Tom Shay CSP

Tom Shay is a lifelong small business owner and manager. The fourth generation to be involved in the family business, as a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Tom started his first job working in his grandfather's general store.

Tom moved to Florida to join his parents in the family operation they had purchased in 1971. Over the next 26 years, the Shay family owned and operated three businesses in the retail trade and a fourth in the wholesale and manufacturing industry.

Tom Shay has authored twelve books on small business management and co-authored a book on retailer/vendor relations. He has also written a college textbook on small business financial management. During the past 18 years, Tom has written over 400 management articles that have appeared in over 70 national and international trade magazines. He was nominated three times for the Jesse H. Neal award for editorial excellence in business media.

Tom Shay's experiences provide him with the knowledge and background to present ideas to assist owners, managers, and staff with the day-to-day operation of their businesses. He writes and speaks on proven and time-tried ideas on the topics of promoting, customer loyalty, business management design, marketing, business strategy, employee skills development, and financial control.

As a speaker, Tom has earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) distinction, an honor that has been earned by fewer than 8 percent of speakers worldwide.