Q&A: Choosing a Booth Location

I recently received this comment from reader Connie: 

Hi Debi, I love your site and refer to it often! I have a little question... 

I have a shop inside a large community shop and right now I have the "first" booth right behind the register person - I sell lots of jewelry and blingy things, and it has 3 walls and is approx. 8'x14', a good size, but I have the opportunity to take a little bit smaller space for the same price, but with only one wall and its a window booth at the very front of the store. I think it would be a prime booth, but my hubby says I won't sell anything out of a window booth, because people will think its only for display, but I think it would look fuller, since its smaller and I would have 24/7 advertising. 

What do you say? I'm so anxious for an answer. 

Thanks! Connie 

I thought this was a great question, and that many other people could benefit from this information... so, I'd like to present some factors that Connie should consider as she is choosing whether or not to move to this new location in her antique mall.

Connie, I'm curious as to whether this window booth is on the right or left of the entry, and where the cash wrap / register in the store is located? Both of those factors will contribute to the success or failure of sales in the new location. Here's why:

As 'retail anthropologist' Paco Underhill found out, most shoppers will turn RIGHT when they enter a doorway. This is simply natural instinct and behavior! So, in a store, anything located on the right side is seen first. This may seem like a great thing - but it's possible that customers will simply look as they walk past and further into the store space. Have you ever thought to yourself 'Well, that's nice.... but I want to wait and see what else they have in the rest of the store before I decide on anything here?' This is a possible response that a space in the right-side window will get. Your husband has a point, by the way (I'm sorry to say that, I really am!!!) - many people are used to hearing that what's in the window is props, not merchandise. They may not even ask to buy it.

Now, a space located on the LEFT side of the doorway has positives & negatives, too. If the cash wrap/ register is located next to or across from your space, you have the remarkable opportunity to capture the attention of those waiting in line. (And this works - just think about the grocery store!) But if the register is located further back in the store space, customers may not wander all the way forward before stopping to pay for their selections. And after having paid already, most won't choose an item near the door and return to pay for it. Again, this is just natural behavior for most people, not all.

There is a concept in retail store design called 'The Decompression Zone'.

This refers to the area immediately inside the entrance (ANY entrance) of a store. There needs to be empty space here, so customers can step inside, remove coats, close umbrellas, take a breath, and see the layout of the store before proceeding in. If this area is crowded with 'stuff' or the booths immediately inside the door are encroaching on the aisles, there is an immediate feeling of discomfort for customers and can cause them to hurry past the first few displays or booths. If you notice this about the store you are in, and your booth is in the front right corner, make sure you are leaving room to breathe at your space entrance... don't crowd it with fixtures or merchandise. Create an open, welcoming space that will help ease customers into the store - and they'll be more likely to step into your area first.

Another facet of this new location to consider is the comfort factor:

It's a window, and Spring & Summer are coming. Does the window face South or West? Will there be hours during the day that your space is in glaring sunlight - making it hard to see your jewelry & smalls - and will it be unbearably HOT in that area? Next winter, will it be freezing? Customers will avoid it if they are uncomfortable there, no matter how wonderful your product & displays are.

And lastly, placing small items - especially jewelry - near an entrance is an invitation to thieves. Sadly, they are everywhere (from elderly women on a budget to teens getting thrills), and it doesn't take them but a minute to load up their pockets and disappear. Having sparkly eye-catching items within easy reach of the door really increases your risk for merchandise loss and you WILL be hit by it. If the register is located a fair distance from this space, or if the space cannot clearly be seen by the cashier, your risk increases.

Connie, I hope I have given you some information that will help you make an educated decision about the location of your booth. If you choose to stay in your present location, there are many ways to make a non-frontage booth stand out amongst the competition... if I may, I suggest that you read my info on Successful Show Booth Design Tips, which is all translatable to antique mall spaces. 

Also, make sure you read a new and effective resource: 

'Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginners' Guide'

(pictured at top of post)

written by Inis Lovely and Sue LaLumia,

is a new e-book available on Kindle through Amazon .

Thank you for your question, Connie!

Q&A: Color 2

Margaret from the blog Eclectic Design Source commented on my "Q and A: Color" post with her question:

"I'm curious what you think about deep, rich tones for retail? I love dark, dramatic walls -like black, eggplant, deep navy, espresso- but I'm not sure how it would translate into selling space.
Thoughts?"

To be honest, Margaret, it's not about what I think. ;0)
It's about the science of selling.

In his groundbreaking book 'Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping', self-titled 'Retail Anthropologist' Paco Underhill discusses his research and findings on what creates the greatest impetus for a shopper to to enter, browse, choose, and purchase from a store. Many factors are presented, and color is one of them. It is not a choice to be taken lightly or made simply by personal preference, as it is a tool used to project an image, a brand, a mood, and tell a story to the customer. As an interior designer, I'm sure you practice a similar philosophy when helping your residential clients choose colors for their rooms. However, while a personal preference tends to weigh heavily in a residential color decision, it is a very different situation with retail spaces.

Generally speaking, dark colors depress people and they suck up all of the light in a space. {Meaning it takes more light fixtures, bulbs, and electricity costs to recapture the light that you lose}. Using them in large quantity can defeat your purpose of selling. Light colors are not only uplifting to mood & spirit, affecting your customers in a positive way, but they also allow the colors and details of products to be shown more effectively. Obviously this is of importance when selling: Pink t shirts need to look pink, not some bizarre shade of peuse because they are surrounded by eggplant walls.

