When you think of marketing, you might picture some professionals sitting in the boardroom of a skyscraper, planning out their next million-dollar ad campaign. Marketing is only important for large businesses, right? Well, in fact, marketing can help any business, no matter how small, and it's crucial to the success of your c-store. Here’s why:

Seasons come and go. Some parts of the year are filled with booming business and other parts of the year can be a little slower. However, if your store has seen a sharp decline in sales over the last few weeks or months, this could be cause for concern. Don’t panic! Here are a few of the things you should be doing to ensure your business can rebound.

Sushil Lamsal, the owner of two different convenience stores in Alabama, is another goEBT retailer who we’re excited to recognize for his constant efforts to make his stores the best they can be. In early 2017, Sushil acquired his first location, Theodore Shell. After he took over the business, Sushil immediately took action to start boosting his foot traffic and he’s been on the same mission ever since. His hard work is definitely paying off, as Theodore Shell quickly became his busiest...

Whether they're always on your mind or you pay no attention to them at all, your c-store has competitors, and they're hungry for some of your market share. Do you know who your competitors are? You might have more than you initially think, especially in the convenience industry where you not only have to worry about other c-stores, but grocery stores both big and small as well.

You may pay attention to the headlines of national news and know the inner workings of D.C. politics but have you paid attention to your local government?

As a c-store owner, your mind is probably always thinking about the next products that you should offer, the advertising you should invest in for your store, and above all else, the cost of everything.

People are probably well aware of your c-store and enjoy stopping in to pick up their favorite snacks or drinks on their way home. However, to become a true staple of your community, you should consider partnering with other local businesses in the area through mutually beneficial working relationships. Forming and leveraging these relationships provides many different benefits for your business, most importantly expansion opportunities for your store through cross-promotional campaigns.

As 2018 rapidly approaches, now is the time to start planning your inventory for the New Year and contacting the local distributors in your area about their products. Finding a new distributor or vendor for your c-store can seem like a stressful process, and if you are a single store owner that has never worked with distributors of national brands before, the process can be even more confusing.

Being a business owner is difficult. Being a business owner without the proper capital is even harder. Whether you want to add a deli, upgrade your coolers, or even just improve your bathrooms you need money to make it happen. Even if your convenience or small grocery store is successful, finding the extra funds to invest back into your store without taking a loss isn’t easy. Luckily, organizations like IOU financial are making small business loans available for just this reason. Now, c-store...

As we reported before, SNAP retailer requirements have changed, and these changes will impact your c-store in the immediate future. Per the changes made to the retailer qualifications, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will begin implementing these finalized rules this month. You can view FNS’s webinar and download their one pager for more help preparing for the changes.