07.26.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 12:37 pm by carrie
Have you seen this show, “Peter Perfect“?
They find struggling businesses and Peter does a makeover on the business and gives all the workers/owners makeovers, too. They even dress them in outfits or uniforms that match their new store. It can get a little over the top and repetitive… but I love to see the before and after for each shop they transform. All of the locations are in Southern California and it’s truly amazing what they can do for each business.
Peter talks about branding, making your front window pop and the overall feel of your store. He’s big on getting rid of the clutter, a cohesive color palette and the changes he does are all really quite simple… although he does have the advantage of thousands of dollars and a crew of people helping! He uses an expensive graphic design company to overhaul logos… then someone comes up with a theme and style of the business… his big thing is “branding” by really creating an image with your business. Your customer has to know who you are when they walk through the door. Many of the businesses had HUGE logos painted on their back wall or counter as you walk in, it’s simple but it’s really a great idea. They come in and throw all the old fixtures out, slap on a new coat of paint and clean the place up.
I think what is so great about this show is that the “afters” are so dramatic. When you are a business owner, you really get emotionally wrapped up into the store and it’s almost impossible to stand back and see what your flaws are, where you should make changes or where you should invest your money. You need a business coach or neutral third party to step in and help guide you when you have these emotional blinders on. Peter is a tad heavy on the obnoxious dial (He says, “I’m not gay, I’m British!” whatever that means), but he and his team get the job done and inject a much-needed spark of energy into each business and he gives these business owners a new direction and some hope. I would love to do what he does :)
If you get a chance to watch this show, I would recommend it! I think you can even download episodes on i-tunes if you don’t get the style network (I’m not 100% sure that’s the channel).
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07.22.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 12:33 pm by carrie
Ask yourself…are you an entrepreneur? Do you think you can run a retail shop? Are you willing to take risks, give up vacations and weekends? How do you handle stress? Can you multitask?
Are you creative, good with numbers, sensitive, good with people, outgoing or shy? Can you work 7 days a week, afford to hire a few people, can you tolerate bad news?
I’m a bit all over the place here… but I can tell you, if you are like me… you are creative, sensitive, stubborn, have some ADD and not-so-good at doing paperwork. I love the decorating, buying, arranging and displaying of items. I obsess on it for hours and hours. I like making art when I’m good and ready… when I feel inspired…. have the right light, the right supplies… I’m in the right mood. When I get into that mood or that groove… wild horses can’t pull me away from what I’m doing (I’ve seen many a sunrise). I have an animation and art background… I’m a true (nutty) artist. When it comes to doing paperwork, filing, data entry, figuring out how to use the cash register… bah… I loathe it.
Personality wise, being sensitive and a habitual people pleaser since birth, I was able to empathize with people and really listen to their problems. I wanted nothing but to make each person that came into my store feel at home, relaxed and cared about. The bad thing with taking on each person as a friend, I really internalized every negative story or comment. I took it home with me and it really brought me down. Imagine having 200 close friends… many of them are going through a hard time in their life and naturally, they want to share. Now, imagine going home with dozens of sad stories… and worrying about each of those people. It wasn’t something I was equipped to handle. I felt a bit immature when it came to dealing with these interpersonal relationships, but on the flip side, I did feel blessed to have so many new friends. I just did not know how to shake off those bad emotions. In all my years of retail, I had never felt this way… I guess being the owner of the shop, and being there every day, you build relationships you just wouldn’t if you were working part time or working in the sportswear department of a sporting goods store. Also… I would “pull strings” for every one of my new friends. Discounts, special gift wrap… freebies. I thought I could wind it down as the store got more established, but my new friends came to expect the special service and treatment (I would, too, if I was on the other side of that counter!) Once that was put out there, I couldn’t take it back. I gave too much emotionally and financially. Gift wrap was costing me a small fortune and when I cut back on the frequent discounts and free gifts, my customers got annoyed. It was totally my fault. I wasn’t thinking when I opened myself up for that.
