Aren't Children Precious?

Hello again so soon!

Yes, I know! I just posted and normally I don't post so quickly, but I experienced something today that hit home with me that just compelled me to write and share my thoughts and hopefully offer a little support to you shop owners, because believe me, you were all on my mind.

As the holiday season shopping is starting to really hit into high gear, more and more shoppers are trying to cram more into their day and that usually means bringing along their little ones while they shop for gifts. And as we all have experienced at one time or another, especially as shop owners, is that precious little ones aren't so precious when they are climbing all over your linen bedding or playing with your glass ornaments that are dangling from your display tree and the mother is completely oblivious to the entire scene.

I and my best friend Bob, who popped in from NYC to surprise me for my birthday this weekend, went shopping the antique malls today. He and I go way back and shopping antique malls is something we do very well together. Anyway, our little shopping excursion was disrupted by some squeals, but they didn't belong to us (not yet at least) but rather they were the very high-pitch squeals of little ones running amok from the next row over. As we both studied my new-found treasure (a fabulous little leather purse that he bought me for my birthday), we waited to hear a stern adult voice from the next row to quiet the little "darlings," but the awaited stern voice never occurred. We then heard more loud laughter, and little feet stomping, and then yes, finally, something fell and crashed to the floor, then the expected crying, and then finally, an adult voice calmly saying, "Emily...Joshua...come over here... please...stop running...okay?" And so Emily and Joshua just ignored "the voice" and kept running, while one sniffled and then laughed and then knocked something else over again and then finally, I heard the voice, somewhat closer this time, ask them (not tell them) to please stay with her.

By the time we went around the corner, the family was on a different row but we saw the aftermath left behind. The booth the kids were playing in had some antique toy furniture and vintage baseball gloves, a bowl of old baseballs as well as other items that were probably too irresistible for little sticky fingers to remain off of. My storekeeper instinct took over and Bob, having been a dealer himself, we put the booth back together (grumbling about out of control kids) and I couldn't help but think of the the many times I had to deal with the exact same situation in my own store with oblivious parents and unruly children. I did learn how to handle the situation a little better over time, but in the beginning it was rough.

I thought I would share with you some of my experiences and hopefully this may help you in a rough spot, especially right now when you most likely have a lot of breakables out during the season. Like I said, I was not good at handling those situations in the beginning of my store-owning days. I have no doubt I was probably a little too blunt in the beginning, but as I look back, I will admit had I not been blunt in a few situations a child could have been seriously hurt or I may have seriously loss some inventory, or both.

I will never forget the one day a woman came in with three very unruly kids, all under the age of seven. Unfortunately, she took a great liking to me and became a regular customer for a period of time. Her kids would just terrorize Monty, my store dog (a cute pug), and just ran amok literally around the entire store as the woman seemed completely blind to it all. To make it worse, the woman would occupy all my attention with non-stop questions about the merchandise so I had to entertain her every thought while trying to keep an eye on the brats. I'm sorry, I know kids get tired, and cranky and have their limits, but trust me when I say that these kids were just plain out of control and demanding. Every time they came to my store, they were always slightly messy and looked like they always just had eaten lunch with their hands, and they looked like they never seen a comb. But I found it odd they always had on very expensive clothes. It was strange.

Well, this one day, they came in. I could hear them before I could see them and I tensed up immediately. They came running in, screaming and wanting to see Monty and the mother completely ignores them and shops. She starts to talk to me but the phone rings and I go behind the counter to answer it. I am on the phone for a while and I look up and I see some sort of shadow moving on the ceiling but didn't pay attention. When I finally manage to get off the phone and move towards the front of the store, I see that the little girl has climbed UP into my store window (it was staged area) and she was TWIRLING the heavy wooden shutter door that I had suspended from the ceiling on wire!! In order to even get into the window area, she had to have gone around the two chairs and climb onto the stage area. As she laughed and twirled and twirled the shutter door, the wire was about to snap and the shutter door, which was about 9' tall, and weighed at least 50 lbs or more and would have either fallen on the girl, or through my window, or on my very expensive French upholstered chairs. The shadow I had seen flickering on the ceiling while I was on the phone was coming from the reflection of the twirling door! The mother was busy reading from a book, standing about only two feet away, oblivious to the entire scene while her two little boys were climbing on my custom bedding. I could see the wire was ready to snap and I was no where near the display window and out of instinct I just yelled out loudly, "HEY!! STOP THAT!!" And I raced up to the front of the store. And my fear just took over and I yelled again as I reached for the shutter and I yelled again, "GET OUT OF THE WINDOW!!!!" The little girl scrambled down and started to cry. I still remember my heart racing as I looked up at the wire and hooks and realizing I needed to take it down, it was no longer safe as I watched the hooks jiggled from the ceiling. As I held the shutter, my heart still racing, and looked over at the boys on my custom bedding and I yelled, "GET OFF THAT BED!!!!" And the boys were in shock and they jumped off and they started to cry as well. The then mother looked at me like I was crazy....I know I must have sounded like a crazy woman, but she had know idea how heavy that shutter was, and at that moment I remember I didn't really care how crazy I sounded or looked because I promise you my heart was beating and I could actually hear my pulse in my head.

I calmed down and tried to sound normal (fat chance) and told the mother that I would hate it if anything happened to her children and then I sort of lost all diplomacy and sternly told her if she can't keep her children from touching my things, and off the furniture, and out of the windows, and keep their voices low, and away from my dog, and stop them from running in the store, then perhaps they all need to come back when they are older and better behaved. I said this from the store window while I was still holding the shutter door. I then told her I would now have to get out my ladder and rehang this shutter because it is no longer safe and the wire is weakened and the hooks are ready to come out of the ceiling.

I don't think I have to tell you the mother was very huffy, not apologetic, and left and I never saw them again and I was very glad. I have no idea what rumors she spread about me, I just hoped she spread them to other parents who also had unruly children. But I remember that day like it was yesterday, and now today, hearing "Emily and Joshua" in the antique mall today brought back those memories. But, this story isn't the example I want to pass on to you on how to handle such situations, I was just sharing with you that I had my moments - not very good ones - that I could have handled a lot better had I had more experience and a little more preparation.

Now I would like to add that I was very fortunate to have had many wonderful little kids in my store that I watched grow up over the years. I loved having them in the store and I felt very special when they would run up to me and hug me. That's the problem when you get so many wonderful little ones in the store with attentive parents...you get caught off-guard when one of the "others" cross your threshold. :-)

Here are a few ideas I learned over time that helped during those rough spots when the child is man-handling your goods and find your good mood going sour quickly. Preventive measures is always the best. Below are some of the things I tried to do to help prevent any issues from developing in the first place.

Signage: I put little cute signs in certain areas that would kindly asking not to sit on bedding, chairs, or whatever. Yes, of course, kids can't read, but hopefully parents will take notice. I also put a couple of simple little signs in little areas stating reminders such as:

Thank you for not sitting on the bedding.

This vintage chair is very comfortable! After

you buy it your children can it enjoy it then too.

