Baby Steps to Retail Success Part ✌🏼

Welcome to the whirlwind recap of our first year in business at CRAVINGS maternity & baby! 🎉

Let's dive right into the chaos, shall we?

Picture this: two bright-eyed entrepreneurs (my business partner and I) embarking on a retail adventure without a stitch of experience in owning or operating a business. Sure, I'd been a professional shopper 😉, but as we know, shopping is one thing, and running a store is quite another!  I still remember being so shocked that we had to re-order merchandise after the first week.  This is not something we even thought about  😆

Before we even opened our doors, we were hustling hard to get our name out there. The months leading up to the grand opening was all about marketing, marketing, and more marketing. Back then, radio was IT – it was THE way to market. I still chuckle when I think about our monthly marketing budget. It seemed like a fortune at the time, but considering the impact it had, it was money very well spent.

We also hit the ground running at a local trade show, gathering email addresses like they were going out of style. Email addresses are still where it's at so I highly recommend collecting those if you're not!! We mailed out grand opening coupons for a popular baby product. Yes, we used snail mail and although we now live in a digital age, I definitely think there is place to use mail outs again.  In fact, I re-introduced this marketing strategy years later and it worked great! 

I vividly remember our first day, our first customer walking through the door, and that exhilarating first sale. By the time the doors opened, my daughter 9 months old.  Much of that time was a complete blur though, which it would have been with or without a store.  I do have to say that it was the perfect balance for me. Three days in the store and 4 days at home with her.  Let me tell you, my life in business was not always perfect and definitely NOT balanced...but that actually happened years later 😬. Successfully working my way out of this, finding time freedom and eventually selling my business for a profit was what prompted me to create my signature program, From Chaos to Clarity: A Time Freedom Transformation...but I digress!

Splitting shifts between my biz partner and me (open 6 days a week, no less!) was our initial game plan. But boy, did we quickly realize we needed help. Four months in, we welcomed our first part-time employee into the fold. That was also when the real fun began – creating our employee handbook and procedures. It was a work in progress, constantly evolving and being refined over the years. I'll give us a huge pat on the back for even knowing to start an employee handbook early on. Hiring without foundational pieces is not ideal!

Despite the steep learning curve and the endless revisions, our first year was successful. I attribute this to our marketing strategy, an unwavering commitment to EXCEPTIONAL customer service, and really tuning in to our customers' feedback. We didn't just meet our sales goals; we killed them.  I challenge you to take an honest look at how you are performing in these 3 areas:

1)  Is your service excellence standardized?

2) When is the last time you asked for customer/client feedback?

3) Do you have a solid marketing strategy?

Ok, back to the story 😆

Little did we know, as we celebrated our first anniversary, that we'd soon be bursting at the seams. Our cozy 1200 sq ft space suddenly felt very cramped (we actually ran out of hanging space and hung sleepers off the side of cribs we were selling 🙃), prompting a move to a spacious 3000 sq ft location. I think this move actually made me more nervous that our initial opening did.  Our overhead more than doubled and there was much more to lose.

So, to all the aspiring entrepreneurs out there (and those who have already started on the journey), remember: the path might be unpredictable and sometimes a little bumpy, but with the right strategy, a focus on customer service, and an ear to the ground, success is not just possible – it's probable 🖤

Here's to many more years of learning, growing, and celebrating each milestone, no matter how small!

Until next time,