Your first year open...

JbNormandog

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Posts
3,751
Loc
NJ
Hi everybody,
I have been open a few months, things are slow and I have been trying to get us noticed. I am hopeful as we get closer to the holidays things will change.

Tell me your best or worse stories of your first year open. I need to know that I am not alone in being alone (in my shop).
When did you know (if ever) that your business was going to stay open?
Any advice or stories will be apreciated.

Bob
 
Bob,

We are coming up on anniversary 3. We advertised and marketed like crazy the first year to be sure people knew we were here. It worked. We had a great first year and holiday season.

We still continue to advertise and market... but sometimes customers are fickle and they just don't show up when you want them to or need them to.

I knew I would stay open as the business came and I was able to keep the pipeline full - and that in itself is where the hard work lies!

Worst stories are more dumb than worst! The things we learn as we take a new path.... We say it all the time that we are glad we opened early in the year and had alot under our belt before the holiday season came!

But as is in life - we are constantly learning, changing, improving, correcting - the path of our business...

Good luck

Roz
 
Hi Bob, I don't have any really "bad" stories. Sorry (I think??) (No, actually, I'm not sorry at all!
)

But, I have been open a little more than two years. I opened right before the holiday season and did Great that first three months. Then I hit the new year. I was reminded constantly of those old Maytag repairman commercials! Now I;ve "kind of" gotten used to it. One day, NOTHING, NOONE, NOWHERE. The next (maybe) I have both design stationed filled and people waiting. Earlier, there were more Maytag days, later, there have been more of the latter.

Apparently, it takes time. Also, from what I gather, there will always be Maytag days.
 
Cliff, Good analogy - Maytag Days!!! It happens! But the "other" days make up for it - it just gets lonely!!
 
Oh Bob, I forgot to say ... I don't think you ever KNOW that your business is going to stay open!
shrug.gif
 
Thanks everybody for your input. It is a help to know that others started the same way.
On the positive side I am now great at solitare.
 
Ok, so if I made any mistakes it was being on TG too much or playing a bit of solitaire too often.

Might I suggest instead ... draft a letter to local photographers/designers/purchasing agents/whoever might use your service. When you have time, pull names from the phone book and address letters.

For the price of a stamp you a) keep busy, and b) might hit on some great business.

Also, go to your front door and walk in and look at the shop as if you were a first time customer. Is that sign straight? Should it be over there? Would a table there be good?

I'm not talking about spending money! Just keep looking. I find periodically I see things I've never seen that have been there all along.

I could go on and on, but basically there's always something you could do. Trust me, when you're busy you'll wonder why you weren't doing those other little things while you had the time.
 
I would not be sitting around. I would be reading books on marketing (Gorilla marketing and Gorilla PR are great books about using time which you probably have, but not money which you probably don't have), books on retail sales, working on my elevator pitch, writing and mailing press releases, looking for some event to meet potential customers, creating samples of framed work to use for up selling like the same print in single and double mat, making sure the store is spotless, reading magazines about art and decor trends, calling up galleries and bugging them, sending out mailings to current customers and bugging them....
 
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