Thriving in a tough economy is a test for any business. The NBDA Super Seminar series at Interbike embraces the National Bicycle Dealers Association's "Independent Concept" philosophy to empower and assist bicycle retailers in becoming strong and dynamic retail brands in their communities.

All Interbike attendees are welcome to attend.

Pre-Show Education: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

12 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Create Your Own Stimulus Package Through Design and Merchandising
Jim Rasmus, Retail Design Associates

Have you maximized your efforts to make your store stand out and be recognized in this up-side-down economy? Whether you realize it or not, "YOU ARE THE ECONOMY"! Even with tight money you can still wake up the store in the customer’s eyes with low cost efforts and some sweat equity in rejuvenating your store to increase sales.

This seminar will show you seven strategies to improve your store "image" on the outside and on the inside. Come see and hear the facts and figures on other retailers who’ve gone the extra mile not waiting for the economy to fix itself. Your store can be and look like it’s GRAND OPENING each and every day.

On the web: www.retaildesignassociates.com

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Inventory Management and Pricing Strategies
Bob Langdon, CPA

If you believe that price competition is increasing in the retail bicycle industry then this presentation is a must for you! In this program, Bob Langdon, CPA and author of Managing Your Business for Profit, will show you proven techniques to increase gross margin, cash flow and your return on investment, while retaining your best customers. You’ll return to your business more competitive than ever with Bob’s proven methods of:

• Ascertaining price sensitivity for your products
• Improving your return on investment with better inventory control
• Evaluating when to buy additional inventory to receive a quantity discount
• Selectively increasing prices, while retaining your best customers
• Differentiating your product and service in the marketplace.

4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Bicycle Market Overview: A Perfect Storm?
Jay Townley, Gluskin Townley Group

Powerful forces are shaping the bicycle market worldwide that involve manufacturing, distribution, retailing and the cycling public. Changing customer demographics, economic turmoil, transportation opportunities and new retail dynamics have come together to create what some are calling a perfect storm for our industry. So where is the storm heading?

In this presentation, Jay Townley will present a detailed overview of the bicycle market based on the latest research and his own observations based on work in the field with both suppliers and retailers. This is a must-see seminar for anyone trying to participate in the bicycle market in today’s business environment.

Included will be:

• The market overview for 2009
• What's hot and what's not in 2009
• Trends and developments in bicycle retailing nationwide
• Strategies for attracting new customers to the cycling market
• What will 2010 look like?

Learn more about Jay Townley on the web: www.gluskintownley.com

Day 1: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Your Retail Stimulus Package - How To Market Your Bike Shop In Tough Times
Bob Negen

Does 5%, 10%, even 20% sales growth next year sound good? If it does, you won't want to miss this fun, dynamic workshop guaranteed to dramatically increase customer loyalty, foot traffic, and turbocharge sales.

This program teaches the secrets of an organized, consistent system to generate significant sales increases. And it's not about spending a fortune on advertising. In fact, it's not about advertising at all. It's about creating growth by doing lots of little things well. It's about planting many seeds and watching them grow.

You will learn:

• How to explode your profits by getting your customers to shop more often
• Eight ways to get a flood of new customers for almost no money
• The secret to generating more foot traffic
• A simple four step process to develop deep (and profitable) relationships with every customer who comes in the door
• Five ways to give a big boost to your average sale
• How to jump start your sales - no matter what time of year
• And many more tricks to grow business without spending a fortune

Retail expert Bob Negen founded the Mackinaw Kite Co., a small chain of specialty toy and kite stores, in 1981. He spent the next 20 years learning how to be a successful retailer. In 1999 he and his wife Susan founded WhizBang! Training to help independent retailers thrive in today's super-competitive market. Bob and Susan are the authors of the amazon.com bestseller Marketing Your Retail Store In The Internet Age and co-creators of the acclaimed Retail Mastery System. He has helped hundreds of independent retailers play David in a marketplace filled with Goliaths.

On the web: www.whizbangtraining.com


10:30 a.m. to noon
Managing Your Business in Turbulent Times
Bob Langdon, CPA

Reading and understanding your P & L statement is only the beginning of knowing how and where to improve profitability in your bike business. In this presentation, Bob Langdon, CPA and author of Managing Your Business for Profit, will show you how to identify the differences between fixed and variable expenses thus enabling you to properly calculate break-even for your business. Using this formula, Bob will show you how to achieve the profit you desire. You'll learn how to prepare alternative financial forecasts, thus enhancing your ability to be successful in a rapidly changing environment. After attending this program you'll return to your business more competitive than ever with Bob's proven methods of:

• Reducing expenses immediately
• Evaluating your business profit potential
• Using financial forecasting to make your business more profitable
• Preparing alternative financial forecasts for turbulent times

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
How To Develop A WhizBang! Staff
Bob Negen

A top-notch staff is your biggest competitive edge. These are the people that are standing face to face with your customers, either giving them the kind of experience that brings them back or drives them away.

A great staff does not happen by accident. It's not "hire and hope." It is created by recruiting the right people, training them effectively, disciplining them fairly, and motivating them constantly.

A few of the things you'll learn in this fun, energetic session include:

• The tricks to finding the best, most highly qualified candidates
• How to develop killer interview questions that reveal who has the right stuff
• Why "Seagull Management" (fly in, crap on everything, and fly away) can devastate morale
• What to do when someone "holds you hostage"
• The five secrets of successful coaching
• Building an exceptional staff is the fastest and most efficient way to increase sales, improve customer service and reduce your stress levels. Come to this session and learn how.

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Strategies that Grow Revenue (and Profit!) Even During Lean Times
Dan Mann, The Mann Group

How does a retailer remain agile, change with the market, respond to the customer and meet the challenges of today's weak consumer spending?

Bottom line: How do we maximize our revenue and profit when we can't count on healthy, consistent foot traffic?

This seminar will:

• Identify a proven sales process that will maximize revenue, and will maximize EACH customer once they are in the store (note: customers will feel more comfortable, not less!)
• Provide strategic insight on how to manage key areas that customers notice while riding out the spending slowdown
• Overview the key financial indicators and how to set targets
• Give strategies for reducing expense strain without sacrificing the customer experience

On the web: www.manngroup.net


4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Merchandising: Less is More!
Mercedes Ross, Merchandising Werx

In this entertaining and informative seminar, experienced store merchandiser Mercedes Ross will cover a range of ideas that store owners can take back to implement immediately, including:

• Doing a better job with what you have, small investments can bring back big returns
• Product placement is still king, where and how you put "stuff" is still the issue
• Traffic flow: what goes where and why in more detail
• Increase revenues from all parts of your pie with merchandising:  events, service, fit
• Training your staff to merchandise and smile!  I know you get it now let's help your staff get it!

On the web: www.merchandisingwerx.com

Day 2: Thursday, September 24, 2009

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Commit to Your Community: Marketing 2.0 for your Business
Lynn Switanowski-Barrett

This seminar will be your guide to learning how to create unique and specialized sales and marketing programs for retailers of any size. Special focus will be paid to creating special events and building long term community partnerships that can and will help your business grow. Walk away with actionable steps to implement for your store to gain an immediate sales return.

• Define Actions: Learn the executable steps to enable your store to gain an immediate sales return for the marketing dollars you spend
• Identify Opportunities: Discover key sales opportunities that exist when stores utilize customized marketing events
• Share Best Practices: Learn key lessons from other independent retailers on how to tailor your store's marketing messages for long term gain

Lynn Switanowski-Barrett is the President of Creative Business Consulting Group, (CBCG) a Boston, MA based Retail Consulting firm. CBCG partners with retailers, e-tailers and manufacturers to create and implement profit improving sales, marketing and inventory management strategies. Lynn speaks frequently at retail trade shows across North America and teaches retail marketing and branding at several colleges in the Boston area. She began her career at as a buyer at Federated Department stores.