Free puppies, a bag of sugar, and a toy drum set to all children

who run, jump, or play with items as if this is their personal

playground. (I would put a smiley face and write it in a cute font.)

Well-behaved and well-mannered children are always

welcomed and encouraged to stay as long as they wish.

We are grateful for your business and we are blessed

that your next generation will continue the tradition of

shopping with us as well. Please watch them carefully.

Then there is the verbal preventative mesures as well such as when a customer with children enters the store, I would welcome them and if the mother looks tired, I would offer to take her packages to the counter to free her arms. (Which helps her to keep an eye on her kids.) Also when a family enters, I would ask the kids their names. Calling a child by their name makes it much more personal when you say gently, "I know that is pretty, Jennifer, but let's not touch the glass. But let's look at the baby clothes...." If a mother has an infant, and if cooperative, I would ask to hold the baby (if possible) which gives the mother some rest and allows her more freedom to shop. If she has a little toddler or younger child, I would introduce Monty (my pug) to the children after asking the mother if her children likes dogs. Having a very friendly and loving store dog is a great source to occupy children. Most of the time, children knew exactly where Monty slept (behind the counter) and would come up the counter and politely ask, "Can Monty come out and play?" and I would let the children come around the counter and they would stay there the whole time and pet Monty. Or, if Monty was awake, he would trot to the door and greet the customers and 99% of the time, the children were so excited to see him, the rest was taken care of. The mothers loved Monty and how the children instantly were occupied and happy while they shopped (and I was instantly happy as well).

I would also help "guide" the slightly oblivious parent when their child just seems to be getting into things. I would say things to the parent such as, "I would hate for Jennifer to get hurt if she pulls that shelf over....it isn't as steady as it looks..." Or I would say something to the parent like, "You might want to keep Jennifer close to you, I just quickly put out a lot of glass gift items that came in today and I haven't had time to move them to high shelves." Then there was my fallback line when the parent just seemed deaf and blind to everything and I was just fed up: "Your child must be getting really tired and a boutique like this just couldn't be any fun for a really tired or bored child. " I didn't use the last line often, but when I did, I said it with a smile, but firmly.

And finally, there are some common sense things I would do as store owner as well. Such as, I would try my best to design my displays with very fragile or expensive things put out of reach of little, sticky fingers. I would make sure my aisles were wide enough for strollers. I would keep sharp corners (antique metal cabinets, vintage wooden shelves with metal corners) that are the height of little eyes out of the way of pathways, and all white linens and vintage gowns, I tried to keep on tables, shelves, or folded on a taller bed. I know it is impossible to keep everything out of the hands of children, but there are measures that can be taken to lessen the damage, stress, or possible injury.

There is so much joy in running a store. Besides the business of it, which we all know is so stressful, there is also so much joy. The joy of seeing your customers, which then become your friends. Joy of knowing that you just found the perfect item for your store that "so and so" is going to love because you have grown to know your customers so well. The joy of hearing the praise from new customers who step into your store for the first time and the greater joy of hearing praise from your regular customers who have been a 100 times and they are yet thrilled again with your new window display. But all this joy is too good to go to waste over some out of control kids that are screaming and running around in your store. You don't want to find yourself running in your store screaming like a maniac and finding yourself standing your store window holding a heavy shutter window while glaring at crying kids who are clinging to their mother's leg. You would then have to wonder who is the real menace?

Back to my shopping trip today. I did hear the screaming kids row after row and the mother either didn't care, didn't notice, or gave up and was too pooped to deal with it. Either way, the dealers of the booths were sure to find their spaces in need of cleaning next time they came in to stock up. I had to smile though at my memory of my own screaming as I ran up to my own store window to grab the twirling shutter door and the thought of how I must have looked. I would like to believe I advanced in my customer relations skills since that moment.

But such moments remind us we are only human with our limits which also apply to tired moms and tired and bored children as well...which only connects us humans all the more together...sticky hands and all.

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

Time Isn't Always Money

Feeling on top of the world are you? Retail season almost over and you are just itching to show the world what you are made of aren't you? I loved those days when "granny panties" were thought of as cute and not a devastating reality of comfort over fashionable. But really, how many of us really end up in the emergency room with our pants needing to be cut off anyway? But I digress... (and no, that is not a photo of me...had it been, I would have been dragging about a bolt of fabric...)

Question: How are you going to spend all that extra income you are currently making during your holiday sales? Or what about that load of cash you made on Black Friday? And don't even get me started on your after holiday mark-down frenzy of shoppers that will be knocking down your doors with credit cards waving in the air looking for those sales. With all that cash in the bank, I am sure you are planning a huge advertising campaign to start off the new year with, right? Oh, I'm sorry, wrong blog, for a minute there, I thought I was writing a blog to Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or Nutri-System...because they are the only companies that I would bet on that will have a good cash flow in January and February as the annual diet of nearly every American starts every year (and ends abruptly every March).

But for the rest of the retail world of reality, sales, cash and shoppers are never steady or a sure thing and especially in this economy it is especially important to plan ahead on how to get the word out about your store, to keep customers coming back, and the big questions is: How to do this cheaply and effectively?

Recently I was invited as a guest speaker to speak to a group of women business owners in a cute, vibrant town here in Missouri who had that very question. They wanted to know how to get their name "out there" and what are some of the best ways to advertise and more importantly, the avenues that produces results. I thought I would share with you some of ways I got myself out "there" and hopefully there may be an idea or two that may be of use to you, or at the very least, inspire a new concept for your particular situation. Every one's situation is different and set of circumstances create new opportunities to try different things. Below are just a few ways that I tried with the little that I had to work with.

First, I will start with the obvious. Go to your Chamber of Commerce and make sure you are on every free local business guide and local website. Next, look at your local paper and find the Home section and usually there is at least one day where an editor or feature writer addresses a home issue (or a topic that relates to your type of store). Once you identify the type of articles that the newspaper features that caters to your interest, then send them an informational packet of your business.

Informational Packet (or also known as Press Kit or PR kit) can be a variety of things. Also, many also send the electronic media type as well. Both are important and both can be very simple and inexpensive. Most importantly, make yours stand out. At the very least, have a sheet with an overview of your business (the who, what, where) and a two or three (max) statement of what your business is all about. It could be something simple like: The Restful Nest is a comfort-inspired boutique for those seeking cozy home furnishings, locally handcrafted home decor, and soothing senses for the soul. Organic lotions, soaps, and body oils are part of the bath and body collection. Gift certificates and custom gift baskets are available and orders accepted on our website www..... you get the idea. Include a brief list of products (unique products!) that you sell, any services you offer, and most importantly, all contact information. Yes, I know the last is obvious, but you would be surprise how many times a website or email address is left out. Finally include a short bio of the owner and a photo of the owner. Always, always, always, include a couple of product shots, interior store shots, exterior store shots and keep them up to date. Have all photos on disks at all times. Include your business card, and any other press you have received as credentials. So to sum it up:

A Press Kit (at a minimum)

A business overview

A business who, what, where, when

Store hours, phone number, location

Owner bio, photo

Store photos

Product photos

Product list

All this in a nice folder

And all this on disk as well

Keep it simple, short, clean, visually appealing and neat. You might want to send an email to let the editor know you are sending it so they may look for it.

