You learn of, encounter, or even meet and chat face-to-face with a successful resaler.
Doesn’t matter if that person has a consignment, buy-outright, or NFP thrift shop.
Doesn’t even matter if their business
is anything like yours.
The point is, they are a WILD success.
Could be they have cash flow like it’s coming our of a garden hose. Or they have multiple resale stores. Or they just, well, they just have attained the kind of work/ life balance that you have always wished you could.
Are you intimidated… or inspired by these victorious vixens, these triumphant titans, these flourishing folk?
It’s your choice.
If you find yourself saying, or even thinking, well I can’t do that well, they’re smarter, better-looking, more ambitious than I am... chances are you’re intimidated.
If, on the other hand, you’re inspired, thinking well if they can do that, so can I, and while I don’t want to necessarily do it the way they do it, I can learn from them some lessons that will get me the kind of success I’m after… then you’re inspired.
Which choice will you make?
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
I have tried to do all the right things. My number one comment from customers is I don’t feel like a used clothes store. My store smells fresh, it is clean and very organized. I am on Facebook, have a web page and just started using Twitter and Pinterest. But my sales aren’t growing. I pay my consignors and pay my bills. That’s it – after almost 7 years.
I opened on Main Street in my small town. However business (and people) abandoned downtown in the early 90s. I really thought we could redevelop ourself. A college is just 2 blocks away. I market to the college but only get 1% of their students.
I can’t get people to respond to posts besides just hitting “like” and our wonderful pictures on Boutique Window doesn’t drive people in. I keep wondering, if I opened in a bigger town, would that make a difference or maybe I should just write it off as a lost cause. My tax consultant already has. I would sell the building in a heartbeat if I thought I could even find someone to buy it.
Any suggestions?
Frustrated Mary
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Hi Mary, Don’t be frustrated, there’s an answer, I am sure. Locating in a place which was “abandoned” years earlier and hoping to revitalize it could be like trying to change a man after you marry him… pretty hopeless 😦 Owning the building is an added frustration, I’m sure… you don’t want to find another location and rent or buy there if the building is yours!
In addition to trying to develop traffic in an area, you have the added frustration of motivating buyers and suppliers. Are you getting in the merchandise that people will buy? Are you pricing it right, displaying it right, showing folks what you have? I could not find any reference to your Boutique Window listings on either your FB or your site, so perhaps, you’re paying for a service that isn’t producing results for you.
How about your hours… are you open when people are likely to want to shop? Is there enough turnover to motivate shoppers to stop in as often as possible for fear of “missing something”? Do you use social media to motivate them to come in, such as posting the most desirable of new arrivals with description, enticing copy, price and how they can make that item their own? Are you using markdowns to keep things moving? A swing shop? Events to draw in traffic?
Please take a look around my blog here for some ideas which might insoire you, and of course, my web site at TGtbT.com is there with its Products for the Professional Resaler, and you can even add your shop’s listing on HowToConsign.com for added exposure and SEO.
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Inspired. I have been watching my “resale idol” for years to see what direction she takes her business.
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Great Lisa! Do you now have a resale business? What “lessons” have you learned from your idol, and how have you reciprocated?
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