Nobody likes a micromanager. But as a retail storeowner, you know you sometimes have to be one. According to this Wall Street Journal article, technology has given us the ability to micromanage invisibly. The article is about franchisers and franchisees, but it has relevance for any retail storeowner.

A tanning salon’s franchisee says he now monitors the business remotely via the Internet, leaving the day-to-day affairs to a store manager. He can review sales and inventory almost in real time online, while fingerprint scanner monitors workers’ arrivals and departures. He only visits the salon quarterly. The CEO of a hair-salon franchise says 10 hours a week is a “generous allowance” for tech-savvy owners to physically be in their stores.

While running your business by remote control sounds like a cool idea, my take is that you can’t control everything by computer. You’ve got to be there to see how well your staff treats customers. You need to make sure merchandising elements like signage and shelf space are kept up to your standards. Even if you’ve got in-store webcams to check on such things, they’re not enough.

I use technology as much as any virtual merchandiser. But I make it a point to meet with staff regularly, and to talk to clients to see how we’re doing. An online survey might be faster, but I’d still rather talk one-on-one.

An assistant dean at the University of Pittsburgh business school says small matters can add up: “Any business, whether it’s a franchise or not, takes a lot of work.” I agree. You can have all the latest, greatest tech gear plugged in to your store, but remember that your physical presence gives your store its true personality.