I've had a Facebook account for awhile, mostly for personal use. A colleague created a Facebook page for the store, and we had some success getting a group together for that. But yesterday, I really took the plunge. I began tweeting (via Twitter of course) and I set up my LinkedIn account. I contacted all of the people in my store and personal networks and quickly developed robust LinkedIn and Twitter networks. Then I connected Twitter with Facebook (though I'm still figuring that one out). One useful feature of LinkedIn is the option to "recommend" businesses and people you've had good experiences with, so I spent some time going through my contacts and giving recommendations where they were due. And in return, I got some recommendations of my own. Perhaps the best thing is I can now communicate with customers, potential customers and business partners more often and more efficiently. I'll let you know if this actually pays off in terms of new business. I imagine this is a longer-term process like most networking.
On another note we've extended our summer SALE through this SAT only -- 50% off gourmet gifts, 30% off spa gifts and Spartina handbags and beach accessories, 20% off gifts for babies and kids. We're getting ready for the new holiday inventory, folks, so take advantage of these great prices while the existing inventory lasts!!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Random news from a rainy Thursday...
I have reheated my coffee and I am ready to blog (yes, I am turning into my mother, not quite at the point of having coffee with my afternoon or evening meal but definitely needing the coffee to be oh-so-hot when I am drinking it).
This morning I networked. Deep down I hate networking events. I'm always running late, I get anxious on my way there, and I usually have difficulty inserting myself into conversations with lots of people so I make a connection with maybe one or two people in the room which makes the event rather inefficient. However, I did enjoy today's event. I made 4-5 meaningful connections (networking is really a longer-term process, right?) and the speaker did a good job of reminding me how my communication skills impact my business (hopefully she wouldn't cringe if she read my blog.) It also felt good to get out there with other business people, something I need to do more often. Working alone all the time makes one a little neurotic (as if I wasn't neurotic enough before). On occasion, my doorbell fails, and customers have walked in and caught me in a complete two-way conversation with myself more than once.
So now I'm in the store, alone... it's almost noon yet outside it is dark enough to be 8pm. And it's raining. And the street leading to my parking lot is closed due to the road basically being completely removed and resurfaced. And I want to tear my hair out because my surroundings aren't exactly inviting customers in today. So to distract myself I peruse the Globe headlines. Terrible things are happening to people, great things are happening to people, the Gates aftermath continues, some people are apparently building business empires against the current odds, Giselle B. has a baby bump, lobstermen in Maine have gone all old west on us and pulled guns to settle territory disputes (think about that next time you have a lobster roll!), and the New England economy is apparently coming back (feeling a little skeptical about this, but okay, I'll take it). So I take heart in this last bit of news and get off the Globe site so I can get some real work done.
And in walks a customer. She eyes the Harbor Sweets line of chocolates, one of my top-selling gourmet lines. I suddenly remember that all "gourmet" items in the store are 50% off through Saturday (during slower months before the holiday inventory starts rolling in you really want to move existing food and beverage inventory), and then I realize, belatedly, that this deep discount probably shouldn't have applied to a strong performing line like Harbor Sweets. So she decides to buy much of my H.S. inventory. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just not the most saavy approach I could have taken. But even Harbor Sweets will expire and it is preferable to recoup the expense and move on vs. pulling unsold but expired inventory from the floor!
Here is my list of "to-do's" for the rest of the day, in case you were wondering :)
-Design ice cream sundae basket for customer
-Wrap and pack for shipping a new baby gift box
-Reschedule a dental appointment
-Add contacts to my new corporate marketing database
-Log my Weight Watcher's points online
-Order new recycled paper shopping bags
-Update press section on the store website
-Re-price rack of earrings
-Re-organize back office and stock room (or at least start the reorg) so we can (1) most importantly, move around back there! (2) get files in order to complete Quickbooks entries for quarters 1 and 2, (3) set up new photo station for new "basket menu" project, and (4) create organized intake system for new holiday inventory shipping coming soon.
Cheers,
Emily
This morning I networked. Deep down I hate networking events. I'm always running late, I get anxious on my way there, and I usually have difficulty inserting myself into conversations with lots of people so I make a connection with maybe one or two people in the room which makes the event rather inefficient. However, I did enjoy today's event. I made 4-5 meaningful connections (networking is really a longer-term process, right?) and the speaker did a good job of reminding me how my communication skills impact my business (hopefully she wouldn't cringe if she read my blog.) It also felt good to get out there with other business people, something I need to do more often. Working alone all the time makes one a little neurotic (as if I wasn't neurotic enough before). On occasion, my doorbell fails, and customers have walked in and caught me in a complete two-way conversation with myself more than once.
So now I'm in the store, alone... it's almost noon yet outside it is dark enough to be 8pm. And it's raining. And the street leading to my parking lot is closed due to the road basically being completely removed and resurfaced. And I want to tear my hair out because my surroundings aren't exactly inviting customers in today. So to distract myself I peruse the Globe headlines. Terrible things are happening to people, great things are happening to people, the Gates aftermath continues, some people are apparently building business empires against the current odds, Giselle B. has a baby bump, lobstermen in Maine have gone all old west on us and pulled guns to settle territory disputes (think about that next time you have a lobster roll!), and the New England economy is apparently coming back (feeling a little skeptical about this, but okay, I'll take it). So I take heart in this last bit of news and get off the Globe site so I can get some real work done.
