Monday, July 6, 2009

word on the street....


from a fellow retailer yesterday...this woman is running a great store thats doing just fine..... i love hearing her view of the world.....
...shes dropping french....wierd , i am too....she says her customers just dont get it....and we have to listen to them...
.... moving things around is working
.....for christmas...shes holding back ON ACTUAL CHRISTMAS ITEMS a bit and plans to buy more gift things for the season...
...every season needs somenthing new...for the faithful customers who excpect us to have something exciting for them...
SHE WANTS HER STORE TO LOOK FULL....SHES HEARING FROM CUSTOMERS THAT lots of other stores are looking a bit low ....and boring with nothing new......i feel that way too....she also said she stays positive and neutral when the customers ask how shes doing.....no griping and no bragging....mainly just ...we are hanging in there...
we need to learn what the customers want....she sees her customers homes and thats helping her a whole lot....she must do some kind of decorating for them...but seeing their houses inside is helping her pick the right merchandise....... she is always trying to figure out what her customers want...instead of trying to convince the customers to want what she likes.....big waste of time we think...also a fine line...since they come to us for new ideas too...
.......we both agreed ..sex and jesus should have no part in our business decisions..... we laughed about this a bit..from reading quite a bit of it in on line places............and i do have a question for those who think jesus is in charge....why didnt he save all my nice customers who are hurting so bad or had to close their stores?? im keeping religion out of my business....

and as always my view is that :::::my customers and the bank and my suppliers could care less about my sex...the idea that women in business, have different economic laws doesnt make any sense to me....and imho...its a very hurtful idea and a menace to women starting out...are we babies who need special instructions? .... ... and a lot of this is by magazine writers ....not real business people... .
....women are my business for the most part.I LOVE women, i depend on them........ ..but the idea that a womans business decisions should be different than a guys just doesnt make sense....unless she is someones pet and is just playing around...then ....go girl....do your own thing... i would like to try that sometime....if dh wins the lottery...
in my world ... business is about the math....and the pleasure...and i think guys care about the pleasure of their workday too....but the bills and the math have to come first......
im too old time, womens lib to expect special favors because im a WOMAN.......im not into i am woman i am victum...to me women shouldnt expect special favors in business....they dont get t hem in reality, not in my world anyway, .... so why expect it... we have to face our money situation just like the guys do...

i love talking to other stores....and getting their take on the world....the one yesterday always inspires me... we are in the same state...indiana corn country..and we both try to appeal to the homeowners with money to spend in our areas.....she displays beautifully and really seems to like and enjoy her customers.... i hope her store continues to grow...sorry she doesnt have a blog or website, so i cant show you her beautiful store........

4 comments:

red.neck chic said...

Happy Monday! I love your blog...I know I don't comment much on it, but believe me, I am following and hanging on your every word!!! For Christmas this year I was thinking about doing the same thing - making more gifty items then making actual decor (I'm glad I'm not thinking way off base!!!) - thank you so much for sharing!!! I don't have an actual shop front (yet!) but I am in a couple of different places!

Thanks Again! :-)
Robelyn

carolbrademas said...

Hi Ann,

Love your take on things!! And so agree with it. I've never found being a woman business owner to be an advantage or disadvantage. You need good common sense no matter which sex you are to run a business! I'd love to know who the other Indiana shop is --- always love seeing other shops. Maybe next time I'm down you'll tell me where it is. Keep blogging!

ann at greenoak said...

thanks carol....and robelyn.... i love talking to other stores....ann

Relics said...

I love this blog- I found it by accident- (I hope that's ok?!)

I'm doing less "decorating" this year for Christmas, and more gifts, things I can keep through the new year, that I don't have to mark down.

Interesting thing about dropping the FRENCH....
deb @ relics
www.relics.typepad.com