177 | Covid Check-in with a Brick & Mortar Shop Owner with Biff Ulm, MN Nice Enough

Hey friends! Today’s guest is a familiar voice on the podcast. This conversation was with none other than Biff Ulm of MN Nice Enough and retail shop Zaiser’s. I had a conversation with Biff earlier this year, pre-COVID (episode 146 if you want to take a listen) and it seems like it was an eternity ago!

I was so happy that Biff agreed to come back on to discuss his personal journey of being a store owner during the time of COVID. In this episode, Biff shares how his store sales have fluctuated this year and how his buying strategies have shifted from larger orders that were further out to smaller, more consistent orders. Biff talked about the new marketing strategies that his team and he have implemented to build relationships with their shop customers.

Be sure to listen closely to the two golden nuggets that Biff shared on not being afraid to fail and making a statement with your products!

ON TODAY’S EPISODE:

A rundown of Biff’s shop
Biff’s experience with closing and reopening during the pandemic
The safety measures they put in place for the store re-opening
How he dealt with managing his team and bringing on additional support
How his sales have been this year compared to other years
Shifts he’s made within his wholesale buying tactics and strategies
What product makers and manufacturers can do to support their wholesale customers
Where they’re sourcing products from during this pandemic
Biff’s thoughts on seeing manufacturing processes slow down
Why he decided to go live daily to reach customers at home
What “easy buying” looks like for Biff
His views on having a pre-pack

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KEY TAKE AWAYS

“It was a really easy decision for us. But it wasn't an easy decision to actually carry out because people became quite vocal with it .” - Biff Ulm

“It's just hard to know what you're going to have on the shelf.” - Biff Ulm

“It's requiring more work to do the same amount of volume.” - Biff Ulm

“It's happening on both sides. If you have that understanding, you can give each other grace and get creative on how to problem-solve that, and just have a better conversation too.” - Biff Ulm

“You need to have inventory and stock and you need to be ready to ship it. ” - Katie Hunt

“The simple fact is that people have a lot of choices.” - Biff Ulm

“Whether we're in wholesale or retail, we can't be afraid to fail, because we have to try things.” - Biff Ulm

“You have to be able to make a statement with your product, statements sell.” - Biff Ulm

RESOURCES:

146 | Leveraging point of sale systems in a brick & mortar with Biff Ulm, MN Nice Enough
Zaiser’s
Twisted Ware
Avochato
Hydro Flask

MEET BIFF:

Hello! My Name is Biff Ulm. Yes, that is my real name. I am a husband, father, creator, entrepreneur who is inspired by the outdoors and traveling. I own a retail store, Zaiser's, and wholesale company, MN Nice Enough. I am based in the heart of the Lake Country in Northern Minnesota.

CONNECT WITH BIFF

Website: mnniceenough.com | Instagram: @mnniceenough | Facebook: @mnniceenough

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct