 100k at it.

That means that consumers are now spending less of their discretionary income, and saving much more of it. While in past recessions consumers quickly reverted to their old spendthrift ways when the economy turned around, many experts feel that the depth of the current downturn has shaken consumers to their very core. That means that at least some of the changes consumers have made are likely to be permanent, and that will affect everything from the way retailers advertise their products to how they run their sales and promotions.

It is also important to note that while some of the issues with the economy are national, and even global, others are quite localized in nature. For instance, while many states have unemployment rates well in excess of 10% other states, including North Dakota and South Dakota, have unemployment rates less than half the national average. That means that it is more important than ever for stores, including even the largest chains, to rely on their local management to run promotions and gauge the level of customer satisfaction.

Even though many national chains carry the same merchandise in all their stores, there are significant differences from town to town, and only local management can deal with those regional differences effectively. If you have ever wondered why the same store can flourish in one part of the country and fail miserably in another, you need only look as far as the local management of those companies. A quality manager can do a lot to help a store succeed in even the most challenging environment, while poor management can doom a store to failure even when times are good.

In order to succeed in what experts everywhere are referring to as the “new normal” companies have to adapt and change the way they do business, from the way they train their workers to the way they attract and retain their best customers Only local management, with its ear to the ground and its eyes on the bottom line, can achieve those important goals.

Local People-Local Service
Just consider the vital importance of something that might seem simple at first blush. Hiring great people is one of the most important jobs of any retail manager, yet many chain stores provide little control over this critical process. That can be a big mistake, since local management is much better equipped to gauge the strength of the local employment market and make the best hiring decisions. In some markets that might mean offering a slightly higher rate of pay than the company average, or adjusting hours to provide more flexibility. Giving local management more control over the hiring process helps them hire better people, and that in turn allows those stores to provide the kind of top notch customer service that is so important in the current challenging economy.

Training is another important consideration for retail chains, and another place where top notch local management can be a big help. Managers and assistant managers at the local level are plugged in to the day to day operation of their stores. They know which processes are most important, and they know how to get things done. Giving your local management team more control over the training of new employees can help those new workers learn the ropes more quickly and serve the public more effectively.

Good Management Means Happy Customers
Quality management at the local level means happier customers, and happy customers means more sales and more profits. Companies that provide local control to their retail managers can enjoy higher profits and better sales, providing a strong incentive for chain retailers to empower their local management teams.

Local management is often more in tune with their customers than the management of the company as a whole. As a result, those local managers are better able to anticipate, and meet, the needs of their best and most lucrative customers From coupons sent to the most loyal companies to local incentives in the store, managers can provide all manner of enticements to encourage cautious consumers to buy the items they need, even when most customers are cutting back and looking for reasons not to spend money.

Human beings are visual creatures and the subspecies of humans known as the home buyer is no exception. How a home looks on the outside can have a profound impact on its appeal to potential buyers, and home sellers would do well to invest in a little bit of landscaping before putting their homes on the market. No matter how beautiful the interior of the home may be, a shabby exterior will turn off many buyers. Worse yet, many would be buyers will not even bother to tour a home they find visually unappealing.

With all this at stake it is more important than ever to spruce up the exterior of your home before you even think about selling it. Curb appeal is an important factor even when the real estate market is thriving, but when times are tough it can be all but impossible to sell a home that looks unappealing from the curb. A few simple landscaping improvements can greatly enhance the value of the home, making sprucing up the exterior of the home one of the best investments you can make as a home seller.

Some of the most important landscaping improvements homeowners can make include:

Keep the lawn mowed and well trimmed. Home sellers may want to trim their lawns a bit shorter than usual for a neat and uniform appearance. Just be sure not to damage the grass by trimming it too short.

Keep weeds at bay. Following a sensible weed control strategy can help the lawn and the exterior of the home look its best no matter what the season.. Be sure to check regularly for weeds, not only in flower gardens and edgings but in the rest of the landscape as well.

Make sure fallen leaves are raked up and removed promptly. The autumn season brings many wonders – and many chores. Among those autumn chores is raking up those leaves, and this job is even more important when the home is for sale. Be sure to check for accumulated leaves on a regular basis and remove them as quickly as possible.

Make sure that the areas around the driveway, flagpole, mailbox and other high profile areas are well maintained and attractive to the eye. Something as simple as placing a planter full of colorful flowers next to the mailbox can do wonders for curb appeal. The same is true for edging the driveway with colorful plants or attractive flowering shrubs.

Consider installing accent lighting.
Installing solar accent lights is a great and cost effective way to improve the nighttime look of the home. Placing a row of these solar lights along the walkway to the front door or along the driveway can greatly enhance curb appeal.

Keep those trees, bushes and shrubs neat and well trimmed. Left to their own devices those plants can quickly become overgrown and unattractive, so take the time to trim them back and keep them looking neat and tidy.