A few things you may not know that I think you should know

I have been hesitant to post this blog because I am sure some people will take offense but in the end I decided its important public service information. You don't know what you don't know and you will never know if no one tells you!

I am about to share some things that have actually happened in my shop in just the last 9 months of being open plus a couple from on line orders that actually hamper my ability to stay in business. 

This is the one that is the most difficult for me to understand...people come in, explain that they are so happy there is an actual stationery shop where you can try out things! (yea!) They then try out all of the pens and paper, open their phone to check pricing and let me know that Amazon sells it for a dollar less. Seriously, this has happened more than once. I try to keep my prices as competitive as possible but I am not Amazon. Please remember that opportunity for people to test products costs money and I am a very small shop. 

This next one has only happened once but it's important. A nice enough guy wants to dip test a few new pens, we do so. He likes one of them enough to purchase it. Then finds out I only have that one in stock ( I am a small shop, this is not unusual) and he doesn't want to buy a pen that has been dip tested. Ummmm??? If people expect to be able to dip test new pens but don't want to buy a dip tested new pen I will not be able to allow dip testing of pens anymore. 

Buying a $1.00 pen online. Between the credit card fees and packing material I am in about a couple dollars in expenses on a pen I have (maybe ) a 40 cent profit on. That math doesn't math. This has only happened twice and I am not really sure how to manage that. Between packing materials and the transaction fee on a credit card it costs me about a dollar to three dollars depending on packing requirements just to pack the order. Pretty much any order under ten dollars is a loser for me. If you can add to your order when it's under that amount I would appreciate it!

Please don't tell me I am not open enough or ask me why I am never open.  I am open 4 days a week and I work every day on online orders and customer service. I also offer appointments for those who are in town just on a day I am closed. (However, I will always be closed at Thanksgiving, Christmas and my granddaughters birthday, those are non negotiable days off) Please don't try to make me feel like I am not giving enough of myself to this endeavor.

I truly love what I am doing here and I get to meet the best people. I am so thankful to have this opportunity and to the 99.9% percent of the people who make this so much fun. I just need to learn how to deal with that other, negative .1% that can ruin my day. I come from a wholesale electrical background so the retail stationery world is very different for me and I have learned a lot but I have more to learn! Thank you to those of you who have been so supportive, I honestly could not do this without your support and encouragement.