And in walks a customer. She eyes the Harbor Sweets line of chocolates, one of my top-selling gourmet lines. I suddenly remember that all "gourmet" items in the store are 50% off through Saturday (during slower months before the holiday inventory starts rolling in you really want to move existing food and beverage inventory), and then I realize, belatedly, that this deep discount probably shouldn't have applied to a strong performing line like Harbor Sweets. So she decides to buy much of my H.S. inventory. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just not the most saavy approach I could have taken. But even Harbor Sweets will expire and it is preferable to recoup the expense and move on vs. pulling unsold but expired inventory from the floor!
Here is my list of "to-do's" for the rest of the day, in case you were wondering :)
-Design ice cream sundae basket for customer
-Wrap and pack for shipping a new baby gift box
-Reschedule a dental appointment
-Add contacts to my new corporate marketing database
-Log my Weight Watcher's points online
-Order new recycled paper shopping bags
-Update press section on the store website
-Re-price rack of earrings
-Re-organize back office and stock room (or at least start the reorg) so we can (1) most importantly, move around back there! (2) get files in order to complete Quickbooks entries for quarters 1 and 2, (3) set up new photo station for new "basket menu" project, and (4) create organized intake system for new holiday inventory shipping coming soon.
Cheers,
Emily
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Branding Issue
I've learned a lot over the past two years, but the most salient issue for me today (other than the economy and the poor weather in our area this summer) is the fact that consumers appear to have a psychological barrier between the concepts of "gifts" and "gift baskets". "Traditional" gift baskets can carry a bit of a stigma, and I've tried to "reeducate" the local consumer market with my special brand of gift baskets, mixing some of the best giftware on the market today with a build-a-basket concept and the opportunity to create perfectly tailored, one of a kind baskets, carefully designed by yours truly.
To build a broad inventory base and supplement my revenues throughout the year, I decided to market both specialty gifts and gift baskets in the same store. Well, marketing does not appear to help join these two concepts in the consumer psyche. Most PR about the store has also perpetuated this dual concept/branding. The PR seems great, especially since it has mostly been free in the form of great articles and product spotlights in local press. However, these days I keep hearing the same thing day in and day out from people who venture into the store: "So isn't this a gift basket store?", or, similarly, "I never came in before because I figured it was just gift baskets", or, "I love this store!! I thought it was just gift baskets." Yes, an unknown (and probably large) number of people have simply not ventured into the store because they haven't had the occasion or desire to buy a gift basket. And the fact is that we carry some of the premier gift lines on the market, with over 1200 gift items/SKU's.
I can't switch to 100% gift baskets because that would temporarily shut down my daily "general gift" revenues (not to mention not jive with my strong desire to have the dual biz) and I don't see any reason to get rid of the gift basket component. So I've decided to play down the gift baskets. I just hope I can recover the missed customers soon enough to keep things afloat. I'm starting a new push to market my gift baskets to corporate customers, who are traditionally a strong gift basket market, and dreaming of the day when I have the perfect balance between corporate revenues and in-store business so I can fully enjoy my two passions, running the store and designing the baskets!
To build a broad inventory base and supplement my revenues throughout the year, I decided to market both specialty gifts and gift baskets in the same store. Well, marketing does not appear to help join these two concepts in the consumer psyche. Most PR about the store has also perpetuated this dual concept/branding. The PR seems great, especially since it has mostly been free in the form of great articles and product spotlights in local press. However, these days I keep hearing the same thing day in and day out from people who venture into the store: "So isn't this a gift basket store?", or, similarly, "I never came in before because I figured it was just gift baskets", or, "I love this store!! I thought it was just gift baskets." Yes, an unknown (and probably large) number of people have simply not ventured into the store because they haven't had the occasion or desire to buy a gift basket. And the fact is that we carry some of the premier gift lines on the market, with over 1200 gift items/SKU's.
I can't switch to 100% gift baskets because that would temporarily shut down my daily "general gift" revenues (not to mention not jive with my strong desire to have the dual biz) and I don't see any reason to get rid of the gift basket component. So I've decided to play down the gift baskets. I just hope I can recover the missed customers soon enough to keep things afloat. I'm starting a new push to market my gift baskets to corporate customers, who are traditionally a strong gift basket market, and dreaming of the day when I have the perfect balance between corporate revenues and in-store business so I can fully enjoy my two passions, running the store and designing the baskets!
Welcome to my diary!
Hello.
Since I was little I've enjoyed writing.
Also, I meet people every day who say "I've always wanted to start a business like this," or, "So how is business?"
So I figured I'd start blogging about my gift business. Basically I'm planning to talk about what it's like each day (for me) to work in and run a gift store. Some posts will be very serious and others, hopefully, will be somewhat humorous. I hope my blog is meaningful, educational, and entertaining, even if not all at the same time. And I suppose the little extra spotlight on my store can't hurt from a marketing perspective. I will certainly share some of my favorite products and gift ideas with you.
Cheers,
Emily
Since I was little I've enjoyed writing.
Also, I meet people every day who say "I've always wanted to start a business like this," or, "So how is business?"
So I figured I'd start blogging about my gift business. Basically I'm planning to talk about what it's like each day (for me) to work in and run a gift store. Some posts will be very serious and others, hopefully, will be somewhat humorous. I hope my blog is meaningful, educational, and entertaining, even if not all at the same time. And I suppose the little extra spotlight on my store can't hurt from a marketing perspective. I will certainly share some of my favorite products and gift ideas with you.
Cheers,
Emily
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