Now, who do you send this to? You send this to all your local design or home magazines. You offer to the editor story ideas and the use of your inventory for props. You offer it to local newspapers for the same. You send it to possible charity events, home show events, design events, or whatever your store is related to, get involved in the community.

Now....word of caution: Before you send ANYTHING out...make sure you have your ducks in a row. Editors always need stories and you may get calls before you know it. Many times an editor of a local magazine will send an assistant over to hunt down a prop or to do a quick shoot for a little story at the last moment and without even calling you ahead of time...they just show up! You want your store to always be photo ready. And always give the photographer a disk of your own stock photos...many times they will use those photos and that gives you a little more control of what may be used in the feature.

Volunteer as much as you can in local events to get your name in programs. Or donate items. I donated gift certificates all the time. For a while, I probably averaged 50 - 75 certificates a year. I donated beautiful gift certificates offering one hour of my consulting services. This got my name all over town in all sorts of charity event programs and many of the times the certificates were never redeemed so it was really free. They were just auctioned off or bought for the cause at the event itself.

I also did show houses a lot when I had a store. This was very time consuming and can be expensive. But it got a lot of publicity and it showcased my work. My work always ended up in local magazines, and in all three cases, my work ended up in national magazines. The photos were already taken, they were just submitted to editors of magazines.

Always get the latest editor list inside the magazine (they change often) and email them with a query letter and samples of your story idea or read their magazine and see if there is a regular feature you may be able to fill for them.

Finally, pool together with other store owners and buy a combined ad. Now we are finally getting to the paid stuff. Everything I mentioned above is all FREE! I rarely paid for all my major ads. I did however, pay very regularly for ads that came out at least twice a month in the local paper. I did it non-stop for 5 years. Study the ads in the local magazines and newspaper and see which ones catch your eye and why. I can tell you right now which ones will stand out without ever opening a single magazine or newspaper. It will be the ad that is clean, shows your unique personality, has a good photo (does not have to be color) and the print is good and not always lot of it. Studying ads was a favorite past time of mine (and still is when I have time). But sometimes, having an unique ad isn't always enough. It is important to realize where you ad is placed in the publication and what the other ads surrounding your ad will look like. Most of the time, this is not possible and unless you have a large advertising budget to pay for placement, you won't have a say. However, if you study a particular publication long enough, you may get a feel for the sort of advertisers that regularly place ads and what they look like. This may help you decide who you are competing with in space, looks, and how you may make your ad stand out just a bit more (change it up just a tiny bit) to help yourself out in that particular publication.

Now for the sake of "teaching by showing" I am going to go out on a limb and show an example and by NO MEANS do I mean to imply that any of these ads are in need of "fixing." In fact, many of them are my favorite store owners and vendors who, I feel have ads that express their personality and business perfectly. I feel safe in using this example just to show a point and nothing more. So, back to my point of ad placement. When researching where to spend your hard earned dollars on an ad, take a look at what type of ads are already in that publication. It is very smart to place an ad in a publication in which the readers are likely to be your customers, but at the same time, you want to make sure you get noticed. So for or example, if you had just quickly glanced at the back of Romantic Homes, and saw these ads, what do you see in common?

Do you see it? There is a lot of PINK in almost every single ad. You see, each ad is very pretty and very unique...on its own. But, once the ads are all on one page (which makes it affordable) they begin to resemble one another simply because of the color. So now what? You say that your ad and logo are normally pink and so now are you suppose to change things around just to stand out when I am just about to tell in a moment to be consistent with your ads? What is up with that? No, I wouldn't make any drastic changes, of course, but I would take note of what type of placement I am getting, who is around my ad, and how I could make mine stand out a bit without losing my "look" or personality. It might be something as simple as changing the boarder to a deep brown or using an actual photo (very crisp) of a product instead of a graphic, or maybe even using my aging (but smiling) mug shot to welcome readers to visit my website...who knows. But the point is, no matter how thoughtful and pretty your ad is (and by the way, I think all the advertisers hit the target perfectly for the market of readers for this particular magazine), if it is on a page filled with other very thoughtful and pretty ads, then there is a risk of not getting the attention that you deserve and worked hard to earn.

Which leads me to another very interesting topic that I never really understood in all the years I have been doing this. Like I said earlier, I really do mean it when I say I study ads. When I owned a store, I did it for business reasons and research, but I now I continue to do to see trends, and it is a little passion of mine. Something I have noticed over the years is that so many business owners seem to have ads that look so much alike! I never understood this. I would look at our local magazines (which are very nice) and month after month I would just be amazed at how the local fashion boutique ads ALL had the same feel, same color family, same font family, and even similar layouts. Locally, I would see so many of the same qualities in one form or another: Photo at the side of the ad of with a young, chic skinny girl posing with lots of white space in the background surrounded and edged in brown and pink colors (and now lately blue) with text on the right side of the page and the store's logo and info in a colored banner along the edge of the ad. Lately it seems to be trendy to make the store's information in CLEAN, TINY, ALL CAP FONT. When there is a sale in the ad, the trend seems to be to have one large photo of a product and then tiny print of store info at the bottom in a banner.

Now, I am not saying these are bad ads. Not at all. In fact, most look very clean, classy and done very well. The problem is (in my uneducated opinion) is that so many of them look so much alike that if I were to cover the stores' names, it would be very hard to guess which ad belonged to which store. This is nothing new. I have noticed store ads looking a lot alike for years now and I always wondered why. Does one store see a great ad and then go about designing an ad just like it because it is so nice looking? Or, are all the stores using the same marketing firm that has very little creative juice to actually come up with original layouts for many different clients? Are store owners wanting to fit in and not stand out thinking they will look more legit with an ad that looks like all the others? Do store owners feel a little lost in ad design and turn to see "what's out there" and feel more comfortable just doing what appears to sell because, hey, they see it in a nice magazine so it must work? I think it is yes to all those questions. I address building your business look and making it your own in another Shop Talk that may assist you.

When thinking of paying for an ad, you don't have to be wizard at this and most likely you may have to pay someone to design it, but remember, you have the final say so you must do your local homework. But remember the basics. You DO want to stand out. You want to get your message across without a lot of clutter, but with this clean line look being so popular now, going to the extreme may have lost a little of its appeal so don't scale down so much that you lose your personality. Unless you are very modern or that was your look along and you were just ahead of the game and the rest of the industry just caught up with you! :-)

Study ads in your local area and decide which you like and don't like and why. Are they easy to read? Do you know in an instant which ad belongs to which store owner? Is contact information easy to see? Are the boarders clean? All these things are important. And one last note. Never accept the rate card price for a newspaper or magazine ad. That is the price the salesperson gives you upfront first. Those prices are always negotiable and the rate card is just a starting point. I should know because yes, once upon a time, I use to sell advertising and so I speak from experience. Many times, an extra ad can be thrown in or maybe it can be ran a little longer or even be offered in color at the same rate. You just have to ask about it.

