Why do we work?

Earlier this year my daughter and a few of my Girl Scouts asked me why I work?  This was brought on by their career teacher to do research about why people work.  Well, I am sure if you ask people why they work at least over 50% of the population is going to say for the money!  This teacher was ahead of the game on that answer and told the kids they had to find out other reasons why we work.  So stop and think for a moment, besides the money, why do you work?

To tell you the answer of why I work, I have to share my last few weeks at work.

Just after my one year anniversary celebration, I received a phone call from the author I had wanted to join in my celebration.  She had some things that had been going on and it was the soonest she was able to chat with me.  She was sad to have missed my event but was still interested in doing a book signing at my store.  I was very excited to meet and talk with her so I welcomed to my store Alice McFeely Meloy author of the series "One Small Valley" on November 9th.  Over my lifetime, I have had so many wonderful teachers about etiquette for entertaining guests and prepared to do so.  I also have been making some tweaks to my store over the last couple months so I have had some additional expenses to my monthly budget.  As I am preparing I decided to make some changes to my marketing for events.  Just wanted to try something new and see if I could gain some new customers.  So I am calling around for some additional prices and laying out what I can and can not afford.  After I see the expenses, I decided to take the safe route and go with my normal plan since it was in my budget.  As I went to sleep that night I kept replaying in my head the contact potential with my secondary choice in marketing.  Their coverage area was much larger than any I have used in the past and they deal with social media which could help even more in the long run.  When I got to work the next day I decided to take the large risk and go with the expensive marketing.  To be able to afford it, I had to cancel service with the company I usually use.  My original hope was to do both but when it came down to it, I chose only one.  I was excited each time I saw my advertisement with the larger firm, but it did not seem to bring in the response I was hoping for.  As for the day of my event, I think my free advertising brought me as much business as my advertisement did.  We had a wonderful evening and I enjoyed some great conversations with Alice and her family. 

Business is all about taking risks, I go through ups and downs when I can jump in without looking back and then times of fear and worry.  The key is to not let the fear and worry keep you from playing the game.  Each business is unique and some types of marketing work better for some than others.  I am learning what works for me and continue to tweak things to fit my needs.  This week I have been kinda down.  We have had a lot of family things going on right now and work seems to be taking a back burner and I was down that my marketing plan did not turn out the way I wanted it to.  This is one of those weeks I sometimes question if I am on the path I should be on.  Most of this business adventure has fallen into place for me.  The items I need, arrive almost from out of the blue sometimes.  I know that I am a growing as a business and not sure I can keep up at times either but I guess they are all just steps to where you are going. 

To answer my question above about why I work.  When I answered this question to the girls at school, I shared that I work to help other people and it is something I enjoy doing.  My husband works to prepare for retirement and the health care benefits we receive.  But thanks to my mother who often picks me up when I am down I remember why I work.  I work each day to make the world a better place because that is who I am.  Even if it is for 10 minutes while someone is shopping in my store, if I can make them smile they can pass it on to the next person and so on.  For some it is that special piece they remember as a kid, or that item their daughter or son needs, or simply wishing them good luck on their scratch off ticket.  I offer hopes and dreams with each purchase for the people who shop in my store and that brightens their day as well as mine.  One of my business goals is to be able to provide for my family in a comfortable fashion and to have enough to give to others.  I am still trying to achieve this goal one step at a time. 

"If you think you are too small to make an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito"
Anita Roddick

Survived Huricane Sandy

The Northeast has had a rough couple of days thanks to Hurricane Sandy.  I am thankfully safe and sound and had no extreme damage to my home or store. This did open up my eyes to another aspect of business you do not often think about when you are in small business (small business by definition is one that makes under 250,000 a year according to our President and his incumbent).  You should have a disaster plan and good insurance coverage. 

A typical new entrepreneur has very little down time and often is planning their next move even after they leave the work site.  I do this often, sometimes it is my home life or work life that is my distraction but when I lock the door to go home, I am no longer at work.  I may still do things for work, like writing my blog after hours, shopping for supplies, and picking up my next load but my mind is no longer worried about the site.  I have an alarm system in place over there so that is one thing I do not worry about after the door is locked(unless of course something would happen).   So when I locked my doors on Saturday afternoon I left everything as normal.  I was a little frazzled from the business of the day and was ready to have 2 days off so I left.  Meanwhile the next morning, I eagerly prepare for Hurricane Sandy at my home.  We spent time removing things that can blow in the wind, digging trenches to prevent build up of water in my basement, and so on.  Later that night we crashed and waited to see what was to come.  The shop is closed on Monday so I did not have to go over to it at all and I was not sure if  I could make it to the store on Tuesday.  When I awoke Tuesday am, the route to the store was closed so I closed for the day and had some much needed R&R.  When you start a business any R&R time disappears for the first few years so you take it when you can even if it is a hurricane that prevents you from opening.

So after the storm we evaluated the house and looked for damages.   I am glad to say our prep work prevented water from entering the basement.  Even though we had puddles, we had success.  Then I contacted close family and friends and checked Facebook to see how others made it through.  Praying for those still out and about fixing all the destruction.  After hearing that those dear to us were safe and sound,  I started to suffer from cabin fever.  I was worried about the store. (note now you have another worry to add to the list).  Is it still standing, are there any damages, leaks, power outages, and etc?  I researched closed roads to map out a safe route to get there and see for myself.  Thankfully had my hubby along to help with any damages I may encounter. 

As we got closer, I begin to worry more as I saw the damage leading up to the shop.  I saw gas pumps crushed, trampolines destroyed, power lines down, and trees uprooted laying on cars and houses.  As soon as I can see the roof top from afar, I know it is still standing(sigh).  As we pulled in, my husband says "didn't you bring in all the stuff outside?"  I said "nope, didn't think about it then."  Probably should have but thankfully it is all still here.  I do have problems with the wind on an weekly basis anyway since I am in the middle of fields and nothing to stop it so I have everything anchored down normally.  My signs were all intact and everything as it was when I left and locked the door.  I checked inside for leaks and any other damage that could have happened.  I finally relax when I found out I have more debris at home than at the store. 

Now I must have a disaster plan in case something worse happens.  In management I have often made decisions about closing for snow but hurricanes are not a normal thing for us in Pa.  Just a thought for other businesses.  Do you have enough insurance coverage?  I thankfully have had a friend that used to sell insurance and explained to me in (Lehman's terms) about different coverages and even though I rent and do not own the property, I have great coverage for the shop and could have replaced anything that was damaged in time.  Please know that it is not the landlords responsibility to cover your assets.  Check your lease if you have questions and maybe if you have been in business for awhile, you need to update your coverage.  I updated my coverage already to reflect the increase in inventory and I have only been open a year so stay on top of it as your business grows.

"View change as the one constant in your life.  Welcome it.  Expect It.  Anticipate it."  Denis Waitley.

Celebrating 1st year

Well, it is official I have now been in business for over 1 year.  The first year has had many ups and downs and I have learned many new things but I now feel like a true business woman.  Before this point, I was chasing a dream and I was not sure how it would end up. Even though I do not know how the future will be, I have many expansions and growth yet to complete for the store.

My business plan for the first year is done but this is where the long term goals come into play and I do not know what experiences will happen along the way.  I have never been good at long term goals, too impatient I guess but I truly believe the best things in life are those things you wait for that can not be achieved overnight.  My marriage is a great example.  When I married my husband 11 years ago I wanted a relationship to compliment me.  I was very independent and would not let down my guard enough to let my relationship grow to what it is today.  We have always been close to each other and tried to work out any problems instead of ignoring them but in our relationship today he completes me and I have come to rely on him more than anyone else.  I am now looking for those kind of growing pains with my business.  I understand it more now and look forward to finding more ways to expand and make it more permanent.  In doing this , my business has become a part of me not just another job. 

I have several customers who say my store has a lot of my personality in it.  I believe in a great product at a great value and presentation means a lot.  Some people call Thrift Stores junk shops but I have found some awesome treasures in my years shopping and managing them.  One key is to treat it much like a retail shop with different categories and changing sales and layout regularly.  Discount stores are similar because they do not know what the next deal they are going to get and may have to change several departments to make it all fit.  But that is part of the fun in a thrift store.  I am always in search of new ways to recycle things I am not able to use in the store but as most of you that have shopped my store know, I try to sell everything!  Some resale shops specialise in a few items but for me it is all about carrying everything because you never know what you may need next.

I have really enjoyed the experience of writing my blog and it gives me ways to look back on all my challenges and helps me face the next one but I do not feel it has helped as many other business people as I had hoped for. So I am considering writing an ebook to share my secrets in the thrift store and resale industry.  That also will be a new adventure and I will post more if and when I finish.  I have helped start over 5 thrift stores and helped other businesses when I can so I am hoping to share some of that detailed knowledge so I can help more than just people in my local area.  The quote I want to leave you with today is:

"What I know is,  that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come."  Oprah

Pros and Cons of Owning a Business

As I kinda explained in my year in review, that there were times I thought I would not have made it to this point.  But some key things I want share are.  Pros and Cons of starting a business.  You think about these but you do not really see them till you experience it. 

PROS
You are the BOSS
You get to chose and create your work environment.
If you arrive late one day no one notices or do they??
You have control to fix issues. (no longer waiting to hear how to proceed)
Your reward is what you put in it.  (This is for those who do not feel appreciated at work)
You can adjust your schedule to fit you life. (if you need off you can adjust)
You get to chose who to hire and represent your business.
Your opportunities are endless(financial and life experience)
You get to see your hard work grow and pay off.
and last, Your DREAMS can come true!!!!!

With all those exciting things you also have cons and it is harder to see those until they happen.  It is kind of like car or motorcycle accidents.  You know the risk every time you are on the road but you never think it will really happen to me. 

CONS
You are the BOSS (it is great most of the time but you can not run and hide if you want to. All actions have reaction and you deal directly with all decisions you make good and bad)
All operations are now your responsibility (you can hire and delegate but you still have to check and make sure everything is done examples marketing, accounting, day to day operations, inventory control and to many things to name)
When your business does well financially you do well, but when it has a dry period so do you.
You no longer have someone over you to hold you accountable or to motivate yourself
You invest lots of time and money (sometimes without seeing any of it in return)
You no longer get paid sick days and vacation days (at least until you become established)
Your liabilities increase
and last, There is no GUARANTEE that your business will SUCCEED!!!!

When I made my pros and cons list in my business plan it said this:

PROS
You are the BOSS (Thinking all positive)
Flexibility for my family
Location has lots of potential
Business has lots of potential
Nice size Parking Lot
Pre established Clientele
Room to expand
Lack of competition and need of local supplies

CONS
Heating with oil
Rebuilding customers
Regaining from current pricing
Uncertainty of income
Renting Vs Buying

It does not look anything like the year later report.  I am not sharing this to discourage anyone from starting a business I am just sharing what I am learning and have learned.  My first business had very little investment and very little risk.  This one has much more potential but also the risk and investment were greater. 

I want to leave you to think about these pros and cons and make some for yourself with your business in mind but remember. 

"Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them.  Have great dreams and dare to live them.  Have tremendous expectations and believe in them." Norman Vincent Peale.

A Year in Review Part 2

Some major things I want to share with anyone thinking about starting a business or freshly starting a business.  These are things I have learned in the last year.

1. Never wait until you are financially sound to start a business.  It is just like waiting to have kids, you will never have a point that is perfect to start a family or a business.  Just Research It and Do It.  If you want it bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. I thought I was financially ready but it turns out I was not and I had to find options and do with out things to continue.  The important thing is that I did not give up.

2. When starting a business make sure you have had current health checkups and are in good over all health.  I went a period of time without health care coverage and could not afford a trip to doctor with the uncertainty of my income from starting a business. Plus even more important the stress load is very intense until you set up steps to allow your business to operate with or without you.  My new year resolution is to update all my health care check ups and eat healthy again which is something I have not kept up with.

3. Know your business inside and out.  I have several business ideas that if I had more capital and resources I would pursue but for now they are still in the dream phase.  If I wanted to pursue any of them, I would have to gain some more experience before they could be successful.  Owning a business is not just about the day to day activities.  There is much that goes on behind the scenes.  I have often said that Downtown Chambersburg needs a small shoe store for those who walk to get to places and can not drive to the mall to shop for shoes.   Shoes are a necessity since our feet would blister and become extremely cold during winter without them so it is a guaranteed income but it is more than just ordering shoes and selling them.  You need licenses, an estimate of inventory, permits, marketing plan, displays, and much more.  If you have never worked in a shoe store before how would you know the secrets of the trade.  A college degree in business would be great but if you can not live your business no amount of education will help you.  They do not offer degrees on life experiences.  I am not saying not to go to college because I think it can teach you so much about the business end or marketing department but not everything we do is learned in school and many of our best lessons are learned the hard way in life.  Many businesses fail with in the first year since people have a great idea but lack the knowledge for the behind the scenes work.  Think of it as building a brick wall, without the foundation you have nothing for the bricks to be stable and prevent them from falling.  Build the foundation and the wall will follow.

4.  Use your resources.  You can use any of the resources I have mentioned all year long on this blog like books I have read, websites I have used, and trainings I have completed just check back through my blog for details.  Your community offers many resources to help just ask.  I started with the small business association.  www.sba.gov and went from there.  I also had many resources from local business owners in my community.  All my volunteer work payed off when I needed help.  I firmly believe you get what you give and live my life by "The Golden Rule". 

5.  Have a support team, when you own your own business there are many periods of ups and downs.  While we can survive both and it is the choices we make that determines where we go, it is always great to have someone to talk to during the down moments to get you going again.  It is just as great to share the great news moment too!  I am thankful for my support team.  I would not be where I am today with out them and their sacrifices.

6.The last thing is, Do not allow FEAR to prevent you from doing anything.  I am not saying not to have FEAR but do not let it control you.  You have to push it to the lowest point of your body and push through and do what ever it takes.  Do not give in to the FEAR.  It is easier to give up but the real challenge is to continue.  Do not let Pride get in the way either. 

"Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new" Albert Einstein

A Year in Review Part 1

As September approaches I realize that I have almost been in business for one year already.  I took over the rent and inventory on August 30th last year.  My business did not have a Grand Opening until October 1st but the business was mine for the whole month of September.  I have much to review and write about so my posts for the month of September will all be reflections, things I would change or not change, and just lessons learned.  I will also cover my one year anniversary planning.  I am hoping to get to all of these things because I think it is important to share with other who hope to start a business.  Some of you may have noticed my posts have slowed down the last few months but business has picked up and my time is spent with my customers which is how it should be and growing my business.  Plus it has been summer time and I have spent as much time with the family as possible.  In the next year, I may need to expand in personnel or volunteers to help cover all day to day activities.

One thing I have noticed is you need a great deal of start up money when starting a business but it does not require as much to maintain operations.  I am getting renewal notices for all my licenses and tax filing information. Renewal is cheaper than original filing.   I had to learn new accounting tips last year for tax season and this year, I have kept things sorted differently making it easier come tax season.  I do order items to complete everyday operations but they are not all required up front when you run out of paper you order or go get the paper you need.  Not the trip for envelopes, cards, paper, tape, and etc.  I no longer stress out about the little things since it has become routine.  Filing quarterly taxes has gotten easier.  When I first started it was overwhelming.  I used to pay bills as they came in but now once a month I write checks and pay bills.  These are all just small things you may not think about that change over the course of the first year in business. 

Hindsight being 20/20 I am not sure if I knew then what I know now that I would have continued this journey but I think that is the plan.  If we didn't go into business blinded by the joy and love of what we do when starting a business most businesses would never start.  It is like being pregnant and going through child birth(sorry men but women will totally understand).  If we knew the pain without the joy, would we have kids?  I am not saying I am disappointed or that I am not happy with my own business but it was a journey with experiences and work that I never expected.  I am glad I was blinded by the joy and love because that is what gets you through day to day.  Well that and a strong support system.  I recommend having as many people to help support you mentally during the first years of starting a business.  Many THANKS to my support system, I could not have done this without you and I hope you know who you are!!!!!

Gathering and Using Your Business Data

While I have not been open for a year yet, my business is no longer extremely NEW.  They say a business is still in beginning phases until you have at least 2 years complete.  This is when banks, wholesalers, government, and other services take you seriously.  You have sales records, tax documents, and proof that your business really is doing what you say.  But as I was saying I am no longer extremely new business.  I have been open long enough to start creating those records. 

