A little late posting this morning, yesterday nearly killed Gem and I. Moving around chairs, tables, putting up huge cool mirrors in store was bonkers. Store looks good though, so that’s the good news!
Ahem, anyway down to biz. The most successful businesses always have plans, 6 months, I year, 2 years and so on but the very best ones also go off plan every now and again to take risks. If you want to push your business into the stratosphere then you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone and do a spot of walking alone. From experience if you never run the risk of distinguishing your biz it will fall into blandsville and no one will shop with you or think about you.
GO IT ALONE
As much as you can ask for advice you’ll end up getting one million different opinions. Tough calls, but ultimately making hard and fast business decisions come down to you. It’s a solo thing. Sounds scary but you know your business like no one else. Go with your instincts and trust yourself.
BE MISUNDERSTOOD
I can’t tell you many times in the past I’ve been questioned, judged, and not understood by people. One example? Accountants questioning why I on earth I’d buy a £15K chandelier to put in the store when cash flow was tight. But that chandelier brought in customers, they didn’t buy the chandelier but it wowed them and enticed them inside, and it also brought in press. Publishers read the press offered me a book deal then TV deals came from that, lecturing deals also– circles within circles.
DON’T FOLLOW TRENDS, SET THEM
We’re become known for reinventing botanical’s and no matter how many others join the bandwagon when you’re one of the first you always have a major competitive advantage. People come to you and not go to others because you’re known as the Queen of cool in that sector. Its why I keep banging on about finding your own niche the minute you start selling what everybody else sells is the minute you go under, because why would they choose them over you! Unless of course you’re going to slash prices just to get customers in and then get no profit yourself. Crazy as, who would want to work for nothing?
DON’T GET COMFORTABLE
We give our biz a major overhaul every few months. We’ll review how the site is looking, the social feeds, the products. We analyse, we drill down. I love the old analogy that “complacency in business is like a slow puncture”. By the time you notice it the damage is already done and it’s too late!