by wendy
Do you think of yourself as the CEO of your retail business?
I work with shop owners all over the world who don’t always think of themselves in this way. Mindset is 80% of business success. I hear retailers say that the people around them, sometimes well meaning and very close family and friends, can say things like “your little shop”, or “you get to play arts and crafts all day”. Hurtful. Right? We work so hard. I know you probably entered into this world as a creative, made plans to make your store pretty, set it all up and have worked your buns off. You take care of not just the fun things, but the planning, organizing, the staff, the money, workshops schedules, product lines, the whole enchilada. 
YOU are the visionary and leader of your business. This is it. It’s YOUR business. YOU choose to treat it like a business, not a hobby. Whether you want to call yourself the CEO, Head Honcho, Queen Bee, whatever. You need to have a CEO Mindset. Stand tall. Get healthy business habits in place. Be the CEO of your business. Level up your mindset and your business will grow. Get great business habits in place and your business will thrive (and so will you).
I’ve put together a list of CEO habits that I’ve seen common in successful retailers and shop owners just like you. View this list by filling out the form below.
There is something to be said for the habits that successful entrepreneurs and business owners share across industries. Let’s apply them to YOUR role as store owner… I know you will find success!!! Thanks for popping in! Xo Wendy
by wendy
I hear this all the time when working with my creative shop owners… How do I get people to attend my workshop/paint party/class/event? Why is no one signing up?
It’s truly the retailers dilemma: constantly needing to fill and book out the class .. and yet not always wanting to be “selling”.
Marketing Strategies for Workshops & Classes
If you have 20-minutes this is a live training I did in my Rockstars Creative Facebook Group answering Jamie’s time-old question: What should I do if I post about my workshop and no one bites?
(It’s probably my most frequently asked question on the marketing side of our paintpreneur business….)
So this is my recap…
1. Ask these questions:
Are you offering the right workshop? Is this workshop for you or for your customers? Sometimes we pick a workshop subject that our customers aren’t interested in. Make sure you are covering something that they want to learn more about.
Is it being offered at the right time?
Are you marketing? Plain and simple, if you aren’t putting your services out there, you can’t expect people to show up. Sending one email and posting one time on social media about it is not enough.
2. Change your way of thinking.
Don’t worry about being salesy and annoying. Come from a place of SERVING your people. Your classes, events and workshops are BENEFICIAL to those who attend. Yes, it could make you money. But it adds to their quality of life.. Share it and don’t be shy! Come from a place of service, not selling.
3. Promotional Tactics for getting ‘Bums in Seats’
- Constantly be promoting. It is not your customer’s job to find out when your workshops are. It is your job to let the customer know what is going on.
- Post pictures of mock ups on social media. Don’t be afraid to show mistakes, people love that.
- Regularly post or run an ad on social media about the workshop.
- Print out paper fliers to put in shopping bags at check out.
- Include testimonials and pictures from previous workshops.
- Go live on Facebook and let people know how excited you are.
- Do a good old press release in the news paper.
- Make sure you include information in your regular emails.
- Use free demos in store during peak hours to promote the upcoming workshop.
- During your workshop, talk about the next workshop coming up.
Remember, If you don’t ask, you won’t get. Don’t be shy about promoting you workshops because you are providing a service to your customers. Make it exciting and fun for them and it won’t feel like selling.
Let’s Dive Deeper into Creating Profitable Workshops
There’s so much more that goes into planning profitable and sold-out workshops and classes. I have gathered and ordered my years of experience planning, hosting and running thousands of workshops into a 3-part training series called: DIY Workshops for Retailers.
This is everything I know about how to plan & run popular, workshops and classes that sell out, get you clients, and earn extra revenue for your shop … this quick on demand course is going to make all the difference in your business’ revenue! It’s all my shortcuts and best practices plus done-for-you templates and costing sheets. Click here to learn more about my Workshop Series.
Thanks for popping in! If you want to catch next week’s article about creative retail business, make sure you get on my email list here.
If you have any questions about DIY workshops, Please connect with me on Instagram: @frontporchmercantile or Facebook: @WendyBattenPaintpreneur and ask away! I love helping & meeting creative retailers!
Xo, Wendy
by wendy
If you’re a retail owner, maybe you can relate … When you’ve worked so hard to create a beautiful business that you know is amazing, that helps others tap into their creativity and is great for your community, but at some point you just feel like it’s taken over your life and left you a little overwhelmed, or you feel a little out of control with your business?
I would like you to be encouraged by Amy, Jeff and Carol.
They are some of the hardest working creatives I have ever met. They are all growing their brick and mortar businesses and rock-starring it!
When I started working with Jeff, he wanted to scale his business The Vintage Nest, but he was feeling overwhelmed with operating his business and wasn’t sure: how to manage his team and where he needed to dedicate his time, focus and direction. He was a little overwhelmed and “trying to do it all.” Watching him put in the work to make positive impactful changes (and see him actually take a DAY OFF – gasp!!!) has had me cheering out loud (literally) – ask my hubby lol.
Carol has a newer business, Concession Road Mercantile, and as we all know, starting a brick and mortar can be a challenge. When Carol started in our monthly mentoring group she was “winging it” like many of us do. She told me once, “You can’t google experience and advice from others doing what you do and who have the experience.” So true. She now runs her store with a plan in place and with confidence in her business decisions. Her team sees that she no longer is winging it. It’s a pleasure to watch her grow her new business and make a difference in her community.
Amy has been running her successful store, Sage and Twine, for quite a few years and was looking for some support along the way. Sometimes when running a business as a creative, we have so many ideas and directions we can take, and as painters and creatives we can sometimes find it hard to put on the hat of CEO. Sometimes we just need support of a like-minded community to get us making the decisions. I literally laughed out loud when I read this from Amy. “Thank you for all that you do and for support store owners like myself! You not only helped me put my big girl panties on, you practically took me to the store and helped me pick them out!” It’s a pleasure watching you grow Amy.
What do they have in common???
The thing I recognized in these three is that they can all see the potential their business has to succeed, and even beyond that, how much passion these three have for their business and their customers. They are truly dedicated to making it a success.
Their journey is much like many of ours! We have a drive and passion to grow and run our stores and want to design a business with a lifestyle to match
Sometimes we just need a community to help us grow and support us.
I share their stories with you, so if you are feeling discouraged or suffering from lack of focus or overwhelm, or maybe nay sayers are telling you retail is dead, or you are feeling alone. Know there are lots of others out there feeling the same and building great successful businesses. You can too.
THIS is why I love what I do!
For all of us, myself included, our brick and mortar stores are so much more than a way for us to make money. We get to impact others and help them find their creativity, or perfect piece for their home, we get to be helpful and encouraging, and meet and build great communities. We also get to do what we love AND make money.
Hopefully you found a little encouragement in this email knowing that you can succeed in business while doing what you love. You can make a difference in your community, help others find their creativity and be successful!
Because when you see your bigger purpose, your business and your love for it will flourish!
Xo,
Wendy
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