Also, when it comes to ads, please be consistent! I have seen too many business owners change, and change again their logo, their look, their font, color and so on and when their ads come out over and over again, there is no equity built in to their name because no one really recognizes them. Find out what works and stick with it. Make sure you can read it in print, on line, in a magazine, in newsprint, in a program, on a business card, on a postcard and so on.

And then there is the blog world, emails, websites and all of that. That wasn't so necessary when I owned my store. But for now, if I had my store today, I would definitely have at least a website to at least give people contact information even if that contact information was to just lead them to your blog, which is easy and free to maintain. If you can do more, then great. But now we are talking about much more expense, more time to update and maintain and so on. You have to use your time wisely.

There are so many other ways to advertise, but this is a start. Once you get some local ads going, then if you want something national, that usually comes to after you get some local articles. But practice doing all this locally before you do anything nationally. You may only get one chance and you don't want to blow it with a national editor. They are extremely busy and get tons of emails and snail mail. Be prepared to wait a while before you get a response and then be prepared to go at the last minute as things change so quickly in the magazine world.

Now, having said all of the above (whew!) I am going to be perfectly honest and let you know that all the articles and features that have been written about me or my store have not, in all reality, produce any real extra income. It is great for the ego, and for credibility, but when it comes to the bank account, not too much increased (unless you have a very busy online store up and running, then maybe). But like I said, early on in my store owning days, online stores were not nearly as popular and blogs were almost non-existent. But like you, it is nice to see our business in print, but financially, it had little effect. And from talking to some fairly big-time store owners who regularly are in the "big-time" mags, they too tell me that all the press doesn't lead to bigger bank accounts at all.

If you are one of the very lucky few who can afford a real PR person to handle all of this for you (and I wasn't) and you don't have to take the photos, or write the bios, or get the mailings out or down load the photos to disks and so on, then that is wonderful because it all takes so much time. But, most likely, it will be you that does it. But once you have it done, then it is easy to just whip out a kit, and get it in the mail. But for those of us who aren't in the position to hire a person to do every single job that needs to be done (run the store, do the bookkeeping, answer the phone, create displays, order inventory, design our ads, create PR kits, keep up with the mailings, design the website and maintain it, change out window display, shop for inventory, spend time with customers, the list goes on and on...) unless you can hire someone to do all of the daily duties of owning a shop, then the best advice I can offer is to spend your time wisely on how you want to advertise. It is time consuming to do it right. And ask yourself if you just want to be recognized or do you want more money in the bank. Because each of those ways takes a lot of time and there are only so many hours in a day.

I hope this helps give you some ideas and know that I wish you only the best. And I would love to know that your sales this retail season were really so good that you don't even need to read this post because you can afford to hire a PR person to take care of all this for you. I, unfortunately, never got quite that far.

But, I did learn a lot! :-) I learned the hard way, the expensive way and the time-consuming way. I hope I am able to save you some of those troubles. And I learned that there are many other ways (better ways) of doing things. I was just blessed that God took mercy on me and decided to help me limp along and make things happen. He is good to me and I am not sure why sometimes. But He is good to us all if we just ask, have faith, and know He gives us just what we need just at the right moment every time....in His time....not ours. (That is the hard part for me. Always was and still is ....sigh...)

Happy $elling and I am proud of you,

Elizabeth

Is The "You" Being Inspired or Influenced?

Hello!

I hope all is well and I have been thinking a lot about you lately as I have been taking classes on improving my computer skills as I work on my website and I recently had a consult with a business owner who wanted some input regarding her wanting her own website. I thought I would pass on my thoughts to you as I feel that with the recession still in full swing and as the retail season comes to an end, retailers look for ways to keep sales going and one way is to "change things up a bit" and a lot of times that might mean attacking their website.

Change is good and sometimes even necessary. But this Internet thing can be a real beast sometimes. Once upon a time, shop owners only had to really worry about the competition in the same town, but that was many years ago. Now, the competition can be many countries away via cyberspace. But, no need worrying about it because there is only one "You" and if people like what "You" are doing, they will keep coming back to "You."

But that was exactly the problem with this business woman that approached me for advice. She didn't know who "she" was when it came to her website. She hadn't developed a "you" yet, if that makes any sense. She was trying to start her website and she was doing all sorts of research on the Internet looking at all sorts of sites and determining which ones she liked and why and which ones she didn't like and so on.

She told me she liked "this site" and "that site" and a little bit of "this other site" and the color of "this new site" but then she also like the layout of "that well-known site" but she couldn't decide if her site should be like that or not because her favorite site just changed to a new font and she liked that font but the other sites had a different font so maybe she would stick with the old font on that "other site" since she already decided on that but she still wasn't sure about the color because this other site had that same color but the color she really liked was different.....aaaahhhhhh! Do you see what I mean???

So while this business woman was definitely doing her research (as she should) and she was definitely inspired by all the creativity she discovered on the Internet, she also crossed that very thin line from being inspired to being influenced.

Let me say that again: It is a fine line crossing from being inspired to being influenced.

Inspiration is the creative match we need to get that spark to help build our own fire. You know what I am talking about. I am talking about when we just are so pooped (or we think we are) and we come across someone, or read about something, or see something and then...ding! ding! ding! Suddenly we aren't so pooped anymore because our fire is starting to blaze again because we just got to get going on this great idea that someone prompted us on (or that we read about, or heard about...) and we want to get started before we either forget it, or lose our mojo at the moment. That is being inspired.

Being influenced is the very fine line of leaving inspiration behind and relying on someone else's ideas that "somehow" become our own. One could light match after match under someones butt, and no fire would light because there is no unique idea...only borrowed influence of other ideas. Now let me restate that again too.

Many times, some people cross a line and rely on other people's ideas and not only rely on those other ideas but actually take them on as their own. Many times, that line is accidentally crossed, not intentionally. Now there is a legitimate way of doing this: Paying a professional for her ideas and come to an agreement or at the very least give credit where credit is due to the originator. However, even the person who is being paid to come up with an idea should take pride in being unique and not rely on borrowed influence as well. That is her responsibility to her paying client. The professional should take the time to help the client be as unique as possible and not fall into the trap of relying on old tricks of the trade or rely on just what's trendy.

And on that same note, should we ever just want to go out and out borrow (okay, take) an idea from another creative soul, then for gosh sakes, first get permission from its creator, then give credit. There is absolutely no shame in that at all! I have done that many times. I've known even the best to borrow! Debbie Dusenberry, from Curious Sofa, read about my paper page wall I did one Christmas in my store and she fell in love with it and wrote all about it and how she was "going to steal that idea all over the place" and she did! She got my permission, she gave me credit all over the place and then she took my idea and added her own twist. (Which was a fabulous twist by the way - a twist that I wish I had thought of...so I wrote her back and told her that I am stealing her "twisted idea" all over the place as well! And so it goes....)

