Can't make changes

LegacyUser

Hi,

I work for a company that runs a chain of very successful retail shops in Ireland. A couple of years ago they set up a website and started to sell their products online which was when I was hired so I could manage that side of the business. So far we've just about been plodding along, making a profit of approx 10/20 grand a year, which is probably 3/4 per cent of the overall profits for the company.

I've explained to the owner that there many things we need to put money into to get sales up. The packaging of the products is bad (he's convinced it's better than all of competition's packaging). The labelling of of the products is outdated and cheap looking (again, he thinks it's fine). the boxes that we use are just sent out in brown cardboard boxes with no branding or anything (again he sees no sense in paying that bit extra for nice, coloured branded boxes) and the name of the company itself (there is no way this can or will be changed) is seriously hindering our ability to make the online business a success.

There are other problems too; we should really have a graphic designer working on a freelance basis for us as there is nobody in the company skilled in photoshop and our email marketing is terrible but he sees no use in it anyway. On top of this the other staff who work for the company would find it genuinely funny if the online part closed down because the shops are the things making the real profit. They see the website as unnecessary and don't like helping me with orders etc which just makes things worse.

So what can I do? I'm left sitting idle for a lot of the week because we are not half as busy as we should be. I'm unmotivated to the point were I don't care any more but at the same time I want to be busy and to make a success of this. I have explained to the owner before what we need to do but he won't do it so I'm left in a situation were I know the sales aren't going to increase but at the same time I'm the 'manager'.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mrs OBumble

Find a job in another company that will appreciate your talents and ideas?

LegacyUser

I knew this would be the first response and yes, I've been looking. Only when you look for jobs do you realise how scarce they actually are! I'm struggling to find jobs to apply for never mind having to go through the whole recruitment process and be lucky enough to be successful!

Bandana boy

How have you explained what needs to be done ?
Have you put together a business case explaining what you want to do the costs and your expected return?
Have you outlined why you/how expect this return
Or has this been in casual conversation ?

If i was you I would be very worried ,refusing to invest in your ideas suggest that your manager does not trust you
They may be limping along now but i suspect that in the near future they will take this side of the business seriously.
At that point you could be for the door as your manager could put the lack of improvement in this part of the business against your management.

To be honest though tackling packaging and branding on boxes (to a lay person ) do not seem like ideas that will generate growth in internet sales.

LegacyUser

Yes, I agree that I could be out the door becuase it's my area of managment but how do you get online sales up if there's little or not investment being put in? Packaging/branding will not increase sales in itself but in a business were you are striving for people to order every week and a first time customer orders and recieves and order that is poorly packaged etc then there is little incentive for them to come back onto the site and buy again.

I feel that the whole branding/identity of the company is terrible and the way things are now it will be impossible to get were we want to get. This means that although it's not in my power to make these changes, I'm in a situation were I'm seen as the one who is failing here.

wmpdd3

Can you do a business plan, maybe the company is getting these does outside and swallowing the details hook line and sinker but if you can make a better case then they might take you more seriously.

I would put this on a very easy to read A4 sheet and submit it.

Another side of me says the company isnt as doing as well as you think and thats why they have no interest in further investment. Or they are biding time until a secret sale of the business goes through.

I hope I'm wrong.

LowKeyReturn

Time for balls of steel.

I once saw a guy sit a managing director in a chair and do 'the pen'. (It's a target setting trick designed to show if you set targets too high people don't even try to achieve them). Made the guy look foolish in front of the board of directors and made his point very, very well.

MD went on doing what he always did, his way; it was his business after all and eventually got rid of that prick and the business went under.

Motivational yeah?

Well the reason I'm recounting this is so that you're fully aware that the advice I'm about to give almost never works.

Put together a sound business plan and bet your job on it - its the only advice I can think of at this stage. You clearly have a guy who has built up a business himself through his own good judgement. It's very difficult for people to see past that. Even if you're right and make him a ton of dosh, he still might get rid of you out of sheer and utter spite.

That said - same company during better days;

An employee approaches the MD and says - I've a great way to make money. All I ask is you give me the profits from the idea for the first quarter and I'll stop taking a wage. If it doesn't work then I'll leave it up to you - fire me if you like. Eventually MD agreed.

The guy stopped the company putting the cheap printer cable in with the PC packages we used to sell and instead brought one in from China with gold plated connectors and in the companies colour. The sales force where told to sell this at £17.57 a profit of about £14 after tax.

Chappies wages for that quarter? Over £100,000.

I have no idea what happened to him but I suspect he left

PS retailers HATE the online channel you sales stealing sod (jokingly meant) so yes they'd be more than happy to see you fail.

Bandana boy

LowKeyReturn wrote: »

Time for balls of steel.

I once saw a guy sit a managing director in a chair and do 'the pen'. (It's a target setting trick designed to show if you set targets too high people don't even try to achieve them)..

How does "the Pen" go

helimachoptor

In a lot of cases like this you really need to do something ballsy.

MDs who are owners can be very reluctant to change especially when what they see as change is a bad change.

Best of luck, i know from personal experience working in an environment like this can be very frustrating

BostonB

Have you done any stats or case studies to prove your point, or just talked non specifically about it like you did here?

That said you might do all that and they still might not listen.

LowKeyReturn

Bandana boy wrote: »

How does "the Pen" go

Sit the guy in a chair tell him to sit up with his back against the support. Tell him there is no trick all he as to do is reach out and grab the pen and the only thing he can move is his right arm.

Hold the pen in reach and say, reach and grab the pen... they do

Hold the pen further away so its just at finger tip distance.. they reach out and might or might not be able to get it.

Then walk so far away you have to shout at the guy for him to hear you say "reach out and grab the pen".

Most people will fold their arms and look annoyed. I've found in Ireland you get more smart arses though!

Generally followed up with thats exactly what the sales team are going to do.