Just had a gentleman come into the store, with a grim look on his face.
"You've got a dangerous situation in front of your store!" he said. "I just saw a dog peeing on the Christmas lights wrapped around your tree and he got an electric shock!"
Every once in a while, I get a guy in off the street who immediately launches into some story, and I thought this was a joke.
"Good!" I exclaimed.
He looks at me like I'm scum.
"What if a young kid gets shocked?"
Hmmmm. I see he's not joking, but now I can't resist.
"Even better!" I say, looking at him askance.
After he left, customer Aaron suggested I should put up a sign.
"Dear Dogs, (and kids),
Do not piss on this tree or you will be electrocuted. (All legal ramifications now null and void.)"
Thursday, December 4, 2008
People get ready, there's a train a'comin'
Marketwatch.com: 12/3/08:
"According to the Global Insight report, only three metro areas are extremely overvalued: Atlantic City, N.J., Bend, Ore., and St. George, Utah. In 2005, 52 metro areas were deemed to be extremely overvalued."
USA Today: 12/4/08:
"Retailers limped through a miserable November that even a surge of shopping after Thanksgiving couldn't save, making it the weakest month since at least 1969 and deepening fears that the critical holiday period could be the most dismal in decades.
As merchants announced November sales figures Thursday, the malaise cut across all sectors."
Just saying, you know, in case you hadn't noticed.
I realize that isn't the original meaning of the title to the old spiritual. But you get the point.
I've always thought it was the height of stupidity to get hit by a train. Here you have a strip only 3 ft' or so wide, and a freight train that travels down it a few times of day, and you have to be so stupid as to be caught in that little zone in that moment.
Very Darwinian.
I guess people get caught because they underestimate the speed of the train. And the overestimate the ability of the train to stop and their ability to avoid it. They get impatient or they just aren't paying attention.
The difference is that we all have a freight train coming at us, and we all have to get out of the way.
"According to the Global Insight report, only three metro areas are extremely overvalued: Atlantic City, N.J., Bend, Ore., and St. George, Utah. In 2005, 52 metro areas were deemed to be extremely overvalued."
USA Today: 12/4/08:
"Retailers limped through a miserable November that even a surge of shopping after Thanksgiving couldn't save, making it the weakest month since at least 1969 and deepening fears that the critical holiday period could be the most dismal in decades.
As merchants announced November sales figures Thursday, the malaise cut across all sectors."
Just saying, you know, in case you hadn't noticed.
I realize that isn't the original meaning of the title to the old spiritual. But you get the point.
I've always thought it was the height of stupidity to get hit by a train. Here you have a strip only 3 ft' or so wide, and a freight train that travels down it a few times of day, and you have to be so stupid as to be caught in that little zone in that moment.
Very Darwinian.
I guess people get caught because they underestimate the speed of the train. And the overestimate the ability of the train to stop and their ability to avoid it. They get impatient or they just aren't paying attention.
The difference is that we all have a freight train coming at us, and we all have to get out of the way.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Morale Pt. 2
Following up on the morale entry.
There are stores all through Bend and all through this country that are suddenly wondering if it's worth it. Not just worth it for the money, but worth it for all the aggravation.
I've mentioned before that I think there only two good reasons to own a business; to make money and to have fun.
People usually misunderstand what I mean by fun. I don't mean, sitting around reading comics or playing games.
I mean it's important to enjoy the process of owning a business, of being in charge, or making decisions.
I'm willing to bring on product that I'm not all that interested in, if it makes money; and I'm willing to bring in product that I'm interested in that doesn't make much money.
But eventually, all product takes on a neutral widget nature. If you are selling a product, I don't care what it is, if you are engaged that product will take on a certain fascination. At the same time, even the most fascinating product will eventually become somewhat humdrum.
So I figure, if you're in business long enough, the interest in what you sell will meet in the middle.
When sports cards went bad on me oh, so many years ago, I remember asking myself; "Am I having fun? Am I making money?" And the answer to both was no.
I couldn't do much about the money making part, but I could rearrange the store, rearrange my schedule, what I carried, what I supported, what I talked about and researched, what I was willing to put up with. I could make the store more satisfying to myself.