However, we creative souls, for the most part, thrive on the fact that we are unique and why would we pay someone for their idea when we want to create our own? Pay to execute it - sure! But as creative folks, we are the creators of ideas. So, of course we are always finding inspiration. But if we actively seek and look for inspiration instead of just finding it, then we are going down the narrow path of borrowing ideas instead of creating our own. This businesswoman that I was advising was actively looking (and I mean really hunting) for inspiration. That told me loud and clear that she had no idea about her look, what she wanted or who "she" was as a business identity. She only recognized ideas that were already formed, created, tried and tested...in other words, she was playing it safe. She was being influenced, but not growing. Inspiration ignites us to further ourselves beyond our initial beliefs. Inspiration challenges us to step out and not play it so safe and open ourselves up to show the rest of the world what we are made of. Whether or not others agree with us, like us, or "get it," doesn't matter because at least it is the real creative us they are seeing and not some watered down version of what we wish we were. Like I stated earlier, there is truly only one of YOU so why in the world would anyone trade that in for second best?

So, are you pondering a new project, change, or addition to your business and feeling a little stuck? Are your creative juices feeling a little dry? I know I have now and again. Are you feeling a need to search out a little inspiration to get you going, but also wonder if you are truly being inspired? To put it simply for you, below is a simple checklist on the differences between inspiration and influence.

See which list you are feeling more familiar with these days:

Inspiration produces evolving ideas and the ideas evolve into creative action

Influence produces only a need to seek more ideas

Inspiration ignites a drive within to produce

Influence ignites a drive of envy if no unique, creative idea is ever produced

Inspiration is contagious and makes one want to share our new-found discoveries

Influence, at best, wants one to reach out and take more, not share

Inspiration is a match that lights our own low burning fire that needs just a little fuel to get us going again to a full blaze of creativity

Influence is someones else's fire that has burned brightly and in which we take an ember or two and call it our own fire or at least convince ourselves that it was our little fire all along

Inspiration is energy producing - we become self-sufficient by our own fuel of creativity

Influence is energy depleting - we convince ourselves that these ideas that we are smuggling into our projects, websites, business, art forms, ...etc., they are really ours for the taking all along

Inspiration is to be shared and admired and is a blessing to those who come in contact with it

Influence is most likely a hidden cost to one's internal credibility

If you find yourself feeling so pooped and the creative juices just are not flowing (and believe me, it is so easy to get to that point this time of year) it is easy to be influenced. Remember that I said that many times, we cross over the line unintentionally. But that doesn't mean we lost it. It just means we are pooped! We need to make sure we never lose "The You" because that is the one thing that can't be taken from us and we certainly don't want to give it away by allowing our creative work to become influenced rather than inspired.

It appears to be difficult to be original in today's cyber market. And on some levels, it is. But the one thing we all have going for us is that we are truly, truly one-of-a-kind. The best and most valuable asset that any of us may have is what is right between our ears. (Now that is a scary thought for me!) I have personally seen several websites that looked like my old website and in fact, there is one particular website out there that is exactly and I mean exactly like mine. I was in total shock when it was pointed out to me recently. I was even more in shock to discover that this woman proclaims to be a web designer and yes, she is even very well-known in our cyber circle of designers, artists and Internet store owners.

I debated with myself a great deal about what to do about this. At the moment, I have decided to do nothing. Her site is fairly new while mine was up since 2003. I find it very sad, and disheartening that someone of her stature and fame would stoop so low to actually steal not only my design, but the font, color, and even photo placements and flash of every single element. She not only has an online store, but she offers services as a "web designer." I have decided at the moment to let it be. Why? Because she is obviously out of ideas and is no longer in a creative state of mind, but has allowed herself to be influenced. If she needed a design that is almost seven years old that badly, and yet calls herself a "web designer", and then has the nerve to "copyright" it as her own, she is not only desperate, but unethical as well. I am "flattered" that she found my web so theft-worthy but mostly, I am sad for her. I will not name her and I only bring this up to show that even those who are known, have the resources, and the experience, can become so dried up, they lose sight of who they are (or at least who I thought they were) and resort to unethical practices. Even more surprising to me is the friend who brought light of this situation, continues to do business with her which I struggle with on several levels as well. But I digress....so, all the more reason for me to make sure I remain inspired, and not influenced as I work on my creative projects as well.

So you see, even the very (once) creative and still well-known people can cross the line from being inspired to being influenced. Changes to my website are in process and most likely a link to my old site (on my history page) will be available once again. How the woman who stole my original web design responds to that is out of my hands. However, I am very confident of "The You" I have created for myself over the years will reflect in both my old and new site loud and clear and I hope my new site will be a source of inspiration.

I have also recently experienced others personally near to me who either didn't take the time, nor wanted to take the time, to really find their own unique style and have the adventurous pleasure to discover "The You" of who they were and as a result, were very influenced (borrowed) quite a few of other business owners' creative ideas and ended up with what I call a mish-mash of ideas that watered down their business identies. There is nothing that really stands out about "The You" of their business identity. Is this a sign of there being no new ideas? Or perhaps all the new ideas are taken? Of course not. It is simply a sign of very easy accessibility of ideas in our era of cyberspace and for those who lack ideas or creativity, the Internet is a candy store for them. But for those of us who have more ideas than time, money, or energy to see them all through, we have no worries. :-) (Just lack of sleep from trying to do it all!)

So the bottom line is this: Who is The You of your business? And how are you representing The You over the Internet and in other areas of your business as well? Until one can answer very clearly The You portion of one's business, then in my humble opinion, one should refrain from "researching" other websites to get ideas until one has a very clear idea of what The You wants in the first place. Once The You is really clear, then researching the Internet is more of a exercise of inspirational growth which challenges us to evolve our ideas rather than a hunt and kill expedition which, in the end, just guts and cleans the kill for our own personal (and questionable) use. I see so many, many beautiful and creative websites that inspire me (many of you own them). They inspire me to do better...not better than them, but to be better for me and for my purpose. To better my You. Does that make sense? I love challenging my You to grow.

The Internet is competitive and yes, it can be lucrative. Shop owners, who really have my heart, work hard...so very hard, need the encouragement to know that while their wonderful websites are being watched, it is not always in a good way. The better The You for your business is, the more inspiration you offer (which is such a wonderful gift to others). But at the same time, your website may influence others to take more than their fair share of your ideas and start claiming them as their own. Yes, we can copyright, take the legal route, and so forth, I understand that. What I am talking about are just a wee less tangible, but yet glaringly obvious all the same time. That we can't stop, but we can be a little more alert and have some positive self-awareness that when the time comes for us to make some changes to our own creative businesses, that we always stay inspired, that we don't cross the line into being influenced, and to never forget who we are. Remember it is The You that we took the time to develop is what keeps all "Of Them" coming back again and again. :-)

I hope this posting helps those of you who may be in midst of business change or creative project. I am so very proud of you all. Your endless hours, little pay, and supportive family are truly understood by someone who has been there done that. It is my hope that by sharing my experiences that perhaps I can lessen the amount of your been there done thats so you can move forward to a lot more of doing this and doing great positive experiences!

