I am always amazed, but flattered when someone will email me or a customer will ask me: "What is a typical day for you?" First, I am amazed that anyone would even care. But I am flattered because apparently I give off the appearance of having a day that some of my customers would find interesting. So, I decided I would try to describe a day in the life of Elizabeth. There is no such thing, and I really mean, no such thing as a "typical day." The photos in this posting shows the "real me." Not that I am never "not real" but sometimes people think I live an elegant life filled with shopping, hopping around Europe and posing for the next photo shoot for the next magazine I am fortunate enough to be in. Not that those things don't happen, but they make up about 2% of my normal activities.
I live above my store and I try not to bring work up there, but as you can see by the photo of me sketching out bedding, I am in my apartment. Oh, by the way, that photo was taken about 2AM. But basically a day in my life could easily go this way:
Wake up after about four hours of sleep and go for a run - maybe 6 miles if I have time.
I then jump in the shower and plan my day in my head.
The phone rings while in the shower, I do not answer it
I usually eat eggs and bacon for breakfast while I answer email and listen to my messages.
I run down to the store, before it opens and write out notes for my employee and things for her to take care of.
I am off to my first appointment of the day - 9:00 AM for a paint consult for a commercial building lobby.
I get three more phone calls on the way to my appointment from clients, seamstress, upholster.
After my consult, I run over to the fabric store and pick up sample and shop.
I then get a call from a magazine editor wanting to know if I have any photos of chairs she can use "of course!" I fire back, not knowing if I have what she needs.
I then call my employee and ask her to hunt for said photo. While on the phone with her she tells me that Client A needs to reschedule and so must juggle my appointments.
I get gas, my drycleaning, go to the bank, and Office Depot - it is now only noon.
I call my employee on the way back to the store and ask her to mapquest directions to my hotel in Chicago, since I will be leaving the next day, it would be nice to know how to get there.
I get back, jump into my paint clothes, paint some samples and while the first coat dries, I answer phone calls, type up a bid for slip covers, and call the vendor to find out where are my candles.
I start to paint the second coat, but my employee calls me and reminds me that the newspaper ad is due today and what doI want to adverstise?
I stop what I am doing and go upstairs to the store and help her work on the ad. Answer two more calls on the way.
Two clients come in the store and "catch " me there. We chat and visit and go over some design issues and then I schedule an appointment with them.
It is now 4PM and I must change into clean clothes, pack up my car with props because I am to speak at the St. Louis Culinary Arts Society on table top design.
As I rush out of the store, my employee stops me and says she can't find a chair photo for the editor. I stop what I am doing and go to the computer and hunt down a couple of photos and ask my employee to download them , email them to the editor for me.
On the way to my table top design presentation I answer three more calls.
I unload my car, set up the tables and hand out flyers with tips on table top design. I demonstrate my paper theme and speak for an hour, answer questions, network, and then find out that someone was there to do a story on my designs for the paper. Very flattering!
It is now 9PM and I am loading up the car and heading back to the store.
I unload the car, grab my briefcase and head up to the apartment to work on bids and to design more bedding.
I get a call from my sweetie at 11 PM and we talk for an hour - I am happy for the break.
I go back to work, working with fabrics, designing and make a list of all the things I didn't do that day that I need to get done tomorrow.
I go to bed about 3AM and a new day waits for me only 5 hours away! This time in Chicago.
And yes, I do sleep. Really.
Thank you for taking interest in my daily activities. I have no doubt that you business owners fill up your days and nights just as well. It is part of being a business owner. Not easy, but I love it.
from my house to your house,
Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us
Shop Talk Volume 2
What's in a name? This posting is for those boutique owner-wanna-be's who are wanting to open a store and have no idea where to begin...well, in my last posting I talked about passion. And how that is so very necessary when beginning to think about starting a business.
So, if you are reading this posting, then you probably have learned that your passion is strong enough to seriously start thinking about owning a shop. Most of us shop owners all begin our venture by deciding on a name of our business.
Sort of like having a baby. Parents-to-be almost immediately start thinking of names for their unborn child before the mother even begins to show any signs of pregnancy. The same with your little shop-to-be. The name usually comes first with most of us. However, the name should really, really be considered carefully for many reasons. Business reasons - not sentimental.
