People Liked Me .. !!

I went back to the store today.. after seeing the family doctor late in the afternoon.  The few hours that i was there.. a few customers came in to say hello.. and to find out how i was doing after my surgery.  It is kinda nice to know that after about 8 yrs in this town.. i am afterall liked by some ppl.   Even the kid who was rude to me… a few years ago.. was showing me respect.  Muahahahha!!  not all wasted effort i guessed eh..??

A Matter Of Trust

In our type of business .. and after so long . .in business.. we still don’t really know who you can trust. .and who you can’t. But you see there are some customers.. that built their trust slowly with us.. and you know. you don’t have to worry .. if they had you do some things for them.. and they would pay you later. I wished all customers were like them.. so we don’t even have to think twice.

What’s With The Customers & PJs ?

I can understand if a customer comes into the store in the late evening with their PJs.. to rent a movie but to come into the store.. and walking around town in their PJs in the morning.. and afternoon is abit too weird for me. I mean if they were wearing some hot lingerie I don’t think i would mind so much.. but PJs..???  just feels not right eh..??

Proposition Turned Into Business Opportunity

A regular customer of ours approached PB to store some electronics at our basement for a small fees. Of course we saw no problem with it, but it ended up being a business opportunity… that benefited both PB and the customer.  With so many electronics at our basement, i think we should consider using self storage in the near future.

The Whale Returns

I was very tempted to put a picture of the whale for all to see.. then you will know that i wasn’t kidding when i called her a whale. And donch get me wrong.. there is nothing wrong.. with being bigger .. than most ppl.. i’m entirely A - OK with it, not like I am petite in size and all. But I called her the Whale because as the chinese saying goes.. “Eat human donch even need to spit out the bones” .. this is exactly what this Whale is like.

8 yrs ago, when i first arrived in Canada.. I met the Whale because he was working for PB. She had begged for a job.. because she wanted to get outta welfare. Outta giving back to society.. the man hired her on. In the short period that I had known the Whale, we had loan her money for her rent, let her bring her kid to work, send her home from work when the weather was bad and the list goes on.

She either didn’t show up for work or would come in at the time she wants to, with lots of excuses. One week she would tell us she can work only mornings, the following .. only weekends.. and then the week after .. not weekends at all. We had tried so hard to accommodate her.. but it still didn’t work out. But we still didn’t fire her but laid her off (outta the goodness of our heart).

And what she did..??? SHE CALLED IMMIGRATION ON US…!!! saying that PB hired an illegal immigrant.. to take over her position. Thereafter, continued coming into our store.. and bad mouthing us in front of our employees whenever we are not in. And yet after 8 yrs.. she still treats me.. like i was the enemy..!! *slap forehead* You tell me lah.. what kinda a WHALE is she..?? if not the “eat human donch even need to spit out bones”.

Water Damage In Our Store

We don’t have much luck with the stores that we’ve rented so far. The first store was like a warehouse turned into a store. .when we rented it .. some 9 yrs ago. Everytime when the rain comes.. we have to make sure.. that we move our inventory from the front of the store.. to the back. The second store we had.. was like 3 yrs ago.. and everytime it rained.. the display window turns into a pool.

It is very hard on us.. and our goods but like any landlord they failed to act fast enough and we were at their mercy. At the old store, our ex-employees get sick alot and i strongly suspected it was because of the moldiness from all the years of dampness in the building that was causing it. Proper disaster cleanup is what the landlord should have called in to help. With a 24hrs and 7 day emergency service and immediate response within most areas in USA, Water Restoration 911 gives tenant like me a peace of mind when there is a flood. If you are like us, renting a business place.. or even for your own home, and have had been plagued by water damages due to unforeseen circumstance for years, call Water Restoration 911 now or recommend them to your landlord.

Do Not Breathe !

Customer who comes in sick are usually told not to breathe.. because we don’t want to get sick nor can we afford to get sick.  Owning your own business, you have to take special precaution . .so you won’t miss work.  A few weeks ago, while i was preparing for a major operation, i had to tell some sick customers not to breathe in our store.. and i kid you not.. i literally did tell the customer that.   Yes.. ! owning your own business.. does have its little perks.. whereby .. you can tell your customer.. to go .. if you find out that they are sick. .or like me.. tell them not to breathe.. muahhaha!!

Promotional Products

Every year the town organizes what they call a trade show for businesses from this town and the surrounding areas. The trade show lasts for a week and we have been invited to it every year to promote our store and the products we sell.

But in all trade shows.. the only way to effectively market our store is to make sure that we get promotional trade show items to give away .. to those attending the trade show. Pens are great . .but giving out pens every year . .can be real boring. At Gimmees.com they have thousands of items for us to choose from…and prices are very affordable. Plus we can order everything online, stress free .. and hassle free. Awesome..!

Children Of Customers

I was back at the store today for abit .. after seeing the family doctor about my laparoscopic surgery and a possible infection.  In that short 40 mins that i was there… we had a family of 3 kids in the store.  While the parents were looking at console games.. the kids were going wild.  Yes.. !! literally banging on the glass cabinets.. with their parents right there beside them.  *slap forehead* ..!  i am just glad . .that my daughter. .is not this way.. nor will she ever be this way .. at someone else’s store.

Health & The Hospital

Most of you would have known by now. .that I’ve just had 2 surgeries within 2 weeks. One was scheduled for .. but the other was an emergency one .. due to some complications. But i remember clearly that after my first surgery, which was to remove my fibroids by performing a full hysterectomy, the nurses had put on some support stockings for me. .to make sure that i will not develop blood clots. I was grateful to them for that.