Ever since my first job when I was taught inventory and placing orders, I have been a numbers and charts person.  It helps that I had some of the greatest business men and women to teach me some of their secrets.  Much of who I am today is thanks to all their lessons in business.  I have a Big Thanks going up to heaven to Bill for teaching me customer service skills, business inventory, merchandising, marketing, bargain shopping, and much much more. 

I have been starting to chart my sales by categories and the month of the year.  I am doing this along with a weekly and monthly inventory.  I also chart my online sales, cash sales, and other services sales according to the month of the year.  As this year has progressed, I have been adding additional categories to help better serve my research.  In fact one of my first improvements was a larger cash register with more categories to help me keep track. 

The next step of sorting my data was better taught to me by my next teacher who was also my boss and a Big Thanks to Gary for my extra knowledge of merchandising, seasonal flow, impulse targets, and many other retail tips.  He helped me realize items that are staples of seasons, holiday shopping goals, sales that are effected by weather conditions and seasons. 

Now I can chart weeks of the year that are the busiest and maybe understand what things going on around me are making that happen.  What weeks are the slowest and what can I do to increase sales during that time.  I also can control my inventory to have more sales by understanding what customers are buying more of and does it change from month to month or year to year.  You also have to keep tract of any loss, this could be do to damaged merchandise, out of date or code, recalls, and miscellaneous reasons. 

These resources will help you make sound business decisions through out the years.   Things may also change from year to year then you need to make averages as well as current data.  Sometimes things change do to an outside force like the economy and you have to adjust to survive the low times.  Make patterns and start doing yearly charts as well as your monthly. 

Public Relations is Constant

Well it has been sometime since I have been able to sit down and add to my blog about the store.  Summer is coming to a close and I am not sure where it went.  First months of owning a business we did not take any real vacation this year.  Lots of reasons, finances went to growing the business, time away meant store was closed, and my husband just started new job as well and has not earned vacation time yet.  Looking forward to making it up next year.  Even though we did not take vacation we enjoyed many summer activities like fairs, picnics, and celebrations.  When you own a business you never know when the opportunity will come to grow your business.  We have been invited to many events from the business and we have talked just having a good time and got several new customers in the process.

This changes the way you do things since you always have to be on your game.  I have tried to show my best all year and have cards handy to hand out to those who have questions.  We also handed out free glow bracelets at our local fireworks courtesy of Suzy's Treasure Chest.  As we talked to each person handing them out we made more new contacts and the kids had a great time with additional surprise.  Win, Win for all involved.  This was small advertisement but I think in building my business it was a tremendous step.  I even handed out 10% off cards.  Using all resources around you is a key to Marketing. 

"Don't Judge each day by the harvest you reap but the seeds that you plant"  Robert Louis Stevenson

Creating a website

In January, I made a marketing plan and started research for ways to expand on the internet to increase customers and sales.  This has been very effective for me and has branched me out to new opportunities.  I first established myself on Google which is surprisingly free for just basic information.  Then I started my Facebook page which has targeted a lot of my local customer base and it is free information.  I next set up a twitter account and I am getting more information and contacts that are business related.  Great training tips and more.  The last thing I have done is create a website.  The research alone was the thing that held me back the most on creating a website. 

I am a ratings person and I do not like to jump into something thinking it will cost this and end up with extra fees they do not disclose in the process.  After much research, I was able to contact my phone and internet provider and they offered everything I needed to set up a informational website.  This is not exactly what I had invisionsed but after finding out what I can add for addtional fees I think it will work out.  So now I am researching how to do web design to save money.  With all the templates offered and the consultation from my service provider I think I have the start of a great website.  It is something you tweak as you go upon need.  I have done that with my Facebook and Blog, that was completely overhauled last month.  I have always played it safe when working online and I say things in a vague fashion.  But with my business, I have learned I can not be vague.   I came upon a challenge a few weeks ago, this was something I was scared about but I won the battle that day and protected my store. Having done this reminded me that this is personal.  It is mine and it is personal so I need to portray that to you as you read this.  Just like the movie "You Got Mail" and the "Godfather" "fight to the mattresses".  It is personal and if your business is not, maybe it is not the business for you.

Please check out my new site and let me know your thoughts and what you would like to see from me in the future.
www.suzystreasurechest.com

I am hoping as you read this, you start following me on Facebook and Twitter to continuely get updates.  I post photos of current items in the shop and I offer shipping if you are interested in an item and can not make it to the store.  I also give a free weekly tip on things you can do to save money and be more thrifty.

My business for the month of June has been very busy and has not let me much time to update this blog, but that is what I want.  I was also closed for a few days to join my kids at camp.  Something to think about when you go into business for yourself,  you have ablitity to take off any time you want but you no longer get paid vacations and you lack the security.  I am sure when my business is a few years older, I will be able to take pay for vacations but for now the business does not support that.

This time of year is full of outdoor festivals and I have been using them to my advantage by advertising in booklets, helping at the events, and just being seen in public.  If you are starting a business, they say it takes a couple years before you actually see the difference of your actions so I am still doing and waiting.

My next big change is to put advertising on my truck so everyone who sees me in traffic can see my website and hopefully stop by. 

Wishing you all a happy and safe 4th of July.

Memorial Day Weekend

It is a few days after the Memorial Day Weekend celebration here in the valley.  My new expansion project did not have the impact I was hoping for.  Maybe there were to many other things going on since it is a busy time in this area.  I gave away free coffee and had two people set up.  It is a start and I plan to continue to see if interest grows. 

My kids did a great job of running everything; down to set up, tear down, and maintaining the coffee bar.  Glad to know I have raised great girls that are able to work hard.  They even helped with several projects in the store that I haven't had time to complete yet. 

Overall business seemed to be down from normal this weekend.  I guess I can not compete with the big box stores and I do not want to.  That isn't in my business plan.  I am very glad to take the regular business rather than big sales to draw people in.  It is the regulars that make your day.   Maybe in the future, I will decide to close and take a vacation on the holidays like everyone else.  I did go picnic with my family Sunday and Monday.

Good news is after the long expensive weekend, that I am feeling very energized and ready to start planning the next big thing.  I am about to have my own website in addition to all the social medias.  I will post more details after it is set up.  My online sales have picked up as well.  Making me feel like all this planning is paying off. 

I also am considering starting a brochure of our local area with festivals, services, history, and local businesses.  I expect it will take most of the summer to prepare and plan before it can be published.  Thankfully my extra activities are slowing down like Girl Scouts.  Although, I am very Proud of what my girls accomplished this year.  They are showing me up so I am stepping up my game.  They are almost done earning their Silver Award which is the 2nd highest award in Girl Scouts.  For more information on their project please read this blog: http://humane-pa.org/

The next project I am researching are buying mailing lists?  Does it pay off and where and how do you go about it?  And how to set up a billboard along the Pa Turnpike?  If anyone has answers or places to look please share. 

My creative juices are flowing and I mentioned many things today so I am sorry if it is hard to follow today.  I am a very creative person but not very organized.  If it weren't for my sticky notes to keep me on a single project, I would get nothing done.  But it can not get crossed off until it is complete even if it is close to complete.  The quote I want to leave you with today is.

"There are three kinds of people in the world, the wills, the won'ts, and the can'ts.  The first accomplish everything; the second oppose everything; and the third fail in everything" Eclectic Magazine

I am trying to be the WILL person, what kind of person are you?????

Addtional Services

In business you always have to be looking for ways to expand. It could be offering more services, carrying new items but something to grow and move forward.  I am about to begin a new service to my community and bring in more business for my store. At least that is what I hope.  Some people think I am making competition for myself, but I think I am increasing customers and donations after they walk outside.   I am starting a flea market/ farmers market/ yard sale out side the store during the summer months.  I am one week out from this event and I have reviewed my ads that I placed.  Making a to do checklist to prepare.  I have to mow and mark off spots this week.  Then the day of we are serving free coffee and getting everyone set up and cleaning up after they are gone.  This is going to be work for my kids but give them some spending money for the summer.  They are in charge of set up and tear down.  They are also responsible for the trash, wiping down tables and maintaining coffee bar.  I expect it will be a crazy day the first day and an exciting place to be in the valley.  this is small town U.S.A. It will also teach the kids good work ethic and boost my sales.  I am looking for a food vendor to set up at the event as well but not having much luck in that department.  I have been interviewing people for months.  My concern is all the permits, and insurance of serving food.  If anyone has insight to share please do.  I will post more after this event. 

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.  They went out and happened to things" Elinor Smith

With the last quote, here I go.......

Forms of Payment

In business, what is the best form of payment.  If you guessed cash then you are right.  We now live in a society that doesn't always carry cash.  I for one, am one of those people.  I use my debit card for most purchases even to pay my bills.  It has become just like the postal service vs email service, instant and easier.  But the fees, we as bank customers often do not have fees unless you use your card obsessively or you over draw.  That is the draw for consumers, most banks offer free checking with debit card.  So who pays for all of the fees the bank has to pay to use the service.  You guessed it, the business.

I am ready to expand my business again and I am having several reservations about what is my best options.  I have been researching for months since that is what I do.  Lots of research then choosing the best option.  Only with this, I do not feel which is the best option, it is like choosing the lesser of two evils.  Accepting credit/debit cards will increase my expenses most definitely, but will the additional sales be enough to cover the cost.  I turn away a handful of people by currently not accepting cards but is it a $5.00 sale or a $100.00 sale.  As a new business owner you always have overhead and competing with giant retailers on prices can make the extra expense a challenge. 

I personally wish to expand my sales online and I need some sort of payment option other than mailing me checks or money orders.  Checks themselves are another story.  I tried to explain to my Girl Scouts last night that someone can write a check even if they do not have the money in the account to cash it.  The process does catch up to them eventually but they can write several checks before that happens.  I have been lucky that I have not gotten very many bad checks in the last 6 months of business.  If you accept debit/credit cards you can avoid accepting checks by using the card and save yourself the returned check fees and loss of product.  It also makes processing items online much easier. 

Thanks to my support system, I can understand the fees involved in credit/debit processing.  First thing to decide is to buy or lease a machine.  Benefits to lease is if machine breaks they replace at their cost but you pay more in the long run and if you cancel your contract with them you are still obligated to pay the lease.  A benefit to owning a machine is you pay a lot less for the machine but payment is due at one time.  Over a period of time your machine may become obsolete and break and the expense if your to replace.  The interest rates seem to be about the same for each service regardless. 

Now that you have decided which option works best for you, a few other things to think about are your rates promotional and when do they expire?  What fees occur each month regardless of sales volume?  What is pricing strategy?  It can be fixed or tiered.  Do you accept American Express and what are rates for reward cards?  Both have larger expense and may delay your settlement money.  How much is application fee?  If you own your machine, how much to reprogram?  Is customer service available 24 hours 7 days a week.  How long is down time if something is broken and needs replaced.  How long does set up take?  How much is application fee?  How much are monthly fees from service provider, and Visa/Mastercard?   Next question is security, there are a lot of fines if someone steals information from your service.  They are enough to put a small business out of business.  Some service providers carry insurance at a monthly fee to cover you in case this happens.  You have heard it before I am sure, sometimes you get what you pay for. 

Another option companies can now offer is gift cards.  If you use their service they can sell you so many personalized gift cards for your location.  May save the hassle of gift certificates in accounting for you. 

Some companies offer a no contract fee but rates are higher.  This may be an option if you just want to see how things go.  Always ask about cancellation policies and have all your questions written in writing from the service provider.  After you seen and double check the forms, you can decide if this works for your business.  With all business decisions, there is risk.  I need to decide if this is a risk I want to take to have opportunity to expand into bigger things.

 The quote I want to end this with today is,
"Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried something new" Albert Einstein

Stick to the plan

I have learned another reason why you create a business plan before going into business.  I always thought it was a guide and the steps you need to create your business. 

That is the whole reason I started this blog, to help others and myself during those steps.  I am not sure my blog has helped anyone other than me yet.  The key word YET.  I have been completing everything on my business plan at record speed because I do not know patenice and I want my finished and polished project NOW.  Even though I know deep down it takes time.  Even an army of men move mountains one stone at a time.  I think back to each one of my employment opportunies over the years.  I advanced in everything I did but it took time and hard work.  I never gave up unless I moved forward to better myself and my family.  The thrift store I used to manage took over a year before I increased the sales volume the way I did and even after 5 years of working there, I continued to make changes for the better.   I could have made many more changes and improvments if they would have invested in me and my choices to expand but I can not change the past and now, I can test my choices myself.  I have invested everything I have in me and that has to be the scariest but most joyful experience ever.  I think by the end of the year, we are going to do the same thing for my husband and he will get his chance to prove himself too. 

In the past 2 weeks, I have had some very down days and wondering what am I doing.  Is this the best choice for me and my family.  There is no room for doubt in business but we all experience it from time to time.  The key is to process and maybe ask yourself why do you feel that way and move forward.  Stick to the plan.  I just reread my business plan and I am making adjustments since my business has changed but it is a guide and consistant even when I am not.  I will not allow myself to lose site of the goal.  Remeber that first thing you put in your plan. 

Something you can do, is change the things you do the achieve the goal.  I have taken my slow week to complete another Marketing Class.  A nice virtutal class is at this site. http://mainesbdc.org/  I do not always get new information from each class, but it stirrs my thoughts and gives me ideas to help move forward. 

I also started a No Excuses Policy at my store.  This idea came from Janis Pettit.  When you have a boss, you have someone to be accountable too, but in your own business you only have to be accountable to you.  If you didn't update the newsletter, email, banking, and ect you suffer the consquence in your business.  Make a no excuse policy and just do it.  I have had a lot going on in my personal life in last 2 weeks and it has effected my business.  I have no excuse and I am moving forward to change and make it better.  My business plan has helped pull me out of the slump for now.....

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther." J.P. Morgan

Celebrating 6 months

As of the month of April, my business has been open for six months.  Overall things have been very up and down.  I felt great momentum going into the month and things have slacked down a little from Easter.  I have had some of my biggest days in last couple weeks, but each day is a hit or miss instead of constant up or down.  I had a great sale running the begining of the month and used Easter eggs to have customers open for additional savings on entire purchase.  The customers had fun and it was great success, and I may continue to use this in March/April and call it a Spring Fling sale after I have been in business for a year.

 If I had to rate progress for last 6 months, I would say that I have changed the opinion of a lot of my customer base and many have been returning more often to the store.  That is very positive to hear how much everyone like the store.  Comments heard often, are that it is cleaner, items are in good condition, prices are great, and it is a friendly place to shop.  I have doubled my space and categories since I opened.  The inside of the store has more space from updating equipment and I have been getting new items from different people.  I changed the layout a few times to help with the flow when shopping and the store acquired a couple new licenses and permits to carry items needed in the local area.  I am begining a new project to expand sales and help my community. 

I started a frequent shopper program when I first opened and I am proud to say I have 3 people that are one stamp away from savings and I have many more that are close.  If I run numbers on the progress it comes out to each customer stopping in at least every 3 weeks to see what is new.  My Facebook page and Twitter account have become fun to update and communicate with customers.  I also give away a free thrifty tip each week and some customers have really enjoyed the tips and using them in their everyday life.  If we plan to come out ahead in this economy we have to pull together tips, resources, and just help one another.  If you would like to check out my Thrifty Tip Thursdays please click on this facebook site and join by liking the Susy's Treasure Chest page. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.320012684737620.76602.319640671441488&type=1#!/pages/Suzys-Treasure-Chest/141522819296361

A few things that haven't turned out as I planned in this adventure so far are that my sales are not at the level I expected by this point, not sure if I aimed really high or if it is something I am or am not doing correctly.  Having said this, my average daily sale has almost doubled from my first weeks of being opened but I think they can grow more than that.  I want to expand more on the internet to open up my customer base but I am not sure where to go to move forward more than I am now.  My home life is becoming very stressful at this point, since my husband has not found employment that he enjoys that pays what he used to make before his company closed down last year after we bought the store.  I am not taking much from the store as we planned to make the well needed changes but feeling like something has to give.  We have used up our savings and are living week to week like most americans are now.  We cut several expenses as soon as we found out his job was closing so not much left to trim out.  I am actually looking for something part time to help out since the store isn't making large profits yet.  My quote that keeps me going right now is.

"Don't find fault, find a remedy" Henry Ford

I have heard it said many times that businesses that make it don't give up when things are tough they keep going and do what ever it takes.  The business continues to grow and I expect after we become established we will look back and laugh about how scared we were and how long do you continue to dig forward before you dig straight down and are in a hole you can not get out of.  My dreams at night tell me we are going the right way but I want to send out a reminder to never lose faith of what you can do, just do it, and do it well.