Another thing to mention, I talked about my life with some of these customers, too. I think I told them too much about my personal life. Looking back, I should have never shared as much as I did. Again, not equipped to handle all of that. You may want to make a conscious decision that you will or will not share yourself with your customers. There is a happy medium ground between being too cold to your customers, or being their best friend and therapist.
Click image… an example of being too warm or too cold when dealing with a customer
Commentary on the comic… it’s not necessarily bad to be empathetic, caring and listen to your customers… or even hug them after knowing them for 15 minutes… BUT just be aware that this could create a pattern and be expected every time this customer comes into the store. Now… imagine doing this with 200 customers and 200 customers expect the bar to be that high on every visit. Also imagine 5 of these customers in the store at the same time, all wanting attention at the same high level. Unless you can clone yourself, it is virtually impossible to do. Believe me, I’ve tried it… it doesn’t work. Someone leaves feeling like you’ve ignored them or that you like someone else better (totally not true!). On the other hand, a happy customer will buy more… but how happy do you need to make them? Customer service is very important these days. Lets face it, unless your prices are rock bottom the only way you are going to keep customers is by having awesome customer service, a niche item they can’t get anywhere else or create an experience they won’t forget. The lesson here… don’t be completely cold and be very careful how much time you give away, make a very conscious decision how you will handle any given situation… it’s very important that you set your boundaries, one way or another, immediately.
Lastly… vendors would come in constantly. Some of them were super aggressive. You have to be able to say “no” and walk them to the door. Or have a policy regarding when you will look at new merchandise or how to submit inquiries, pictures or samples. One time, I graciously declined carrying one vendor’s work and told her good luck with selling her items. She left, but not without aggressively yelling “Good luck to YOU! You are going to need it if you don’t want to buy MY product!” Thanks lady. Ugh. I even took that personally. I need therapy ;)
So, that’s my story with dealing with people. Now, on top of that… bad things DID happen. My window broke (possible bb gun shot) merchandise was stolen, I received bad checks, counterfeit cash and phony traveler’s checks… I felt violated. I went home and cried… a lot. I thought I was carefully building a loving, creative and caring environment… then something bad would happen and I would just want to close the doors and hide. Run-ins with customers, neighbors or the landlord when they are having a bad day… you quickly get this “victim” mentality that everyone is out to get you. This may not be you… but I’ve found that a lot of creative people can be hyper-sensitive. If you can relate to this… I’ve got some books for you to read :) And, if you are the sensitive/creative type… you might want to find someone who is good at doing the books… hiring and firing people… someone who can deal with customers until you find a way to handle them professionally. I call this person the “bulldog”. If anything… grab a bulldog and have then help you set up rules and regulations… then stick to them. You’ll have to be strong to survive in your own store :)
If you are more a 1’s and 0’s sort of person… you can crunch numbers, budget and file paperwork like nobody’s business… you may also be ready to open your own store. But, if you want a unique, creative boutique, you’ll need to find someone creative to partner up with… even if just at the beginning. I’m a firm believer that if you are passionate and work hard, you will succeed… but you will need to have a creative edge if you are trying to open something from scratch. I think a franchise is perfect for this type of person. You get the guidelines and expectations up front… then you hit the ground running. It’s an excellent option for someone who is very business minded.
If you are tough, good at filing paperwork and creative… then KUDOS to you!!! (I’m sort of jealous!) We should clone you!
In summary, what I found to be very important, as far as qualities of an entrepreneur who wants to open a boutique are…(and these by no means, represent myself… it’s qualities I wish I had!)
- Thick-skinned… let the problems roll off your back. You don’t take things personally and you can put any issues, problems or complaints behind you and move on.
- Set up rules & feel perfectly fine sticking to them (gift wrapping, returns, other misc. regulations). Do not bend. Post them and refer to them when needed.
- Have strong self control. If you intend on spending X number of dollars at the gift show, only spend that much. Set up a budget and stick with it… no matter how cute that item is.
- Have boundaries with your customers. Don’t tell them too much about your personal life and don’t let them tell you too much about theirs… unless you want it that way. Once you open that flood gate, you can’t go back without hurting someone.