Dark, dramatic colors are excellent when used as 'punctuation marks' in retail settings - whether as part of the permanent decor or in product displays. A very neutral store setting benefits from judicious use of black accents, and a crisp clean modern all-white space would be energized by the use of navy blue. We've all seen the fresh contemporary pairing of espresso with pale robins-egg blue grow in popularity over the past few years - a perfect example of how dark and light compliment one another and create a mood. And eggplant is a wonderful accent to a palette of warm old world hues in a winery or gourmet food store. Much as in fashion, jolts of dramatic color like this add vitality and personality to a palette. The point is to use them thoughtfully and deliberately. 

We have all seen the 'chalkboard wall' done to great effect. Ditto the 'focal wall' of color in many design shows. If you are going to use a dark or very vibrant color on a large wall in your retail space, you have to do two things:

1. Make sure it is a high quality paint and an excellent paint job. 
Nothing ruins the effect like a shoddy thin streaky wall. Use a primer, then two coats of color - and apply the paint in both up/down and left/right roller applications to cover every area completely.

2. Use the same color in other locations in your space, on a smaller scale. 
If a dark color is on the rear wall of your shop {the best place for it}, then paint the base of your cash wrap {located elsewhere} the same color. And paint a chair or table that color, to use in your entry zone or window display. Make it a 'signature color' as part of your brand palette, and use it purposefully.

I've only seen two stores in my lifetime that have broken the rules of color use and succeeded: one is the chain store 'Illuminations'. This purveyor of high-end candles and all related accessories painted their stores deep charcoal, and lit them only with burning candles and narrow-beam spotlights  on displays. You literally gasped when you walked past, and were inexplicably drawn into the store to investigate this anomaly of mall shops.  Yes, MALL shops. They outperformed every other store when it came to visual presentation of their brand and concept. {Illuminations is no longer in business, but I don't think it's due to the colors on their walls.}

The other store that breaks just about every rule in visual merchandising SUCCESSFULLY is 'Victoria Company' in Orange, California. This tiny, narrow shop competes with many other antique, vintage, and home decor stores on the famous 'Circle'. You are met with a riot of color before ever entering the store, because the sidewalk outside is loaded with a plethora of bright, happy vintage-style furniture & accessories. Cars literally screech to a stop!

Once you walk in, you feel like a kid in a candy store with brightly-colored merchandise piled ceiling-high. The walls are bright sunny yellow, the trim is white, and everything else is kaleidescopic overload. Dona, the owner, is just as bright and colorful in spirit. She's had this darling shop for years and is a very knowledgeable retailer. No one else - possibly not even Disney - could pull this look off successfully. Even Mary Engelbreit didn't do it this well in her colorful stores.

SO, though rules of design and selling psychology apply to color, there is always room to break them. It's just harder to succeed when you go out on that limb. 

Image Credit: Color Guides - see them for help with color choices for your business environment.

Q & A: Color

MaryJo submitted her question via my Facebook Page:
What paint colors would you use on your walls if you were opening a new gift store? I am trying to come up with a good base color and then some accent colors.

MaryJo, there are several ways to approach this.
One is to consider the art of Feng Shui when choosing colors - I suggest the book 'Feng Shui for Retailers' by my friend and fellow speaker Linda Cahan.

Another is to consult a custom color specialist or a computer program to develop a custom color palette for your business - you can learn more about the psychology of color at the Pantone Color Institute. Pantone offers an excellent Corporate Identity program, as well.

I love the idea of creating your own custom color OR palette {combination} of colors, because it plays right into my theory of retail design:

I advise my clients to 'Tell their own story' through all avenues of their presentation. Start with your store name, logo, and mission statement, and develop a palette of colors that express and build your brand image. {Remember my post on how Gene Juarez Salons created their signature color palette from the natural shades of hair, skin, eyes, and lips?} You want to create an environment that is unique to you and your business, so that you set yourself apart from the competition. With this approach, you have the opportunity to surround your customers with your brand from the moment they walk in.

Take into account the mood you want to create in the space - how do you want your customers to feel, what effect do you want the environment to have on people in the space? What kind of 'gifts' will you be selling, and to whom? What makes your business different from others selling the same products? All of these facets play into the color, material, and style choices you make for your space design. Your choices express your brand image - and your store can be a 'living' image of your brand.

I just completed a quick interview with Yarn Market News magazine, and the subject was also on this subject: How can retailers chose & use color to their advantage? What I've shared with you here runs along the same lines as what I told the writer, Kristine, and what I'll share in my seminar at their conference in March. Color is a tool, and needs to relate to the other tools in your 'branding' toolbox. Yes, you can use current trending colors - but only as an easily-changed splash in a display area. {Think of them as an exclamation point!} Make your choices for permanent surfaces brand-centric in order to get the most leverage out of them.

I'd also suggest a Google search of 'color theory' and 'color psychology' -  you will find a wealth of helpful tips for choosing colors for the many facets of your business, not just the walls!

Thanks for participating, MaryJo...

Image Credits: color wheel from seanmarcellus.com; corporate color logos from Pantone.com

Q & A: Cash Wraps 101

Image from JarrettBay.com

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Several readers indicated by their comments in my Q&A: Cash Wraps post that they didn't know what a cash wrap was or understand the concept the way I presented it. So consider this post 'Cash Wrap 101'!
 
'Cash Wrap' is a regular retail industry term for retailers, designers, manufacturers, and builders. It is a catchall term referring to the 'check out' or 'register' area of a retail setting {otherwise known as the place where the cashier stands, and the customers fork over the dough for the merchandise!}.