Here's to "You"

Wishing you a very Merry Retail $eason,

Your biggest fan,

Elizabeth

Recession Relationships

Hello Recession Retailers!

It has been a while since my last Shop Talk posting and having just returned from the Miss Frenchie April in Paris show in KS City, I have been thinking  a lot about you shop owners. The extremely long hours I put in preparing for the show, and the very long hours on my feet during the show, chatting, visiting, selling, and answering questions with many, many customers, (over 650 customers walked through the door in one day and one evening!), I had one customer who really caught my attention that got me thinking about you shop owners.

I had one very nice customer come up to me and we chatted for a bit. Before she departed, she gave me a hug and told me that she couldn't believe how busy I was, but how I found time to visit with her for a while anyway. She then told me that she always reads my blog and how she has commented on my blog over the years and how I have responded to her comments almost every single time. She told me that having me respond to her comments meant so much to her!

Well, of course, I was very flattered, and very happy to hear this, but what I found so interesting was that it was my personal attention that seemed to keep her as a "customer" and as one of my readers. I think with the recession going on in our country and all retailers (large and small) struggling with the public hanging on to their dollars, we small retailers have a huge advantage that larger stores do not - we can provide personal customer service! Now, this is nothing new, or earth shattering, but I feel now, more than ever, customers just want to feel appreciated and actually want to spend their money in places (or on people) that they feel a personal connection with and actually like.

Giving personal service can't be faked. A customer can spot it a mile away. So what do you do if you just aren't the chatty Cathy type but want to get to know your customers? Or what do you do if your employees aren't the type to chummy up to a new customer easily? Again, faking it is not good. But showing real interest, no matter how tentative, is always good. Below are some very simple, but honest questions, or conversations starters for you to try with customers. Now, some of you, this is not even an issue. This is old hat for a lot of you. But please remember, this posting is for those who are brand new to the retail business and may be nervous, or just may need an idea or two because they are just too pooped to think of one more thing. So, please understand that I am not trying to insult anyone's intelligence.

Simple questions I used to ask when a customer would enter a store:

Hi, how are you doing? If you need anything, just holler, and let me know. (Yes, I really said the word, "holler" which would crack some of the ladies up - but hey, I am a Texan.)

How did you hear about my store?

Have you been here before?

Are you planning on having lunch in the area today? (I would then steer them to my friend's cafe down the street).

If you want to talk politics, religion, or men, I am nixing the first two, but I am all over the last subject... (I usually used this with a group of giddy women who are laughing when they come in...)

Are you familiar with the other stores in the area?

If you find anything at all that slightly or remotely interests you, your better half called and said for you to get two of them... (I always said, "better half" because you never know a person's situation...)

I am so glad you came in today...now I have someone to watch the store while I go out and get a bite to eat...can I bring you back something? All you have to do is answer the phone....

If a customer comes in that has a great outfit on, I would ask where she got it, or I would comment on the weather, local happenings, or if she is from the area. Sometimes, she may not feel like talking, and that is important as well. Sometimes, she just wants peace and quiet.

The point is, personal attention is something the public is craving right now and I received too many comments this past weekend at the show regarding how much I "visited" with the customer and how much they enjoyed it. Yes, it takes time and effort and no, it doesn't always result in a sale. BUT, the "visit" shouldn't be about selling - it should be about visiting. Selling comes naturally during the "visit." Well, at least it should - with practice. No one wants to "be sold" to. But everyone likes a good visit now and again. I also make it clear when I am selling. For example, this past weekend, I was swamped!! I finally had a moment where there were about 10 ladies in my area and one lady asked about my French incense and I started to explain it, and realized I hadn't had a moment to really show how this stuff works, so I raised my voice loudly and said, : "Attention! Attention ladies! I am doing a quick infomercial about my French Incense since I have so many of you here and this will save me a lot of time...." I then told them the story about a Frenchman who came into my store one day and was just appalled and very confused that I sold this stuff in such a beautiful store (it is the French version of plug-ins). It would be like going to France and entering a beautiful boutique and seeing a bin filled with cans of Lysol. I then demonstrated to the ladies how it is used and I explained how I used it when I lived in Europe and so on. It was quick, people love a good story, they laughed, and I sold all of them right then and there. The point is, just be yourself, be honest, and really care about your customers and they will really appreciate it in the long run. 

One of the nicest compliments I use to get as a store owner was from a customer who would come in to "visit" - she told me that she never felt pressured to "buy" when she came in. She was poor as a church mouse, but somehow, by the end of our visit, she always ended up leaving with a candle or lavender - because as she would put it, "I just have to take a small piece of Elizabeth House home with me." And not once did I ever "sell" her, and not once did she ever feel "sold" but rather, "befriended" when she came into the store.

I think if small store owners could put their efforts in befriending their customers (well, as much as possible) during this recession, perhaps that could help increase sales, keep current customers coming back, and encourage new customers to become repeat customers. Just a thought. I have no data to back up my thoughts - just some experience and gut instinct.

I know you are working so, so hard and have so many worries. I know you are doing your very best and this posting is to encourage you, not another "to do" on your already huge list of things to do for your store. You are doing well - very well. But this last weekend at the show, made me realize how much people seem to really want a connection right now and I wanted to pass on my thoughts to you.

Happy selling and I am really proud of you!

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

Mind Your Own Business

Hello! Thank you for continuing to read my Shop Talk series, even though its postings are not regular. I would like to discuss an issue that is sure to come up sooner or later as a business owner. I want to share with you a sentence that I have used before and it served me well:

"That is not how I run my business."

At some point in every business, you will come across a request, a client, or situation in which you are forced to rethink your business. And even more commonly, well-meaning (and even mean-spirited) people like to offer suggestions on how you should do things. Always one to want to learn, I do listen to the "advice" and take what I need and throw out the rest. That is just common sense. We all do that. But, there are times that if the suggestion of how to run our business is not taken, the "advisor" can become persistent in wanting to get his/her way.

Some common examples are: You don't offer lay-away. The customer may become persistent or start criticizing your policies. You then just simply say: "That is not how I run my business." No explanation needed. Or there may be a time in which a customer complains about how all the other stores stay open until 8PM, and that your store closes at 5PM. Again, my favorite reply: "That is not how I run my business." Or, a client wants to only purchase 5 of your custom soaps (that you sell wholesale to store owners), but you require a minimum of 10 soaps, again, "that's not how I run my business" comes in handy.

I once had a customer come into my store (many years ago when I was fairly new at this) who wanted to hire me to furnish her entire second floor with furniture. She had lived in the home for almost four years and the second floor still remained bare. I had never seen her before, but she "heard about me." I explained my consulting fee and how my consulting service and shopping works. We made an appointment for the next week. A few days later, this customer calls me up and tells me that she and her husband were not comfortable paying me by the hour. That instead, I should just come over and see what she needs, and go get it for her and she will pay just for the furniture at whatever price I come up with and my payment will be the profit I make from the furniture sale.

