Friday I was speaking with my granddaughter who is almost 8 years old. She was very excited because she had a 3 day weekend coming up and here in the south,where children start school on August 2nd, having an extra day was especially thrilling. I asked her why she had this extra day and she said it was a holiday and that the teacher had spoken about in school but she couldn't quite remember what it meant, we had a much needed conversation for both of us. I had just explained the significance of the day to a customer from Australia and while doing so, began to realize how we much take this day for granted. After watching the memorial services for Senator John McCain this week I've thought about his hard work, his sacrifices, his legacy, his wishes for the future and it's given me a renewed appreciation for our country and our workforce.

Most of us work hard to provide a good life for ourselves and our family and try to pass a portion of those earnings to others who are in need. We love our country and know how lucky we are to live in a place where we have so many freedoms that others don't have. For some, getting up and going to work is a typical, mindnumbing experience that we rush through most days so we can make it to our jobs on time. For others like the disabled, getting ready for a days work is a complicated series of events that can take an enormous amount of time and energy every morning. For some rising is a simple task, for others, not so much. And then there are those who spend their day trying to get a job, desperate to get back to work. Most of us take pride in our jobs, we work hard for and with our fellow workers to help our companies/businesses reach their goals. In return we ask to be respected and appreciated for our service and achievements which do not come without adversity and sacrifices.

As a small business owner I appreciate every purchase made in my shop. I know how important it is as a seller to recognize that a buyer sees the value in my items and uses their hard earned cash to make that purchase. I never take this for granted, money spent can be precious at times. I work hard, long hours, like so many others, to make my business a success. I don't take a day off for Labor day, in the retail business this is a very busy day, but I do appreciate the fact that others are able to celebrate and enjoy an extra day of rest.

I mentioned Senator John McCain because his words are so poignant especially at this time. We are patriots who want the best for our country
and it may mean working extra hard with more intensive labor to reach our goal to become one nation again. I needed to hear those words, especially now, as a reminder of how great this country has always been and will continue to be.

Your words resonate Senator John McCain, we hear you and we're working on it.

                    A Happy and Healthy Labor Day to you all!

July is usually a quiet time for my small business, people are vacationing, traveling, getting together or just hanging out. Good for them, they all deserve a little R&R! Only problem is, if you don't sell t shirts, summer toys or video games, chances are that your business is moving at a snail's pace right now. Although I know this is a great time to prepare for the holidays and get all of my ducks in a row, my goal is to have consistent sales throughout the year. To that end, I use the summer months to ramp up my customers and potential buyers expectations.

What better way to get your brand and items out there than when large groups of people are gathering and talking about the latest and greatest, wouldn't you like to be a part of that conversation? I know that I would. So what is the best way to accomplish this?

I sell my Christmas ornaments all year round but come August I display them more prominently in my shop, post on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram often, stressing the uniqueness of my items as to generate more buyer interest. As a small business owner I have the luxury of deciding whether I want to discount items for early bird purchasing or creating a coupon for a specific group or organization.  Ordering early can be the beginning of generating that "need to have at a good price, better buy it now" frame of mind. Selling custom items allows me to have a back and forth with my customers before purchase so it gives me another avenue to stress an early purchase or should I say purchases.

I cannot offer the "next day delivery" option like the big guys, my items take time and expertise but there are many people out there that love to gift a handmade product. Offering good quality, excellent customer service and a handmade item that will be their "favorite gift ever" is what I, as a shop owner, can do for my customers.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that reaching out to your base early on such as the lazy, crazy summertime and having them feel confident in any item they purchase from your shop is a plus for any business. What a great feeling to have your gifts ready to give and then move on to all of the other things that make your holidays memorable.

As a shop and small business owner, I can appreciate the importance of staying relevant and following the latest trends where business is concerned. This has always been a problem for me since the items that I sell are not your typical items that can become "trendy". I've struggled with this issue especially after reading business site forums that list this fact as the #1 most significant reason for online shops to see significant decrease in views and sales.

For example:
your shop sells handmade pottery and the upcoming trend appears to be extra large ceramic mugs in a specific color, this would be the direction for you to go in your production. If your business sells material and the trend for that year is towards anything with a military print, again, that would be the way for your shop to go. For me, I paint portraits of dogs and cats.......not much wiggle room (get it tails...wiggle room?) Okay so you want your shop to look fresh and up to date with the latest designs and colors so what does a shop like mine (and possibly yours) do to create an updated look from year to year?

After much thought, I decided to review my inventory at the end of each year. I offer a variety of glassware and windows so I prefer to create my portraits on the same material (glass). My brushes and acrylic paints are made specifically for glass so to change to another medium or material would be a costly outlay for me. So my thought was, is there something else that a pet lover would just have to have that I currently don't offer? Can I repurpose an item that I have in inventory? Do my colors appeal to potential buyers or are they not quite right? 

I started my business selling glass ornaments and windows. After a year or two I decided to add a new item, a personalized pet portrait treat jar which became one of my biggest sellers. The next year I added personalized wine glasses and the next, giving my customers more of a choice in backgrounds for their custom windows. This year I've started a new line, using my glass jars to create personalized banks for teams, organizations, new baby and housewarming gifts. I have incorporated the "color of the year" into my decorative banks/jars and also in my window backgrounds.

By changing things up I have been able to offer my existing customers something new and bring in potential buyers something unique and not strictly pet related.

I am not one to sit and wait for things to turn around, I prefer to turn them myself (I guess it's a control thing). Sometimes standing back and taking a fresh look at your business can be the secret to your success.