Foreword Online

Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers



Jason Smallheer

About Jason Smallheer

Jason Smallheer worked for MBS from 2016 to 2017. His diverse career includes freelance work, broadcast radio and ski resort marketing. He has a passion for sharing ideas, helping businesses grow and professional development. When not expressing himself through writing, he enjoys time with his family and being outside doing anything that can result in scuffed knees and dirty clothes.

Recent articles by Jason Smallheer

Spring into Savings

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 2/3/17 5:30 AM

The spring season is about getting ready for a break, the last push before exams and building business before buyback and summer. This month “Spring into Savings” with a sale designed to clear out the old and make room for new stock.

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Blogging Benefits for College Stores

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/31/17 5:30 AM

Web logging, an online diary or “blogging” is not just for hipsters sitting in a coffee shop writing about their views on politics, skinny jeans and the best beard look. It’s now a tool. A resource. A “thing.” It’s the megaphone for you to tell your customers what they need to know from the mouth of the expert: you.

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What a Bookstore Manager Wanted to Know on Day 1

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/27/17 5:30 AM

You’re a college bookstore manager. A superhero. A rare breed. You’re a leader and a motivator. You make a retail environment run like a well-oiled machine.  Every day you engage customers, hire and train employees, decide which items to carry, manage money, deal with sales calls, and now take on the challenges of posting to Facebook, Tweeting and taking on the “other duties as assigned.” 

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Forget the First Impression, What’s Your Last-ing Impression?

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/24/17 5:30 AM

We’ve heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” We think about it often; on the job interview or meeting a new business partner. But how do we make a lasting impression and what can get in the way? 

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Wartburg College Plays Games at Knight; Building a Community

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/23/17 5:30 AM

With the course materials industry ever-changing and recognizing a segment of her business was no longer profitable, Wartburg Store Manager and Textbook Services Director Janet Huebner saw an opportunity; replacing her trade books section with … board games.

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Grow Through Social Media; Save Time, Money & Sanity

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/18/17 5:30 AM

You want to grow your business and everyone wants to help; vendors are promising you the first page of Google, telling you why your customers are all listening to the radio and why television is the medium of choice for you. You have Facebook ads to think about, why internet radio makes the most sense and, before you know it, you’ve pulled out your hair and you no longer care.

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Luther College Book Shop Goes Nutty; Doubles Sales

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/16/17 5:30 AM

Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, boasts an enrollment of just under 2,400 and no official school mascot. Deanna Casterton, Director of Luther College Book Shop, sought to change the status quo by creating and naming a mascot for her store with the Nutty Election Day Celebration.

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Why Your Bookstore Should Use Text Messages to Bring in Customers

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/12/17 5:30 AM

In 2011, Facebook introduced a new messaging platform. The concept came from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg believing the electronic communication medium of the future would not be email. In 2016, the 20th anniversary of the text message, Bloomberg said 8 trillion text messages were sent.

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Customer Service Vs. Sales. Your Customers Want to Be Sold!

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/10/17 5:30 AM

You walk into a retail environment and you meet one of two types of people: the customer service professional or the sales professional. Which ones work in your store? Which do you prefer? How can you have the best of both worlds?

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Make It a Date with Your Store

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/9/17 5:30 AM

Valentine’s Day is about more than chocolates and roses. It’s also an opportunity for you to "Make It a Date with Your Store" with a special sale and fun social media campaign.

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