shop talk: names and visions

often i get asked how i came up with the name for my shop.  that story takes us all the way back to 1998, physiology class senior year of high school.  these were the days before smartphones, texting, and high speed internet.  chat rooms were all the rage and you paid by the hour to be online.  yeah.  back in the old days.  my physiology teacher was an idiot so we basically didn't learn a thing.  my friend erin and i sat in the back of class and typed out messages to each other on our TI-86 graphing calculators and passed them back and forth.  then one day she put a bunch of glow in the dark star stickers inside the cover of my calculator and called it amandromeda (a combo of amanda and andromeda) because it was my constellation. i liked it so much that i assigned my first ever email account with that name which is why it's 2012 and i still have a hotmail.  i'm too lazy to make the switch.  so when it came time to decide on a name for the store, matt suggested amandromeda.  i thought it was a great idea.

and i like the fact that it doesn't limit me.  if one day i want to sell comic books, i can still use that name.  used cars?  amandromeda.  tanning salon: tropic of amandromeda.  restaurant: bistro amandromeda.  see?  it's so versatile.  
i really don't have a strict vision for my business.  some may say that's a bad idea.  me, i like to live by the seat of my pants.  i want this to be a fluid venture without rigid expectations or hard limits.  i can tell when my shop needs a shake up.  usually when i get tired of being there i realize i need to move the store layout around or gather more inventory or add something new.  i take a much more organic approach to my business than most.  because i know the moment i start taking it too seriously, i'll be ready to close up shop.  and i'm not ready for that yet.

shop talk: amandromeda on etsy

a question came in just a bit ago about etsy.  which frankly was a blessing since i didn't really know what i was going to shop talk about today.  

i opened my etsy store a year after starting amandromeda.  i thought it would be a great way to supplement sales in the shop.  which some times it is, but most of the time it's not.  truthfully, i go back and forth about keeping my etsy store.  if i don't make any sales online then it's not worth the effort of measuring, photographing, and listing.  plus, i have to make sure everything in the shop is labeled so i don't make a double sale (yes that has happened.  the buyer was super nice about it :).  i'm not saying that etsy is a poor marketplace for handmade and vintage, because i love it and i buy things all the time.  but it is a lot of work and my focus needs to be on my physical store.  and the recent changes to the search tools has made items harder to find, and the rash of non-vintage sellers is getting out of control.  so what i'm really saying is that i'm probs not gonna keep it for much longer.  

so mel, i hope this doesn't deter you from starting an etsy.  i just don't think it's right for me any longer :)

shop talk: budgets

a lot of you have asked about budgets, whether of time or money.  and seriously, this is the hardest part of owning a business.  for starters, i am HIDEOUS at managing money and, well time too, truth be told.  but i'll try and give you some helpful tips that i've picked up along the way.
as i said earlier, i had enough money set aside to get through my first year of rent plus some extra for my start up costs.  i could tell you how much, but it wouldn't necessarily be relevant to your costs. my rent is VERY reasonable (read CHEAP) because my landlord is insanely generous.  however, before you delve into gathering inventory or even considering starting up a business, you need to figure out what the going rate is in your area.  your rent is the absolute constant of every month, and it will have to be paid if you sell a single item or not.  keep that in mind and make a real effort to find a space with a feasible lease.  you also need to consider the costs of display pieces for the shop, window decals, phone setup, internet (and anything to do with 'business' is grossly overpriced), credit card machines, licenses, whether or not you want to insure your inventory, shopping bags......the list seriously goes on and on.  all the little things that just begin to add up.  make a list of all those things and make sure your budget accommodates them.
we do everything pretty old school around the shop.  i don't have a fancy computer system or software program for my stuff.  i make my own clothing tags, i use a calculator and receipt book for purchases and i've refinished flea market furniture for displays.  i want things to be easy and kind of crazy eclectic.  that's just my thing.  and i could spend a ton of money making sure all my hangers matched and use scan guns and bar codes for entering items into a program or whatever, but i'm never gonna get that money back.  my customers aren't going to pay more for fancy.  they just want cool stuff.
and if you aren't good with budgets and all this kind of stuff, then factor in an accountant.  matt does all that for me.  he likes numbers.  they give me the shakes.  he created a monthly spreadsheet for me and i just enter in my sales and he pays my taxes for me because otherwise the IRS woulda come looking for me looooong ago.
now time.  budgeting time can be tricky.  i know business owners who work ALL THE TIME.  if you're not working you're not making any money.  even if you're not at the shop, you're thinking about it and preparing for the next day or whatever.  hahahaha!  that is so not me.  i am one of the laziest small business owners on the planet.  and i still make money :)  i have a family that i love way more than my store and i want to spend time with them.  sure they come and hang out with me a bit when i work on saturdays and go thrifting with me and that's super fun.  but, you have to carve out time for yourself and your loved ones.  you have to shut it off at the end of the day just like with any job. 
i love that small business commercial about 'dave' and he's everything from the copy guy to the IT guy and everything in between.  that's exactly what owning a store is like: you're it.  i don't have employees.  i have to close the shop and go to the supply store when i run out of something.  i have to rearrange schedules with my friend christina (who owns the gallery next door) if i am out of town or have an appointment.  i have to pay someone to watch the shop if i go on vacation.  i can sit ALL DAY LONG at the shop and no one comes in and buys something and then i don't get paid that day.  i've just donated my time.  be prepared for the days that suck (which can also turn into weeks and months that suck.  that's why you save your first years rent!!!).  and make sure you love what you do.  

