Design*Sponge Biz Ladies

I'm thrilled to share with you that Grace at Design*Sponge has scheduled a featured post by yours truly on Biz Ladies today! Grace and I connected recently about her Biz Ladies events and features, and that discussion resulted in my writing for her. I am honored to be participating in such a great resource for women in business, and look forward to being a contributor from time to time.

The subject of my post is Maximize The Visual Impact of Your Business, and in it I share a few simple ways you can express your brand image & values visually - no matter what your business is. What is a brand image and how can you create one? What do you need it for? How can you use it effectively in your visual communications? (Check out the post to find out!)

I am so pleased to have this opportunity to reach a new audience. So many small businesses and independent merchants are searching for anything they can do to be noticed and thrive in this difficult economic situation we all face. The information in this post gives them a new opportunity to rise to the top and be seen the way they WANT to be seen by media, the competition, clients, and potential customers alike.

Plus, it enables me to pursue my business values of 'design.inspire.inform.educate.empower.' as I assist others in their pursuit of visual excellence. Love that! Thank you for this outstanding opportunity, Grace....

(Image Credit: Design*Sponge Biz Ladies page)

'Perspective'

A comment I read on a retail blog a few months ago came back into my mind on Sunday. It was written by a retailer, whom I admire and respect, and she made a statement about the actual 'legitimacy' of those who call themselves retailers. She was coming from the perspective of protecting herself and her ideas by not sharing them with those who weren't within her sphere of reference, and in that context I do understand it. But in all honesty, the way it read could very well be taken as a slam against e-tailers or any business that transacts sales of product in any method other than a brick & mortar store. That was the way it rang through my head this weekend.


In a related conversation with some antique show dealers this past weekend, it came up that many people think that this way of selling (at shows) is not a viable business, but a hobby instead. Hmmmmn. Those people are sometimes owners of retail stores, yes? And they buy their products from vendors in showrooms and at gift SHOWS. Shows where temporary booths are set up to show off product, usually direct from the creator/artisan/manufacturer. So, a showroom is OK. A rented space in an antique mall or at a show is not. Curious, isn't it, how perspective changes things?


Kind of like how the media has jumped on a 'new trend in retailing' - PopUp Stores. Major brands build out a store, stock it, advertise it, blitz it, and tear it out again after a week or two or a season. This was happening all over the place during the holidays. Media experts praise it for creating a demand for immediate action by the customer by creating a limited offer and sense of urgency (the basis of every sale tactic ever taught). Stores love it for helping them control staff & overhead costs, while also pushing the brand image to the top of media radar. So, major brands set up a temporary sales space and it's media worthy. Meanwhile, people who sell all kinds of products & merchandise have been selling at wholesale, trade, and industry shows for decades, but the perception is that they aren't in business. ???


Please let me assure you that the people who sell antiques and art and craft (and anything else at any kind of show) are working just as hard as the average retailer in a brick & mortar store is. Every single time they sell, they have to build the whole 'store', so to speak, not just unlock a door and turn the sign around. They have to set up the booth, the lights, the fixtures, and then stock the product - usually in one day. Every day before and after a show they are bustin' it to handle every facet of their busines - the planning, buying, paying, recordkeeping, inventory, etc. - just like 'regular' retailers are during 'off hours' (is that a misnomer or what?!). E-tailers burn the midnight oil buying or creating, staging & photographing products, loading photos & info onto their web store templates, and also handling all of the mundane tasks of running a business. There is so much behind the scenes of retail that the customer never sees... but it's also true that there is so much that one industry or segment does not see in another.

Whether you have a store on main street, a store on Etsy, a space in an antique or craft mall, or sell at shows, you know that retail is hard work. Anyone who attempts it deserves respect - especially now, in a difficult economy and a negative world. It's not less legitimate, valuable, or 'real' just because there is no brick & mortar building involved. We can all learn so much from each other - ways to improve our business operations, appearance, costs, marketing, etc. that we really shouldn't be creating divisive terms and attitudes. I hope this article causes you to reassess how you value others in business - because whatever form their business may take, there may be a lot you can learn from them. And vice versa!