Expanding and Change

In my last segment, I covered my marketing plans that I did in January.  I also decided that a slow time was time to make changes in the store area and adjust my business plan according to my growth.  I laid out a marketing plan just like my business plan with expenses and timeline so I could just cross off the list and report progress from each to see what works well in the future.  Now I am laying out an expansion plan.  I needed to know additional costs to expand in each section and projected profit from each expansion.  Then I started to talk to my customers to see what they were more interested in. 

I feel the store really grew during February and March from the work and lay out of my new plans.  I have replaced all table displays from when I first opened with shelving units that help display items better.  This freed up space to expand the clothing department so I got a few more racks.  These changes allowed my customers to better view all my items for sale.  Each trip I made to replenish groceries that I sold, I got a new product to carry.  Growing over time but in a couple months making a large impact.  I had rearranged the store with all my changes. Customers had to see the changes so they keep coming back. 

I recently expanded into carrying more furniture items and that is a big draw.  Since the weather is getting nicer, I am having sidewalk sales outside so customers can see items from the road to draw attention. 

I have already expanded into a few areas that I wanted to and have a layout of how the business will grow by the end of the year.  I now carry fresh bread items, and over the counter medicines.  My clothing has grown and so has the household items.  I expanded my beverage cooler. My grocery department has doubled from when I first opened.  Sales are growing and have almost doubled from when I first opened. 

I now spend about an hour and 1/2 a week updating information and pictures on Facebook and Craigslist to get the word out about new items.  I am busy enough during the day now, that I am  taking my paperwork home to complete.  I still want more growth, but I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.....

"When you expect things to happen, strangely enough they do happen." J.P. Morgan

Marketing Seeds

I am a firm believer that you reap what you sow.  Knowing this, I spent my slow period of January to get my name out there however I could.  I was feeling very unsure about my choices and afraid of what was to come.  My budget I had laid aside for me to be off work with no income was fading quickly.  I had expected business to pick up faster than it did.  The store was paying its own month to month expenses but nothing was left over to expand.  I felt since we were not spending out of pocket things should continue to move forward, so we did.  In all my business books people say some businesses give up moments before they see the success and work that they did.  This is why I can not stress enough about looking 5 years out in a business plan.  

"Continuous effort-not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential."  Sir Winston Churchill

In my marketing research, I found a website from Janis Pettit.  She is a small business life coach and offers some information and a video for free.  I used as many things as she has listed that I felt comfortable to use.  She recommends using websites like, Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Blogs, and many more.  I had been using Craigslist since I opened and continue to put larger items on the gain more customer base.  I have used Ebay as an option, but it requires more time to maintain than I care to use so it is last resort.  They have the option to create an online store that can be viewed anytime.  I already had my stuff on Google and I even show up on GPS in this area.  I started a Facebook page in January and I started to give away a free thrifty tip each week to maintain weekly contact.  Janis talks about giving something away for free as a constant reminder you are here.  I also started a mailing list, and email list.  This way I can send out advertisements and sales.  To get my mailing and email listing, I had a survey that I gave away to all customers and I had a movie basket as a prize to return surveys.  One lucky person who returns will win the basket.  I was also able to use my surveys to find out what my customers want more of.  I currently do not use Twitter or other social sites since most of my customer base is on Facebook.  You need to do what works for you. 

I also worked out a deal with my local paper for a small weekly ad.  I pay quarterly for it and it has my hours and contact information.  Some people say that advertising budget can be cut when capital is down, but most businesses will tell you that is time to advertise more.  If advertising is too expensive, consider a co-op with other businesses close by and share the cost.  One of our local papers and radio stations is doing a hometown half off advertising to help everyone during the down turn of the economy.  And they sell gift certificates for your location for half price and you spend only the free product for advertising. It is worth looking into local specials in your area.

My last big marketing item is my frequent shopper card.  I give 10% off their purchase after they earn 10 stamps.  To earn a stamp they must make a purchase of $5.00 or more.  They do not get additional stamps for each $5.00 spent.  You can adjust minimum purchase or what they get once they complete the card for your own business.  It has my business information on the front of the card so it can be a double advertisement. 

Good Luck starting all your marketing seeds and watch your business grow!!!!

The New Year

My next month of being open was January and there was no history of the store to compare to.  Sales can drop a lot after Christmas.  The week between Christmas and New Years was busy but mostly lottery tickets from Christmas gifts being turned in.  I have decided I may take vacation this time each year if summer months are alot busier since kids are out of school anyway.  The weeks that followed became slower.  We did not have a harsh winter here this year so weather was not a problem.  I guess everyone was just recovering from the holidays.

I did maintain day to day customers but not the volume as before Christmas.  I had to get another load of fuel oil and that took my any income I would have made that month.  Thankful again for warm days so I didn't use as much fuel oil this winter.  I did make a plan to buy some all summer so the tank would be full for next year and I can control when the payment is due.  Also I can use a payment plan now that I am returning customer with fuel company.  Getting established enough to have credit takes time since so many businesses open and close quickly.  I did make a plan to go for the long haul, my uncle  reminded me when I first opened that no one opens a business and makes a back up plan to close if it doesn't work out.  Dream big and go for the long haul, so I continue on. 

With the slower days, I started to do some marketing research and make a marketing plan to use for the new year.  At this time, I started a book which was very helpful for motivation.  It is called Up, Down, or Sideways by Mark Sanborn and it was free download on Kindle.  It talked a lot about barriers in life, like not knowing how, knowing but not believing, believing you can't, you know and do it, and you know and make it second nature.  Business is alot like that.  Other great points and it helps you understand your self so you can move the business the direction you want to.  You measure things by, results like money, recognition like awards, recreation like time off, and relationships like interacting with customers.  This helps you be clear about what is important to you and find your niche.  The book is also about the economy being up, down, or sideways and how to adjust yourself to the market. 

I began to look at all ways I can bring in more customers or reach more people.  Before this plan I was using basic newspapers, flyers, signage, and word of mouth.  All of the media I mentioned are ways of marketing and great things but you still .  I did have a few websites that picked up the store but nothing major on the web.  I wrote my marketing plan much like a business plan and researched estimates on cost of investment and expected returns. 

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant" Robert Louis Stevenson

My next segment I will go over my seeds I planted and results.

3rd Month

My third month of being open is the Month of December.  This can be a very stressful time of year for everyone and this year was no different.  The ratings were saying this Christmas season would make or break several large retailers.  I knew I was starting a business in a unstable environment but reports continue to share bad news.  One plus for me is that people are looking for bargains and thrift store shopping has become more common, but even thrift stores are having issues selling larger end items. 

" When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off agaist the wind, not with it" Henry Ford

The challenges I faced were balancing work with activities at home with the holidays.  I spend extra time after the store is closed trying to find new bargains to carry, paperwork, and other miscellaneous tasks.  I usually make many gifts for our family and I was unable to do as much this year.  When starting a business, capital is always tight and this added to stress at home.  I believe these choices will affect my business in the future and I am spending most of our time and money in the business. The novelty has worn off for my family and it is just a job for them.  They no longer like to spend the extra time over at the store and I spend most days alone now. 

The final thing to add to our stress level of the holiday season was that my husbands work of the last 12 years has announced that they are permanently closing.  We received my husbands last check the first week of December.  Just when you think you can not handle any more bad news, we received a blessing and my husband quickly got hired at another job.  We were very excited that we could continue to move forward since our savings have been dropping as we went to a one income family. 

The store had busy days and days with limited business.  I had all the Christmas items out and that seemed to be the only thing selling.  I had many requests for more grocery items but I couldn't expand to everything.  Over all the month passed by very quickly and  I started to plan for January.  Sales could be dead after Christmas and I had no history to judge by what was to come........

2nd month

For those who have missed my daily additions, I have spent the week changing seasons.  For those who work retail, this is very familiar to you.  For those who haven't this means discounting last seasons items then packing away what didn't sell.  Also means you need to change every angle of the store to new season.  When the season matches the weather season, that means you have double inventory to change.  Suzy's now has spring and summer items out and we have started to put out Easter items. Now I begin the second month of Suzy's. 

