b'in an area where the best donations are likely to be received at the greatest convenience to donors. Most shoppers are treasure huntersnot neces-sarily at thrift stores because of their financial needand will seek out the best thrift stores, wherever they are.Other things to consider when selecting a loca-tion include visibility, traffic, proximity to other shopping, and ease of ingress and egress, said Rusty, who has more than three decades of experi-ence with thrift-store operation and consulting.Hiring quality people S taff is also a critical consideration for a mission thrift store. People are your num-ber-one asset, and, regardless of position, they are all extremely important, from the site manager [to the] production worker, truck driver, and janitor, Rusty said. Be prepared to work hard, continually train and support your staff, and strive for and expect excellence from every-one, including yourself. Steve said that key positions include cashiers, the individual doing pricing, and the person Next, ministries should focus on the importancegreeting donors.of the stores place, people, process, and product,Managers choosing the right team members Steve said. is the most important advice we could give, Oftentimes thrift stores are opened in areasSteve said. Not having the right team can throw where there are people in need, or where there iseverything off. While we understand staffing is a inexpensive real estate, Steve said. These are twochallenge across the country right now, we have of the biggest mistakes thrift operators make.a unique opportunity to offer individuals more Instead, he advised that a secondhand store bethan a job. If we communicate the impact that Oftentimes thrift stores are opened in areas where there are people in need, or where there is inexpensive real estate. These are two of the biggest mistakes thrift operators make. Steve Slack Jr.14 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022'