- Set schedule. This sort of goes with self control… but… set up a schedule and stick to it. I clean this day, pay bills this day etc.
- Passion for your business. When walking into your store people know immediately that you love what you do. Find ways to let the joy shine through and renew that love as often as you can, much like putting the “spark” back into a marriage.
- Keep a list of your goals. Daily Goals, Weekly, Monthly etc. Check back to them regularly. Always keep yourself motivated with things you can change and celebrate the things you did change. Refer back to your successes and remind yourself of how rewarding it was.
So, assuming you are still with me, and assuming you want a cute little store…
Homework
Get out a piece of paper…
1. Your store will reflect YOUR personality. What is your personality? Are you sensitive, practical, whimsical or opulent? If you were a customer walking into the environment you created how would you feel? Overwhelmed, comfortable, happy, relaxed? Would you have a lot of clutter in every corner to overwhelm the senses… or would you keep everything neat, clean and orderly (For example… Hot Topic or some other teen-centric store, which is cluttered, fun and loud, versus the Gap or J-crew, which is neat, orderly and clean.) Think of your home as it is now… what do people say about your living space? How would you change it or take it to the next level? Name at least 3 adjective for each of your senses.
For example:
For Violets are Blue I would say…
Sight: Cluttered, overwhelmed with items, lots of color and texture, constantly changing so the customer sees something different every time, dollhouse, whimsical, shabby chic. Items in jars lined up… abundant and inviting. Things hanging from the ceiling which aren’t always noticed, but makes the space cozy… more of a “cave” and safe feeling (High ceilings make you feel uncomfortable and a bit unwelcome.)
Touch: Again, textures… stuffed animals, feathers, wallpaper… put soft things next to ceramic things… break it up a bit.
Sound: The floor creaks giving the feel of an old house, the music reflects the personality of the store with bits from Esquivel, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra etc.
Smell: Candles, soaps and bath salts. Make sure each area has something that smells pleasing to smell… having the candles all in one place is overwhelming and gives some people headaches. Mix it up and move it around. Even the baby section had a Beatrix Potter perfumed spray… light, but nice and worked well in that section. During the holidays, I would try to have coffee… the smell was warm and comforting. Have pumpkin pie for fall, pine for the holidays etc.
Taste: Well, I didn’t have much for taste… we sold candy and sodas… but they weren’t huge money makers. They look really good in the store, though. At least it rounded off the list to cover all the senses bases. We sometimes had samples out for people to taste… I would recommend that!
Have fun with this list… get out every adjective you can think of that would reflect you and your store!
2. What are your boundaries in friendships and relationships? Do you attract needy friends? Are you able to say “no” to people? Look deep into yourself and write it all down here. Think of specific times you have had confrontations or tense conversations. How did you resolve those situations? Were you tactful and did you keep the peace? Think of at least 3 situations that could happen in your store where you could lose your cool (someone breaking something, stealing something, making an unusual request, making a sexual advance, a small marching band enters the building etc… I’ve had all those happen, by the way). How would you handle each situation, in detail? Knowing that if you make this customer angry, they will tell 10 of their friends. Having a game plan for many possible situations is not only smart, it will help you tremendously and it will help you set up fair policies for the store. It’s SO much easier to point to a posted policy/rule than to have to come up with something based on someone’s level of anger. (Been there, it’s scary!) You want to stay calm, keep everyone safe and resolve a disagreement quickly and you have to think ahead all the time!
I know I’m forgetting things, but hopefully, the above is helpful to someone!
Over the next few weeks I’ll also be talking about finding a location, how to buy inventory and more. I’ll also be out looking at locations and post what I find. Again, I’m not an expert… but I hope you enjoy the journey with me!
Happy Tuesday!
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07.19.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 8:11 pm by carrie
Purchase a business book for inspiration…
This is one book that wasn’t in my vast collection… it’s Country Living Magazine’s Crafting a Business.