My second month started off very slow in comparison.  I was concerned the novelty had worn off.  I still had new customers, some from far away as they get off the turnpike.  I kept reinvesting the money I made after the monthly bills were paid.  This month, I expanded my shelving racks.  When I first opened, I didn't have any clothing racks so that was our first priority, but now I wanted to be able to display more items.  My motto is you can not make a sale if it is in the back room.  The first row of shelves were completed. 

This month went by much slower than last, and I had many days that I wondering if the store would survive a year.  Over all, I think the second month was the most stressful for me so far.  It was November and I had changed seasons to Christmas items as most prominent since I was not open long enough to have large fall display for Thanksgiving.  Christmas is a make it or break time of year.  Christmas items sell themselves with out needing a push.  I was not even close to being as busy as I expected.  After being in management for years in retail, I was so prepared for the day to day stresses of the Christmas season and they never came.  Hindsight being 20/20 as they say, I was busier than I thought I was because my totals for the month were better than the month before.  In business growth is good no matter how small.  I also know it takes time to build the volume of stores that have been open for years.  I was so used to large volumes that I was not able to enjoy and see the volume I had in the store. 

"Every artist was first an amateur" Ralph Emerson

One day, I had someone from West Virginia stop by from the turnpike asking for directions, they enjoyed my store so much they now stop every time the pass by.  This feeling is awesome.  Someone thinks so highly of my store they get off the interstate every time they come through which it about once a month.  Now I am starting to be known outside of this small valley.  This made me think outside the box more with Internet sales.  I have that in my business plan but not right away since I needed many basics first.  I looked and found some free advertising like on Google.  I have a little bubble now on Google maps and you can Google me and get an address and phone.  I also put another ad in local paper this month to boost knowledge that I am here. 

On another note, this is great advertising opportunity I have used in the past but has not been an option here yet.  If you have small group of businesses that want to share advertising expense, you can combine ads to make a larger ad and get more attention.  Like stop by and get lunch here, grab a sweater here, and so on.  You can sometimes combine Radio and TV this way too.  In tight times you have to think out side the box. 

First weeks after Grand Opening

I started this blog about 6 months after I actually opened so I am going to try and catch up to current time in the next few segments.  My store is in a small community and everybody knows everybody, so after my Grand opening the next few weeks were very good.  I think people continued to talk to each other and the word of mouth spread and everyone had to see it for them selves.  I also opened in the beginning of the month and as a regular sales tip in retail, the beginning and end of the month are always busier than the middle.  I was very happy with the progress.  I still had a few ads in the local papers and just upgraded my open sign to one that lights up.  I was very busy restocking inventory and making adjustments. 

The store was continuing to change. As money allowed, I made improvements.  I had laid out in my business plan to expand instead of taking a wage for myself for first several months.  I had to plan my expenses at home and have my husbands support to do this but I know a business that continues to grow can have a better percentage for success.

My next challenge was heating for the winter.  I purchased and worked to set up the store in September and opened by October.  I had an amount budgeted for fuel oil but I had no previous experience with using or buying it.  I was informed that because my tank is outside that I need treated fuel to prevent freezing and the minimum purchase is 150 gal at a time.  I was hoping to get buy with 100 gal till next month to allow for more income but I had to have heat so I held off on replacing inventory for a week to order fuel.  Then the landlord had the furnace serviced and it was just in time for a cold spell that came.  I have been keeping the store at 65 during the day and 60 in the evenings and it seems to be a great temperature with customers in their winter coats.  Sometimes if it is really cold I plug in a small space heater for my area.  I have made a mental note to budget fuel each month and during the summer months order some every coupe months to fill my tanks for the winter and not be worried about the large expense.  I may schedule the opposite of my insurance payment months. 

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere" Frank Clark

As October is ending business is slowing down and I am having extremely slow days.  It is busy one day and very few people the next.  I know in retail it is best to do an average daily sale instead of looking each day.  I have a goal each month and my goal for the next month is to beat the previous months average daily sale.  To figure that out, take number of selling days that month and divide that from the monthly sales total.  at the end of the month, my sales were lower than I had hoped but all the bills for the month were paid by sales.  I was 15 dollars off my goal I had set after the first week. 

I was experiencing a lot of financial worry and little triumphs that made the month go by.  I knew there would be ups and downs but wasn't prepared for this.  I realized I needed to take it one day at a time and on my slow days I research how I an make more sales......

Grand Opening

So the day you have worked so hard for is here. It was printed in front page of the local paper and I have people waiting for me to open the store.  I had a coupon for 10% percent off entire purchase with this coupon as part of the ad.  I made sweet and sour meatballs, cheese ball with crackers, and chips with dip.  Simple self maintaining menu so I would be able to make sales.  It was so busy I was not able complete any work other than the cash register.  I did have my family over to help fill the food or help me with questions or ringing out the sale.  My kids were learning the cash register  (a skill that will help them forever).  I work in a very family orientated community and having my kids helping was the icing on the cake plus they are part of the reason I started this adventure.  We received many compliments from people about how nice the store looked and many great changes.  Customer feedback can be very inspirational.

"The most effective way to do it, is to just do it." Amelia Earhart

I also talked in last segment that I had door prizes.  I decorated the store as a Treasure Hunt, kinda cute since the name of the store is Suzy's Treasure Chest.  I had a large Treasure Chest by the register and I had 100 keys to the chest but only 15 keys opened the chest.  Each customer was encouraged to try a key to get to the treasure.  Inside I had prizes hidden in envelopes as well as fake gold coins and fake jewelry. We gave away lots of door prizes and people had fun.  Hopefully you start a business from a hobby or something you enjoy so you can have fun with it.  Going to work is so much easier when you enjoy it, even on the stressful days.

The day much quicker than I expected and with the small amount of sales I had the week before, I was making enough money to continue to invest more in the store.  It started to slow down as the day went on but remained a steady flow. 

I am a chart and numbers person when it comes to business.  I like to see my progress on paper and be able to compare it to future events.  With the advertisement coupons, I was able to see how many read the article and if it is a good source for me in the future.  I was also able to use my inventory sheet to compare what types of items sold best.  This may give me an idea on what area to expand on first.  I had a goal to expand groceries a little bit each week but that I will evaluate grocery sales and thrift sales in 6 months to see which area to expand on more or to maintain as I am.  My Grand Opening gave me contact to lots of people in a short amount of time. 

At the end of the day, I was tired from all the stress and work leading up to the event, but I felt great because the day was a large success and formed my view of the months to come.  Thankfully I started my business in what most people call the 4th quarter of the year.  One of the biggest shopping seasons. 

So now I begin the part of the adventure of what you do now that you already own a business.....
The first few years......

Preparing to open

Now that we accomplished such a large set back in opening, I feel like we can do anything.  Business is a lot about good self esteem and believing you can do it.  I felt after the adjustments I made to my budget that I can still do this.  So I continued cleaning and the store started to look like a retail store.  I started laying out my displays and departments.  Having departments and organizing the layout of a store is important.  Also, tie in items is how you get that extra sale sometimes.  I had to readjust some areas after I was done to allow for more items.  This is all part of retail as well.  You have to continue to move products.  As I was setting up, some display items I wanted came up on Craigslist and at local auctions so I worked extra hard after work to get these items.  I had a new timeline for opening and I was still worried about getting it done.  I had it visioned and knew what I had to do, but I have always had employees to help with the change and I was not able to complete everything I wanted to in the time I had planned.  So some improvements would have to wait.

As I was working, I never locked the door.  People were very curious about the changes and they stopped by.  I could have just shut them out and continued to work but my personal experience with customers is they want the personal touch.  So when they stopped by I took a minute to explain I was opening in a week and I talked a little bit.  Before I opened, I already had contact with 15 potential customers.  These skills are all part of marketing.  Marketing is not just advertising, it is selling yourself and what you are doing.  You have to believe in yourself and your products to do this.  From this point on, you never know when you may meet a potential customer so take every operating that comes your way.

"Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." Doug Firebaugh

At a point in every business you have to make a decision to have a lite opening and then schedule your Grand Opening or just have a Grand Opening.  I chose to go with a lite opening and set my Grand Opening on the 1st of the next month since it was a Saturday and it left lots of opportunity for me in my area.  So the original date I had set to open was here and I wasn't sure I was ready.  I had lots more envisioned than I had done.  My start up funds were dwindling down and I was choosing between things.  I started another plan and decided what I refused to open with out.  I spent two full days and evenings finishing up to complete those.  I had my signs ordered and was hoping they would be here and hung in time.  Everything was coming down to last minutes and it was stressful.  Somethings had to be relied on by others and I have issues with that sometimes (not sure why, I have never really been let down but). It was here and most stuff was completed so I decided to open the cash register on the second day I had planned to open after the pest removal.  I was continuing to make changes during the day since I hadn't had everything set up as I wanted yet but I was ready and excited.  The whole day went by and no one had stopped by.  I was really bummed and thought maybe this isn't going to work out.  About 15 minutes before I was set to close someone came in.  My first sale happened and it was over 15.00 dollars.  It gave me the hope I needed again to continue to next week.  I framed my first dollar as most people do and have it displayed with my licenses at the store.

I now had one week till my Grand Opening and little things to do.  I found out from the state of Pennsylvania that I can 3 events with free food a year and not have to have any food license so I planned a menu for my Grand Opening and door prizes.  I gave myself a Grand Opening Budget and made adjustments.   I finalized my advertisements, shared with friends and family, created door prizes and made food. Everything is ready but we are still setting up with 15 minutes to go before the store opens and people are outside.  Stay tuned to next section to hear all about my Grand Opening.

Detours of opening

It began much like purchasing a house for the first time.  I had done all the research and I had a plan for the store location and all the fees involved.  I got preapproved for financing and began by working out the details with the landlord before we settled with the previous owners on the remaining inventory.  The last time I was at the store before negotiations began I wrote down the important things I didn't want to open the store without and found a current value for those.  The sellers had a price they were asking for the items but my totals were not adding up to theirs and I was not interested in keeping all the items they had for sale. I was interested in display units, cash register, and office supplies.  With the help of my husband and his uncle they helped me practice negotiations and I had a starting price and a price I would have walked away.  The previous owners must not have been trained in negotiations because they took my first offer and it was almost  half of there listing price.  I started low so they would counter offer.  Shows you never know what you can do if you just ask.    I had them sign a contract and had it notarized. I was very excited and after the previous owners and notoriety left I started to really lay everything out in my head.   It was mine and I could create the dream I had imagined.  Having managed a thrift store in the past, I was able to make changes I thought would be effective. 

The timeline on my business plan began.  I had 2 weeks to get ready to open.  So each day after getting the kids off to school in the morning, I took my little buddy( still working out notice of previous job) and we went to clean the store.  That was a major issue with previous owners that store was very dirty but I knew that going into it and it was only cleaner and elbow grease which I have lots of.  So I started cleaning one section at a time and I was home in time for kids to get off the bus and my husband and I went for the additional supplies we needed each evening.  I kept real close to my budget and tried to combine places we had to get certain things to save fuel.  After a couple days of cleaning things were looking great and all the legal issues were falling into place.  Every owners dream to start a business with lots of planning and everything go as planned....

Until I realized with my cleaning that I had awoken a pest of mass proportion and I had an infestation.  Not something I had planned for, I hadn't even discussed pest maintenance in my month to month budget.  So after my 1st real week of owning my business I faced a set back that was so bad I almost took it as a sign I was not to continue.  My esteem was at a low point. 

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition.  Giving up is what makes it permanent" Marilyn vos Savant

I researched the best way to remove my pests and made a plan to defeat them.  I started treatments and went in the next day to see if I succeeded only to find more.  The treatments went on for about a week and I was trashing some of my inventory to prevent the spread of more pests.  My husband had taken off work to help because it was more than one person could handle.  I just wanted to go home and cry.  All the new items I had been getting, I had stored in my house and my budget for some items got cut for price of the treatments.  It was clear, I was not going to meet my deadline of two weeks to get the store open.  After a week of treatments and not seeing progress, I called an exterminator to get prices.  I couldn't afford one but if I was to continue I had no choice.  After getting prices we started talking about my problem and he told me why my treatments were not working and what prep work I would have to do if he came.  It was enough information that I changed my treatment plan without having to hire him.  My support system at home was just as worn down as I had been about the set back.  One day on our trip home, we almost hit a pig in the center of the road.  To some this is nothing, but with my Native American background, pigs are a sign of abundance and luck.  Often why we eat pork on the first day of the year in Pennsylvania.  So with this sign, we continued on and solved the pest problem......

Are you ready to become an employer?

Now that I have given you resources for the legal mumbo jumbo.  "Not my favorite part of business structure." I want to share the information I have on employees.  I do not currently have employees at Suzy's but I have been a manager for many years and had to hire and fire people.  The legal issues with employees are covered in the books I named in last segment.  This is just tips for interviewing, hiring, and other real life tips. 

Before hiring you need to create an application.  Many templates are available online.  Think about what is important for you to know and include.  A lot of applications are more complicated than they need to be and do not share anything about their personality.  I always list references, but I often wonder why, like anyone is going to list someone that is going to give them a bad reference.  I look for strong bonds with previous employers which is usually a good sign.  Can we contact them, how long they were employed, and why they moved on?  These are character points and let me know if they will last.  I would rather spend more time looking for the right person than hire and fire all the wrong ones so I spend a great deal of time with interviews and applications.  Next is interview potential employees.  It is best to use like 5 questions but not yes or no answers.  These are my favorites:

Tell me about yourself?

What interested you about this position?

What is something that you have done for a past employer(or school if no previous work) that you are proud of and why?

Tell me a time in your life you struggled and what you did to overcome it?

I always end with.  What do you know about this company?  If I want the opportunity to talk more, this opens my door to tell them more about the position.  I never hire on the spot.  I always thank them for coming and that I will make my decision by _____?

This gives them an opportunity to tell you there life story then you have a better judge of who they are.  I have had some really shy people that I have listed examples about me to get them started.  It takes away the spotlight for enough time they can relax.

I sometimes do a second interview but usually it is because I am torn between 2 candidates or I want to hire them and I feel more professional to do it in person. 

I have been told from several employees that I am hard to work for, but I have had some awesome employees that have worked with me for years.  I know I can be a little intimidating but all I ask is for you to try your best.  Once you develop your team now you need to manage it.  Have all your policies written and encourage anyone to ask questions.  I have always been willing to go the extra mile to teach someone who may or may not have lots of experience so it is done as customers would expect it to be.  I am not perfect and I do not expect perfection from my employees but lots can be measured by heart.  I also have a major rule as Management, I would never ask my employee to do something I would not do myself.  Since my career started on the bottom, there is very little I will not do myself. I always make sure to notice things I am proud of that my employees do.  This is important, if you have to take disciplinary action they know the good faults too. 

"You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar". Unknown

I have had some great teams in the past that when I have an off day, which does happen they step in and cover me.  I have always had their respect but they in return had mine.  To move mountains you have employees that move small stones, don't forget that as you move forward in success that they helped you get there.

Now the hard part, having to let someone go.  I have had to do this more than one time to many.  Some have been seasonal help that you do not have finances for after season and others have been deserved and some have come from above me and not deserved.  Anyway you look at it, its not easy.  You are best to do it in a closed off location so the person has the ability to react safely.  If is seasonal and someone who you really like after you tell them(don't sugar coat it) offer to be a reference or suggest somewhere you know may be hiring.  If they have done something wrong be short and sweet and allow them to ask questions of why but that you have to do what you have to do.  Usually if they have several write ups they know it is coming.  Before I write someone up, I do a verbal warning and I tell them this is a warning and it will be documented.  On write up I include verbal date.  Third time for same offence is it for me. 

Note, I try not to mix family and friends with business.  You can not choose your family and you have to live with results if something goes wrong.  Friends may put you in a bind about something then you are forced to decide your business or your friend and no one wants that.  There are somethings family and friends can help with but you would be better to subcontract than directly hire.  I love my family and friends and would do anything for them but letting them go would be a challenge for me no matter what they did. 

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction". JFK

Hope this helps anyone looking to have employees. Best of luck on your next step.

Making goals and business plans

My last section had mentioned a lot of questions to get you started and now you can establish your goal.  Your goal can be for personal reasons or all business.  My goal for my first business was to help support an organization I believe in. Suzy's Treasure Chest's goal is to double the sales of the previous owners to support my family and me but allow me the flexibility I need as an active mom.  That is how I started my business plan was with that goal.  Now you can decide what you want to accomplish and start a goal of your own. 

"Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor". Brain Tracy

I want to note that I did not buy an established business, I only purchased inventory of a store going out of business and created my own.  I was however able to ask them questions to better my research of the needs in the area. 