First, I was startled by the offer. And I did think about the offer for a bit. I know how much work it takes to find the right furniture, ordering, delivering and so on...but that isn't the point. What I didn't like was not only how she casually approached my business, especially after I explained how my service works and after she agreed to an appointment, but what she basically was telling me was that my time was worth nothing. Only the furniture was worth paying for. So, this was my reply to her:

"Jane Doe, while I appreciate you wanting to hire me to find furniture for your second floor, I am a little taken aback at you not wanting to pay for my time, but only for the furniture. What you are proposing is like hiring a baker to create an elaborate wedding cake with all the frosted details. And once the cake is delivered, you only want to pay for the sugar, flour, butter, and eggs. I have the eye, the taste, and the ability to pick out furnishings that fit perfectly in your home that many do not. If it was easy to do, your second floor would be furnished by now. I am sorry, but that is not how I run my business."

I then gave her an out and told her to think about it and to talk to her husband again. And that I will cancel the appointment and should she reconsider, she could always call me back. I never heard from her again, which I knew I wouldn't. I may have been new at retail, but I also know when someone is waving a carrot in front of me - and no one, and I mean no one would ever "pay whatever price" I put on a piece of furniture.

I once had a customer that required a lot of "hand holding." Meaning, she always needed to know every single step of my process, how I was doing something, and had to put her two cents in all the time I was working on a custom order for her. She expressed many times that she didn't understand why I charge extra for a particular service because according to her "that should just be part of the job." No matter that I explained up front that this service was extra, and she agreed to that, she continued to "tell me for future reference" that I should not charge for it. Finally, at one point, she once again said, "I just don't think you should charge for this service, it should be part of the project." I said to her calmly and with a smile, "That is the beauty of owning one's own business. I get to run it any way I choose. I don't run my business that way." And by the way, what she was asking for (too complicated to explain) was most definitely not a part of the project.

So please remember that it really IS your business. You can run it any way you choose and you can change the rules anytime you choose. Of course, we all hope to run our businesses smartly and to make changes smartly. But bottom line is: it is our business to run how we see fit. Luckily I had only a few "suggestions" on how to run my business. Some were good, some were just stupid, and some were mean-spirited. But like I told one customer who chastised me loudly for closing my store for ten minutes (I put up a sign on the door when I am out back getting a delivery) and how if SHE had a store she wouldn't keep customers waiting outside. I just simply told her that it sounds like she needs her own business so she could mind it.

I hope my experiences help you to remember that your business is ran by your rules. And also know that simply because someone wants you to do something out of the norm for your business, you don't have to give a reply right then. You can just say you will get back with them after giving it some thought. I do that all the time. Never feel pressure to make a decision on the spot when you are unsure. There are very few times that a decision can't wait. Most of them can.

Happy Selling!

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

The Business of Doing Business

Hello! This is a continuation of my post regarding my attending the Country Living Magazine's Women Entrepreneurs' Conference in Chicago. I found this seminar very informative, inspirational, and comforting - comforting in that it is nice to know that most business owners don't have all the answers and even the seasoned owners continue to ask questions. Below are a few simple notes that I took away with me and wanted to share with you. I also have to put in my two cents worth, which are the comments written in red:

Random general notes about business as a store owner in no particular order:

*Divide up what you want to do into doable parts and then prioritize

*When it comes to advertising, if you are a wholesaler, get your customers (the stores) to help pay for the advertising

*Getting your name out is in the form of marketing, publicity, Internet, press releases, word of mouth

*Everything is about branding. Brand is a style promise, a quality promise, it keeps us separate from the largest competitors. (I am a big believer of this. I find that many new store owners do not spend nearly enough time really thinking about this. What makes yours store special? Why would someone shop at your little store when they could go to a larger store and get a similar product much cheaper? Branding, branding, branding is second only to location, location, location.)

*Design what you love - it is hard to sell something you aren't thrilled with (very true!!)

*Co-op pricing: manufactures help pay the retailers' ads, and the retailers pay for part of the ad that the manufactures are producing as well

*Set up a structure for sell: where do you want to sell? Who sells your product?

*Getting into the right gift show to sell your products is vital. Not every gift show is your market

*Regarding press releases: email is expected, but sending out something for the recipient to actually hold in their hand is very nice (these take more time, but I have always gotten great response with mailed press releases!)

Notes on E-Commerce site:

*Sometimes, it only takes one really good product to start the ball to seriously roll! Don't feel as if you have to sell everything to everyone. Start small.

*Learn about what you want, like and don't like regarding Internet stores

*You must be ready to sell the moment you up link your site. This means, shipping, phone calls, emails, packaging...

*Consider inventory integration for your site. This is a system in which your inventory on your site is monitored and your site will tell you when it is time to re-order, how much you have in inventory

*Load balancing: make sure your site can handle a heavy load of hits, emails, and responses

*Make sure there is a way for a customer to actually contact you

*Invest in security measures in place for credit cards and hackers

*Don't store credit card numbers or information. Don't set yourself up to be liable for stolen information from your employees or hackers

*Stellar photography is a must

*State all policies: return policies, shipping, product information, warranties, ship time...

*Rent email addresses - people who have signed up to receive targeted product emails

*"Go Ugly Early" meaning it is better to get it out and get it sold even if your site isn't really pretty (I have to disagree with this piece of advice. Unless you are selling only spark plugs, duct tape, tires, or light bulbs, then maybe you can get away with this. Internet stores are popping up by the 1000's daily! After a while, they all look alike - unless you take time to make yours special. I really think it is important to not only make the site easy to navigate, but it must be eye-catching and fun to shop!)

General Inspirational Notes:

*Don't judge the outcome of your dream too soon (VERY TRUE! I am not good with this, but it is important to remain patient, listen to your heart, and don't let others get you to make changes too soon. I once was in a co-op in which the owner of the store made changes almost weekly! Store hours changed, the hours, what she sold, and so on. She panicked only after 8 days of doing business and started to make frantic changes. Not a good idea at all. All the more reason to study your market, know what you are selling, who are you selling to. This particular owner was letting the surrounding neighborhood dictate her business when in all reality, her market of customers was several miles away, not down the block.)

* The power of a positive "no" is important. Learn to say "no" so you may say "yes" to those things that are really important to you

*Create what you want and have the courage to change what doesn't work (All because you switch gears, change a dream, adjust your path, or change course all together does NOT make you or your dream a failure. In my opinion, the only way someone becomes a failure is when that person just gives up all together. Changing a dream, or putting it on hold, or making adjustments simply means you are smart enough to navigate through the obstacles to get what you want, when you want it.)

* Only say "yes" when you can truly say "no" (This means that when you say "yes" to something, that most likely means you will have to say "no" to something else. For example, only say "yes" to something if that mean you must say "no" to attending your child's play, or giving up a job, or put something else on hold. There is nothing wrong with saying "no" to get ahead with your dream, just make sure that when you decide to say "yes" make it worthwhile.)

"Leap and a net will appear"

*Build up personal stamina, passion, courage

*To conquer fear you need to gain knowledge, gain support and come up with a plan. Then fear is replaced by excitement

*Recruit people who have knowledge and strength

*Never have coffee twice with any man or woman who drains your energy or discourages your creative spirit (I can't stress this enough. There are too many people out there who are truly excited for you. Seek those people out and hug them!)