Image from Bellini.com

You may have heard the term 'cash wrap' in a phrase from a product rep or manufacturer as they sell you small products that are intended to sit on your 'register counter' area, as in: "This POP {Point Of Puchase} display unit holds forty six units of product, for cash wrap placement to maximize your impulse sales". The use of 'POP' identifies a product or display unit as one that is intended to be placed in close proximity to your register - the whole point is that while waiting in line to purchase what they've already chosen, customers are being actively marketed to by these units. {Picture the gum, candy, magazines, etc. at the grocery store}

Image from BauhausBuilders.com

Configurations and construction of cash wraps are as vast as the array of stores that they exist in, but there are some basics about them that apply to the whole industry.
 

Cash wrap stations typically consist of either one, two, or three parts:

A one-part unit has a single countertop/ cabinet combination that sits parallel or perpendicular to a wall.

A two –part configuration has a freestanding front and a parallel rear section up against a wall.

A three-part configuration is usually a 'U'-shaped grouping that sits perpendicular to a wall. Often times these become a square configuration by situating them in the center of a space, and then closing off the end of the 'U' with a jewelry case, etc.

When choosing a style for your store, consider the activities that need to take place around the register. {Remember the adage 'Form Follows Function'?} If wrapping & packaging merchandise as your customer purchases it is a large part of your store activities, you need ample space to do this - and NOT the area where the customer walks up and sits her chosen items. Provide a separate location (behind or on the other side of the register) to do this so that customers can be serviced expediently. {Picture a customer at your register with seventeen items.... and the young mother with a two year old and three small items standing behind her. Waiting. Waiting... Leaving.} Do you need two registers? What about a 'hold' area?

Image by EcoWoodDesigns.com

 

The front counter provides space for the cash register, a clear area for shoppers to place their chosen items to purchase, a place for your mailing list sign up and a flyer about an upcoming event. For Laura {yesterday's post} a flat panel computer screen running a continual loop of her portfolio and/or some images in beautiful frames of various sizes would be an excellent extension of her brand presence.  Placing one or two POP displays here is okay - rotate them weekly. Loading this area with five, ten, twenty little containers of small items? Totally negates the purpose and overwhelms your customer. Unless you are 7-11, don't do it.

 

The front counter could be built as a run of level countertops, or as a desk/cabinet combination – one end would be like a desk with legs under a clear counter top for customer purchases, set at a table-top height/ {This is where Laura would use a clear acrylic substance etched with or embedded with her photo imagery.} That would be connected on the other end to a solid unit with counter top, set at standard height, and cabinet base [for storage and to hide the power cords] for the cash register and computer. On the front of that solid base, Laura can utilize my concept of 'Imagedesigned Furniture' and bring in the element of your images through carving, etching, embedding them, or any other method. Or, simply use a corporate logo there.
 

The rear section of a cash wrap should include cabinets and drawers for closed yet accessible storage of paper & packaging goods, etc., with a long counter top with lots of workspace. Great lighting up above this is essential, plus you can take the back wall and install your corporate logo and/or imagery to support your brand image.  Don't store major shipping supplies, files, or extra products here. Keep it simple, neat, and accessible. The top of that counter should remain clear at all times. A stack of flat tissue is the only permissible storage here.  A hold area can be created with large cabinets fitted with shelves inside - open storage will look messy no matter what you do

 

The space between two parallel counters should be three feet wide, to facilitate easy & safe movement of persons and product between them - including open doors/drawers and people turning & bending. With countertops an average depth of 30 to 36 inches, you are looking at an approximately nine foot deep area for this kind of cash wrap. For a single counter cash wrap, you’d still need three feet behind for passage & door operations, so you need to allow approximately six feet in depth.

 Image by M Lavine Retail Design

The length of any unit would be at your discretion, but allow at least a 2 ½ to 3 foot long area of counter space for customer purchases to be placed. If you make that area too small, the psychology is that they are buying something larger and therefore more expensive. Conversely, if you provide a spacious area, they feel that perhaps they can buy more. [I swear don’t make this up, really – Paco Underhill addresses this in ‘Why We Buy’!]

As for POP displays and merchandise offered ON your cash wrap, think 'simple'.
Don't crowd the space, don't offer too many things (or too many categories) and switch them up often. Keep your display fixtures (boxes, racks, buckets, etc) in keeping with your brand visual identity - no cardboard or plastic, PLEASE! Think about offering a few - three, maybe four - items that have an immediate usefulness to your customers at this time of year, items that catch their eye and make them smile, items that will address a 'pain point' and make them happy that they found it. Ideas? Candy is the number ONE selling POP item! Offering free breath mints here is a win, so would tiny candy bars. Items should relate to your brand, your purpose, the main reason customers come to you and appeal to the largest segment of your demographic as possible: A limited selection of reading glasses displayed on a silver tray. Keyfobs or car air fresheners with sassy quotes displayed in a huge clear glass brandy snifter or bowl. Gift enclosure cards in a few styles, displayed in the top tray of a vintage tool box.

Also include special event postcards and limited time offer coupons here so that customers don't miss them - and please don't just lay them on the counter! Have an upcoming beach-themed fashion event? Put the postcards in a cute beach bucket. Maybe a floral workshop is on your calendar - so put the postcards in a pretty flowerpot! Invest energy and effort into every element that your customers see, and it will pay off.
 

