I'm getting into the final stages of this year's Holiday Card now, and am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There's still more to do ... not least of which is making sure everything will fit properly into the envelopes. That's a rather important bit, I think - LOL. I'll bring one of the inserts to the shop with me today for a test-fit. I also have to go to the bank first thing this morning, and today is "pay bills" day at the shop, so I won't have much chance to "rest" until the afternoon.
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I'm always pretty busy, but this next year will be especially busy for us. Besides the regular day-to-day business, we're also trying to arrange to close sometime next year, and that might be a logistical nightmare. |
Of course, we got a large order delivered late last week, and another one delivered yesterday, so we're moving "full speed ahead" into the holiday season. We're low on some things - not as many low-end earrings available for sale this year, and our beadwork case could use a few sets of earrings, but we're not restocking anything but those things we must have - the more popular beads, and the materials with which to work with them.
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Looking from this view, you can see rolled leather on top of the leather area super structure, lots of beads and small baggies for beadwork and jewelry components, freshwater pearls hanging down from the main superstructure of this section of displays, and some of the jewelry cases. This is mainly Chickie's area. Her workstation is here. |
When I first started in business, I was much more trusting. We had cases and cabinets, certainly, but we also had a lot of items that weren't that protected. It only took a few people to get us to put things behind glass and use locks. It installed a basic mistrust into my soul. That only increased when I had my Mall of America store, although the only things we really had out that were able to be stolen were books and greeting cards. We still had our share of shoplifters, though. It was a relief to close that location and move everything over to the current building.
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This is much closer to my view. The cash wrap is to my right, ahead of me are the jewelry-making tools (hammers, etc for working with silver). Some cording and spools of chain are to the right of the white pole, stone hangs on the superstructure behind it. All of those little bits of color on the right are different beads - some of the thousands of beads that we sell. |
I brought over all of the display cases I had custom built for my MOA location, and we installed them into the current shop. We did a lot of re-arranging over the years, adding new product lines and dropping others. We shifted things and tried new layouts, we ordered additional display cases and built a couple of other displays for the leather and leatherworking area we added. A lot of that area proved to be a good gamble, but we still have some hides we purchase that are still awaiting their forever home. As we learned what our customers wanted, we focused on those areas and dropped others. Like most businesses, we evolved.
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Does anyone have an effective magic wand they could lend me for the next few months? I think I'll need some magic to get this place wrapped up without going overboard with stress. |
Now we're moving into our final holiday season and looking at the multitude of product that we still need to sell or find new homes for. Shutting this place down in less than a year won't be easy, but it has to be done. I both need and want to "retire". Basically, I need and want to be able to do my own thing for at least a few years of my life. So that's our goal over the next months. Wrap things up to the best of our ability. Find other outlets for any leftover product. Run a six-week "Business Closing" sale which will drive all of us totally up the wall, and finally rent a storage facility on a monthly basis until we can get the last of the items into new homes or out on consignment. Does anyone have a magic wand I can borrow? LOL
Have an excellent final day of November and I'll be back on the 1st of December! Tempus fugit, and I'm doing the same. See you tomorrow.
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