This weekend my husband and I were selling vintage furniture & home decor at an antique show here in Seattle. Since I didn't decide until late on Wednesday to participate, we had exactly two days to prepare product and load our trailer, then one day to set up our booth at the show. Following the eight-hour show, we had several hours of breakdown and re-loading the trailer. That translates into four 12+ hour days of solid physical work in a row. We did it because we need to make a living, and we choose to do that by doing something we love. And that, my friends, is work, not a hobby. Today, though I am resting my sore muscles, I am hard at work on my computer, writing blog posts, articles, seminar outlines, and plans for upcoming shows. It's not in any way a 'day off' for me, even though to someone looking in from outside, it may seem that way.

Perspective is interesting...what's yours?

Time Spent

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. "

Gale Force

With Thanks...

Following my post about the Salvage Studio, I received a very nice email from Beth Evans-Ramos, one of the owners:

"Hi Deb,

It was fun to see you and Bob on Saturday. Thanks for dropping by and visiting.

Your blog posting about our transition is absolutely fab! You totally get us and what we are doing. Your writing was eloquent. And being in the same paragraph with Rachel A. is an honor unto itself. I hurt for her. But I’m with you – I believe in her vision, beauty and grace. Starting and maintaining a business is very hard work. Growing a business is trickier yet.

We really appreciate your support in spreading the word about the Salvage Studio, why we closed our traditional retail venue, and that our business is healthier than ever. It has been exhausting to explain to customer after customer that we are not closing the door on everything. We are just warming up!

I respect your business savvy, and admire how much you support so many women in business.

We’ll see you in June! (at Farm Chicks)

Beth Evans-Ramos
The Salvage Studios"

Beth, my dear, your writing is quite eloquent, as well... I can only imagine just how many times you girls have tried to explain your motives and methods for this decision. So many people will never 'get it' - but you can quote my post and send it out to all of your customers if you'd like! I thank you for your kind words... it is my pleasure to promote others who work so hard to succeed.

Spring Display Inspiration

Over the weekend we took another trip up to the Skagit Valley, this time to view the daffodil fields in bloom. Mother Nature wasn't very cooperative on that front, so we ducked into a bunch of my fave shops for spring inspiration instead.

These gorgeous photos all show the fresh florals included in display setups at Christiansons' Nursery . The 'Antique Shop' on the property is a mecca for excellence in product presentation, and by adding fresh flowers, plants, and mosses to it, they elevate it to a stunning example of brand image coming to life.

Simple ideas, grandiose effects. The very best kind of visual merchandising.

We also stopped by Skagit Valley Gardens again - the place with the rusty trucks, remember?! We had lunch in their darling cafe (highly recommended) and then browsed through the Garden Store and the Root Cellar Gift Shop again... I snapped these photos of more display ideas for you:

Another large-scale display prop lifts small boxes of smaller product (flower bulbs) into prominence...

An old fridge fits the theme and creatively (and safely) displays painted martini glasses.

These are old windows, hung horizontally from chains with brackets bracing them to the pillar. A great idea that is easy to execute. (The only caveat here would be that no heavy items are placed in this kind of shelving). Great ideas are everywhere!

Note: My original post this morning has been removed, as my post for Design*Sponge has been delayed. I'll link to it when it appears!

Retail is Change...

I stopped by on Saturday to say a fond farewell to the girls at Salvage Studio, and wish them all the best on the next part of their adventure. Saturday was the closing day at their store, which has always been jam-packed with fabulous junk (and I mean that in the most positive way!), and Beth told me they've enjoyed a steady stream of visitors, customers, and shoppers. The place was all but empty of merchandise by the time we made it there.... which is exactly what one wants when closing up shop, right?

Don't be misled into thinking that this closure has anything to do with a depressed economy. Oh, no.... it's been planned for a few months, as a result to some really amazing opportunities that have opened up for the girls. Their book, 'The Salvage Studio', has propelled them into another stratosphere! (You can buy it here) I am so excited to hear about and see the new things they will be doing...they aren't spilling too many beans yet, but they have many irons in the fire.

I was chatting recently with friends about this development for Salvage Studio and also the bankruptcy and closure of Shabby Chic, and it is amazing to hear the varying perspectives that people have. Most in retail wince and just say 'ouch' or 'It's the times, I tell ya....'. Finance people mention that this is a lousy time for a lot of people, and ask 'If they are closing the store, what will they do to sustain an income?'. Those in other industries ask why it happened, what's next, and offer something like 'I hope they have better luck in their next venture'. Most think it's all happening because of the economy. More than a few looked shocked when I explained that the Salvage Studio girls made the choice willingly, even though their store was doing quite well. This is what's best for them and for the sustained growth of their business right now - and being a business owner often means making choices that no one else understands!

