An Intriguing Tale Of Being An Owner

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Summer time in downtown Yarmouth – is quite a sense in our town – we have a 2 weeks activities around downtown and every year – we make sure – we draw business into our store by placing some wireless speakers outside our store – and blast them with fabulous music.   People are drawn to the music – and if we had tourists in town – even the tourist s would come in and check out the store.  I know that this worked – because when we were down on Central Street – it was what we did – to draw people to come down from Main Street.  I love our wireless speakers – because I don’t need to send the boss up to the top of the building and hook it up – because he don’t quite like heights – and to just hire someone to do that – seems a little silly.  So yes !  wireless speakers – don’t need wires – and I don’t have to hook it up very high and when I’m done for the day at the store – I just bring them in or move them wherever I want.  Pretty cool eh.

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The called it the Wharf Rat Rally – and I’m pretty proud of the people up in Digby – for organizing this event and making it more and more successful.  Now if only this town will do the same – and smarten up – but of course not!   But come end of August – it’s happening again and I’m going for it !   They have all sorts of bikes in this rally and ATVs  – the most amazing thing about this event – is the amount of people who goes for it.  I hear that last year – they had people packed along the street – 10, 000 bikers and more.  I know the spouse uses  Polaris Accessories for his ATV and so does his friends – so I’m assuming that a lot of vendors are going to be there too.   There will be entertainment – and lots of demo – and I’m definitely sure that this year will bring lots of money to the town of Digby – congrats!  Those who loves ATVs, Bikes and automobiles – you have to go see it for yourself – it’s a darn good show!

We are having real success with the night vision camera that we bought for the store – and it is penning out pretty well – so we are going to be carrying this stuff at the store and recommend it to our customers.  Just today – an old customer who had bought some security cameras from us a long time ago was in – so we recommended them to her – I hope she does get it – it is only $100 a piece – definitely well worth it – if you want to protect your business.

Many years ago – this kind of camera cost a fortune – but now that it cost so little we are thinking of changing all our outdoors ones to this too.  So if you are looking for one to secure your home or your shed and businesses – you know who to call.

A new batch of laptop chargers just came in – for we have been asked every other day for one  – this type are universal – so it can go pretty much with most laptops.  But like always – we prefer that the customer/s brings their laptop in – so that we can make sure that it fits their laptop before paying for it.   Compared to other stores in town – our universal charger for your laptop is way cheaper.  Why?  because the spouse don’t believed in ripping anyone off – yet we are called all sorts of names – go figure!

People come in all the time to sell stuff at our store – to upgrade and well – some need the money for it – and since we do take in used things – we will take a look at them and price them up.  Some stuff – you know you will be able to re-sell quickly – like the PS3 controllers from Sony – and of course sony cameras are also in demand.  Most people love the Sony brand – because they are synonymous to quality stuff – so if you bring me something that is Sony brand – we will most likely buy it as compared to the generic brand – or a no name brand.  If we get a turntable with a Sony brand – we would also very likely buy it – but any other brand we will have to think about it.  Sony brand of stuff last for a long time – and my first walkman was from Sony and till today – it still works.  So yes – we do buy stuff – but it has to be a brand that we trust.

Darn! darn! darn!  shocking! i put on weight – i was at the doctor’s with my kid – for a rash – and since the family doctor had a new digital weighing machine – I had to try it out. And guess what!  i put on weight – actually no surprises here – I knew i was putting on weight – because I had been eating junk !  So I’m going to be out there getting some  weightloss pills and doing a lot of exercises! even the spouse is shocked that my weight went up – since he didn’t think i ate as much junk as he does – muahah! but truth be told I have been eating junk!  well i better stop right now – this instant – else I’m going to be in a lot of trouble!

So it’s like the 3rd week that the Farmer’s Market moved downtown and from what I saw today – I would say it’s a big success.  You see it was raining since morning and the downtown Farmer’s was still sold out of a few things by the time we were there.  So the person who said he won’t go downtown had to eat his own words – because guess what – he was campaigning for people to sign on his petition and the town councils said nope – we want it downtown and there it is downtown and more vibrant than I’ve ever seen.  But the Farmer’s Market in downtown – is very good looking right now – with showcases and all for their food – you’ve gotta love it.  If you haven’t been downtown to the Farmer’s Market – what are you waiting for?