Then make sure that what you place there can be seen: Hanging warm pendant lighting low over the front counter, or placing a beautiful table lamp there, will help prevent eye strain for your employees. This will also make your customers feel more comfortable than if they are standing under glaring can lights or fluorescent lights overhead.

 

The material possibilities are endless, and would of course depend upon the overall style of the store design – which ties it all back into 'Telling Your Own Story' and using your brand image to drive your choices.

Image from Apartment Therapy

 The biggest thing to remember about a cash wrap is that it is there for your CUSTOMER. 

It is not a storage facility for junk, a break room or rest stop for employees, or a catchall display fixture for things you aren't sure about. It is an opportunity to provide service, connection, and a clear image of your brand to your customer. Be vigilant about its design and use, and it will serve you well.

2021: the May issue of INSTORE Magazine Online 

includes information and quotes found in this post.

Read 'For Jewelry Stores, the Checkout Counter is a Branding Element' by Eileen McClelland here

Q & A : Cash Wraps

Laura Novak is one of my wonderful blog readers, and a simply incredible photographer, designer, and business woman. Visit her site and you'll be impressed, I have no doubt. Laura sent me her question/challenge via email:

HI Debi,
I have been following your blog for a while now – thank you so much for all your great ideas!
If you are looking for more FAQs for your blog, I have a question about custom cash wraps.  I am opening my second retail store in a few months and am ready to splurge on a custom cash wrap/reception area.  The way the space is shaped, it would be a nice greeting for our customers when they walk in the door. Do you have any do's and don'ts for custom cash wraps?  I need to give my contractor some photos of ones I like along with the dimensions and I’m not sure where to start.

Laura, thank you so much for your email. I’d love to help you with this...
I’ve visited your web site and blog, and must say that I am impressed. You clearly know how to present not only your clients but your own business in a visual medium. So, I’d say that tying your retail store cash wrap into your brand is an easy task for you to undertake. I read the following on one of your blog posts, and I have emphasized those portions that led me in the direction I thought of for you:

"[Designer] Vicente [Wolfe] and I talked about ways to create an artful display of those who live in the home as part of a comprehensive design concept. While many family photo displays are sometimes thought of after a room is designed, Vicente encouraged designers to include high-impact custom family photography as room feature during the designing process. Currently what sometimes happens is that family photos are put in a small frame on a mantle or desk simply because they weren't part of the original design concept. It was exciting to hear Vicente's perspective that great opportunities exist for photographers and designers to work together on creating a room that is meaningful and personal to a client by incorporating family images."

My philosophy of design is that every client has their own unique story to tell, and they can do that through every visual medium they use in their environment. Your philosophy of using the art as a touchpoint from the beginning of the design process is a similar approach. [Readers: click HERE to view Laura's LOOKBOOK of ideas for decorating with photography]

The two came together in this idea: Utilize your philosophy of ‘art in the design’, and build your store design and cash wrap using your photographs as a major element. Incorporate photographic imagery into the surfaces by having them embedded in the materials [such as clear acrylic countertop, or etched out of the wood grain on the side panels of the casework].

Bring in the element of your images through carving, etching, embedding
them, or any other method. This concept for customized ‘Imagedesigned Furniture’ [can I copyright that?!] could be utilized in many other applications in your store, as well: cabinet endcaps, lit wall displays, and mirror and window panels that are etched with your imagery. Or, perhaps, the amazing ability to have a television or computer screen embedded in glass to project your images.

Image provided by M. Lavine {thank you, JJ!}

What I see is furniture that functions as more than just a desk, counter, or service area. It’s a facilitator of the art you produce. You are already creating ottomans and wallpaper out of your images – why not furniture? Why not use every facet of the store you are building to support your brand by customizing it? It will reinforce and illustrate the ideas you have for integrating art in room design – a clear picture [pun intended!] for your clients to see.

I hope the information and ideas I have included here get your creative wheels turning, Laura! And I am serious – I’d love the opportunity to work with you to design something amazing. That is, unless you’ve already hired Vicente to do it! ;0)

Thank you for your question, Laura, and for taking time to  read my blog. I appreciate you! Best of luck and congratulations on your second store!

***I sent Laura an email with more specific info about cash wrap configurations for her needs, as well... it just made for a very long post! I'll share the basics of cash wraps here on another day.***

Top Image from Laura Novak's blog, as seen in Philly Magazine 

Lower Image provided by M. Lavine

For more helpful information regarding retail cash wraps, 

visit this terrific post by online business resource Fit Small Business.

Q & A {This is a long one, folks!}

In response to my call for your challenges this year, Heidi commented:
"Hard question....the shop is flipped, looking all a new, the facebook is full of pics, fans are up, stock levels are on target. I have been working harder and longer hours pushing my creative energy to new levels. Like last year and the year before, I tell myself "this is the year" and like most small businesses I continue to tell all, everything is good....know one wants to be a part or shop where things aren't HOT! Right.

I think the thing I need for the first time in years is help with the fear factor, help believing this is REALLY the year. Help chasing the demons away. I stay focused on the goal, find endless projects to work on, I have great satisfaction in the process...surround myself in the passion of loving what I do.....but the help I need is to erase the doubt.  - HHH"

You just echoed every retailer on Earth, Heidi!
Regardless of what we sell, where, or how, we are all doing everything we can to make this year profitable. {And by that I mean breaking even would be nice...} First, let me congratulate you for still being in business. That is quite an accomplishment for the past year! {and if you don't beleive me, drive through your town and notice the empty storefronts and 'going out of business sale' signs}. It sounds like you have made the physical efforts to present your business at the highest level possible, and you are taking responsibility daily for doing all that you can.

