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.