Just skimming the pages I see 4 artists I’m familiar with… Amy Butler and her fabric company, The French General, Found Cat Studio and Lori Mitchell. Companies I found at the gift store… one found me (Thank you Linda!)… I received the French General book from Susan and Amy Butler… her stuff is everywhere and awesome!
This book seems a little more “You go, girl!” than straight up business information… but it’s inspiration, none-the-less :) Any nudge is a good thing.
So, my homework tonight… read this and take notes :) Also, if you would like to follow along and get your business plan started… get a few books and start reading! :)
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Posted in Main, Mind Wanderings, business-a-go-go at 7:59 pm by carrie
For the past few months, I’ve been sort of sulking around… missing the store and Southern California. I’ve been busy doing odd jobs, some art and unpacking… but I really miss the old routine. I suppose that’s totally normal… but I feel like I should pursue having another store.
So, over the next several months… I have some goals…(posting it here makes me accountable!!!)
- Learn HTML, XHTML and CSS… so I can make a killer website, and make websites for others. I already know a fair amount of basic HTML, but bringing it into this decade would be great :)
- More graphic design and art. More painting, more vector art… more using this smarter-than-I-am tablet.
- Put together a resume website with art, web and animation stuff.
- Get the website back up by mid-August… I have no idea what to sell… any ideas or suggestions?
- Amazon shop? Ebay or other auction site? (Ebay, why have you forsaken me??)
- Research on the area as far as opening a store. I’m finding that the farmhouse, darker wood and rich-colored accent pieces are more popular here than the kitschy-whimsical shabby chic styled items. So, I need to figure out what the area likes before I even venture into the idea of having a store. Also, do I want to rent a tiny retail space or get a small cottage? Lots to think about.
If anything… I find that doing the research super exciting. I light up just thinking about having a store… the possibilities, the decor, the items I’d sell… I love the idea very much. But, I need to be realistic with the economy the way it is… gas, housing prices etc etc. So, I think I’ll just give myself homework to do a little research and post it here… I know there are many of you out there who read this because you want a store or have a store. I’d like to shed some light on the process :) I am, by no means, an expert on how a business works. I just kind of learned the hard way as I went along, and I’m very very thankful for the people who helped me along the way.
Just looking at the pictures below… what the store looked like the day it opened… to the last Christmas we were open. SO different. It grew organically… on its own… I almost feel like I had nothing to do with it. It’s really curious how it became it’s own living, breathing entity. It sounds crazy, but it’s sort of true… and it sometimes got out of hand. If I do this all over again… I want to take my time and be extremely methodical and realistic about it.
So, for me… what are the seeds that started the idea for the store? I did the following:
- I stockpiled tons of inventory. I was already doing street fairs and boutiques… having those 20-something boxes of inventory ready to go and already paid for was key for me. And, when we first opened, 80% of the items were handmade by myself, my Mom or my friends… we grew very slowly from there and added vendors, consignment (not sure if I’d do that again) and vintage items.
- I read every book I could find on having a store or business. I think I had over 20 books. I had been reading them for a few years at least. I think I got 50% of my information from the books and then the other half from just having the experience and being thrown into it.
- Work in retail. I have over 7 years of retail experience under my belt before I even thought of opening a store. It wasn’t until I started hosting my own small boutiques that I felt I wanted a store (for some reason).
