Wednesday, August 26, 2009

facebook and shoptalk


well, im trying it..... i love blogging and dont plan to give that up,and i dont quite see how facebook would be different...but im giving it a shot.....its a different venue i guess....
im also doing a personal page....ann burton wootten furnivall....or just ann burton....... AND HOPE SOME PEOPLE over 40 or business people OR CYBER FRIENDS find me and want to be friends....oh gad, i think one of my kids did just hit 40..... so far its mostly family and people my kids age......... lots of my antique buddies dont even have a computer!!
so IF YOU NEED/want A FRIEND COME SEE ME/ FRIEND ME???!!! weird words.
and from my class of 1962 only 4 are on....so im kind of lonesome on there....
but im trying to listen to Rick segel and others telling us businesses we should give facebook a whirl..so im doing a fan page for green oak...
ON MY MIND
  1. THE ECONOMY...i think its getting better but will be different..... and i worry about the big stores and All their constant sales.... this is so against us....as small retailers...
  2. NEED A NEW VENUE...the things i tried this year didnt work.... 2 mall booths..... we continue to have all our eggs in one basket, THE STORE, and that scares the @#*&&^ out of me....weve always had something major on the side... ..... oops i forgot about etsy....its another basket but only about 1 to 300$ a month...we cant do shows.... no people...we cant move......i dont see the Internet working at the level im talking about...... im loving junk art..and like what we are making.....but where to sell it is the question....also thinking about offereing trunk shows... with the garden iron...
  3. NEW CUSTOMERS...scary thing is i dont quite get them... i dont have the seat of the pants intuition about them like i have always had about my old customers..i dont have the code words to attract more of them....they are young and like our stuff but i dont know what they do with it or how they decorate or what their ideals are....
  4. PRODUCTIVITY.....we have a workforce...and i have to keep us making money not just dusting!!! but what...
  5. INTERNET DECISIONS..we have a new selling site ...laying dormant....i see so little evidence of a site in my field making money...to me making money would have to mean at least 5000$$$ a month.... i cant make us put out the effort to give it a try on the info ive gathered so far........ do you know anyone making that amount on line? would love to hear...
  6. WHAT to buy .....thats always a fun problem.....im going for the new girls ....and they sure arent like me in their choices............so im trying to figure it out...the good thing is they really seem to like our store....im thinking its about style, recycling, quality and saving money....AND they are kind of adventurous and outside the box...so that still feels right...

6 comments:

Sea Witch said...

I having the same issues with booths myself. I have been in one for so long that I adore, but the customer base is changing. Collectors and those who love antiques are just not purchasing anymore. I'm picky about where I go. Good ones, right now, tend to be way to far for me to drive and those close by, smaller shops are asking hideous amounts for rents plus work buyouts and would rather remaim empty then reducing their rents through this economy. Cosidering etsy for a few things, but havn't taken the plunge yet. Am still building my website, but have been too busy to finalize. These are interesting times for small business folk. Sea Witch

Anonymous said...

I know, why is figuring this out so hard? Do you think anyone is going to want anything again?
We use to sell a ton of yankee candles, fall and christmas merchandise. Now they won't buy it unless it's 50% off. So.... why bother.
I'm worried, because they aren't going to be happy this Christmas. I can't buy just to entertain them. I need them to buy it. Who knows.

ann at greenoak said...

seawitch and homestead .....if you get any good things working id love to hear..
..we are getting s good seasonal with all the fall i just bought....and some furniture.....but our local traffic isnt good....
im doing christmas as usual.....

Relics said...

Ann-

Have you ever taken your stuff on the road? I'm considering doing a booth at a nicer antique/flea market this fall- hoping to give out lots of cards- maps/ will try to make it super cool looking- unlike other peoples booths...
.
Times have changed so much- just trying to think outside the box....

deb

ps- You were in my head today Ann! In one of your posts, you said something like "if you see a bunch of something you just buy it" Today I was out and about and found all these large sized plexi-glass numbers from an old gas station, they are red and green-
I BOUGHT ALL OF THEM!

They just look super cool all lined up together! Great Advice! Thank you!

ann at greenoak said...

thanks deb....those letters sound very good!!!!
we used to do shows , wholesale, with yardlong pictures of roses, very shabby and pretty.they were in a few magazines.... in customers houses.......and also sold our cupboards.....but now the pics are made in china....ikkk.....and we never could haul enough cupboards to make it work..... we could sell 10 maybe, limited by our box truck size......but that was 3 or 4000.....and not really enough to make the trip a big winner...
and we used to do retail shows ....but that was my grown kids , now jon has kids...
dh and i cant do it....we need to be at the store....
im looking for that kind ofmall you are talking about....and trying to think of some other places ....our neatest things are huge..
we are making it as cash and carry here in indiana.....but more would be better!!!

Greta said...

First let me say that I love your store, your style, and your merchandise. I found you through the blogs I read. So, the net IS giving you exposure.
I have written of the sterile tastes of the modern decorating generation. They are minimalists. I can't tell you how many articles in home decor magazines I just *skip* because I don't want my home to look like Frank Lloyd Wright's. I sell funky junk... to pander to the eye of retro-philes..but don't like the merchandise.
Advertising. Can't stress it enough. With so many venues going under...now's the time sing in louder decibels. You carry such volume that I feel if people get there, they will be back.
It is a buyers market. Seeing items cheaper than ever. Selling cheaper, too.
Incorporate. You can't do road shows...bring vendors to your site.
Host an Autumn Farmers Market. Host other vendors for weekend shows. This will bring business to you.
Keep fishing. People want to buy. They are out there. Make the bait more attractive.
Never stop believing.