Craft shop manager

Craft shop managers are responsible for activities and staff in specialised shops that sell equipment and supplies for craft activities such as sewing, painting or pottery making. They manage employees, monitor the sales of the store, manage budgets and order supplies when a product is out of supply and perform administrative duties if required.

The duties of a craft shop manager include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating employees.
• Preparing employee work schedules.
• Addressing employee disputes, questions, and concerns.
• Ensuring all staff adhere to safety standards, company policies, and procedures.
• Managing and accounting for all money-handling procedures.
• Ordering, recording, and managing inventory.
• Ensuring the shop is adequately stocked, clean, and visually appealing.
• Motivating employees to reach sales goals and provide excellent customer service.
• Handling customer complaints.

Craft shop managers often work indoors. They may work outdoors if employed at stores that sell garden or building supplies. They may also work physically near employees and customers, such as within a few meters.

Craft shop managers usually work full time. Schedules are usually established and regular. They may work evenings, weekends, and holidays. They sometimes work overtime.

The following job titles also refer to craft shop manager:

weaving shop manager
pottery shop manager
craft superstore manager
craft supermarket manager
paint shop manager
craft counter manager
craft department manager
hobby shop manager
craft concession manager
sewing shop manager
artists materials shop manager

A high school diploma is a minimum to work as craft shop manager, along with a solid experience (3 to 5 years at least) in retail management. A degree in business administration or a related field is preferred though.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Craft shop manager is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to craft shop manager.

hardware and paint shop manager
toys and games shop manager
floor and wall coverings shop manager
second-hand shop manager
shoe and leather accessories shop manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of craft shop manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of craft shop manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

purchasing manager
ICT vendor relationship manager
defence administration officer
licensing manager
civil service administrative officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of craft shop manager.

• Sales activities: The supply of goods, sale of goods and the related financial aspects. The supply of goods entails the selection of goods, import and transfer. The financial aspect includes the processing of purchasing and sales invoices, payments etc. The sale of goods implies the proper presentation and positioning of the goods in the shop in terms of acessibility, promotion, light exposure.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

These skills are necessary for the role of craft shop manager.

• Ensure customer focus: Attitude that puts customers at the centre of the business in all cases.
• Study sales levels of products: Collect and analyse sales levels of products and services in order to use this information for determining the quantities to be produced in the following batches, customer feedback, price trends, and the efficiency of sales methods.
• Set up pricing strategies: Apply methods used for setting product value taking into consideration market conditions, competitor actions, input costs, and others.
• Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
• Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
• Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
• Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
• Maintain relationship with suppliers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
• Obtain relevant licenses: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Oversee promotional sales prices: Ensure that sale prices and promotions are passed through the register as they should.
• Ensure correct goods labelling: Ensure that goods are labeled with all necessary labeling information (e.g. legal, technological, hazardous and others) regarding the product. Ensure that labels respects the legal requirements and adhere to regulations.
• Negotiate sales contracts: Come to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.
• Measure customer feedback: Evaluate customer’s comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.
• Apply procurement: Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal payoff for the organisation.
• Maximise sales revenues: Increase possible sales volumes and avoid losses through cross-selling, upselling or promotion of additional services.
• Ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations: Implement and monitor company activities in compliance with legal contracting and purchasing legislations.
• Adhere to organisational guidelines: Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
• Set sales goals: Set sales goals and objectives to be reached by a sales team within a period of time such as the target amount of sales made and new customers found.
• Apply health and safety standards: Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
• Supervise merchandise displays: Work closely together with visual display staff to decide how items should be displayed, in order to maximise customer interest and product sales.
• Monitor customer service: Ensure all employees are providing excellent customer service in accordance to company policy.
• Manage theft prevention: Apply theft and robbery prevention; monitor security surveillance equipment; enforce security procedures if needed.
• Advise customers on crafts: Provide customers with information on the techniques and supplies necessary to perform specific craft activities.
• Negotiate buying conditions: Negotiate terms such as price, quantity, quality, and delivery terms with vendors and suppliers in order to ensure the most beneficial buying conditions.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of craft shop manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Crafting: The ability to work with the hands in order to create something artistic.
• Office administration: The paperwork processes related to the administrative areas of an office environment. The activities or processes may include financial planning, record keeping and billing and managing the general logistics of an organisation.
• Accounting techniques: The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.
• Accounting: The documentation and processing of data regarding financial activities.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of craft shop manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Craft ornamental plastering: Create ornaments from plaster to adorn walls and ceilings. Craft medallions, cornices and wall panels directly on the surface or at a workshop.
• Study craft trends: Research and study trends in crafting, in order to keep up with current designs and marketing strategies.
• Maintain professional administration: File and organise professional administration documents comprehensively, keep customer records, fill in forms or log books and prepare documents about company-related matter.
• Handle financial overviews of the store: Monitor the financial situation, analyse the store’s sales figures.
• Process orders from online shop: Process orders from web shop; direct sales, packaging and shipment.
• Execute administration: Carry out administrative work and establish public relations.
• Complete administration: Manage the terms of the grant, the follow-up procedures and recording dates and payments.
• Ensure store security: Implement and monitor security measures within the store; be vigilant about shoplifters and fraudulent use of credit cards.
• Store products: Keep products in a safe place in order to maintain their quality. Ensure the stock facilities meet hygiene standards, regulating temperature, heating and air conditioning of storage facilities.

1420 – Retail and wholesale trade managers

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics