I got sick yesterday so Allan had to run the show alone. He did great ... even talked to a few people. But we were late opening the shop due to my getting sick and I guess we missed a lot of people. Oh, well ... you win some you lose some.
I did get a little depressed today. I see shops that just have opened (and one who hasn't even opened) getting business and I wonder ... did I chose the wrong thing to sell. People seem interested, but no one is booking anything. Either we just missed their birthdays or the ones they have are in the spring. Doesn't anyone have a birthday to celebrate here before Christmas?
I am going to go in this week and start making pinatas ... maybe show people I am creative ... as if the design of my shop wasn't proof enough!
Sorry if this is not the blog post you were hoping for ... just keeping it real. At least my day job seems to be picking up ... I got a taste of it today and will get more of a taste on Wed and again on Thurs. So I guess I can rely on that ... for a while.
I've been following your blog on your shop opening...one thing that I think can be an issue on no bookings is the time of year - folks are thinking more about Christmas than anything else right now (even though there still is Thanksgiving). Also your shop is a cool idea but with the way the economy has been - folks just don't have a lot of extra money to spend on a party.
ReplyDeleteKeep your chin up Janet! Start contacting day care centers, Head Start Programs, Girl Scouts, City Recreation Departments (we always do a Christmas CAC event for them)public libraries (always looking for someone to come and present cool programs for them), do a presentation for MOPS, join your local chamber of commerce and attend meetings and bring business cards! Rent booth space at fairs and festivals (vendor fairs are the latest rage and lots of them go on before Christmas)ask your church if you can host a vendor fair with a portion of the merchants profits going to a particular project or mission as well as you having a table. Do a fund raiser for a local group like the Humane society (we did a stuff a pup program) and raised nearly 300 dollars for our local shelter and got GREAT and free publicity too! I know its hard in the beginning but necessity is the mother of invention and you will invent your own opportunities. The sky is the limit!
ReplyDeleteTina M.
P.S. Dont forget to do a website, even a small informational one that people can google and see your products and store, would be helpful.