The Scrappy Marketer

Opening a Scrapbook Store

I recently got the following email:

I am thinking about opening a scrapbook store in my area...is there any advice you can give me, or steps I need to take to open my store?  I saw a VERY old blog post you did about scrapbiz.com and I am still in the "thinking" stage, so I don't want to buy anything right now, just looking for steps to get started, and pros and cons....can you help me? 

I get these kinds of emails about once a month, and - no offense to the original emailer - to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I get these kinds of emails.  I have never worked in a retail store, let alone owned one.  I have watched other people go through the process of opening their own stores - that experience alone has taught me I'd never *want* to own one.  Just not where my personal interests and goals lie.  I assume people think my marketing background means I would know how to open a scrapbooking store, which is not at all true.  I can offer ideas for how to PROMOTE a store once it's open, or how to market a store with a blog, but actual details for opening and running a store...not so much.

I will still respond to the questions - because I'm just that kind of gal.

ScrapBiz is the only 'system' I know of that offers step-by-step how to get started on opening your own scrapbooking business.  For general entrepreneurship information, I'd suggest taking small business classes at a local community college, as well as checking out StartUpNation.com.  (Kim Guymon, founder of ScrapBiz, is a SUNbassador Community Leader at StartUpNation.com.) 

As far as pros and cons of opening a store, I'd probably try contacting store owners in other states - they can give you the real low-down on the current situation.  You can find lists of local stores in the back of scrapbooking magazines, and often on manufacturers' websites.  Ask them if they would still open a store today, what helped them prepare the most, and what they would do differently.

There are also store "collectives", such as Crafters Home, that offer start-up resources.  To be honest, I don't know much about the actual resources they offer - what I do know is a local store here is a part of that particular group, and it's one of the last stores in the area with staying power.  Whether or not that can be attributed to being a member, I couldn't tell you.  Might make an interesting interview, though!  :)

Hope this helps!

Is Your Business 'Peter Perfect'?

I've found the latest resource for your marketing education - it's a show called "Peter Perfect", on the Style network.  It's a one-hour reality makeover series with a twist - British hairstylist Peter Ishkhans visits troubled small businesses and helps the owners recreate their business image, addressing issues of appearance, style and marketing.

The first episode I saw was the makeover of struggling surf shop.  Ishkhans came in and gave the store-owners an eye-opening look at a typical first impression of their shop, and it wasn't pretty.  Ishkhans is pretty loud and flamboyant - the store owners had no question about what he really thought.  That's part of the entertainment value of the show.  But Ishkhans made strong suggestions on key marketing concepts the store owners were missing. 

Watching this episode I saw the situation many small business owners find themselves in, whether retail store or service provider, or whatever.  Many small business owners are so busy working on daily tasks, they don't see the bigger picture.  They don't see that their storefront isn't particularly inviting, they don't see how tired they look, they don't see that the merchandising doesn't encourage purchases.  I particularly noticed how worn-down the surf shop owners looked, pre-makeover.  They looked like so many scrapbooking store owners I've seen - exhausted, burned-out, and a bit desperate.  That does nothing to encourage business.

You can see short clips of "Peter Perfect" on veoh and hulu to get a taste of Ishkahns' advice, but I encourage you to set your Tivo or DVR for the full episodes, and see what you might be missing about your own business.

You could also call on Kizer & Bender for more personal attention to your own situation - I hear they work *wonders* with retail store makeovers!