Now, let me ask you this: How are you doing with letting others HELP you make your business 'all that it can be'? Are you taking on everything? In there anything left for your staff or supporters to contribute?

As business owners, we are the fall guy. The buck - if and when it comes - stops with us. And so we take on the risk and the responsibility of the business, and all that comes with it. Too often, though, all of that 'taking on' causes us to do two things: Cut everyone else off the team, and load up our own shoulders with a bunch of stress and worry.

You've got employees, and I know you pay them well, provide benefits, treat them with respect, and think of them as 'family'. You probably also educate them on your products, teach them new skills, and count on them to be there when you need them. But are they able to contribue ideas, suggestions, and actions that will help in the marketing, promotion, growth, and success of your business? Can you hand over a task to them and let them see it through - or do you have to micromanage to make sure it's done your way? That's a cause of extreme stress right there - and a stressed business owner is more susceptible to doubt, worry, and fear.

As an owner, there are certain things that only YOU can do for your business. And there are many things that you can allow, hire, permit, and empower OTHERS to do for your business - freeing you up to concentrate on your part, and also to get away from time to time and let go of the reins. Look at your staff and really SEE them and their abilities - and decide on a task that you can hand over to each of them right NOW. {uploading Facebook photos is a good example}. Make it a job that is visible - one that has immediate positive results, so that everyone on staff can see their contribution is making an impact. Then do it again. And again.

Now, for those supporters I mentioned: Do you have a referral program in place to reward your Fans and customers for bringing in or sending friends to you? Let your satisfied customers be a workforce for your business! Reward them with a special gift, monthly drawing, or discount and get them talking about you. Word of mouth is the best advertisement, right?!

It's not easy. But it's worth it! And it plays into the second part of this: By handing off some of the responsibilities of the business, you lighten your own load. In order to stop the cycle of 'stress-worry-doubt-fear', you have to cut yourself some slack! Here are a few ideas:

* Stop watching the news before bed. Stop watching the news first thing in the morning. Allow your thoughts to be positive, hopeful, filled with possibility and faith {of whatever kind} as you start and end your day. Get caught up on news during lunch or in the late afternoon, instead. Read the paper or online news instead of being subjected to the hype of drama-driven news hour soundbytes. {The old saying 'If it bleeds, it leads' isn't without truth.}

* Referring to above: TAKE a lunch break! Fifteen minutes away from your desk/cashwrap/store/computer will do wonders for your perspective. Go to the park or a sidewalk cafe on a nice day, or to the library and sit by the window when it's cold out. Listen to inspiring music on your iPod or MP3 player while you eat a healthy small meal, and drink water. Nourish your body and spirit!

*Walk, Stretch, Dance, swing on a swingset, glide down the slide.... get active for fifteen minutes a day. Every day. Morning, noon, afternoon, night - whatever works for you. It's not exercise - it's simply moving your body freely to experience life. Life is not work. Owning a business is not your whole life. Go move, laugh, sing, smile, and BREATHE. Five minutes into it, you'll be having so much fun that you'll forget those doubts and worries for a time. And that is a good place to start.

*Find daily inspiration. I recommend the words of Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, 'Notes from the Universe' from TUT, and Louise Hay. Read a passage of literature, or scripture {again, of your choosing}. Speak kind, uplifting words to others - and just see what kind of wonderful things you will hear in return. Remember the old saying about computers: GIGO? {Garbage In, Garbage Out} It's true about everything. No, these affirmations won't give you the ultimate answers to business challenges - but they will help to keep your mind in a place of peace, openess to new ideas & solutions, and possibilities. And that helps you to overcome the worry & doubt in the long run.

*Create a new 'energy' in your environment. Get new music for your store. Turn on a few more lights. Bring in fresh foliage or flowers each week, light a candle or plug in a scented light. Open a door or window for a few moments and let fresh, crisp, clean air inside. Start the day with a rousing cheer, blessing, or affirmation that you share with your staff. Hocus Pocus? Woo-Woo? Maybe. But isn't it better than dragging in with a furrowed brow and shoulders already bent with stress before the day has even begun?

*Remember, this is your business. You can change anything about it you want to. Including the frame of mind you are in every day - and the frame of mind your employees are in. Start with you. Doubt, fear, worry, and stress are just emotions - not laws. We control our emotions, they don't control us. We can change them, toss them out the door, learn from them, or harbor them and let them hold us down. It's our choice.

Hopefully some of those ideas will help you, Heidi. I don't claim to know everything and I certainly do have doubts and worries of my own.... and I am learning day by day, step by step, just as we all are on this crazy journey of business ownership during uncertain economic times.

What I DO know is that we American independent & small business owners are damned lucky to have the chance to own & run our own businesses in this country. There are challenges, but in no other place on Earth is it as available and rewarding to the majority of people as it is here. We have a President who is working on programs that will enable more people to start & run small businesses  - because even he knows that WE are the backbone of industry and economy in the USA. Big corporations and titans of industry are tumbling all around us.  What is going to pull our country out of the recession is us: working together, with and for one another, with, for, and in our own communities. And isn't that a worthy goal to work toward?

Thanks for participating, Heidi... I appreciate your comments.

Q and A: Store Lighting for Impact

 

I received the following email last week, asking for my assistance with a retail visual impact issue: how to counteract the darkness of dreary winter weather and early evenings during this season. I thought that since I had just completed a consultation with a new client to solve exactly the same problems, sharing some info about this issue might be helpful to many of you. It also applies to anyone who has a store that is deep with no windows, or that has small windows with limited natural light.

