Reflecting 2013

This has been a year filled with many ups and downs for me and my business.  In the beginning of 2013 I was celebrating major growth and was laying out plans to purchase my location in 2014.  Then  2013 ended with closing my store location and transferring to an online business.  Things seemed to start out really good and people were starting to become regular shoppers.  I was laying out changes and making improvements at a rapid speed.  During the middle of the year we had some growth in the valley and 2 new stores opened and one was on the horizon to be completed by the end of 2013.   I guess you have to change with the flow if you are a survivor and since they had some influence on my growth and sales, I decided to close.  It has been very emotional especially the last 3 months while I have been closing down and saying goodbye.  It's very challenging, as you watch everything you have worked for going out the door for half price and not sure exactly which direction you are heading to, I have never felt so lost.  We joked that we should have held a regular 50% off sale just raise the prices and reduce to half price because people do not always think about what they buy.  They see a bargain and just buy, I saw many people who never shopped in my store before.  I realize that is only a gimmick and only lasts for a short period before you would be discovered as a regular 50% off sale, plus I am not that type of business person.  My best personal traits are compassion, honesty, and customer service and that is a big draw for my business.  My online store has not taken off as I planned mostly because I have not gotten organized yet.  I thought I knew how much stuff I had in that building but I quickly realized I had much more than I realized and moving locations can be crazy.  I am still closing out some loose ends from closing a larger location but I am looking forward to things slowing down after the holidays and spending the much needed time to lay out my business for 2014.  I am sure it will be great and give me more flexibly at home.   Something I am looking forward to, is getting out and seeing those friendly faces I have missed in the coming months.  I have really changed how I am thinking and what kind of products I plan to carry since it is not practical to deliver a 25 cent item. This has been a challenge for me and I know that I'm going to make some mistakes as I try to adjust.  I look forward to setting up several categories on my online fronts so that I can set up times to do pick ups and drop offs as well as look for other new items to carry.  I want to thank everyone who has helped support my business in 2013 and look forward to serving you again in 2014.  Wishing you all a safe and blessed New Year!

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."
~Goethe~

Changing Directions

I know my latest news has shocked many people.  The personal messages and people that have stopped by to say goodbye have been overwhelming.  It is great to know you have been so well excepted and loved.  Please know I feel the same way in return and will miss you all too.  At every place I have worked and moved on, my customers are the ones I miss the most.  It is awesome to see them out and about and catch up.  I look forward to seeing everyone in the future. 

In my last blog I expressed that I was not giving up on my dream only makes many changes.  I am proud to say the transition has already started and is falling into place nicely.  My new contact information is updated and I will be able to take my website with me.  Only changes are phone number and address which I have set up but are not live until November 10th.

I have already updated my Ebay Store and my store on Facebook and I will post items on Craigslist.  After I am done building these sites, I plan to build my Esty site and Pintrest pages as well.

 For those that are regular shoppers at my store, I plan to operate my Facebook site as a yard sale site by posting photos of items for sale much like I carried at the store.  If you post under the photo that you are interested and send me a personal message to set up a meet location and time.  Items will be first contact first serve.  I will gather items from week to week and give you a total.  Sorry no layaway or payment plans.  Cash and carry only or I can accept card cards via Pay Pal on site or send and invoice with receipt.  Larger items may have to be a pick up appointment only at my home.  My current meet times and locations are:  Tuesdays 9:15am to 9:30am at Giant in Shippensburg; Tuesdays 11am to 11:15am at the former Lumber Barn location in Spring Run; Thursdays 9:30am to 9:45am at Chambersburg Mall; Thursdays 11am to 11:15am at South Gate Mall in Chambersburg.  Additional appointments can be made by request on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

As for my Ebay store I am obliged to the rules and regulations of Ebay but can offer the items listed with a meet place instead of shipping if you purchase or have the winning bid.  Items are listed at a higher rate as I compete with competitors and the items listed are usually a higher quality. 

I also plan to set up at a few local events like flea markets and craft shows during the year.  If you would like to be on my mailing list to get my schedule please email me or sign up at the store this week before I close.   I have much to do before the holidays this year so I will not set before 2014 but plan to have an active year ahead.  I will also post updates on my sites throughout the year. 

