Elizabeth House gets another citation from the City of Maplewood again...

Well, this will be a short posting as I am at the end of my rope. I just wish there was a noose at the end sometimes. I opened my mail today and what do I see? I wonderful love letter from our endearing city inspector saying that he "inspeceted" my location and I was in violation of the city ordinance on portable signs and I have 30 days to correct it.

See the photo at the top? It does me no good having my sign right there on my front porch area because people walking down the sidewalk can't see it until they turn the "bend." But should they actually find my store, it is nice to let them know that I am open for business.

If you have been reading my blog, you know that I am hiring new employees and one new employee put the sign way out on the sidewalk (where it can be seen) instead of next to my front door. I didn't make it clear that it was to be right by the door, and she, being new, had enough sense to realize that the sign does no good at the front door and placed it where it would actually be visible. I am out most of the day on appointments and did not know this happened. The inspector writes me up again instead of just coming in and checking to see if there was a problem. I am not sure if I go to court again or not - or pay a fine - or what. According to the last time I was in court, the judge said he would revoke my business license should he see me in court ever again over this issue. No license means no doing business in Maplewood.

Maybe this is a "sign" for me to move? Is there a quaint, but high foot-traffic town out there that would welcome a small boutique? I may be shopping around.

Apparently, City Hall doesn't even know its own Mayor's email address. Prior to my post regarding this issue, I called city hall myself to get the Mayor's email address so you readers, if you felt like it, could email him your opinion. Apparently your emails have not gone through at all.

Here is another email address so please try this one if you feel like telling the Mayor how you feel:

mark@marklangston.us


To get the complete story, please view my posting titled "Signage." And no, I haven't heard a peep from my alderman or the mayor, or the chamber of commerce since I last left them all messages or spoke with them about this issue last August. All of whom told me on the phone: "I will look into it and make some calls and call you back." No calls yet.

I appreciate your support, concern, and outrage. I am just fed up. Period.

from my house to your house,
Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

Shop Talk Volume 4

A boutique's atmosphere is more important than you might think.

So many times I hear my customers walk in and say "oh, it smells so good in here!" Or they ask me what is that music I am playing. Or they walk right up to the burning candle and want to know what am I burning. Or they pick up the huge block of French soap.

Welcome to Volume 4 of my "business of boutiques" series. Today, I want to spend a moment to talk about what impression your boutique gives your customers. Ask yourself this question: What is the one thing I want my customers to think or do after they leave my store? Besides telling all of their friends, you want them to remember you and your store when it comes time to buy that special gift. And research has shown that the sense of smell is the strongest sense out of all five senses. A smell can revive a long lost memory quicker than a photo, a sound, or a touch.

A wonderful scent is so needed! However, you have to be careful about allergies or overpowering the store with a scent, or too many different scents. I sell wonderful lavender soaps and when they first come in, they are so strong! I put them near the door so customers smell them immediately, but as they make their way towards the back of the store, the scent fades and doesn't overpower them. Also, take note of the type of scent you provide. Does it go with the mood of your store? If your boutique sells clean, modern glass and metal vases and lamps, then a baby powder scent just won't go with the store's atmosphere.

Besides having a great scent, lovely music is wonderful too. I have to say, I just can't stand going into a little store and there is no music playing. Even worse, if there is a TV on and the volume is up. Music can be soothing, or exciting, or upbeat. Your boutique will dictate what type of music that will go with your products. I happen to talk a lot with my customers (no surprise there) and I find instrumental music best. I don't want to compete with Celine Dion - she would win every time against my Texas accent and fast rate of speech. Not a great combination. I want my customers to feel like they can linger, visit, smell the candles and soaps and listen to calming music. Because once they leave my store, it is so hetic in the "real world."

Great displays are necessary. I will have a shop talk volume on merchandising next time. For now, make sure your store allows for a stroller. That boxes and inventory are put away. (Okay, as I speak, I have a box right in front of the store holding a beautiful bronze and crystal chandelier that I have yet to hang up....I am hoping that my wonderful scents and soothing music will help my customers overlook that big ugly box - not likely, but worth a try.)

I take as much product out of packaging (unless the packaging is just fabulous) and let my customers touch and feel. I try to avoid plastic at all costs. Women are touchers. Have you ever watched a woman go shoe shopping? Think about it. We stop, look, touch, pick up and feel the shoe -the outside of the shoe. Not until we are satisfied with what we feel, do we ask for a shoe in our size to try on. Really, that is what we do. Never mind that once we actually buy the shoe and wear it, we no longer feel it, we just put it on and go. We don't reach down during the day and touch the outside of our shoe, now do we? But we sure did when we were deciding to buy it or not. Think about that when putting your store together. What can your customers touch?

I hope this volume helps you to really think about your store and what impression your customers walk away with when they leave it. Take time to make your boutique one that people will not only talk about, but will actually bring in their friends because "they just have to visit it!!" What a wonderful compliment.

from my house to your house,

Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

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