inventory

a lot of you wanted to know more about where/how i get my stuff so i figured i'd do a post focused on gathering inventory.
1. how do i determine what i sell
this is what i tell people all the time: if it catches my eye then i want it in my store.  there's no set decade or style i look for.  it just has to speak to me.  also i don't only stock vintage.  i sell some handmade items and also a small bit of just pre-owned things.  but i'd say that about 80-85% of my inventory is true vintage.
2. how do i procure new items
this is the fun part!  i thrift at least once or twice a week.  there are a few charity shops where i live that i frequent as well as some really awesome spots in nearby towns that i can hit up on occasion.  so i spend a few hours a week shopping for inventory.  i do most of it while my kiddo is at school, but he's actually a pretty good shopper and is developing a keen eye for rad clothes (i know, i'm raising him right).  but, what has brought me the most success is buying from people.  there's a sign on my door that says 'i buy vintage' and boy howdy has that changed everything!!!  just this past tuesday a lady brought in five 50s blouses, a 50s suit, and a few other great pieces that she handmade in the 70s.  all in immaculate condition.  that's where you find the best stuff.  because the older generation took much better care of their clothing and bought quality garments.  and if you can get it from the source, you can hear the stories behind it and develop a relationship with your supplier.  that's really cool.
3. flexible inventory
when i first opened my shop, i sold primarily vintage furniture.  crazy!  at the time, i was more into interior design so i stocked my shop with chairs and tables and stuff that i'd refinish or repurpose.  i always wanted to have clothes too, but decided to focus on furniture at the start.  amandromeda was open about six months before i added clothing to my inventory.  i quickly realized that i found my niche.  there wasn't a vintage clothing store in town so i filled a need in my community.  that's probably the most important advice i could give about inventory: listen to your customers and be flexible.  if someone asks about a specific item that i don't currently have, i go looking for it.  if i see that a particular thing sells quickly, i find more!  your customers will keep coming back if they walk in, see something new, and find exactly what they're looking for.


i think i'll focus on budgets next week since i got a number of questions about that too.  i just want to give each subject it's own post so it doesn't get muddled.  i love getting to share my shop with you guys so keep your comments coming!!

getting started

i think the question that gets asked the most is how did i get started? well, i'll tell you: i had the dream, the dream of having my own shop, being my own boss.  that's the driving force.  if  you hadn't been dreaming of it for a long time then the days that really suck will get you down and make you want to give up.  but, there are also practical steps to it.
1. find a space
this can be kind of daunting.  you want a great location, but not one that's gonna be so expensive that it becomes impossible to make a profit.  i'd look into up and coming areas and maybe even a space that needs some work.
one day i started talking about opening a shop with my friend christina.  turns out that she dreamed of owning a gallery featuring local artists.  about a month after we talked, she called me about a building in our historic downtown that was being renovated and would i be interested in renting a store front.  heck yeah!!!!!  so we worked it out to share a space.  that way, it wasn't a full time job for either of us (she's a realtor and i was previously a stay at home mom).  so the renovations began and i had about a year to plan.
2. gather inventory
i didn't want to take out a loan or ask for money to get me started so i began to gather inventory very slowly, storing it all in my house.  when the time came for the grand opening and i started moving all my stuff in, i didn't have enough!!  so remember to get more than you think you'll need.  
3. business plan (or not)
i'm not a big planner.  it just sucks the fun out of life.  so i really didn't come up with a business plan, as such.  once i found out my monthly rent, i was able to kind of come up with a budget for what i could put into my business to start with.  i'm one blessed lady for having a husband who was willing to give me the money to get amandromeda up and running.  i opened up a business checking account with enough to get me through my first years rent and extra to cover my start up costs, like display pieces and store signs, etc.  i would most definitely encourage you to save enough to get you through the first year.  you may or may not make ANY money in the beginning, and frankly any income needs to go right back into the business.  it's nice then to not worry about how you'll pay your bills.


so those are just a few things about getting started with your own shop.  i'll have much more to say in the coming weeks.  please keep your questions coming!  i want to answer all of them :)

shop girl

i took this photo on february 6, 2009.  it was amandromeda's grand opening and i was a nervous wreck.  i worried that no one would come, that i wouldn't make any sales, and the whole thing would be a huge disaster.  fast forward three years later and i'm still in business.  not too shabby.
last weekend at txsc, kendi (the keynote speaker) talked about following your path, realizing your dream. for her, it was opening a shop.  i had that same dream and was fortunate enough to be able to start my own business.  i know that there are a lot of you out there who have the same goal.  so i've decided to do a weekly post about shop stuff.  talking about how i started, how things have changed, highs and lows of being your own boss, and things like that.  but i want to hear from you guys.  do you have a question about becoming a small business owner?  send me your comments!!!  i'll do some videos of my experience as well as regular text posts.  i'm kind of excited about this :)

amandromeda

over the last month, i've been adding tons of new things to my shop and moving pieces around. i'm trying to make it more lounge-y and chill and a bit more like how i style my home. i'm really loving how things are shaping up. so i just wanted to show off a bit :)

i worked hard and sacrificed

song of the day: 'independent woman' by destiny's child

i hope you all had a great weekend! we went to visit my parents and finally have christmas with them. that was super fun. isaiah got some really cool games and movies. my dad picked out a gorgeous sweater for me and matt and i both got money to spend. we are pretty pumped about that. it actually works out great to have christmas a month later. spreads out the cheer ya know?

so on friday, i kinda took some outfit pics in my shop. a lot of you had been asking about what it looks like and even though i've done a post on it before, it changes all the time so i thought it time for an update.

my shop is a lot like my house. it's not perfect or super girly and sweet. it's more eclectic and quirky and most definitely doesn't take itself too seriously. and i love it :)

this is where matilda spends most of her days when she's not out on the town. i have some great windows (which are a little dirty right now because my window washer is lazy) and they bring in a ton of natural light and give me plenty of display space.

details:

dress-vintage, little ocean annie on etsy

sweater-bought new at banana republic like 10 years ago, you can see the holes in it, but i can't get rid of it.