First, think about what your shop is going to be like. If you had to describe your shop in only one sentence to someone who never has seen it, what would that sentence be? Now, the name you are considering...does that name fit the description you just provided in one sentence? For instance, if you just love the name "Attic Treasures" but the one sentence description of your shop is something like: "An elegant, soothing shop that carries vintage items for the home, and organic items for the body, and soul." Well, it is easy to see that the name just doesn't fit what the shop owner is hoping to provide to the customer. With the name like "Attic Treasures" one would expect a shop filled with antiques, maybe some "junk" and great bargains. Absolutely nothing wrong with that type of shop - in fact I love those shops, but the point I am trying to make is a name can tell a different story than what you intended.
I chose "Elizabeth House" for many reasons. When I first started my antique business in Texas, my business name was "Picket Fences." It suited what I was doing at that time. I was doing more country, rustic items, and more American antiques than anything else. Over the years as my tastes changed, and I developed into what is now my signature style, the name "Picket Fences" no longer fit. "Elizabeth House" has a sense or a feeling of elegance with plenty of ambiguity, which I love. I my thought process was that over the years, since my styled changed from rustic to elegance....who is to say that my style in years to come will yet evolve into something else? If so, "Elizabeth House" is a name that doesn't lock me into niche that I may not want to be locked into...it allows me to grow and develop as I choose. "English Tea Shoppe" would pretty much need to be a tea shop. The name doesn't allow it to be bar-be-que joint, a flower shop, or even a candy store. It pretty much needs to be a tea shop. Again, that is pefectly fine. I just know myself. I know I like change and I know I like to develop but I wanted my business name to allow me to do this.
Next, how does the name sound? Yes, sound. Is it easy to prounounce? Is it confusing? I have a friend who was going to name her baby shop "Baby Biggs." The name of her beloved dog. She even had a cute little logo of her dog in a diaper. However, on her store voice mail, it sounded like she was saying "Baby Pigs." She found herself constantly repeating the name of her store when someone would ask the name because they thought she said, "Baby Pigs." She quickly changed the name "Baby Baby." (She has since had a baby and closed her shop to be a full time mom.)
Okay, so the name you chose fits the description of your store and it also sounds great. Now, next, how common is it? You need to google on the internet the name of your store. What comes up? Thousands of like names? Is there even a domain available for your name? Even if you aren't planning on a website right away, get the domain way before you even decide on the name. Research and research more how the name of your shop comes up when googled. It can really put new light on the name that you may not have considered.
Okay, you now secured the domain...you need to think of the logo. REALLY, REALLY take your time and think about this! What kind of font will you use? What colors? What symbol? How does the logo/name read on letterhead, in newspaper ads, in the phone book, on the website, on business cards, on the shop window, the awning, on postcards? Is it easy to reproduce? How will it look on labels, bags, ribbon, and tissue paper? Will commercial printers be able to print it as is, or will they need to convert it to a JPEG? Are there ways to have several versions for different uses? I have several versions of "Elizabeth House." I have the very recognizable and notable "EH" that is on every single thing. I have "EH" carved on my store counter, etched on my store's front doors, on aged paper (as in the photo above) and on my store tags as well. I have a version with a body form behind it, one with the website below it and others. But they all have the same color, font, and sizes. This is what we call your "corporate identity."
Once you have your corporate identity....do NOT, do NOT, do NOT mess around with it, change it, or just scrap it and start all over. If you have a logo/name that you have been using and people recognize it, then you have equity built into it. I have seen many, many shop owners fool around with their logo, adding this, taking away that, changing the color...and every time you do that, you lose equity. That is the reason to really take time, thought, and lots of effort in designing the right name to begin with. Yes, you may end up refining it after time, but you should, at all cost, avoid major changes. So, take your time, and do it right the first time....before you register it with your state.
Finally, after you think you got it exactly how you want it...show it to others. Ask for their opinion. Get feedback. This is not a decision by committee, but rather, just listen to what they have to say and then decide for yourself what to do with the feedback. Remember, this is your shop, your time, your money...you have the say in its name and no one else. But it is smart to get feedback.