In the case of Rachel Ashwell and her Shabby Chic Empire, many women have expressed sorrow and hearfelt concern for the founder - who, on her blog, reveals the rawness of the pain of losing a company that she has spent all of her life building, just months after losing her mum. I, too, read her words and hope she can make it through this dark time because that is a lot of burden for any one person to bear - especially publicly. But really, I know she can and will. And I for one am excited to see what she does next - this woman created a decorating style that has been the number one choice worldwide for over twenty years. She will certainly emerge from this drought with a flood of new inspiration and beauty that will inspire us all.

That's the thing about closing a business or morphing it to head in a new direction: it's a chance for creativity to shine. Sometimes the choices are forced upon us, sometimes we make them ourselves, but the end result can always be our choice to create something NEW. We often take a course of maintenance rather than growth with our businesses or art, and it takes a shake-up to open our eyes to new possibilities. In the case of my friends at the Salvage Studio, they saw the doors opening and walked through them. Rachel has seemingly been shoved through the door and it has slammed behind her. But all of these women are in a position to recreate, redesign, and redefine themselves and their businesses, and to move forward to ever better things & opportunities.

It's a situation we can all learn from... what choices do you need to make about your business right now? What can you do to grow, rather than shrink, in today's marketplace? Are you heading in the direction you want to - or is it time for a detour? Where does that door in front of you lead - and are you willing to walk through it to find out?

On With the Show...

This is JoMarie, of Rose Marie Gallery, sewing goddess and maker of bed & table linens, and the cutest skirts for big & little girls that you've ever seen! Pompoms, fringe, ruffles, banding and more adorn the edges of her twirly skirts, and then there are the ones made with a handkerchief hem from vintage linens. She told me that at the recent flower & garden show, she had a run on them like nothing she's ever experienced. LOL. She ain't seen Farm Chicks - yet!!! Yes, JoMarie will be a vendor this year at Farm Chicks Antique Show, so make sure you look for her.

This is one PACKED booth! We've been chatting and JoMarie is planning 'a really awesome' booth setup for Farm Chicks - she finally told me about it when I saw her at the Lynden Antique Show yesterday. (Which in itself is funny, because JoMarie has a space across from us in Faded Elegance - but I never see her there. I see her everywhere else!) After hearing the details, I am waiting with baited breath for her booth reveal in June. It's going to be an incredible expression of her brand, I tell ya!

This is Deborah (Debi), of Ormolulu, who also has a space across from us at Faded Elegance, and who was also at the Lynden Antique Show! We have been buying stuff from Debi for years at several 'flea market' -type shows, and I am always impressed with her booth setups at shows. Take a peek:

(There was so much more in her booth, but it was always too full of people to photograph!) Debi really knows how to combine large items and then work in the details to catch the eyes of shoppers in her show spaces. From Scale to Lighting to Composition, all telling a fabulous story in every vignette, she works it to within an inch of its life! Love it. Debi will be at the Farm Chicks Antique Show, too, and I have every reason to expect that her booth will be gorgeous! (Though it will inevitably be so full of people, I won't get to photograph it then, either...)

Retreat has been invited to participate in the local Funky Junk Sisters Antique & Flea Market Show in June, just a week after we return from Farm Chicks. They are currently featuring us on their blog in their vendor spotlight. I have been asked to present a seminar to the participating vendors before the show starts, and am excited to be able to share information & inspiration with this dynamic group of independent merchants. It will be all about maximizing visual impact of their products in their booths.

Perfect timing for this subject, because I'll be able to get some fantastic shots of the traffic-stopping booth setups at Farm Chicks, and then share the secrets of good design with the gals in Puyallup. And perfect for me, because my heart is really with these women (and men!) who are in this segment of the retail industry. We connect on so many levels, and I am thrilled to be moving into speaking engagements at Antique shows.

We'll be videotaping that seminar, as well, so I'll be offering it as a resource to all of you eventually! More info on this as it gets closer - do check out the Funky Junk Sisters web site for more on the show.

