Failing

[BowBiz]

Hi Sambo,

Do you have a website with all your shop things on? Run your shop as normal and while it is quiet, try to sell though the internet. You can get web templates to make your own site and all you need is a domain name and a web host. Everyone will help you get going with advice on here.

You have good things to sell on the net!

Jayne

[Sambo]

There is another gift shop who sells a lot of the same products as us. Our shop has been here 11 years and theres 4 years so they in a way have copied off us. (The previous owners had been here 11 years).

I've set up a free website just directing people here because we cant afford a professional one.

We've got more money going out this week than we have got in the bank. I'm scared we'll go overdrawn.

[cgers43]

Hello

You're Not alone. I started up last July (13 months ago) on the market and I too have just opened a shop in a quiet out of town courtyard. It is really scarry, and I know just how you feel.

You sound like you probably get more traffic than I do in a day
What kind of products are you selling? Try to buy nice things that people need as well as want like socks and gloves. Theres not a huge outlay on them either.


I also do party plan, have an ebay shop and have just built my own website, with a site in a box type package ( its the dummies guide to webdesign if your like me and havn't attempted it before, and it only cost £35 I'll put the link at the bottom). None of the lines of the business are bringing in a huge amount of money at the moment, but having a little bit coming in from two or three different directions is like back up plan so that your not completely reliant on the shop for income.

My business between the whole lot internet, parties and shop, pays the bills, buys a little bit more stock each week and pays me a little wage (From April this year).

The shop has without a doubt been the hardest of them all, and there are days when I feel like locking up and going home too, but I'm determined to make it work. I know advertising does work. We have a community magazines locally, you can get 1/4 page advert for around £20 I've tried this and had a good respnse. I've printed flyers myself on the computer at home and handed them out and delivered them around the doors and also printed some A4 posters. I put them around the chip shops and take aways they were quite good at putting them up for free, hairdressers as well and doctors surgeries.

You caould also think up a gimmick or reinvent yourself and contact the business section of your local paper for another advertising freebie.

I also take business cards and flyers off everyone else and give them a bundle of mine. I have a counter in the shop where I set them all out. If you help other people out they will help you out in return. It really does work.

I really think that you need to define yourself from the shop along the road. Its a pain that they've pinched the ideas of your shop, but you need to do something about it. Do some real legwork and find suppliers online that they won't be able to stock from so easily to copy your lines. Its not really good to use local suppliers beacuse lots of people in your area will have the same stuff as you, increasing your competition.

My customers call my shop a gift shop but really its a bit of everything. I sell a range of about 25 different shoes, make up, costume jewellery, handbags, cosmetics, handmade cosmetics (bath bombs etc) pants, socks, scarves, gloves and a few novelties, there are alot of Emo punk kids in our town so I have hair clips, earrings and socks etc.for them. I have very small cost items and 5 out of 10 people that come in buy something, even if its something very small like an eyeliner. None of the ranges of items i have has any more than 15 different lines but there is something for everyone.

Try party plan, a good way to start off is to ask around any retirement homes or playgroups. Last year when I was getting that side of it going I went to 2 retirement homes a week.

Its a good one at christmas because alot of the residents would like do their own christmas shopping but aren't able to get out and about so the carers or relatives do it for them.

Its all really hard work, and long hours, but I'm certain that its the way to do it. My business has gone from being definately not viable in its first month to just about keeping its head above water. If it keeps going like this I might be able to have a week off next year. LOL

I hope there has been some useful advice in amongst all this waffling, and I hope it all works out for you.

Good Luck...Jeanette

http://mrsite.co.uk/

[crewboy25a]

I had a similar problem with a music shop, VERY Seasonal. switched over to ebay and did very well. All your customers are spending on holidays - outdoor persuits etc. It should pickup a bit in sept

[Securefinance]

Hi,

Have you thought of trying to sell the stock on Ebay too.... I've advertised my business on there - it's fairly cheap to do, and if you did have to give up the shop, at least you may still have a business that you can run from home, without all the overheads.

Leanne

[fundingfriend]

If these are specialty items, you might want to think about having an online shop in addition to the brick and mortar shop. This may be a good way to generate extra business. Also see about getting listed on any tourist sites for the area to let people know you are there are what you are selling. This can be a difficult type of business to make money in when you live in a small town, so you definitely need to diversify your advertising. The internet is definitely one of the best ways because it costs so little.