Since leaving the hospital. .and with a lot of bed rest recommended, I was told that I could get TED support stockings to wear, so that I will not be at risk. They come highly recommended by doctors, so if you have a loved one .. who had surgery or is planning for surgery, check out these support stockings that you can buy online.

Small Talks

When you own your own business, you know that the time at your store .. isn’t really your own. Almost 9 yrs in business, you gotta know most of your customers by first name.. and to some.. they actually become your friend. But for each customer that comes into our store.. we spend at least a few minutes chatting with them.. and finding out about their lives.. and what’s going on. If you are in the service industry.. you know.. that it is an art. In fact.. for someone like PB who was quite an introvert before opening his own business.. you would be surprised.. he is what he is now. Yes. .now he takes time and get to know them.. even the kids .. that comes to our store.

Gourmet Chocolates

Owning your own business means that you have to take care of your customers.. and corporate clients. Yes.. we do have corporate clients too.. who has computers that we take care of all year round.. and use security cameras.. that we supply.

What better way to thank a customer during your store’s anniversary or Christmas or other special occasions than with chocolate. At Getrude Hawk Chocolates they not only have chocolate but also fudges and sugar free candies and truffles..!! Pre-made gift baskets are easy to pick for our clients and regular customers plus they offer free shipping for account members. Whether it is for a corporate gift or a gift for a loved one, you can count on Gertrude Hawk Chocolates.

A Short Visit To The Store

I went by the store yesterday to get some fresh air.. and of course to get some coffee. But i didn’t stay long.. because i didn’t wanna stressed my body too much.  I feel really bad for PB .. because he had to ferry me up and down.. even before he finished his lunch.  But i was feeling quite queasy and agitated already.. so had to leave in a hurry.  This year.. i didn’t even attempt to go for the Seafest parade, so you can see how frightened i am about my health.  I really can’t wait to get well.

Employment In Canada

Yes.. the Canadians have it way easier to get employed .. not like in Asia.  In Asia, the employers can specify.. what they want for their secretary or personal assistant.  I am so used to the sentences ” pleasant looking, age below 30″ in the advertorial back home.  Now that I am in Canada.. if you ever printed anything of that sort here.. you will probably be sued for discrimination.  If you so much as suggest that your employee use any acne treatment cream because they have lots of acne and needed treatment badly, you can be seen as not respecting their privacy or some sorts.  Sometimes.. i feel that the human rights thing can get too much, we for one .. have had many experiences like these with our ex-employees.  Therefore, these days.. we just don’t say a thing anymore.

New Laptop

You would be surprised that even though we owned our own computer store.. we sometimes resort to getting our computer parts or even our new laptop from other places instead of our supplier.  The big boys just have it alot cheaper.. and one can’t even blame the customers when they go to the big boys are get their laptops from there.  But you see, some may think that they had gotten a good deal . .when in fact .. it is not true because in order to make the laptop work properly with Vista, you need an extra memory stick or two.  So they bring it into our store.. to see why it is so sluggish.. and when you come to think of it, they end up paying the same amount if they had gotten it from us. Ironic eh.

Funny Turn Of Event

Yes.. the yearly Seafest for this town is here.. and guess what their theme is for this year.. ???  A Pirate’s Life For Me..!  Well.. they can all go pirating for all we care.. but all the stores in Main Street.. haven’t even decorated their store front at all.

As for us .. we ain’t participating this year.. just like last.. because the first year we were up in Main Street.. we were very enthusiastic about it.. and what did we get ..???  nothing but heartache.. when our ex-employee .. Ms Selfish claimed that we stressed her out.. by putting her in charge of the window.. because she wasn’t trained for it.  So after that happened.. and not like the town gave us back anything.. nor did that decorating the window to the theme did anything for us.. we said to ourselves.. “heck that..!”

Longest Since I Haven’t Been In The Store

Nope.. i haven’t been into the store.. since i got out of the hospital .. the second time.  This is by far the longest .. that i’ve stayed away… but to be safe.. and not sorry..i didn’t want to be traveling around.. like i did.. after the hysterectomy.. and my fibroids surgery.  I do miss going to the store.. and being at home alone.. is not fun.  So folks out there.. make sure you take care of your health.. !!  Nothing is more important.. i tell yer..!

What Are They Thinking..??

You sometimes gotta wonder what the employees are thinking.  Sure if they get ill.. and they don’t come to work.. we don’t have to pay them. But the inconvenience that they caused us.. is worst .. than having to pay them.  Many moons ago, we have employees who would take time off to tattoo her whole body.. or others who takes diet pills and not eat at all.. and can’t come to work .. because they insist that they are fat.  Yes.. our luck with our past employees..!! i’m just glad .. i don’t have to deal with these anymore.

Bills & More Bills

Being a business owner.. is not easy..!  Ask Wuching.. who just decided to be his own boss.  You have so many things to take care of .. and bills.. that comes never ending.  Plus if you have staff/employee.. there are insurance and pay and other liabilities… you have to think of.  So we all try to buy and pay for everything as frugally as possible.  Even when i comes to buying notepads for the store.. we buy the generic type.. and since insurance isn’t cheap, we also try to get cheap life insurance for the employees and ourselves. Every little bit of savings help… but only if you own your own business you will understand what i am talking about.

Unwell.. and In Another Sugery

Little did i know that a week after my hysterectomy, i would be in the hospital again for an emergency surgery to free my surgery incision that was causing me to throw up and have spasm.. that make me screamed in pain.  I just got discharged after a week’s stay in the hospital.. and to tell you the truth.. am still very afraid.  It was horrid.  I missed my daughter so much.. and lost so much weight.. but you can be sure .. who doesn’t need any Leptovox for a long time now.

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