It was gut check time; and I remembered that I originally envisioned a store where I could go to work everyday, that was mine, where I made the rules, and talked to the customers, and unpacked and displayed the merchandise and so on and so on.
The nuts and bolts process. That I really enjoyed.
I will always make the satisfying choice over the money making choice.
We all have a built in scale of money vs satisfaction. Jobs we hate but we stick with because they make us money and have benefits. Others will stay in jobs that don't pay much, but which are fun.
I think in business, if you aren't having fun, you'll eventually burn out.
I suspect as many or more businesses close because of being dispirited and unhappy as from money issues. Of course, the two are usually linked. But I can always tell when a Mom and Pop business has jumped the shark, because it's when the owners start not showing up for work just when they should be rolling up their sleeves and taking on more work.
Because they can't stand to watch their businesses go down, and they hope some manager or employee can turn it around.
That's when options (I can get a job here, I can do this instead) take effect; that's when losing a little money each month changes from being no big deal to being an aggravation. That's when that lease increase just seems too outrageous to endure; when you get angry at the wrong supplier at the wrong time.
When you jump the shark.
So I always bring it back to: will I enjoy doing this? Do I like standing at the counter and chatting with my customers? Do I like juggling bills and looking for ways to survive?
And the answer is still:
I really do enjoy owning my own business.
There are stores all through Bend and all through this country that are suddenly wondering if it's worth it. Not just worth it for the money, but worth it for all the aggravation.
I've mentioned before that I think there only two good reasons to own a business; to make money and to have fun.
People usually misunderstand what I mean by fun. I don't mean, sitting around reading comics or playing games.
I mean it's important to enjoy the process of owning a business, of being in charge, or making decisions.
I'm willing to bring on product that I'm not all that interested in, if it makes money; and I'm willing to bring in product that I'm interested in that doesn't make much money.
But eventually, all product takes on a neutral widget nature. If you are selling a product, I don't care what it is, if you are engaged that product will take on a certain fascination. At the same time, even the most fascinating product will eventually become somewhat humdrum.
So I figure, if you're in business long enough, the interest in what you sell will meet in the middle.
When sports cards went bad on me oh, so many years ago, I remember asking myself; "Am I having fun? Am I making money?" And the answer to both was no.
I couldn't do much about the money making part, but I could rearrange the store, rearrange my schedule, what I carried, what I supported, what I talked about and researched, what I was willing to put up with. I could make the store more satisfying to myself.
It was gut check time; and I remembered that I originally envisioned a store where I could go to work everyday, that was mine, where I made the rules, and talked to the customers, and unpacked and displayed the merchandise and so on and so on.
The nuts and bolts process. That I really enjoyed.
I will always make the satisfying choice over the money making choice.
We all have a built in scale of money vs satisfaction. Jobs we hate but we stick with because they make us money and have benefits. Others will stay in jobs that don't pay much, but which are fun.
I think in business, if you aren't having fun, you'll eventually burn out.
I suspect as many or more businesses close because of being dispirited and unhappy as from money issues. Of course, the two are usually linked. But I can always tell when a Mom and Pop business has jumped the shark, because it's when the owners start not showing up for work just when they should be rolling up their sleeves and taking on more work.
Because they can't stand to watch their businesses go down, and they hope some manager or employee can turn it around.
That's when options (I can get a job here, I can do this instead) take effect; that's when losing a little money each month changes from being no big deal to being an aggravation. That's when that lease increase just seems too outrageous to endure; when you get angry at the wrong supplier at the wrong time.
When you jump the shark.
So I always bring it back to: will I enjoy doing this? Do I like standing at the counter and chatting with my customers? Do I like juggling bills and looking for ways to survive?
And the answer is still:
I really do enjoy owning my own business.
Keeping up the morale.
It requires a certain light touch to sell effectively. It's necessary to 'want' to make a sale, without an odor of 'needing' to make a sale. It requires the ability to let people walk away without being grumpy; and not greeting them at the door with a gloomy expression.
It's all in the head. I've started off days with a big sale and felt just great all day, only to end with lower than average sales. I've started off days with no sales for several hours, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and a creeping scowl on my face, only to end to day with a bang.
Early afternoon, had a woman hand me a 100.00 for a purchase, and I didn't have the change in cash.
