Stand pat?

I realize that talking about budget is probably about as exciting as listening to someone detailing their diet.

But it's the BE ALL and END ALL of my business right now, my total focus. If I succeed, I may finally put my business on a solid footing.

It only took 24 years.

Six months at a time, I can handle. The first half of the year was all about clearing away debt. The second half is all about putting money in savings.

Thursdays, my comic distributor offers 'Liquidation' sales. So this morning was my first test. There was quite a bit of product I would've ordered in the past...but I managed to skip it this time. I just don't need it, the way I used to.

I got two cases of toys yesterday; Incredible Hulk and Indiana Jones, and for the first time I couldn't find wall space. I have an extra bookcase from my reorganizing -- so I'm displaying them there, but that's a short term solution at best. This next week, I'll be getting a wave of Warcraft toys.

I did blow a fuse a couple of weeks ago, and ordered a bunch of DVD's. I was getting requests for non-Japanese animation, and there was a sale, and I just went for it. Which was why I had to extend my non-reordering into this week.

But I just can't fall for that, again. I love having Pinky and the Brain, 3rd season in stock, but do I really need it? I've avoided any DVD's other than anime until now because my margin absolutely sucks -- 10% anyone? But I've learned that I can compete with the big boys as long as I'm selective and patient. I'm not going head to head with them.

I've also noticed that my selection of product is being dictated by my location more than I would've expected. I'm in an relatively expensive location, with lots of foot traffic, but I have limited space. I find myself turning to relatively high priced product that takes up a limited amount of space. I can stack a bunch of DVD's on a shelf that in dollar value probably equals many square feet of toys, for instance.

Every time I wonder why I keep doing sports cards, I remind myself that I can carry a strong and credible inventory in a relatively small footprint in the store.

Makes sense, or course. It's why you see more expensive product in high traffic zones. I just happen to be a humble little comic shop that has had the downtown area mature around me. So I've adapted by bringing in books and movies and other product that will appeal to other people.

I've been reminded over the last few days of a conundrum. I get more customers during the summer and Christmas, but these customers tend to buy what's in stock, and everything in stock is 'new' to them. In other words, even though sales are higher, I actually don't need to order as much.

It's the slow times when I need to reorder, because I can't afford to lose a sale and because the 'regulars' have already seen everything I have in stock and I have to entice them with new material.

So my ordering has tended to be opposite than what the sales would indicate. Heavy ordering during the slow months, not quite so heavy in the busy months.

Well, I managed not to over-order this year during the slow months, because I think my inventory is so full that it's managing to satisfy even the most frequent of buyers.

I was going to significantly up my orders for the summer -- because I could. Now, I'm kind of stepping back and thinking: wait, maybe what's I've got is more than sufficient. Make sure I have my base product in stock, refresh the twice a year stuff (dice, stand-ups, and funky toys) and then stand pat. (I get a constant flow of new material, by the way, so what I'm really talking about is going above and beyond that regular flow.)

I think this whole process has proven to me once and for all that having enough sales and/or customers is not my problem -- over spending is.