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Entrepreneurs show the way

Retail is an industry that is often overlooked by those considering their career choices, with perceptions of shelf stackers and cashiers blinding many to the real potential of working in the sector.

One has to understand and accept that except for a fortunate few, everyone has to start at or near the bottom of the ladder. This is important part in learning the business and in gaining the experience that is needed to ultimately become an effective manager. Where retail does differ is in the number of opportunities that there are to move into management, particularly at an early age. For those who are good at what they do will find that advancement comes if they are able to prove that they have the knowledge, skills and abilities. Retail is as a result a young business, with a significant percentage of the companies having young management teams. What is probably more important is that many of these individuals have worked themselves up from the shop floor to positions in store or area management.

The opportunities however do not stop there. Retail is one of the few remaining industries that offer people the chance to move from shop floor positions into specialist posts. That means not everyone who is in a specialist post in retail began their career by going into these “sexier” positions directly from university. A good percentage that now work in human resources, training, marketing, merchandising, buying and other similar such posts proved that they had what it takes by working in a store.

Finally retail is the home of the entrepreneur. There are few industries where you can become your own boss so easily. Although the risks can be high with many stores going out of business every month, there do always exist businesses that can be purchased for reasonable amounts. Often not much is required to turn them into profitable concerns, however if you don’t fancy this route the potential always exists for you to start something new whether it be in your local high street, online or through direct mail. Today some of the richest people in the UK are retailers, people who got into the industry often with little or no qualifications and who have made things happen both for themselves and the companies they have worked for. People like Richard Branson who started his career by opening a record shop – today he controls an empire that includes everything from retail outlets to an airline. Then there is Phillip Green who is one of the richest and most powerful people in business following his buyouts of Arcadia and BHS. Now resident in Monaco he owns an empire worth billions of pounds and growing. They are however not alone, groups like Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U and New Look are all owned by young entrepreneurs who have made good in retail.

Don’t miss out – have a closer look and you will find that retail has a career for you, no matter what your interest or qualification levels, whether you wish to work part time or full time.