BTW, watch my blog for another announcement on Tuesday! Something great to share with you!

We've Got a Theme Going On Here...

This is the official poster for the 2009 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, a world-famous month-long event located just 20 minutes North of our farm. Notice the old rusty truck in the background, holding wooden crates to be used in the harvest of tulip bulbs in the valley?

Did you also notice over there >>>>>> (in the right sidebar Amazon carousel) the book on visual merchandising with the rusty old truck in a display on the cover?

Not sure if it's providence or coincidence that my last post had photos of not one but TWO rusty old trucks in displays! Creativity seems to work that way, though. Once you've focused on something, you start seeing it everywhere....

Bloomin' Displays at a Garden Retailer

Over the weekend, I was out and about, and stopped in to check out a local garden center. for the first time. Skagit Valley Gardens & 'The Root Cellar Gift Shop' are located in Mt. Vernon, Washington (about 60 miles North of Seattle). I found some great examples of excellence in merchandising to share with you... starting with this:


Yeah, that's a truck - an old, rusty farm truck. (Probably gave out right where it sits!) But surrounded by tables of potted spring flowers, and filled with dirt & tulips, it becomes an instant eye-grabbing display fixture. This is a garden center, with big buildings and lots of land - they have to go BIG with visuals for impact. This is a perfect prop for the entrance display!

Inside the Garden Store? Another truck!

This one is older, but has been meticulously cleaned up. (Meaning it is old and rusty, but not dirty or cobwebby. Old is good. Cruddy is NOT.) It forms the 'draw' to a large display area filled with flower bulbs. Old crates are stacked up to bring the bulbs up to shopper height, and they are appropriate props for this product because just a few miles away, these same crates are used during the harvest of thousands of tulips & tulip bulbs.

Notice also the varied windows hanging above and behind the truck... this adds interest to the bare space up above. There is a lot of great 'arial' (overhead) display work in this shop. It all utilizes simple materials, but serves the purpose to direct attention to this area - even from a distance. I love the light, airy, open feel of the displays and the floorplan here.

To the left of that truck, there is this display. The FABulous window frames in the rear of this display were actually cut from the walls of an old house with a chainsaw - there is still siding attached! They stand 10' tall and are a great backdrop for the tall racks filled with vegetable & flower seeds.

The paint color on the window frames is a pale gray-white, so the foreground props are in a soft gray color to coordinate. Large flower seed packets fill the bin up front...this display is excellent. It pulls you in with detail, offers product prominently and with easy access, and there is plenty of room for several customers to move around.

You all know my penchant for using natural elements in displays - they have impact and they are usually free! These birch trees add height, scale, and a fairytale forest effect to this space...I'd bet they are actually branches trimmed from huge trees on the property. And, since this IS a nursery, they are again a very appropriate prop. Effective, impact-producing, and versatile.... do props get any better than this?!

Be still my heart. OK, so the shelf units painted bright colors? Awesome. Very eye-catching. Great way to set off and corral the myriad of miscellaneous garden products merchandised on them. But the finishing touch of placing patio umbrellas over them just does it for me. This looks planned, finished, and detailled - not like haphazard product shoved onto shelves at the last minute.

And really, how much 'extra' work did it take to achieve that? Maybe an hour to paint the shelf units, and fifteen minutes to place & open the umbrellas. It doesn't always take a huge effort to get a huge impact! HUGE ovation for the visual merchandising team at this business...they are doin' it RIGHT!

I'm sorry now that I didn't take any photos of the Root Cellar Gift Shop - but it was stellar! I was very impressed with not only the selection of merchandise, but the MANY lifestyle vignette displays that were executed with flair. I plan to return to have some of the delicious pies available in the Cafe, so I'll have more photos to share in the future...

Bathandwa Centre

My friend Vanessa Malherbe is actively involved in community development and she invited me to come see one of the projects that she is involved with in Khayelitsha.

They managed to get Discovery Health involved in this project and on the day I went there were about 10 volunteers helping with renovation work.

I went along with Vanessa to see the project and take some photos for her and myself and did not get involved in the renovation work as we stayed only for a short while.

The amount of love and dedication shown by the caretakers like Virginia was beautiful.

