Up Against the Wal-Marts presents a potent arsenal of strategies, tips, and advice collected from hundreds of small retailers who've successfully defended their markets against retailing Goliaths. It shows how you can combat cutthroat pricing, regain customer focus, identify and seize profitable market niches - and much more.Taylor and Archer identify ten survival strategies guaranteed to help you compete effectively and stay focused on change. You'll need to devote yourself to satisfying your customers; study the success of others; gather and analyze management information regularly; sharpen your marketing skills; increase the customer's perception of value; position your business uniquely; eliminate waste; find something to improve every day; embrace change with a positive attitude; and pull the trigger and start the battle. Both insightful and pragmatic, Up Against the Wal-Marts explores the ten strategies in detail and presents the reasons customers are flocking to the mass merchandisers and what to do to reverse the trend, low-cost advertising and promotion strategies that generate new business, the six-step customer service technique guaranteed to bring customers back again and again, the critical variable-pricing method that produces profits and gives customers the perception of value, the pieces of the financial puzzle that every business owner must have to survive, and hands-on management techniques to make your business grow.Up Against the Wal-Marts shows you how to turn your knowledge into market share - no matter how large the shadow of the mass merchandisers may loom. Read Less