Almost 12 years in business and we don’t really have a uniform for ourselves nor our staff – would be nice to at least to have a t-shirt with our logo on it – or even those  Marcus lab coats the the Pharmacy used.  Oh – the hair-salon across the road uses the lab coats too and I do like it.   I liked the Baby Phat slim fitting lab coat – I told the boss and they are but only $25 – cheap, cheap  – can keep me warm during winter – and even in the summer – when we have rainy days – it does get chilly – so it’s nice to get a lab coat to put on.  So our 12th anniversary – you just might see me and the staff here wearing our new lab coats.

So I finally broke down and bought a money tree for our store.  Technically, it should be the landlord of the store -giving it away to their tenants – to wish them more business – so that they can pay their rent.  I had told my landlord’s assistant – but of course, he didn’t do nothing at all for years now.  Oh well, I figured – he thinks he was going to lose out – by giving me a $9.99 money tree -  which actually isn’t because I had to give him a “ang pow” for it when he does present this to me on my Chinese New Year.  So anyhow, I bought the money tree – in hope it will continue to bring more money to the store and less luck for the landlord and the assistant.  Too bad for them lah!  we took all their money and luck.

So we have been getting a batch of camcorders in our store but we don’t really want to at first – because we don’t really know much about it but after reading some camcorder reviews , we decided that some camcorders are a good buy for reselling purpose.   So now when someone wants to sell their camcorders – we already know some of its features and what it can and cannot do.   I’m fascinated by the pocket cameras like the Flip Ultra HD – according to what I read – and its size – I believed that it just might be a huge sell during Christmas.    And for $119 – i think it could be just the perfect gift for the nieces and nephews as well.

When I used to work for someone – I was careful of how I looked  because I meet with customer/s all the time – I represented the company – so it was important that I am wearing make – up and look proper.  Unfortunately, being the owner by association to the spouse’s business – you don’t have to look good for your employees right?  but one still need to look good for the customer – so even though I’m not so paranoid or worried about my looks – I still bring some of my skin care to work – because the weather here is too dry and when you have hot air all around the store – all the time – it just dries up your skin so much more faster.  Some of my other co-workers had used gratiae before and i read up a little more about it – to see if by changing brand – would help with my skin care – after all, I do like using organic skin care.  One thing I know for sure is if you work – you shouldn’t leave your skin to take care of itself – especially those who work long hours like myself.  So right in the middle of the day – I usually like to freshen up – and spray some cool mist on my skin and give it a little moisture.  What about you?

While I used to work in the hotel and had to either stand a lot or walk around the hotel inspecting hotels a lot – I didn’t have to worry too much about my weight.  But lately, it is not the same for me – I know I am putting on weight and also my hips and my thighs are getting huge like an elephant.  I read the  oxyelite pro reviews that a customer at our store had shown me the other day and am dying to try it out but I’ve to check with my family doctor to make sure that they are no side effects since I do have high blood pressure and am a diabetic but other than that – I really want to lose my excess weight and try to look fit this summer.   Who likes to come into a store with a fat woman right?

As we draw close to 12 years in business – we want to make our store/business a more efficient one and one way of doing it would be to use a scanner software that we had been looking at – so that all files can be kept in order and able to share it with everyone working at the store and business.  We are constantly looking into organizing the store and we realized that if we had a scanner software – we wouldn’t have to look for contracts that we had store away 5 years ago – but to call it out of this software easily without having to go thru’ a few years of paper to retrieve just one contract.   I think it is an investment that we can certainly afford if we want to keep everything in order and be an efficient business.

We’ve always known that parking is a pain for anyone who wants to shop downtown – since it’s only a 2 hr parking – so if you are doing more than banking and getting lunch – you are in trouble and will be fine like $5 if I am not wrong.  So a lot of people don’t want to shop downtown not only because of all the people hanging around the front of downtown stores and dog poop – it’s also because of getting ticketed for parking while you shop.  I don’t think that is good business sense since the town is promoting downtown shopping yet – they make it such a ridiculous rule for those who wants to spend their money downtown.   I think parking downtown when you are shopping shouldn’t be limited to those 2 hrs for genuine customers – but what about those who works in town and just want free parking?  I really don’t think that those who works downtown does that – and if they do  – well then they should be ticketed and not the customers.

