Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged resale shopkeeping, thought for the day on June 21, 2010| 15 Comments »
TGtbT.com, my web site, has sold more operations manuals this year than in any other year. NARTS Conference is going for a new record number of attendees, after setting a record last year. The shop I volunteer at is having its highest year in over four decades…and this, in a market area that is considered one of the hardest-hit by the economy (and the most appalling (more…)
Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged advertising, resale shopkeeping, web on June 18, 2010| 6 Comments »
Well, it’s s good thing to do the same with your photos. Whether you’re posting on your site, your blog, Facebook or Twitpix (more about THAT later…let’s just say right now there are better alternatives that are just as easy) you want people to focus on (more…)
Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged NARTS Conference, small business, social networking, success on June 17, 2010|
Some friends-of-long-standing (that’s how to get around calling them OLD friends)
Just one week until NARTS Conference and consignment, resale, and thrift shop owners and managers are excited!
For those attending it’s gonna be an exciting and profitable trip. And to those who can’t make it, we’ll take notes, we promise!
♥ Make sure you have enough business cards (100-200) to hand out and that they have complete info. Add your city, state, area code, email address if you forgot it before printing.
♥ Gather your questions. Write down what you want to find out about. Pull out the index card you’ve written them on several times a day and ASK someone. Gather your answers, too. Got a great source for gift items? Really learn a lot from a book or web site? Write down the specific info so you can help others.
♥ If you’ll be attending my workshop on How to Get the Good Stuff in YOUR Shop, you’ll get more out of it if you prepare: Read Accepting and Pricing about how to make sure you treat the good stuff right. And be sure to study up on Using ALL your Space too, ’cause you’ll need it if you follow my plan! The TGtbT Shop has both and you can get them PDQ!
♥ Bring CASH MONEY. And your ATM card to replenish your cash. It’s easiest on the time-pressed bus tour, and with cash you are not making your resale peers pay credit-card fees. It’s the friendly, considerate thing to do. And you all know how we love friendly considerate customers!
♥ Print out 5 or 6 copies of TGtbT’s PDQ booklet, Visiting Other Resalers, to get the most out of every shop on the Bus Tour. No sense just SHOPPING on the bus tour when you could be learning at the same time!
♥ Decide on clothes. Remember 2 things: Layers (rooms start out chilly, warm up once we get all fired up!) and pockets. In your right pocket you will carry your business cards to hand out; in your left, you will stash the card of people you meet.
♥ Swear the following:
♥ Make up a few SASEs: self-addressed stamped envelopes. When you ask a breakfast buddy to send you a copy of that great bag-stuffer she’s talking about, hand her a ready-to-use SASE, penciling on the back “your Pick a Pair flier” to remind her what she promised to send.
♥ Check the TGtbT Shop to decide what you need. Then: order what you need now. PDQ files are more earth-friendly and by pre-reading and thinking you’ll be able to ask Auntie Kate and others, in person, for more insight on something you’re planning.
Posted in My Favorite Things, Shopkeeping talk, tagged accessories, display, home decor on June 14, 2010| 4 Comments »
One cake stand makes a nice showcase riser. A multi-tiered one works 3 times as hard. (Just (more…)
Posted in I've been meaning to tell you, Shopkeeping talk, Weekend Warrior, tagged resale shopkeeping, social networking on June 11, 2010|
Click the friends to join us!
* Check out the “Blogs for Consignment & Resale Shopkeepers” I posted a while back. Add the ones you love by adding a comment to this entry.
* Learn how NOT to play store (a 4-part series.) Tell us about when you finally felt like a real grown-up proprietor by clicking on comment.
* Listen to some new music. Tell us what you listen to.
* Find out what kind of flower you are. (I’m still a daffodil.)
Too Good to be Threw is the flagship site of the TGtbT Family of Sites for the Professional Resalers
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