- Look at locations. Crunch the numbers. The first space I looked at was huge… in Sunland. I wanted it to be a coffee house/gift store/venue for bands. I’m SO glad I didn’t pursue that space. It would have been a commitment that I wouldn’t have been able to handle (Confirmed later by Tyn and her sister’s attempt at a coffee house… egad!!!). The nearby Starbucks and restaurants would have killed my coffee business… and there is no way I could have worked 6 am - 2 am every day or every day we had a concert. Phew. So, at least I was able to find out how much the rent was, how much the new plumbing would have been… all the equipment and supplies. The loan would have been outrageous. But, now I know. You have to do your research :)
- I would suggest asking other businesses how they do it, but alas… most of the businesses in your area probably won’t share their knowledge. I have to say, I completely understand why. Hours and hours of research… years of getting to know your customers’ wants and needs… it’s a science and an art. Juggling what to buy with what to spend… each business owner has their own secret style. You learn the hard way… and fast. And if you put in years of sweat and tears into something, it would be hard to give away your trade secrets :) Just as if you had a successful restaurant for years and years, you wouldn’t give out your secret recipes. I have gotten bits of information from other business owners… and I’m so glad they were kind enough to share. Some of them were too late… “don’t order those candles! They’ll collect dust!” So, I guess I learned that the “hard” way? :)
- Put together a business plan. Find out how much the rent is… try to find out how much the utilities are. In my experience (don’t quote me on this!)… if rent is X, overhead (phone, internet, electricity, water, alarm, credit card processing etc) is just about half of X. So, if you pay $1000 rent, expect to pay $500 minimum in overhead. This isn’t counting usage tax, inventory, startup costs or anything like that. And I had the bare minimum…. so, if you like fancier lighting, flawless air conditioning, 14 phone lines etc, you’ll pay more :)
I’ll go over things like this more in detail as I get into the nitty gritty of it all…. and if you have a question, please let me know! There are so many things I didn’t know I needed until I got deep into it… my 20 business books mentioned this… unexpected costs… there are SO many of them!!!
I’m laughing at myself as I type this… do I really want to do this again??? Ugh…
So, join me as I dare to start up another retail gift store… or talk myself out of it? hehe! At the very least, you’ll learn something, I’ll learn something… and I’ll get to know my city better :)
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06.27.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 2:37 am by carrie
it’s 5 am… I’m cleaning and can’t stop (obsessive-compulsive much?) and I found this CD that my cousin Ernie gave me of all the photos he took of the opening of our store in 2003… I hadn’t seen these before this morning…
So sparse… new, “green”… and at that moment my Mom, Pam and I had gotten about 30 minutes of sleep each… scrambling around to get things in order. My Aunt Colleen is there, and she passed away recently.
So many reasons to feel so many emotions while looking at these pictures… I miss everything and everyone in them… and there are so many other people not in these pictures that I miss immensely, too!
Please know that I think about everyone all the time! I miss you!! (You know who you are! hehe)
Happy Friday!
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05.19.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 2:29 pm by carrie
I’ve been buying and selling on ebay for just over 8 years. I have had over 4500 transactions.
For years I would hear people complain about listing fees going up, how greedy Ebay has become and I would shrug it off because overall, I have had good luck with ebay. (Knock on wood).
But this last run of sales have been… annoying for me. Out of about 100 things listed, 10 people were giving me a hard time and three of them REALLY tried to manipulate me. One even said they were unhappy with the product and gave it away, so they couldn’t mail it back to me… but if I didn’t give them a refund, they would leave negative feedback. I thought the product and service was acceptable, especially for the bargain price they got the item at. So, I started feeling a little gun shy about the whole selling on Ebay experience.
Then today, Nathan was going to leave feedback on ebay for a seller and got this little pop-up window:
As a seller, being able to leave negative feedback for a buyer was my security net. If the buyer tried to pull a fast one or complain about something, we both knew I could leave negative “retaliatory” feedback. Ebay claims this would “scare” buyers into leaving positive feedback even when they were unsatisfied. Really? Before I purchase an item, I look at the feedback the seller has left for others… if it is smarmy, derogatory and full of *$#! symbols, I refrain from bidding. I also look at their positive feedback, for you know, clues. Ugh.
So, I read up more on the new Ebay feedback policies. Although, it’s sort of hard to understand, the bottom line is that buyers are encouraged to be more “vocal” about their buying experience, and sellers no longer have the ability to leave negative feedback for a buyer. Period. Sellers can, however, wade through the form-filling-out process and fill out “non-paying bidder” forms, “feedback extortion” forms and the like. I love forms, don’t you! Also, the way our feedback score is calculated is different. Normally, one negative feedback would not affect me, but now… if I even got ONE, my score would go down almost a full percentage point.
