Store Credit

How nice would it be to walk into a store and buy a few items and then get your money back that you just spent? I know I myself would enjoy it! If I choose to offer this at my business I believe that it would definitely bring in customers and make them actually enjoy shopping at my store. Every customer that spends a certain amount of money would receive so much store credit. Who doesn’t love free store credit? I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t enjoy spending free money. This will cause your customers to buy even more of your products!

Making A Difference

At this time of the year when everyone is gathering together with family and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, there are many things that come to mind to be thankful for. You’re also reminded that there are others out there that may not be fortunate enough to have a big Thanksgiving meal or even a meal at all. As a business owner I put on my thinking cap to try and help some of these people. Many of these people would be thankful for just a simple hot meal. I decided to speak with some of my family and friends to put together a warm meal for a certain family in the community that I know are struggling. Together we have raised the money to have a Thanksgiving feast delivered to them anonymously. In this way I feel that I can make a difference in my community and put the profits that I make from my business to good use.

Story Time

One of my favorite movies is You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. In this movie Meg Ryan owns a book store and everyday at a certain hour she has children come in and she reads them a book. This got me thinking that I don't know of anywhere around town that offers this. I've decided that I would like to offer this at my business however I would want someone to do this all day long to help keep the children entertained while the parents shop and socialize. Living in a small town where many of the citizens know each other, I believe that this would be a popular attraction for all ages. I will have a small library at my store with a good selection of children's books in order to be sure and have something that appeals to boys and girls alike.

Cyber Communication/Higher Success Rate

Social media is a major part of everyone’s lives these days. With this being said, what better way to reach new customers than with a Facebook page or one of the other various forms of cyber communication. Most everyone knows how to navigate the Web in today’s world, therefore online advertising can be very productive for your business. By promoting your business online you are able to widen your customer base. Online advertising enables you to sell your products nationwide, giving your business a much higher chance of survival in today’s competitive business world.

Seasonal Photographs

I am a picture fanatic so as the end of the year approaches I have been thinking of ideas for my baby girl’s first holiday pictures. As a mother I have noticed that many businesses offer pictures with Santa this time of year but I have never seen any offer Thanksgiving pictures. In order to make my business stand out I will not only offer Christmas pictures but also Thanksgiving as well as other seasonal photos. I feel that this would attract other parents like myself who wish to have each season and stage of their child’s life preserved in a timeless photograph. Since Rugged Remakes is all about going green, I will do some research and try to find good quality photo paper that is made from recycled materials. This will also help enable me to offer the photos to my customers at a reasonable price.

High Tourist Traffic Equals Good Location

My dream has always been to open a General Store. However, a store like this would not do well in a small town. It would need to be located in an area with high tourist attraction. Somewhere like Gatlinburg TN, the Grand Canyon, or near a state’s border where people are constantly traveling back and forth.  Being in a location like this would enable you to sell everyday necessities as well as souvenirs. The high flow of traffic in areas like this would create a large profit for your business.

Fall in the South

Oh how I love the crisp feeling of  Fall in the air this time of year! Big sweat shirts, boots, bonfires, roasted marshmallows, fall festivals, and let's not forget football; these are all things that come to the mind of a southerner when we think of Fall. Although the air outside may be cooling down, the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn fans is just heating up. Fans of each team are hoping that their team will be the one to win not only the SEC championship but also the National championship this time around. Sales at stores such as the Bama Fever Tiger Pride store in Trussville, AL spike at this time of year. Fans of both teams are eager to purchase this year's trendy merchandise to wear to the football cookouts and possibly even games (for the lucky ones) that they will attend with friends and family. This rivalry culminates with the Iron Bowl where Alabama and Auburn play each other. On this day, friendships are put on hold for a few hours, while the two teams battle it out on the football field. Someone once told me that they moved to Alabama from another state and shortly after moving here was asked who they were going to pull for, Alabama or Auburn? She asked if she had to choose one or the other and was told that she absolutely had to choose. She thought that it was funny and said that she never realized how seriously Alabamians took their football. Growing up in the South, there are several things that are important in every household, family, good food, and FOOTBALL!!!

Exterior Appearances

Have you ever walked past a store window and just had to go inside to check it out because of the window display? I have! The window display can either invite you in or make you walk the other way. The exterior appearance of your business can make or break you. Your window displays should give customers a little taste of who you are before they ever step foot through the door. You want to arouse their curiosity to the point that they just have to come inside and check out your merchandise. I love to go to Gatlinburg, TN and walk the strip downtown. Their window displays beckon to the tourists. What better way to market your products than with an interesting preview of what you have to offer showcased in your store windows!

Ridiculous Markups

I am often amazed when I walk into a store at the seemingly ridiculous markup on the items being sold. As an entrepreneur, I will price my items to where I can make a profit but not price them so high that customers walk in my store only to turn around and walk out thinking that they can make the products I sell for a quarter of what I am selling them for. Why the ridiculous markup on items anyway?? The business owners would sell way more merchandise if they would keep their prices reasonable because even the "do it yourselfers" will often buy it ready made if the price is right. Making a profit is definitely an objective in running a business but many people seem to get carried away with it and in my opinion lose business due to ridiculous markups.

Scrapbooking Ideas

I love scrapbooking; so in order to keep up with the ideas that I come up with for my business I have a scrapbook/binder that I keep my ideas in. I hope that one day when I open a shop, I can use the scrapbook that I am making now as a catalogue for customers to look at and possibly order from. Pinterest is a great source to gather these ideas from. I often get the pictures for my business scrapbook from there. I will always have new and different things for my customers to look at because I intend to keep up this scrapbook and always add new ideas to it even once my business is up and running. I feel that a scrapbook type catalogue will be unique and that my customers would enjoy looking through my ideas in this way rather than just a normal boring old catalogue.

Mason Jars Anyone?

Who says mason jars are just for canning and pickling vegetables? They actually have many uses! I have taken some of the smaller jars that are normally used for canning jelly and jam and with the help of a little burlap ribbon turned it into a holder for q-tips in my bathroom, as well as a holder for pony tail holders and dental picks. In this day and time when everyone is all about recycling and going green, it is an adventure to take and try to repurpose things that many would regard as junk. One day in the near future when I open my own shop, I will sell repurposed merchandise and will appeal to the public’s desire to go green to draw people into my store.

Have you ever heard the saying that one person's junk is another's treasures? Well, our name Rugged Remakes came as a result of the truth behind this saying. There is nothing quite as exciting as going to the thrift store and rummaging through all of the goodies on the shelves and coming out with old junk that can be turned into treasures. It is amazing how a little paint, burlap, or even a piece of ribbon can turn something that looked worn out and useless into beautiful rustic décor. However, the thrift store is not the only place that you can find these hidden treasures. All you have to do is look around you in your home or office and you can nearly always find something that most people would refer to as trash, that is just waiting to be remade into a treasure. By repurposing these items we are also helping our landfills by recycling. So before you throw away those old wine bottles or even tin vegetable cans, think about how they might be repurposed and used in some new way around your home or office. Thinking green can actually be a lot of fun.