I am grateful to have had an opportunity to speak at the QNF Queensland Newsagents State Conference today. I spoke on Living with Google – how we need to operate our newsagencies in this Google dominated world where the traditional business rules have been abandoned and our core products are challenged. I see our response to the changed world in simple terms:

• Take responsibility. We need to be responsible for our businesses. This means NOT relying on suppliers or others to lead us. We have to lead ourselves – individually and collectively as appropriate to our circumstances. Too many newsagents have bought into the channel in pursuit of an income. Those who have bought in to own and operate a business will fare better.
• Stand for something. Most newsagents stand for vague points of difference – customer service, being local etc. Each of us needs to stand for something of value, something which defines every decision we make.
• Take control of our retail space. We need to reject supplier control of our space – unless they pay the rent.
• Take control of our product mix. We need to control what we sell – suppliers cannot do this for us.
• Take control of our message. We need to be clear in our message and it needs to reflect what we stand for.
• It all comes down to change. Our business model is based on old products and old business principles. While the old products will serve us well for some time, we need to transparently and urgently start to change. We should do this in beta – trial and error – and in consultation with our customers. Our customers will be more useful in guiding our future than our existing suppliers.

I met several people at the QNF Conference who are excited to be pushing the boundaries of their newsagencies. They have every right to be excited.
The biggest challenge we have as a channel is the gap emerging between the newsagents changing their businesses and those who do not understand that change is essential.

I have been contemplating the future of newsagencies in the context of the GEC (Global Economic Crisis) ahead of my speech today to the Queensland Newsagents State Conference. I’ve been reading plenty about the GEC and the likely impact on businesses like ours, about how retailers traded through the Great Depression and other tough economic cycles.

I am optimistic. If we are smart, newsagents have a bright future. The GEC is an opportunity for us, an opportunity to celebrate being small, local (Australian) and flexible.

• Being small. Smart newsagents will exploit the opportunity by making quick decisions big businesses are slow (too big) to make. Decisions like changing range, price and positioning.
• Being local. Smart newsagents will promote their Australianness and the convenience of their location – and do so in the wake of non-locally connected bigger retailers. Newsagencies are in every town yet we do not promote that our excellent geographic positioning saves fuel and time through convenient shopping.
• Being flexible. Smart newsagents will take their businesses from being newsagencies to being – convenience stores, gift shops, stationery retailers, cafes. They will play with the model in pursuit of what is right for their local situation.  Most of all, they will reduce the space allocation for products over which they have no control.

Of course, if we do nothing then we become spectators of the passing opportunity.

We will get more from our businesses if we engage and participate in the GEC.