"I haven't made the cash for change....yet," I said, with a smile.
"Oh, I like that. Yet. You have a good attitude."
"Not always," I laughed. "But I have learned it's harder to make a sale if you aren't cheerful."
Obviously, yesterday was another of those slow Tuesdays. I noticed that I had an even worse day last year, and ended up with a good Christmas, so I'm not taking it to heart. I think there is a hangover from Black Friday on the following week (which begs the question of how useful that weekend is -- especially if you achieved high sales by giving high discounts.)
One of the surprises to me is that morale is a problem at all. In the past, if I was feeling down about things it was understandable because I usually had bills to pay and debt building up.
This time, that isn't happening. But I still find those slow hours hard to endure cheerfully.
But I'm 10,000% better at it than I used to be.
It's all in the head. I've started off days with a big sale and felt just great all day, only to end with lower than average sales. I've started off days with no sales for several hours, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and a creeping scowl on my face, only to end to day with a bang.
Early afternoon, had a woman hand me a 100.00 for a purchase, and I didn't have the change in cash.
"I haven't made the cash for change....yet," I said, with a smile.
"Oh, I like that. Yet. You have a good attitude."
"Not always," I laughed. "But I have learned it's harder to make a sale if you aren't cheerful."
Obviously, yesterday was another of those slow Tuesdays. I noticed that I had an even worse day last year, and ended up with a good Christmas, so I'm not taking it to heart. I think there is a hangover from Black Friday on the following week (which begs the question of how useful that weekend is -- especially if you achieved high sales by giving high discounts.)
One of the surprises to me is that morale is a problem at all. In the past, if I was feeling down about things it was understandable because I usually had bills to pay and debt building up.
This time, that isn't happening. But I still find those slow hours hard to endure cheerfully.
But I'm 10,000% better at it than I used to be.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
No Follow?
Bilbo/buster is going on and on over on BB2 about my site having a 'nofollow' code on my comments section.
There are several reasons for this.
First, I'm like the guy from Jurassic Park who just touches a computer and it goes on the fritz.
I'm not touching the basic 'template.' I know that if I do, the computer will explode.
A flying saucer will land in my back yard, and some dangerous looking aliens will knock on my office door.
"Stupid human! Why have you disabled our monitoring device?"
(When they eventually put me in a straight jacket and lock me up, it will because of this. I've known since I was 12 that aliens were watching Earth through my eyes. The movie Starfighter totally stole my story....")
The second reason, as I teased Buster, is that I actually do get comments...which then enables the spam thingie, or something. I'm sure BB2 is totally on Bloggers watch list for spam.
And the third reason is, that I consider this a 'local' blog. I'm not sure why people from outside the area would be all that interested. Despite the impression that people have told me they have about this blog, I've really only talked about politics a few times. (Though my political leanings are probably pretty obvious to everyone.)
I don't try to explain things, like if I talk about Greenwood, I don't say: This is a main east/west artery in Bend, which contains older and light industrial commercial land, blah, blah, blah...
If I was trying to write for a wider audience I'd be writing a different kind of blog.
Sure, everyone likes to be read. But ultimately, this is for my own self-expression and edification.
And just to see if I can do it.
And hopefully have a few people who read it.
There are several reasons for this.
First, I'm like the guy from Jurassic Park who just touches a computer and it goes on the fritz.
I'm not touching the basic 'template.' I know that if I do, the computer will explode.
A flying saucer will land in my back yard, and some dangerous looking aliens will knock on my office door.
"Stupid human! Why have you disabled our monitoring device?"
(When they eventually put me in a straight jacket and lock me up, it will because of this. I've known since I was 12 that aliens were watching Earth through my eyes. The movie Starfighter totally stole my story....")
The second reason, as I teased Buster, is that I actually do get comments...which then enables the spam thingie, or something. I'm sure BB2 is totally on Bloggers watch list for spam.
And the third reason is, that I consider this a 'local' blog. I'm not sure why people from outside the area would be all that interested. Despite the impression that people have told me they have about this blog, I've really only talked about politics a few times. (Though my political leanings are probably pretty obvious to everyone.)
I don't try to explain things, like if I talk about Greenwood, I don't say: This is a main east/west artery in Bend, which contains older and light industrial commercial land, blah, blah, blah...
