Does your brick-and-mortar store need a makeover? Then check out this NAMM U session from the 2015 NAMM Show. Get great store design ideas from Jen Lowe of Boom Boom Percussion and a panel of forward-thinking music retailers—David Kalt of Chicago Music Exchange (pictured), Mike and Ray Guntren of Ray’s Midbell Music, and Mike Stryker of Spindrift Guitars.

Millennials—people 18–33 years old—are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce across all industries. At the 2015 NAMM Show, CJ Averwater of Amro Music showed music retailers how to attract, motivate and unleash their talent. “As managers and business owners, we have to understand and be able to relate to them,” he said.

At 2014 Summer NAMM, Robert Christie, owner of A & G Central Music, gave music retailers the straight skinny on repair shop profitability. He focused on the financial side of a successful repair department, how to apply the same sales strategies you use on your sales floor with repairs and how the repair shop interacts with your overall business strategy. “All of these contacts we have with the customers are an opportunity to sell our repair shop,” Christie said.

Looking for a few apps to help you improve your music retail business—and your everyday life? At Summer NAMM 2014, CJ Averwater of Amro Music revealed his list of top 10 apps that have worked for him. He focused on practical, no-frills apps that addressed retailer business practices and efficiencies.

Now's the time to assess your store’s readiness to compete for customers. From product knowledge to organization, here are some proven, easy-to-implement ideas that Gabriel O'Brien of Larry's Music has put into place. These will immediately improve the customer experience in your store. "It’s easy to walk past problem areas without noticing them," O'Brien says. "Your staff should spend time each day making sure products are well organized, clean, positioned correctly and shuffled regularly."

Do you find yourself saying, "I have too many things to do"? The good news is managing your time is easier than you think. Donovan Bankhead of Springfield Music reveals how a few simple online tools, such as Gmail, Google Calendar and other apps, can help you stay more productive—and impact your bottom line.

Blues Angel Music has built a successful eBay business by mastering the “ins and outs” of the online auction site. At 2014 Summer NAMM, Blues Angel co-owner Jim DeStafney and eBay Facilitator Sierra Williams revealed their 10 best ideas for getting more eBay sales and profits. They delivered proven strategies for selling used and new gear on the site, eBay store layout ideas, tips for photography and item descriptions, and customer service guidelines that can optimize your business.

At 2014 Summer NAMM, Sweetwater Vice President of Marketing Mike Ross took the mystery out of creating a powerful website. He delved into such topics as mobile responsive design, how Amazon.com and eBay play into a retailer’s website strategy, creating customer loyalty, how to optimize a site for local ISP searches, and SEO. Learn from Sweetwater's best practices.

Master retailers came together at the 2014 NAMM Show to share their views on what it takes to be successful in the music retail business. During this session, George Hines of George’s Music moderated a panel discussion with retailers from the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants (AIMM), including Skip Maggiora, Jon Haber, Ryan West, Leslie Faltin and Paul Decker. These leading retailers provided new perspectives and inspiration for building a strong music industry.

During the past two years, Springfield Music more than doubled in size—growing from two to five stores. In this eye-opening article, Donovan Bankhead, the company's vice president, shares what he learned along the way. He touches upon everything from profitability to managing different store cultures to facing new competitors. Learn from his "confessions."