Business Plan Notes:

*Write a plan in two ways: Emotional framework (look at your dream) and Practical framework (action steps to make your dream come true)

*Ask yourself: what am I building and why? (This is your vision) What are your short and long term goals? Why, where, and how would people hire me, or buy my products? What is the work to be done? Tasks, dates, responsibilities need to be written down. Then ask, does this plan support my dream?

Me again:

These are the notes that I jotted down and I felt they were worth repeating. Some are very basic and may be even a no-brainer to most. However, we must remember that we all had to start somewhere. I wish I had these notes way back when I first began dreaming about owning my own business. I hope you find these notes a little helpful in your adventure of starting your business or growing your business.

It is an honor to offer suggestions that may make your venture a little less painful and serve as a reminder to have fun with it! Bottom line: if you aren't having fun most of the time, then you might want to change paths. Life is filled with a ton of jobs that aren't fun...and unless you are having fun doing what you are doing, then I hope you are making a ton of money doing it because I know on a personal level that I could easily go work for another company in corporate America and make four times the amount I am making now. But my heart and spirit needs to be filled more than my bank account (for now at least). May your spirit soar and along the way, your bank account too! Now that is a dream come true!

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

http://www.elizabethhouse.us/

Policies and Procedures are Pieces of a Puzzle

Have you ever seen a puzzle that was in pieces and wondered what the finished product would look like? Or maybe an item, such as a toy, that was in parts and it took actually reading the instructions to construct it properly? It is human nature to just go along and do things willy-nilly and to fly by the seat of our pants as long as things are working....but when they don't work? We usually take time to pull out the instruction manual and read what we should have read in the first place to make the project go much more smoothly.

The same is with a little shop. We shop owners lack two things: time and money. We sometimes have to do things on the fly! And usually, it isn't until a situation confronts us do we start thinking about how we could have avoided it in the first place in the form of store polices. We don't have to have a large department store to have rules and policies for both employees and customers. In fact, employees and customers have come to expect rules. What kind of rules you make in your own shop will depend on how you want to run things. Below I give you some ideas on the rules and policies that I incorporated into my own little shop and I hope they give you some ideas on what you may or may not want to use for your own business.

I kept my shop policies pretty simple and easy:

I do not offer lay-away. Why? Mainly storage space and I did not want the task of making sure that a customer's item did not get damaged. I also did not want the added labor of keeping track of the item, the down payment and so on. And I learned this by offering lay-away ONCE to a customer. After that lesson, it became "policy" of no lay-aways.

All sales are final. Now this is a stickler, but I do not apologize for it. I am not Target, Walmart or Bed Bath and Beyond. My space is very limited and my inventory is to sit on my floor only once - until it is sold and I do not want to deal with it again. A lot of my items are antiques and the few that are new, or that I ordered, are not refundable to the companies from which I order in the first place. This is more common than one might realize. I post "all sales final" signs throughout the store, at the counter and even have it printed on the sales receipt.

On rare occasions, I will allow a customer to purchase an item (usually with only a check) and take it home to make sure it "fits" right - such as a chandelier or a large mirror. They have 24 hours to return it should it not work and they get their check back. I write this all on the receipt and make it CLEAR that after 24 hours, the items is theirs. Why? Again, I learned the hard way and had a customer who took two weeks to return a mirror and right after she returned it, I incorporated a new "24-hour policy". I never allow upholstery pieces to be taken home to see if it fits...too many chances of it coming back dirty, torn, or just maybe a little spot. Most items, and I do mean most, can be measured and the customer can determine if the size fits or not without needing to "borrow it." Most customers understand and don't fret over it. However, I did have a customer who wanted to return a bar of lavender soap because the color did not match her wallpaper. Aaahhh...that is when the policy comes in so handy.

I don't allow antique dealers or "pickers" to leave things behind in my store with my employee for me to review when I return. This policy is for those of you who have an antique store. Many "pickers" (people who find items and then sell them to you) will stop by wanting me to buy what they found. Many times, I am not in the store and they would leave it "so Elizabeth can look at it when she returns." I have no room for the items; I do not want to be responsible for them; and I do not have the time to make the phone call for it to be picked up (which could be days later). My employees were pretty good at judging what I would like or not and would tell them to come back later. Now some of you may want this, even welcome it, and that is great. For me personally, I found way too many times pickers leaving things for me to buy that I would never, ever put in my store in the first place. Just use your judgement.

I don't discount my new items or European items. In an antique store it is customary to ask the owner if she can do better on a price. I did not want a store in which bargaining was the norm and I did not want to have to price my products to adjust for the whole bargaining scenario either. It took some time, but eventually I got to the point that I rarely had anyone asking for discounts. It was store policy (and my employees knew it) that I did not discount my new items (soaps, lotions, jewelry...) nor my European items. No apologies. I know my prices were more than fair. On American antiques or if someone is buying a lot from me, I would make a deal, if asked, and only if I wanted to. Most of the time I didn't need to because my store wasn't really the "dealing" kind. Now you may want to deal, encourage it, or need to and that is fine - I will be at your store as soon as it is open to deal with you! :-) I just didn't want to do it daily in my store.

Mostly, your store policies come about through experiencing a less than wonderful situation in which a having a policy would make things easier. In other words - school of hard knocks. I am hoping to lessen some of your knocks by sharing my own.

My simple employee policies were short and sweet. Again, as you grow and change, policies do too.

Employees are to always greet every customer and thank them upon leaving the store.

The only dress code I had was to dressed in a comfortable, but stylish manner. I never, ever had an issue with this.

Ensure that candles are lit, music is playing, and all lamps are turned on - the atmosphere of a store is very important!

Employees were not allowed to buy an antique from the store until it had been on the floor at least 60 days. If every time I went shopping and got back and allowed the employees to buy all the "new" stuff I found, my customers would never get a chance to see what I hunted down for them! :-)

Those are the main policies. Now employee procedures are a different matter. Procedures include how to make a sale, credit card transactions, filing receipts, opening and closing the store procedures, answering the phone, and so on. Those procedures will come as you hire and as the employees ask you. The more you have in place, the better. Just be open to change - if your employee is basically running your store daily, and she makes a suggested change, listen to her because she is the one doing the selling and may know of a better procedure.

I hope this gets you thinking about how you want to run your store. Nothing is written in stone and most likely you will change things as needed - and you should! But you do need to decide if your sales are final or not. Will you discount or not? Will you allow lay-aways or not? How long can a sold item remain in your store? And so on.

But for now, just remember this: it is YOUR store...you pay the bills, you put in the sweat, and you place your ego on the line...you should never feel the need to apologize for your policies nor change them under pressure. Any changes you make (and you will) are only because YOU see a need for a change.

Now...go out make another kind of change - the kind you can ring up in your cash register! Cha-ching!

from my house to your house,

Elizabeth

http://www.elizabethhouse.us/