Dear Debi, I own a small card, stationery, gift shop in North Seattle (Richmond Beach). I need help with lighting -  on a sunny, summer morning my shop looks so inviting but when it starts getting dreary out, especially in the early evenings, the shop looks dreary as well. I'm also having trouble with fading. Some is caused by the sun coming through the windows but I think the lights are also a problem. My space has the (ugly) ceiling tiles with inset florescent lights and I have added track lights. Any suggestions or ideas on where to go for help would be great! Thank you, Susan

Hello Susan! I read your email with interest and a smile.... just last week, I completed a consultation with a new client for exactly the same solutions! The darkness and this 'Northwest Gray' sky have more effects than many people realize. Let me offer you a few general solutions to try:

1. Take a look at the color of the walls in your shop. If they are white or a cool color (blue, green, etc) then they are working against the effect you want to have. Using warm, glowing colors such as ambers, golds, caramels, light browns, earthy oranges, etc. will serve to expand the light within your spaces. Even if you just paint the wall across from the windows one of these colors, you'll see a big difference in the way it feels.

The soft green walls in the photo at the top of this post work to bounce light in a large space - but the green is a yellow-based hue that stays warm (as opposed to a 'hospital green' with cold blue undertones).

Five more things YOU can do to improve your store lighting - after the jump!

Paint Me A Picture...

A question came in one of the comments on my last post:

"Dear Deb,

This is not the first time you have read my mind. It seems every time I have a question in my head, I pull up this blog and there is my answer. Well, thanks again...

Also, any tips on how we can get/change/make new banners? I don't even know where to start with that...

Missy

(P.S. I finally started my own blog to go with my website, so I guess I will put these tips to good use soon!)"

Missy, thank you so much for reading my design blog, and I am so thrilled that I am able to offer ideas and resources that are helping you! Now, to answer your question, I know of a GREAT resource for blog backgrounds and banners. It's Shel's Scraps . The images you see here in this post are all Shel's designs, available for use as blog backgrounds.

There are many, many more available. And they are FREE. Yes, that's right - absolutely FREE. Go to her site http://shelsscraps.blogspot.com/ and check it out. All she asks is that you display a button in your sidebar giving her credit for the design. Like this:
It is SO amazing that someone with this kind of talent is giving it away free! She even provides you with a tutorial on her blog, to show you how to embed her deisgns in your blog template. Now how nice is that?!

On top of that, Shel has extremely reasonable pricing for creating customized blog backgrounds and banners for you. Just imagine your business name, logo, colors, and tagline translated into a professional banner and background for your blog! Easy as pie, you've got a brand image.

I know there are more designers out there, Shel is just one that I've recently discovered and I want to give her some promotion. Yes, I've used her free backgrounds. No, I'm not getting perks for recommending her. I like to help out other small businesses!

Another one to check out is http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. (I checked Missy's blog today, and found that she had discovered this one!)

I create my own blog banners using my photo software. I'm not gonna' win any awards for them, but they are fun and I can change them up as I feel like it! I do work hard to make sure that my banners always reflect my brand image, though.

My current banner's 'word' image was generated at http://www.wordle.net/! I created it online, designed a custom color palette to reflect my brand image, then printed it out and scanned it into my computer to save it. Then I manipulated it in my photo program to add my DivaDeb character.

Missy, I hope this info is helpful to you and to lots of other readers!

Image Credits: All images copyright Shel's Scraps http://shelsscraps.blogspot.com/

LoGeDDy BlOg bLoG BLOg

This question arrived via email on Friday:

"Deb, I have a lovely web site with a blog linked to it. However it's starting to become challenging to keep the blog fresh. My intention was to use the blog to lure customers to the shop, not to add more to my plate. Would you please recommend some sites that might help me mix things up, like I am able to do with my merchandising? Thank you!"

Heidi
www.hihohome.com
www.hihohome.blogspot.com

Heidi, my dear, you find yourself in the same situation that so many other retailers and businesses do - trying to maximize your exposure on a dime, at the cost of your time. I think you are smart to utilize free marketing technology like a blog! I responded directly to Heidi in an email, but I thought that this subject matter was something that many of you are dealing with...so I'm sharing those ideas here.

Here are a few tips I can offer:

While it does take some time to manage, you can schedule it into your weekly planner - set it up so that you post regularly, like on Monday and Thursday morning. Then your readers will know when to expect a new post from you, and you can plan ahead with what you'll write about. Also, you can create several posts at once, and then choose the date & time that they will post in the future - this is really handy if you are expecting a schedule crush or vacation.

What should you post about? Try new products that have just come in - maybe show a photo of them peeking out of the shipping box, and announce that "they will hit the sales floor on Wednesday morning, so hurry in!". Post about close-out merchandise sales, or new seasonal product themes you are working on, maybe show a bit of the 'behind the scenes' stuff that makes retail so fun, like a stockpile of merchandise just waiting to go into your next window display.

How to structure posts: One or two great photos and two short paragraphs of text is best. (I am a very wordy gal so I often write long posts...I try to break them up into short paragraphs and sentences so they don't look too intimidating to read!) I also like blogs that offer captions under each photo, because I want to see the image and then read what it's about. But that's a personal preference! If you do use more than a few photos in one post, shrink them to small size. Viewers can click on them to enlarge, and it requires less scrolling to read a post.

Make sure you offer links in your blog - link to blogs you read and enjoy, and that you feel will inspire your customers. It's all about reciprocity, so leave comments on blogs you read, too - say you've added their blog to your blog links. People will visit!

Allow comments on your blog - this is a great way to get feedback on what you are offering, as well as building that customer relationship. You can have them emailed to your regular address, so that you can moderate them if necessary. While I really dislike getting snarky comments from anonymous posters, I've found that they are few and far between. And restricting anonymous comments also restricts users of other blog platforms, so it makes it frustrating for them to leave a comment on your blog. Not a good thing!

Promote your blog in your shop:
*Place signs in the window displays and at the cashwrap saying 'Visit our blog at hihohome' to let everyone know it's there. Even when your shop is closed, this info should be visible in your windows.

*Make small drop-in cards for each bag, and have new biz cards made with the blog address on it. (VistaPrint.com is easy, fast, and inexpensive!)

In all ads you place, even text ads, give the blog address. People are more likely to check out your blog than your website - web sites seem like a sales pitch, blogs are a conversation. That's a good way to remember how to approach it! Once at your blog, they'll see what you are all about - make sure you have a link from your blog to your web site, so they can easily go there.

Create a banner for your blog that reflects your business web page design, brand image, and logo. Your goal is to impart your business image and your own personal style. This is one venue where business HAS to be personal, as well as professional! You can change up the banner seasonally or at a whim - just make sure you always keep your brand image in mind. Same colors, typeface, logo, etc.

There are a few resources I can recommend to help you learn more:

http://www.freshblogtips.com/ Colleen of Fresh Vintage interviews business women about their blogs, offers hints & tips for maximizing your blog's impact & technology, and unearths info about the newest blogging strategies & widgets.

All of these sites/blogs provide tips for enhancing & maximizing your blog's appearance & impact:

http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/06/25-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/

http://womensblog.score.org/

I wish you much success, Heidi!

First Question!

There's a line a film I heard recently that set off a train of thought in my overloaded brain. It goes something like this:

"Yeah, I know all about the American Dream.
That's where you take something you love to do and twist it and wrangle it into something that will make you famous or make you money, and it ends up sucking all of the life out of you...and pretty soon, you don't want to do it anymore. Some dream."

Harry Connick, Jr.'s character delivers that line in the film 'Hope Floats', when Sandra Bullock's character says to him, "You could do so much more...". I know, it's a chick flick, but regardless of where it originated, that's a hard-hitting line for anyone in business. (Kind of like the new ad slogan that says "In small business, there are no small decisions". Too true.)

So let me ask you this: Are you living a version of your dream, or waiting for a dream to appear, or has what was once a dream been choked out by fighting to survive? And where do we all go from where we are?

The Diva has days, my friends, where she questions the sanity of having a business at all. It would be so darned easy to get a job creating fab displays for a retailer like Anthro, or Macys, or Nordies. Go in, punch the clock, do the work for eight hours, punch out, go home, have wine, relax. Know exactly how much $$$$ was coming in the paycheck each week. I'm not talking a creative director's position, oh no, I'm talking an hourly schleppin' haulin' hard workin' crew member position. Yes, I do consider it sometimes.

I always decide against it, though. Why?
Well, to answer that is to answer a question I received from Deena in Utah, who wants to know what my passion is and do I live it?

My passion isn't just designing and creating gorgeous displays of products, or welcoming environments, or stunning event decor. If it was, I'd probably have done the 'fallback' thing by now. But my true passion, beside and beneath all of the decorative stuff, is helping small businesses. I want to share and give what I can to equip and encourage you to succeed, even in an economic climate that is questionable at times like this.

My mission statement reads 'I achieve success by supporting and educating independent merchants and small businesses, and contributing to their success.' I want to see you reach your goals, attain your version of your dream (American or otherwise), and grow a successful business. So the blogs and the videos and the articles and the seminars and the trade show displays I do all boil down to me wanting to contribute to the community of small independent mom n' pop businesses that are the heartbeat of our American economy. To share what I learn, to teach what I know, to consult and help at reasonable cost because it's all connected. You succeed, I succeed, WE succeed.

So yes, I DO live my passion. And the coolest thing about it is that it's growing, changing, embracing new ideals and heading in new directions. Most of what I am already doing is a part of the future, along with so much more. I am excited and can't wait to get my feet on the ground and start running with it all. I've given myself permission to dream again, to take that thing I love to do and do it - without twisting it or wrangling it into something that doesn't resemble my dream at all anymore.

I've untied my own knots, so to speak!
Thanks, Deena...I appreciated your email.

Small Business Question for You:

Would you be upset if your wholesale suppliers went direct to public?
Meaning cutting you out of the supply chain by offering to sell at 'retail prices' to your customers - prices which, inevitably, will beat yours.

Now, how about if they did this on the last two days of an industry trade show?
Unthinkable, you say? Unheard of? Not so fast...

Check out Suzi Finer's post on her blog today: http://www.iamadiva.com/news/ArticleDetails.aspx?CategoryID=79&ArticleID=293

I was shocked to read this, but I can tell you why it's happening... trade show companies are doing everything and anything they can to survive. Shows are a dying breed, because the internet has changed everything about supply & demand with direct links to manufacturers. It's been affecting my dad's wholesale gift business for years, along with some of my clients and their industries. Having been involved in the Seattle and San Francisco Gift Shows for over six years, I have seen numerous changes - not all of them positive.

Trade shows have actually become a liability to many small businesses. Retailers are cutting costs, ordering online rather than traveling to order at booths & showrooms...saves time, money, expenses. This impacts the shows - when exhibitors see lowered attendance, and less orders coming from this venue, they opt out and don't rent space. Even very large and well-known companies do this - Katherine's Collection and K & K Interiors spring to mind in regard to the Seattle Gift Show. Lowered attendance by buyers and exhibitors affects the bottom line of the show producers...and if you're a trade show production company, you try to re-capture those dollars any way you can.

Addressing market changes and making adjustments is understandable. Going after the end consumer and bypassing your own customers - the small independent retailers that have supported your shows and made your industry a multi-billion-dollar enterprise - is a really cheap shot. Shame on you, CHA.

What are your thoughts on what CHA is doing?

The Show Must Go On.....

I received a very nice email today from a very nice gentleman who has been a reader for a while. His questions are quite timely, so I thought I'd address them here so that others with similar issues might gain some insight...

'Hi Deb,

I've been a fan of yours for a while now - I use your ideas/philosophies in my Irish Shop.

This year, I am participating in an Irish Festival . It's held Labor Day Weekend on the grounds of Hallmarks' Crown Center retail and hotel grounds. I can't tell you how many folks come out for it, it is a huge music and sales event that draws from all over. There will surely be more than 200,000 people out for the weekend.

I will have a 10 X 20 foot space to show my eclectic group of products that range from Irish perfumes, to scarves, Ruanas, hats, home and garden decor and jewelry. Do you have any ideas/guidance regarding showing retail in a festival? I don't know if I dare to make the space I have open for the public to meander in, or hold them back by tables stacked with my wares. I need a thought or two on merchandising in an area like this.

Thanks for being there (on the net) I really think that you have it on the ball!
Chuck Denton, Doherty & Sullivan Irish Goods, Lee's Summit, MO.'http://www.dsirish.com/

OK, well, first of all, thank you so much for reading my blogs, Chuck. I really appreciate that, and your kind comments! And the Irish thing, well, with family names like Shaughnessy and Kennedy, I'm all over that...

Now, I have to let you know that one of the reasons this is a timely issue is that I myself am preparing for show season. 'Mr. Deb' and I have started a second business, wherein we restyle & refurbish items and sell them at flea market shows. I presently have a 10 X 10 mock-up of a booth in the living room, working out the kinks and making a plan for our displays.

I've learned over the years that display of products is something that works differently in different situations. At trade shows and craft/ethnic/flea markets, the 10 X 10 space can be maximized to increase sales by utilizing a few simple marketing ideas.

One: You have five seconds to catch a customers' eye. Yep, five whole seconds! Use scale (big), color (bold), your logo & name (large scale, placed at eye-ball height across the back of your booth), and utilize everything you've learned from me about leveraging your brand image! You also need to prominently place your products within the 'strike zone' - yes sir, just like baseball: from the shoulders to the knees is prime viewing & selling location. I personally think it needs to be from waist to shoulders, just to minimize damaged goods in a crowded setting. If your products are all small, then you need to make huge models of them, or use large photo blow-ups on the back wall, or find props to lift them up and get them in the customer's line of vision. If you want them to die a slow death, lay them flat on a table where they will become invisible. (I can hear the pulse flatline now....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........)

Two: Invite them in. Don't block the front of your booth/space with tables - it's the equivalent of saying 'Don't get too close'. Not what you want when you are trying to make a sale! Allow lots of open space in the center of your booth so people can come in, turn, look around, and NOT bump into others in the booth. (This is called the 'Butt-brush factor' and people will leave without buying anything if they feel their personal space has been invaded. Really!) Put those tables against the walls - and don't let them go all the way to the aisle, either - leave some 'breathing room - a foot or so.

Three: Think vertically. On top of those tables, use some shelves, cubes, smaller tables, items to create more levels and more space for products to be at eye level. Using fixtures made from clear glass or acrylic will make the products show up better, as they won't block light or views. (You are selling the merchandise, not the fixtures!) If you have jewelry or other really small items, make SURE you provide an additional light source to make them show up - Daylight is not enough. Use clamp lights positioned over the cubes to beam light straight down onto the merchandise.

Four: Prevent theft with a few simple methods: Put valuable small items like jewelry into cases with glass doors, or trays with plexi tops on them. Have a sales person positioned at these fixtures at all times, giving them the job of attending to customers who are interested. Attention and eye contact with customers is the number one way to minimize 'shrink', or loss. It's worth paying an extra person to work your booth.

Five: Identify yourself and your business. Make SURE you have business cards handy. Put a banner with your biz name on the back wall, or on the table covers. Have your entire staff wear tshirts that are all the same color to coordinate with your logo color. You want people to recognize who it is that can assist them with a sale. Make it easy, make it memorable. Use bags that have your logo and contact info printed on them - or at least toss a biz card into a plain bag. (But really, why not have your business advertised at a show for free? People carrying your logo bags around is just that: advertising).

Chuck, you've got an eclectic selection of merchandise to deal with. I'd suggest that you arrange it in groups - put all of the accessories (jewelry, perfumes, scarves, hats, etc.) together on one side of the booth, and locate the home decor & garden items on the other side. Create a large focal point in each area so people can easily see what you've got, and make products easily accessible to them. And Chuck, please send me photos of your booth displays - I'd love to see what you do!

The photos shown here were taken on our recent shopping trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, Ca. The biggest lesson to be learned there? If you clean it up and display it thoughtfully, you can charge more for it. And people will pay it! ;0) Presentation truly makes all the difference!