A Humbled Gap Tries a Fresh Coat of Pep

Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo has become the envy of retailers worldwide.

When Ron Johnson first took the helm of JCPenney, he saw a culture of complacency. He tried to fix it, implementing ideas he learned from his previous jobs at Apple and Target. It hasn't worked.

JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson just turned in what are probably the worst quarterly results ever in the history of major retail: same-store sales were down 32 percent in Q4 2012, to $3.8 billion.

PopUp Britain, the retail arm of national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain, warns councils need to act now to create quotas to nurture the British high street entrepreneurs of the future. Figures released today, uncovered that lower-end retailers like payday lenders, cash converters and pound shops are the only high street sector in growth, while major chain store retailers saw a ten-fold increase in closure, with the potential to hit 28 a day this year.

Jamie Oliver and Miranda Hart book sales hel

The strength of the relationship you have with your business partner is a major determining factor in the success of your business as a whole. And the key to building that strength is having a continuous, open dialogue with your partner.

Customer service is absolutely essential for businesses, especially small ones. If they have any hope of surviving they have to get customers to come and stay. Great service is the key to that.