By Peter Sheppard
Senior Deployment Consultant, Retail Doctor Group 


We all have had the need to visit a doctor to assess some issue and diagnose what is wrong when we do not feel 100%. Sometimes the symptoms point to a more serious condition which then requires a deeper investigation to establish the causes, and then diagnose a remedy.

So, it is the same with a retail business. Most businesses are not 100% fit, and the vital signs are there for all to see. These symptoms include trading below category benchmark KPSs, (do you even know what yours should be?), diminishing sales and profits, pressure on gross margins, challenging stock issues, staffing issues. These are all indicators that things could be going wrong in your business and that unless attended to, can deteriorate, and eventually get so serious that recovery is not possible, especially in a tighter economy that we are facing

So, what should you do?

Here at Retail Doctor Group, we specialise in providing a business MRI. We discover where the business is not what it should be, by analysing the vital statistics of the business and finding the right procedures and actions to bring it back to health.

We have several programs, from the Automated Health Check though to the Fitness Action Plan and of course the renowned Fit for Business program.

These are all tried and tested over many years and hundreds of businesses who have enjoyed the benefits of being fit.

Each plan is curated for your business and is designed to assist the owners run a healthy and profitable organisation.

We undertake a SWOT workshop where we seek to build on your strengths, neutralise the weaknesses, capture the opportunities and address the threats.

Many businesses are run by moving from one crisis to the next, without a realistically focused plan! We know that over 86% of retailers are operating below the best they can be and that three out of four owners would benefit from an executive coaching program.

All recommendations are focused on priorities and assistance provided in the implementation process. Then, most retail owners seek to get ongoing malmanagement advice through an extended monthly advisory and coaching program that ensures the ongoing successful growth of the business. (There is no other way to utilise and apply over 150 years of retail experience in your business.)

Most retailers who have benefitted from these programs tell us “I did not know, what I did not know.” My business is now fit, and I sleep well at night……it makes a nice change.

If you want to sleep well, give us a call on +61 2 9460 2882 or email businessfitness@retaildoctor.com.au and we can help you achieve your personal wishes by giving your business an MRI that identifies what it needs to deliver your personal vision.