On the web: www.cbc-group.net

10:30 a.m. to noon
Growing Service Sales (While Having Fun and Supporting Our Customers)
Brett Flemming, The Bike Gallery and Efficient Velo Tools

Brett Flemming will share his 30 years of experiences, challenges and successes relative to service department management. He will also present numerous, easy to implement systems, ideas, concepts and even attitudes that many shops have claimed have helped them to double service department revenues in the first year of implementation, plus improved mechanic's working conditions and attitudes.

On the web: www.efficientvelo.com

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Bicycling Moves Forward
The Bikes Belong Coalition

Bicycling's biggest boost could come from the next federal transportation bill, which could invest billions of dollars in new bicycling facilities of all kinds. This legislation will also support Safe Routes to School and a variety of city cycling programs that get people active, reduce traffic and pollution, and directly counter the startling increase in adult and child obesity.
 
Attend the Bikes Belong luncheon update to learn:
 
1. The status of the bill.
2. How it will benefit your business and your town.
3. What you can do to help.
 
On the web: www.bikesbelong.org

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Are you You Tubing, Facebooking, Twittering and Flikring your Way to New Customers?
Lynn Switanowski-Barrett

Customers of every generation are looking to become part of communities. Across the street, or across the globe, the power of social networking is making itself heard around the world.

This seminar features an introduction to the power of social networks, and will explain how your business can harness that power to create brand loyalists and community members who will shop in your store and tell others to do so as well—all via the world wide web. Social networks are becoming a part of every best practice companies' marketing programs. Learn how to make it work for your business today.

On the web: www.cbc-group.net

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Teach It and They Will Ride
League of American Bicyclists

The League of American Bicyclists has trained people to ride safely and effectively for many years. In partnership with the NBDA, the League is rolling out a new program that will provide materials and training for bicycle store owners and employees to teach safe riding to their customers in short and entertaining classes. This is a great way to make sure your customers understand and practice the basics of sound cycling, and to position the local retail store as the center of cycling in the community. This seminar will demonstrate how bicycle stores, in partnership with League instructors, can structure and present focused rider training to customers, schools and in corporate environments. Several bicycle stores were involved in creating and refining the program, and have used it successfully to help people ride safely and with confidence.

On the web: www.bikeleague.org

Day 3: Friday, September 25, 2009

8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
If Patton Ran Your Business
Tom Shay, Profits Plus Seminars

There is a war going on out there. Should a business defend their market position, become an attacker, a flanker or a guerrilla warrior? This interactive workshop helps a business owner to define the proper strategy and then determine the tactics they will implement. Using stories and experiences of General George S. Patton, Tom Shay leads participants in this most useful exercise.

On the web: www.profitsplus.org

11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Store Design on a Dime
Chris Miller, Pacific Store Designs

This seminar will focus on cost saving tips on how to remodel a store, create eye stopping merchandising displays and new innovative fixtures that won't break the bank.

What you will learn:

• How to implement a full store design remodel package
• How layers of light trigger impulse sales
• The use of paint and textures to create a new feel in your bicycle store
• Innovative merchandising techniques to trigger impulse buying
• Creative professional signage and the use of action words to get shoppers reading and buying products sooner
• 3 ways to make your storefront windows grab attention
• Ways to find money and justify a remodel in today's marketplace

On the web: www.pacificstoredesigns.com

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Team Up for Success!
Tom Shay, Profits Plus Seminars

Here are the secrets to solving the need of, and problems of employees. The audience will learn how to build a team that involves the veteran employees and develops the techniques that focuses their staff on profits. Attendees will learn how to:

• Develop job descriptions
• A policy & procedure manual
• Create their own school of education for employees
• Attendees will also see how their developing these tools will add to their profits and establish an environment for success.

On the web: www.profitsplus.org