Sellers are complaining left and right. There are two things at work here… if your feedback rating goes under 98%, you can be dropped as a powerseller and/or your “good ebay seller” discounts can be revoked. Apparently, Ebay is going to revisit this issue in July… sort of let the dust settle and then figure out if they are going to downgrade the powersellers or not. Bottom line is, Ebay gets more money and sellers have less of a voice (those sellers are greedy anyway!)
So, the large guys selling the same stuff by the thousands may survive all the changes and fee hikes, but the little guy will not. Ebay once advertised that they sold “It”, whatever “it” was… well, in my opinion, the diversity of the Ebay marketplace is going to suffer severely for this. That “it” product at a good price is going to go away.
The other thing I noticed with this last batch of sales… people demand above and beyond your normal customer service. The items I sold were new (prices starting at 90-95% off of retail price) or gently used collectibles. I charged either shipping costs or below shipping costs with ZERO handling fees and I still got complaints on shipping costs or shipping time. When is the last time you purchased something online, got 90% off, a low shipping rate AND you got the item in less than a week?? I’m not sure where all these demands came from? Who is meeting this new customer service experience because I would LOVE to shop there! :)
Nathan pointed this model out to me once… really think about it.
1. Good… meaning, excellent quality, good condition, good shopping experience or good service.
2. Fast… meaning, delivered quickly, made quickly or on your doorstep immediately
3. Cheap… meaning, doesn’t cost a lot :)
Pick Two… because really, it’s hard to get all three. Any service… including food service…. it’s impossible to have all three.
For example…
Food. If you want it cheap and fast, chances are it’s not going to be any good.
Service. Let’s say you want fast service for something. If you get something fast and cheap, it’s probably not going to have very good quality. Or, if you want it fast and in good condition, it probably won’t be cheap.
My brain is starting to hurt. I need to go do art or draw or something :) Can someone else handle the “business side” of my business? I just want to throw glitter on stuff ;)
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03.04.08
Posted in Main, Sale!, business-a-go-go at 6:54 pm by carrie
If you missed our liquidation sale at the shop… have no fear! I’m going to have a garage sale sometime in March! :) I’ll have all sorts of stuff from the store AND things that I had hidden in my own private stash ;)
To be notified of the sale, and to get directions etc etc, leave a comment here (make sure to include your email address in the comment form, only I can see it) and I’ll shoot you an email when I figure out the dates :)
Have a happy Tuesday! :)
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02.25.08
Posted in Main, business-a-go-go at 8:09 pm by carrie
The very last day we were open up at the shop was yesterday. After 27 days without a day off, I did nothing today… it was glorious :)
It’s funny… it seems like everyone else is taking this much harder than I am. I thought I would have my major emotional breakdown yesterday and… nothing. I had one misty moment about a week ago, but it passed very quickly. I was able to scrape off the hand-painted dual logos on my windows with ease. I think it bothered Maylene more than me ;)
I have to say, I’m amazed at how this decision was made in just moments after thinking about it for over a year. I encourage any of you who have a stressful decision to do this… write about it, think about it, ask yourself about it right before you fall asleep… you may not get the answer you were seeking, and it may take months and months, but if it *hits* you like it hit me, it was clear and obvious. I’m so grateful that this transition came from a positive place… very very grateful :)
I’m very excited about moving. I’ve been doing a ton of research, tivo-ing anything that has to do with the area and having a great time telling people who want to hear about it. There have been SO MANY of you who are interested in moving to North Carolina. I’m tickled that you want my input :) I’m convinced I got at least 5 couples to move… who’s next? ;)
On to business stuff…
There are still fixtures being picked up by their new owners…
I will be open this next weekend for pickup & for those of you who may still want to shop our sale:
Friday, February 29 - 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 1 - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
I’ll be in and out of the store all week… you can also leave me a message and we can coordinate a time to meet (818-541-1115). My very last day at the store is Saturday, March 8.
Now you know everything ;)
A lot has sold, but I still have some fixtures, office furniture, a little fridge, a few xmas trees, little bits of home decor, a couple of lamps, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and other holiday decor… come check it out :)
Have a great week everyone… and thanks again for all your support!!!!! It has really helped!
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