Next step on the very long ladder of success, is to create your business plan.  The website for the Small Business Administration has templates.  I know some classes teach you how to write a business plan.  You can check with your local adult education programs or colleges.  Another great resource in a book called Start Your Own Business by the staff of Entrepreneur Media.  It contains many pages of questions to ask yourself about your business to keep you on track.  I made a journal for my questions so I can reuse the book for my next business adventure. 

It took days of research and planning but I completed my Business plan and it was 42 pages long.  You want to make a plan to succeed so plan up to 5 years out and dream big.  I had some issues with that, I was thinking about the risks and did not layout my expansions as well as I should have.  Think about how you will grow by new clients, larger location, chains stores.  One of my expansions for the current year is to take my store to the Internet for possible new consumers.  I have already started to lay the foundation for this goal.

As a business owner you have to be many things like public relations, accountant, manager, and much more.(it is just like being a mom, you are the cook, taxi, doctor, and etc)  You have to out source anything you do not feel comfortable to do yourself.  Although it is recommended to have an accountant do end of the year stuff and you may need legal assistance for certain issues.  A lot of your questions should be answered in the book I recommended.  Once you have established your business goal you may find these last books helpful as well.  They are both by Bernard Kamoroff.  One is Small Time Operator and the other is Small Business Operator.  Once you put together all these pieces you are ready to start the business and applying for all Licenses and Permits to start operations.  Set your self a timeline and a goal to complete these tasks. 

"There are no secrets to success.  It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure". Colin Powell

Stepping stones of starting a business.

So you have been thinking about starting a business.  Great, that is first step.  There are many books and resources to help you along the way.  In this section I will share some basic resources that I personally used.  It can be very overwhelming and a lot of work to plan and research your business.  This is just sample of what is to come.  Business is not for everyone but can be rewarding for those who continue the journey. I want to make sure that I share that I have started both of my businesses in Pennsylvania and the laws are different for each state as well as each local districts. 

"The first step to getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are".  Unknown

I want to share that the books or web sites that I mention are my own experiences and that I get no royalties to advertise them.  I started this blog to assist other business owners and myself.  It worked for me and I hope to give back and help you. 

My favorite resource for starting a business is the Small Business Administration and their website is www.sba.gov.  On their site they have checklists, training, and resource links to each individual state for license and tax requirements.  They also offer Free online training.

A resource that is common in Pennsylvania is the Small Business Development Centers.  They assign you a consultant and they help you each step of the way.  They get you contacts of people you need and help with the license process.  They also offer help with writing a business plan and offer Free Classes.  Starting a business is expensive so I for one love anything Free plus you can take a course even before you start planning a business.  The services they offer are free at this point.  The government has decided it is better to assist new business owners rather than enforce issues later with licensing and taxes (they offer some government funding to this program).  They have training available in Shippensburg, Gettysburg, Carlisle, and York.  I used this service and it is great for a first time owner.  I was able to use the information they provided and the skills I already had to find out what I needed to start operations.  If you do not live in Pennsylvania, I encourage you to check with any business colleges to see if they offer anything from their business students(kids always have service projects to complete to graduate).  Also see if a SBA in your area has a Business Development Center.  The website for my local SBDC is www.ship.edu/sbdc/.

Some key things to consider before writing your business plan:

Assistance and training
Location
Finance options
Legal Structure
Insurance
Tax registration
Licensing
Employer Responsibilities
State and Local Permits

"From small beginnings come great things".  Unknown

Now you are ready to begin the next step.  Deciding your business idea or direction. Are you going to sell something or some service?  If so what?  Where is the need for that item?  Are you starting an online business?  Once you start answering these questions you will be able to apply the information above.  Start thinking about your goal and I will talk about that next. Wishing you good luck on your journey!

Where does it begin

For all of those who are starting a business, own a business, or dream about a business, it all starts in the same place.  So where does it all begin?  For me on my second business adventure, it began with a dream of someday owning a store of my own.  I have worked retail most of my life so it is something I am familiar with but I wasn't sure what type of retail business to start, that I could afford.  Really you have two options in business, buy a prestablished business or start something from the ground up.  Most established business are very expensive since you are buying the inventory, the name, and customers.  Starting from the ground up requires a large start up fund and the time to allow it to take off and a lot of inspiration.

Opportunity is all around us.  I have waited patiently for my chance.  After school, I wanted to open my own Hair salon that was attached to a Garage.  This would make any working mothers dream, getting your hair done(or all the kids cuts) and get your car fixed at the same time. I had my cosmetologist license and had taken a course to become state certified to inspect cars (after spending a lifetime in the garage with my dad as a kid) for the additional knowledge and to fix minor repairs.  As I was working my family grew and my desire to climb the ladder of success took away from my family.  I made the choice that career can wait and concentrated on my family and what jobs I could do to support them and have time to enjoy them.  Thus my dream got put on hold and new dreams began.  Now there is a chain of salons that are attached to garages to do just what I had hoped to, this is why opportunity is all around us you have to be ready when it comes along.

Since family is extremely important to me and I have often had to chose between my job and them to provide the things they needed.  I got an opportunity 3 years ago to be a stay at home mom.  Like many of the women I went to school with, we all saw the sacrifice that working had on our kids and made the same choice.  My grandmother worked but never had a career since her family was her career and anytime a job interfered she moved on.  My mother had large career goals and wanted a family too and did a great job of balancing both but I think it took its toll on her as a person.  I have seen both options and want both but not to compromise myself.  I think a lot of women today are starting their own business to have the flexibility to have a family.  As a business owner I put in 40 plus hours a week but I get to chose when they are how they fit into my week.  

I have never given up on the dream of owning my own business, I have researched and almost started a shoe store but after all my planning the start up cost were more than I could achieve at that point in time.  I am always checking the papers, homes books, and craigslist to see what opportunities are available and listening to people around me of what there needs are.  That is where I found my current business.  I know timing must be right because so many things have just fallen into place.  I am now the proud owner of Suzy's Treasure Chest New and Used Thrift Store.  Check us out on Facebook. 

 

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost: that is where they should be.  Now put foundations under them" -Henry David Thoreau

1st Business Adventure

I shared that this is my second business adventure and you may be asking yourself why am I not better off if this is my second business.  I refer to it as an adventure because I think it positively describes the twists and turns and self discovery that happens with owning a business. So on to my first business adventure, my first business was a vending machine route with candy machines.  I still own this business and it has great potential for larger income if I would choose to expand it.  You may see the advertisements in the paper for vending route for sale.  Questions you should ask before buying that route: is it just the machines for purchase or an established route.  Generally if it not an established route, it is cheaper to start from scratch and purchase machines as you go and expand slowing.  I started with only one machine and quickly grew.  When you start a business you do a lot of research or you should do a lot of research and have a goal or reason to go into business.This is different for each person as well as each business that person may begin.

"take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash" from George Patton.

I was employed in the Non Profit sector during the start up of this business and we relied solely on donations to run the animal shelter that I worked for. Donations included monetary, pet food, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and many other items.  Payroll was the largest expense and even though we used over 50 volunteers a year.  Some positions had to be filled permanently to allow the structure and day to day operations of the shelter.  Shelters could not function without the support of local animal lovers, but sometimes people do not donate all items needed because they are not used directly by the animals in need.  That is where my business grew.  My goal was to raise enough money to take care of items like toilet paper and coffee for the volunteers that worked there.  Ask yourself, before reading this, would you donate toilet paper to the local animal shelter?  Can you imagine as a volunteer not having any to use? We never went without but often had to buy our own.  So I researched and found for a very low start up cost, I could purchase vending machines and by using my name as part of business and being a sole proprietor that I could begin this business to help a cause I believe in. So in 2006 I started my vending machine business.  I have helped 4 other animal shelters and made enough money to help with basic supplies that were not donated.  Since my job change in 2009 I have sold several machines and downsized due to lack of ambition and time to maintain machines.  Between 2006 and 2009 I made enough to cover all start up costs and donations to shelters( I even donated to other things my kids were involved in) and had some left over for my time.  Was it a successful business?  You can judge that for yourself.  It paid its expenses, recovered start up cost, and paid me for time all within 2 1/2 years selling an item that is only 25cents.  I reached the goals set up in my business plan but each person defines success differently.  It all comes down to what you want out of life.