some of the things that have helped us grow are kind of unplanned,,,
,sometimes things just fall together and fit nicely.....
.....meaning once in a while we are smart enough to answer when opportunity knocks...
....several years ago when jon gave me a yardlong picture for christmas....it was so nice.we had carpenters, we had julie who could run off to pennsylvania, ..and walla...a new big business for a few years.....we sold them at market sq at heritage and by mail..
..another time ..jon ,with a new wife and baby...we had the stuff she was smart enough to do the computer so we had 5 good years on ebay...still on but barely..4000+ feedback tho!!!
now with 2 customers with huge needs.....we are trying to be totally accomadating, we are working hard to fill their needs, and in the best way for them, that we can muster.....all our connections are aimed at getting the right stuff for one of them.....and making the right stuff for the other......everybody we deal with, meaning buy from, knows we need a certain kind of buffet,.... and all our carpenters are up to date on the needs of the other woman....they really care!! if she likes something...
my point is that those 4 ideas/people, keep/ kept us going ,....pumped up the business in a long term manner....and they werent exactly planned....but they did present themselves and we reacted....
.farther back for us , in the good antique time, were 3 or 4 good customers who we totally catered to, great customers who bought over 30,000 a year from us...our suppliers would bring something in and say this is for ruthie....and never met her...she was from alabama. that was wonderful ..
..but all that changed.. the whole antique world as iwe knew it crashed before our eyes.....
..still have the friendships tho!!!
when we cater to and try to bend over backwards to deal with someone it only works if it is on terms acceptable to us...still no credit or layaway or delivery....a few exceptions...it has to be honestly win/win.....
.
... every new idea sure hasnt worked.and we have passed up on lots im sure, that could have worked...but i sure hope im open and paying attention when the next big opportunity happens...
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
greenhouse showcase.180$----250$
one of a kind 260$
4 ft porchpost 300$
4 ft stepback 240$
ooak...300$
thanks for visiting my blog....i want this to be about my favorite subject.
..independant stores..
..the philosophy, the inventory, display issues, , the styles, the many many challenges and problems that are in fromt of us every day....
we, dh and i, have had our store for 29 years ..we have survived and have had to change directions a few times......but we are still here...
....i hope this blog can be about all the things we face as independant store keepers...
.we wholesale to other stores..
.if you ever get to indiana i hope you will come see us....
our store leans towards the casual cottage look along with good antiques and romantic country..... in other words very modern and ecletic..
we are
100 mi north of indianapolis
about50 mi west of ft. wayne
about 45 mi south of south bend...
green oak antiques
4166 e 300 s
rochester indiana
574 223 5702
...
..independant stores..
..the philosophy, the inventory, display issues, , the styles, the many many challenges and problems that are in fromt of us every day....
we, dh and i, have had our store for 29 years ..we have survived and have had to change directions a few times......but we are still here...
....i hope this blog can be about all the things we face as independant store keepers...
.we wholesale to other stores..
.if you ever get to indiana i hope you will come see us....
our store leans towards the casual cottage look along with good antiques and romantic country..... in other words very modern and ecletic..
we are
100 mi north of indianapolis
about50 mi west of ft. wayne
about 45 mi south of south bend...
green oak antiques
4166 e 300 s
rochester indiana
574 223 5702
...
our store
my other blog
About Me
- ann at greenoak
- Rochester, Indiana
- ...owner and partner of a big antique/lifestyle/garden store in rochester indiana. .with dh and ds.......since 1978.....
one of my chldhood heroes.....along with the perky and inventive nancy drew....
join me on facebook
for sale at greenoak...
SHIPPING
we dont ship but go here abf freight....
http://www.upack.com/ www.abf.com
they can bring an empty trailer to our store and we pack it and they deliver it to you....this should work if you were buying 15 to 30 pieces..... im not sure this would work for 1 or 2 pieces....
we can hold things for you....but we cant arrange shipping...
if you can manage more than 14 ft of trailer space you could get a better price from them....i think its called volume shipping....
we dont ship but go here abf freight....
http://www.upack.com/ www.abf.com
they can bring an empty trailer to our store and we pack it and they deliver it to you....this should work if you were buying 15 to 30 pieces..... im not sure this would work for 1 or 2 pieces....
we can hold things for you....but we cant arrange shipping...
if you can manage more than 14 ft of trailer space you could get a better price from them....i think its called volume shipping....
big double door display 400$
window buffet....250$
props for shops
greenhouse showcase.180$----250$
one of a kind 260$
4 ft porchpost 300$
4 ft stepback 240$
ooak...300$
Labels
- at green oak (2)
- bad advice (1)
- business info (3)
- buying (1)
- display (3)
business tools
#THE 80 /20 RULE.########......
..i never went to business school.i was a lit major....but im so glad someone told me about the 80/20 rule.....the way i understand it is that 80% of your good things comes from the top 20% of your thing....and visa versa......i use it to rate so many things...i make a list by value....from the best to the worst....i do it in inventory, colors, geography of the store, customer groups, companies, etc etc....it shows you right away what your best thing is.....and if you need to cut back it shows you what your weakest thing is.....
####JONS RULE####
my son jon has a theory that some of the hardest people to deal with turn out to be the best connections....this has been true a lot of times for us....like my import supplier, he has wonderful authentic primitives from all over the world and when i get to him i buy a lot!!! but he makes me pay just what a regular buyer would pay..so unfair!!..he doesnt have a catalog, hes very unreliable, if i ask him to bring something to our meeting place or anything specific i dont even expect it to happen.....but hes great to deal with, has the coolest stuff sometimes, and hardly any competition ..
##UNDER PROMISE OVER DELIVER..#######
this is about my favorite business rule...and i really believe in it....i figure people are used to great fast service, like from ll bean....well i cant give that so i never offer anything close...at our place we say no all the time to customer requests...no credit, no lay aways, NO delivery, no special colors, no custom work of any kind....it works out great..and lets us usually handle the workload at a level we can accomplish..we are basically a cash and carry operation.... i will hardly promise to call someone if i get something they want....i was always a terrible procrastinator and this rule has helped me a lot....and thankfully our customers are great with it....
..i never went to business school.i was a lit major....but im so glad someone told me about the 80/20 rule.....the way i understand it is that 80% of your good things comes from the top 20% of your thing....and visa versa......i use it to rate so many things...i make a list by value....from the best to the worst....i do it in inventory, colors, geography of the store, customer groups, companies, etc etc....it shows you right away what your best thing is.....and if you need to cut back it shows you what your weakest thing is.....
####JONS RULE####
my son jon has a theory that some of the hardest people to deal with turn out to be the best connections....this has been true a lot of times for us....like my import supplier, he has wonderful authentic primitives from all over the world and when i get to him i buy a lot!!! but he makes me pay just what a regular buyer would pay..so unfair!!..he doesnt have a catalog, hes very unreliable, if i ask him to bring something to our meeting place or anything specific i dont even expect it to happen.....but hes great to deal with, has the coolest stuff sometimes, and hardly any competition ..
##UNDER PROMISE OVER DELIVER..#######
this is about my favorite business rule...and i really believe in it....i figure people are used to great fast service, like from ll bean....well i cant give that so i never offer anything close...at our place we say no all the time to customer requests...no credit, no lay aways, NO delivery, no special colors, no custom work of any kind....it works out great..and lets us usually handle the workload at a level we can accomplish..we are basically a cash and carry operation.... i will hardly promise to call someone if i get something they want....i was always a terrible procrastinator and this rule has helped me a lot....and thankfully our customers are great with it....
No comments:
Post a Comment