socks-walmart

loafers-cole haan, thrifted

don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

song of the day: 'eye of the tiger' by survivor

so glad that i got a few questions yesterday! my plan is to answer them, one each day, in the order that i received them (with the exception of the house one. that'll be this weekend most likely). so the first question was about my store and how it came about and stuff. so, here's the answer:

i was chatting one day with my sister-in-law's sister-in-law (my husband's sister married her brother) at a family function, and found out that we both had hopes of opening a shop one day. me a vintage store and her an art gallery. it was fun to talk about our dreams and such but then just left it at that. then about a month later, i got a call from her. her husband had partnered with some people to renovate a few buildings in our historic downtown, and there was a chance we could get a great retail space at an amazing rent. long story short, we did it. it kinda all just fell into my lap. the space is perfect for what i need right now, not too big. and it's in a great location. we opened our stores on february 6th, 2009, about a year and a half after our initial conversation. for us it works very well. our stores, while still separate, are joined by french doors so we can easily go back and forth between the two. i work 3 hours and she works 3 hours a day during the week and then we alternate saturdays. it's actually a pretty amazing set up. and i am super thankful to have had this opportunity.

anyway, hope that answers your question. i love talking about my shop, so if you want to know more, ask away!

details:

romper-q's daydream, etsy

cardigan-target

shoes-cynthia vincent for target wedges

we belong together

blue floral skort-sold!!!

song of the day: 'circle in the sand' by belinda carlisle

here are few new things in the shop today! don't you think that you and one of these gems 'belong together'? eh, eh?

well, i thought i'd talk a bit more about my shop. one thing that i've been asked about a lot is whether or not i had to take out a small business loan. and no i did not. see, i gots me a sugar-daddy who gives me anything i want. ha! no i'm just kidding, but matt does have a good job with a yearly bonus that helps to pay my expenses. plus, it took about a year for the building to be renovated so i used that time to build my inventory little by little. and i have like the best deal ever on rent. really, i mean, everything fell into place for me to open my own store and i do realize that i'm way more fortunate than most. my first day, i was so nervous about whether or not people would come, if i had everything i needed, if i knew how to use the cash register and all those silly things. yeah, my store didn't look anything like it does now. it had to grow as i had more money to throw at it and as i saw what people really wanted to buy. it's definitely been a learning experience and there's been a lot of trial and error. for sure, owning your own business is stressful, especially dealing with things like taxes, permits, and licenses, but it's worth it. and i did it the other way around, started my brick and mortar before my etsy store, so i think all of you who already have an etsy and are dealing with the business side of things will have a much easier transition. i think the biggest thing is to have a vision and to stick to it. everyone will have ideas and advice to give and a lot of it will be useful. but if it doesn't go along with what you see in your dreams, then don't do it. you have to be able to walk in everyday and be so excited and proud of what you have. that's way more important than a business plan or profit margins.

colorful checkered blazer

rad leopard belt

let me introduce you

this is amandromeda!! it's my pride and joy, my baby. i've been at 116 n broadway for about a year and a half now. i love it. it's a ton of fun and i've gotten to meet a lot of people through the shop. it's so gratifying to see people around town wearing stuff that they've bought from me. like when i see someone in one of my dresses i get so giddy. having a shop of my own had been a dream of mine for a long time and i truly feel blessed to be able to do this. and really it's all because my sweet husband matt supports me and gives me money to keep it going. some months are better than others but in a small town it's hard to rely on the income from such a unique little place and if he didn't have a great job with amazing benefits then i couldn't afford to keep it. and it's nice that isaiah can be there with me during the day. sure there are days when i want to ring his neck but it's better than having to pay for childcare. i just put in a movie on the computer and he's cool.

i sell a lot of different things: some furniture pieces, handmade accessories, vintage and used clothing and whatnot. i have a few handmade cards but i'd like to get more in stock. if any of you make your own cards or know of someone who does could you let me know? and i'd love to start screenprinting stuff too, like shirts and tote bags. hopefully we'll get into that soon because i think it could be a ton of fun.

i know a lot of you have etsy stores, but if you were ever thinking of opening a brick and mortar store as well, i would totally encourage you to do so. i love getting to see my customers face to face and chatting about stuff with them and getting to know them. if you have any questions about it, please feel free to ask. i've gotten to know megan of chicfaced blog and beaucoup vintage over the last few months because she recently opened her own vintage boutique and etsy shop. we've been emailing back and forth for a while talking about our shop and blogs and asking each other for advice and stuff. and things like that make all this worth it. the relationships that you can make. so all that to say, ask if you need to and open a store if you want to :)