A new building is being built for Bathandwa and they are hoping to be moving premises by the end of May. The current house is over populated and this move will be a great relief.

"If we can save just one child from a life of poverty, it will have been worth it" - Bathandwa

The Bathandwa Day and Night Care Centre is a place of safety that cares for abandoned, HIV+ and physically or mentally disabled children - children who would otherwise be left impoverished to wander the streets of Cape Town.



Currently, 36 children are living in a home more suitable for a family of five. The house belongs to the couple who founded the place of safety, and is where they raised their own three children.

For more information visit:

http://www.bathandwa.org.za/

One Night out with Foto Na Dans

I am good friends with the guys from the Bellville band Foto Na Dans. I always get the opportunity to go to their gigs and whenever there a gig that’s far away they invite me to come along for a night out usually at a countryside festival.

I’ve had many trips with them ranging for driving to Potchefstroom for a battle of the bands in 2004, the Alabama Fees in Velddrift, gigs at KKNK, George, Clain William and many more.

I love going along and had the opportunity to drive up with them to Upington for the Kalahari Kuier Fees in 2008. This was the furthest I’ve gone for one night out. There and back was 1500km as we all drove up in a Toyota Quantum.

I never take a camera with for a night out as I don’t feel like looking after it and would rather just party with my friends. I snapped these on the Upington trip last year.

Check their Facebook page for more band and gig details.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2403218140&ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foto-Na-Dans/19523939136?ref=ts

Stats, Slideshow, Southern Africa.

I traveled 10000km by means of public transport.

I was away for 45 days.

I spent 194 hours on public transport.

All of this cost me approximately R8500.
I would always take the cheapest transport and cheapest accommodation.
My biggest expenses were food and booze.

I edited a documentary style slideshow of the trip.

Follow these links to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wh9syGry9w&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFkhiVRUxK0&feature=channel_page

Homebound by Train

In Johannesburg I stayed with my BMX friends for 5 days ( www.theriot.co.za ). I had no idea how I was going to get to Cape Town. I did not want to fly home as I wanted to complete the journey overland. By this time I had made use of busses, boats, hitchhiking, taxi’s and chapas. I did not know much about train transport in South Africa and decided to investigate.

Traveling on the Shosaloza Meyl was great and I would most definitely do it again. If you’re a group of friends with little money and you have time on your hands then the train is best option. There is a fully stocked bar and a restaurant with amazing cheap food.

From JHB to Cape Town by train took 28 hours. By bus it would take just over 20 hours. Taking the train was a great experience. I was alone in my cabin till sunset when 2 more people joined. Being alone on the train gave me lots of time to reflect back on the journey I had made.

I arrived in Bellville at lunch time after a good night sleep on the train. From the station I took a mini bus to a drop off point near my house and then walked the 2km home, thus completing the journey all the way overland.

Southern Mozambique

It was smooth sailing heading from Vilanculos south to Maputo and back to South Africa.

I stayed in Tofo for 4 days and just relaxed on the beach before going to Maputo. I had an amazing time at Fatima’s Backpackers and had to go back with friends.

The past December holiday (2008) I went back as we did another “Via the Backroads” trip and Mozambique as included as one of the many destinations. (news on Via will soon be posted).

The Backpackers in Tofo has a shuttle service that takes travelers and passengers back to Maputo. This is a convenient service as the Chapa leaves at 4am and takes you to your backpackers in Maputo arriving at lunch time.

I was in Maputo for only one day. It was a Sunday and the streets were empty. I walked around the city for hours looking for an internet café and eventually found internet access at a hotel. My experience of Maputo was that this is a run down city though the presence of investment and money was visible. A distributor of paint will become a millionaire over night if the council of Maputo decides to give the city a facelift. My stay was short as I boarded a bus the next morning for Johannesburg.

I would often buy food from street vendors and at the komatipoort border post I had my last street meal. I walked through the street vendors and bought Nshima and a ¼ Chicken. It did not look great, but I was just too hungry. The girl that sat next to me on the bus refused to buy the same meal and said she would rather wait. I was still in Africa mode and did not know when we would stop again and had to fill my stomach.

It was not 15 min after I finished my meal that the bus stopped outside a shopping centre. I walked in and bought a fruit juice, I was back in South Africa and it felt great.