Shipping is more important than ever to your customers and your business. In the past decade, the shipping wars between major carriers UPS and FedEx have resulted in substantial price hikes. Tariffs for ground and air shipments will keep increasing.

Eighty-eight percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from an online shop if it promises free shipping. Still, several factors need to be taken into consideration when determining if offering free shipping is feasible for your retail business. Bryan Van Suchtelen of Lojistic weighs in.

In our mobile, social, right-now world, consumers speak their minds like never before—in-store and online. This presents a huge opportunity to music businesses willing to embrace comments and complaints. Join Jay Baer, digital business expert, entrepreneur and marketing guru, for this eye-opening and entertaining Breakfast Session on customer service in the modern era.

Most companies have tons of creative buzz and big ideas. So why do some get game-changing results while others miss the mark? The answer: Successful companies have a process for turning creativity into action. In this NAMM U session, four-time tech entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author and jazz guitarist Josh Linkner discusses innovation in a way you’ve never heard before. Unleash your innovation now!

There’s nothing more important to you than family. However, your family owned business supports your family, so when it comes to protecting both of them, you need to consider your moves carefully. Music industry veteran Jeff Ponte weighs in on the first steps to take when thinking about succession.

You only get one chance to make a first impression online, and it starts with your website. Will Mason of Mason Music has invested a lot of time, energy and money into his company's website and says it has been worth every penny. Here, he shares five things that every music store can do on its website to strengthen its brand and drive sales.

Looking to update your store design? Gayle Beacock of Beacock Music, a NAMM Top 100 Dealer for Best Merchandising, has broken down effective store design to a science. Here, she shares her tips for creating a showroom that stands out from the rest. Find out how to take your retail environment to the next level for a bigger “wow” factor—and bigger profits.

Want to use Amazon.com and eBay to grow your retail business, increase your sales and expand your customer base? Instrumental Music Center has developed a secondary income stream by selling on these platforms. Here, company co-owner Leslie Faltin reveals her proven success strategies.

School bids can be frustrating. At some point, you’ve probably spent hours working up a school bid, only to lose to a competitor. Still, there’s money to be made in school bidding, if you go about it the right way. Here, Tracy Leenman, owner of Musical Innovations in Greenville, S.C., looks at five ways music retailers can win in the school bid business. Get her tips for long-term success.

At the 2015 NAMM Show, three music retail veterans shared their wisdom on starting music retail businesses. Former Steinway Piano Gallery owner Greg Billings, the moderator, was joined by Ellen McDonald of Hartland Music and Menzie Pittman of Contemporary Music Center. They addressed common business pitfalls and what they’d do differently, looking back.