End Of The Road

I keep replaying the movie " You've Got Mail"  and the conversation between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks about business.  Tom Hanks tells her to "Go to the mattresses" because it is not personal, its business.  And while I am a business women, I know that it is true all decisions must be made from a business perspective but as Meg Ryan says towards the end of the movie.  That it is personal and what is so wrong about being personal anyway.  People who say it isn't personal, just means it isn't personal to them.  I sadly inform you that I am closing my current store front and while I know it is business, it is very personal to me and maybe for some of my customers.  For those that are worried that I am giving up my dream, please do not worry for I am not, just turning the page to the next chapter.   Some things have changed in my personal life and some things have changed in the Path Valley area over the last few months. I have not thrown in the towel yet.  I am taking some time to make some adjustments and I am not certain where that will take me next.  For now Suzy's Treasure Chest will still conduct business but it will be online only.  I may never get another store front, but if all conditions are right, I may.  To many things are left uncertain at this stage of the game.  I do look forward to seeing my current customers again at local events, locations and maybe from completing a business transactions.  I am excited to experience the next step and look forward to catching up in my personal life.  Before I sign off this posting, I sincerely wish to thank many people who have supported me the last 2 years those who stop by to shop; those who drop things off to sell; those who stopped by to play tickets; those who have helped me get supplies I have needed; those who helped advertise; those who have supported my creativity and fueled ideas; those who picked me up on my bad days; and my family that has helped with more than I can list.  I could not have taken this journey without you see you in the next chapter.  Thank you!!!

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" Winnie The Pooh.

Purpose

Every time we face great change or growth, we often reflect and make adjustments to enable us to move forward again.  I know I am no longer the same person who began my journey in entrepreneurship 2 years ago and I am re-focusing on my purpose and in doing so healing some older wounds.  The first time I faced this type of challenge was when my oldest daughter was born.  She was my pride and joy; but helpless as all babies are.  I was a young mother and many people criticized me for that.  I was fresh out of high school and had a steady employment history but gave up my secondary education because nothing was more important than being her mom.  As most moms do, I hated going back to work and leaving my angel with anyone other than me.  I had great sitters over the years but no one does it like mom.  With the criticism I faced, I had to grow a strong backbone quickly. While I was not exactly ready to do this, being a mom gave me purpose and nobody and I mean nobody was going to hurt my little girl.  Face no furry like a scorned mother I have heard time and time again and now I realized it.  So I did what I had to do and continued to push forward when it came to challenges with my girls and now it just comes naturally without the second guessing and anxiety experienced when I started almost 16 years ago.  As I continued to grow and expand my knowledge I found purpose and I tried to share my experiences and knowledge to inspire others.  Most of my career choices have been about helping others and that is who I am.  Several years ago I was actively helping many people in my community when my superior in the workplace expected me to do something that did not help people and in fact hurt those I had been working with over the past several years.  In my years of management, I have had to lay people off and even fire people; and while those were both extremely challenging to me, I totally understood the rationale.  Rules were broken or we had sales to ratio of employees goals that had to be met.  The actions expected of me at this time was not for the benefit of anyone involved or so I felt.  Knowing my purpose and values in my life, I chose to leave this employment and search for something new.   A choice that cost me personally in many ways.  I felt inadequate and wondering if I had made a good choice; because I was putting so much at risk. Maybe just maybe I was not the valued employee I thought I was.  Most people who know me say I have been going through the healing process of a loss, being withdrawn, angry, depressed and trying to move on.  I believed I had found purpose again when I started the store and I was able to maintain that purpose even though I have not completed everything I expected to when I started my business plan.  My current store location and set up created a "safe zone" for me to learn to live, work, and interact with people again however, I am no longer content in the safe zone I created for myself as it stands now.  I am reevaluating and believe I am ready to face the next growth period of my business, making it everything I expected it to be.  Before I can do this, I know I still have some healing to do,  accepting things in my past and letting go.  I have done a lot of healing this past year and I think I am ready to do what I have to do to go to the next level.  In business those who truly succeed don't give up.  There have been several times in the last year that I considered giving up, but I keep going and making changes to make it work.