If I was trying to write for a wider audience I'd be writing a different kind of blog.
Sure, everyone likes to be read. But ultimately, this is for my own self-expression and edification.
And just to see if I can do it.
And hopefully have a few people who read it.
"You vacuumed up Mom?!"
My sister has a couple of new dogs, who are wild and crazy.
I noticed a piece of broken pottery on her table. "What's this?" I asked, picking it up.
"Oh, that's the top of Mom's urn."
"What happened?"
"Elvira was getting a little rambunctious and knocked the urn over."
"Please tell me you didn't vacuum up Mom."
"Uh...."
"Oh, my God! You vacuumed up Mom!"
Spent the rest of Thanksgiving periodically bursting out with.
"You vacuumed up Mom?!"
Nobody but me thought it was funny....
I noticed a piece of broken pottery on her table. "What's this?" I asked, picking it up.
"Oh, that's the top of Mom's urn."
"What happened?"
"Elvira was getting a little rambunctious and knocked the urn over."
"Please tell me you didn't vacuum up Mom."
"Uh...."
"Oh, my God! You vacuumed up Mom!"
Spent the rest of Thanksgiving periodically bursting out with.
"You vacuumed up Mom?!"
Nobody but me thought it was funny....
Monday, December 1, 2008
Ghosts of Christmas Pasts
Years ago, the common meaning of Black Friday was it was a swarming, difficult, exciting day to shop. Where this new interpretation that it's when stores start going into the profitable 'black' came from, I have no idea. (God Help Them if it's true.)
We small retailers used to be part of Black Friday, but nowadays, not so much. It's been taken over by the big retailers; a daring daylight robbery. Big bullies.
The real sales for my store usually come in the second half of the month. Which, as I've said in Christmas pasts, is kind of scary because it really comes down to about 10 days and what happens if there's a blizzard or a terrorist attack or something?
I said going into this season that I thought it may be a last hurrah for the consumer. They'll all buy into the New Obama Change idea, and get sick of all the negative news and put on blinders and just buy.
Maybe.
One thing I don't trust is the stats coming out, especially the early ones. I'm torn as to whether the 'door-buster' sales are total bait and switch scams, and the lower prices offered by retailers are designed in from the very beginning; or whether they are taking a real hit to their profits. I think more the former than the latter.
But I do believe that retailers are selling down their inventory, which becomes cash if not higher profits.
The Bulletin had a survey that was kind of hoot.
Guns. I should be selling guns.
Centwise Sporting Goods: "By Sunday afternoon, the store had only one AR-15 left in stock."
Only in Central Oregon....
Or this quote from fellow downtown retailer, Teague Hatfield of the FootZone:
"But, all in all, I think it was skippy."
Oh, absolutely. It was totally skippy.
Um....what does that mean?
I don't care what it means, I like it.
I'm ready to report my weekend sales.
They were just skippy!
We small retailers used to be part of Black Friday, but nowadays, not so much. It's been taken over by the big retailers; a daring daylight robbery. Big bullies.
The real sales for my store usually come in the second half of the month. Which, as I've said in Christmas pasts, is kind of scary because it really comes down to about 10 days and what happens if there's a blizzard or a terrorist attack or something?
I said going into this season that I thought it may be a last hurrah for the consumer. They'll all buy into the New Obama Change idea, and get sick of all the negative news and put on blinders and just buy.
Maybe.
One thing I don't trust is the stats coming out, especially the early ones. I'm torn as to whether the 'door-buster' sales are total bait and switch scams, and the lower prices offered by retailers are designed in from the very beginning; or whether they are taking a real hit to their profits. I think more the former than the latter.
But I do believe that retailers are selling down their inventory, which becomes cash if not higher profits.
The Bulletin had a survey that was kind of hoot.
Guns. I should be selling guns.
Centwise Sporting Goods: "By Sunday afternoon, the store had only one AR-15 left in stock."
Only in Central Oregon....
Or this quote from fellow downtown retailer, Teague Hatfield of the FootZone:
"But, all in all, I think it was skippy."
Oh, absolutely. It was totally skippy.
Um....what does that mean?
I don't care what it means, I like it.
I'm ready to report my weekend sales.
They were just skippy!
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