Mother’s Day is just round the corner and if you haven’t send out a gift for your mother who lives in another town or city like myself – it’s not too late.  Plus with Shari’s berries guaranteed coupon you can’t go wrong with it – coz’ the coupons give you so many choices for discount and savings.  I’m not sending anything to my own mom but my godmother lives in United States in New York – so I’m sending her a basket of cookies and i save 14% with the coupons I see online.   I know she will appreciate the thought – and Mother’s day gift need not be only for your mom eh – it can be for someone you care about – the mother-in-law?  sister? godma? yes – it’s nice to send and receive caring gifts – I’m one who loves all the attention – hehe!

We are preparing to put some table out in front of our store and attract by – passser to come into our store – like we do every spring and summer.  But this year – I’m well-prepared – with sun-tan lotion and youthology for my wrinkles – no way am I going out there to battle the harsh sun without both.  People don’t know that working out in the sun even just sitting down and looking after a table of goods – can caused both sun burn and wrinkles if you don’t take proper care of your skin.  Today, we had just gone to get sun tan lotion for the kid – for school afterall, it will get hotter everyday now from now on.  But for old farts like me – I have to make sure I take care of those wrinkles as well – can’t got out there facing customers – without trying to look my best eh.

So I read and heard over the news about the permanent location for the Farmer’s market starting in June.  Finally, after all the fighting they are moving downtown instead of going on Starrs Road like they had wanted to.  I guess the run at Beacon Church showed them that there are people going to the market regardless of where they are – as long as they are being advertised.  I’m glad for downtown truly!  at least this summer – we hope to see downtown a lot more vibrant.  Also if the ferry does come back – it would be a very nice sight – for the tourist to see the vibrant market and something they can take pictures of – to bring home with them.   I hope they would renovate the old barn well -  that way it would attract both the locals and the tourists !

Spring is almost here and the last few days – the sun had been shining from the back of the store and it’s time for our landlord to get some  custom plantation shutters for us. The glass panes behind the store are rather huge – so the normal shutters isn’t going to work so well for us.   I figured with us renting from him for closed to 5 yrs now – he would give us some new shutters eh.  So lets see if we can negotiate some outta him after all, I rather pay a little bit more for the good stuff than to buy something on the shelves since we are going to be in this location for a long time.

I am really happy to see the sun come out but the back of the store is where the kid spends her time there and the tv as well as the couch becomes way too hot for her to sit and watch tv or do her homework during Spring and summer.  So if the landlord doesn’t want to give us some custom shutters, I am going to get them myself – shouldn’t make the kid suffer because the landlord might be cheap eh.

The Zhu’s from the Chinese restaurant just celebrated the newborn’s one month birthday – and like everyone who have a newborn son – they give out cigar to everyone.  I don’t mind the smell of cigar at all – as compared to cigarette – he said the camacho triple maduro buy online was found on the net – and he got the website address for me – so that I can get some for my customers on special occasions too.  So this Christmas, we can give out cigars to our male customers – but what about the ladies?  The spouse said to me – that some ladies smoke cigars too – haha!!  I know some do – but not many – definitely easier to shop for the male customers that’s for sure.  Maybe a potpourri candle or something along those lines.

We have many customers come thru’ our store everyday and a lot of mothers come into our store with their children and babies – not just one or two babies and kids – but quite a lot.  So it is inevitable when we find stuff left at our store, from mitten to baby food storage or half a bottle of milk left – pacifier and of course toys and sometimes one shoe.  Quite funny right?  yes in our 11 years in business – you can imagine how much of these stuff we’ve collected.  The baby food storage – and containers – we always find them useful – and most times the owners come back for the good stuff.  The mittens and pacifier – they never come back.  Now if only these people would leave their wallet or purses full of money behind – hahahah!!  but the most annoying is empty coffee cups left on shelving and counter tops – now that one bugs me – what about you?   anyhow, that would only mean that other shops will get more business.