I hope this helps you really think about the importance of the right name, the right logo, the right feel you want for your "baby." Because, believe me, owning a shop is like having a baby. It requires constant care. Give the name of your store the same amount of thought as you would naming your own child. They both are precious. They both bring you pleasure. They both cause you debt. They both cause worry, stress, and sleepless nights. And if raised well, they both can provide many years of adventures, laughter, challenges, and wonderful memories.
Oh, and the one advantage to "raising a store"? No dirty diapers.
from my house to your house,
Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us
Dream, Plan, Do. Owning a business requires a lot of things: money, vision, ambition, passion, support, research, skills, and of course goals. But no matter how much money one may have, or how passionate or goal-oriented one may be, without the courage to take risks, a business will never even get off the ground, or if it does, it may just never meet the owner’s expectations. I have several wipe boards in my design studio listing all my bedding and furniture projects, orders, and active clients. The list can be overwhelming and the boards are filled to capacity. But at the top of each board, I have my mantra: “Dream, Plan, Do.”
When wanting to start something new – whether a business, going back to school, or maybe even just moving to another part of the country - the dream stage is the easiest and safest. How many people have you met over the years that have big ideas and big dreams, but just never seem to get beyond the dream stage? For some, just dreaming is fulfilling enough. For others, it is only the first step. That is me. I am a doer, plain and simple. For example, how many of us dream of taking an exotic vacation? Maybe climb the Great Wall of China, explore remote islands of Hawaii, or even cruise along the Italian coastline? It is fun to dream, wish, and wonder what it would be like. So, then we start to plan it out. We get maps, make hotel reservations, buy new clothes, get our airline tickets, update our passport, and pack our suitcases – only to never leave home. How silly is that? We couldn’t imagine going through all that planning and then just never leave for our dream vacation. It is exactly same with owning a business. Dreaming is great; planning is great, but unless we take risks, the business will never materialize.
Owning and running my retail and interior design business, Elizabeth House, was a dream that I dreamt for years. Yes, years. When talking about my dream, I would always say “if I ever own a store, I am going to make sure I have items for sale that no other store has.” I would start every sentence with “if I ever own a store…” Then one day, very naturally, my “if” turned into “when.” "When I open my store, I am going to stay open until 6PM so that people getting off work can stop in.” Simply stating “when” gave me the confidence to really start to plan. Dreams are filled with “ifs.” Planning requires, no demands, a “when.”
Now, it is very exciting to plan and plan and plan. To wait until everything is right. Everything is in order. But be careful. One can plan so much that the dream is never fulfilled. It is easy to just plan. Planning is very important, and I wouldn’t advise anyone to jump in headfirst like I did. I did it out of necessity. I would have loved to taken at least several more months (maybe even a year) to plan and get ready, but instead, I did it all in less than a month. I don’t advise this. But on the other hand, I’ve met many store-owners-wanna-be’s that just can’t let go of the planning stage and never open their doors for business.
But at some point, the planning stage must turn into the “do” stage. And it is in this stage that everything is on the line: your investment, your taste, your vision, your reputation …you better have thick skin and just accept that you are not going to please everyone – nor should you. By the time you open for business, you should already know your market. Who are you selling to? I am very aware that I get some customers in the store that “can’t believe!” that I painted that mantle, chair, or Victorian settee. But that is okay…my designs aren’t for them. But then I get a lot of customers who come in and get so excited by what they see or they “can’t believe” they finally found someone who sells exactly what they love.
But it is during the “do” stage that risk taking continues. In fact, it should never stop. It is hard to work outside one’s comfort zone, but it is the challenges of working or producing outside your initial dream that keeps things fresh, alive, and exciting. That is why I have decided to expand Elizabeth House to the Chicago market. I am to be a part of an existing store, and while I am scared that this expansion may not live up to my expectations, I am also excited at this new adventure…the challenge of working outside my comfort zone.
In my next blog, I will tell you the story of my expansion to Chicago. Until then, never stop dreaming. Ever. And get busy and start your plans, and then finally “just do it” as the popular phrase goes. You’ll never regret it. Now that I can promise you.
From my house to your house,
Elizabeth
