Keys are in hand (purse, actually)!

Today we went and got the keys to the store, paid the deposit and the June rent, and started working on the place. Tomorrow I'll put my temporary sign in the window--Coming Soon! First I have to get the rest of the paint off the window. Jon got most of it scraped off, but there's a bit of a residue still on there. I'm sure I'll have to use some kind of a toxic chemical to get it off, and that sucks on so many levels. The phone gets hooked up tomorrow, and I have to rent a truck and go pick up some huge display shelving and my cash register from the store that's closing in Palos Park tomorrow night. Then the real work begins!

Ten more days until I get the space!!!!!!!

June first I will get the keys to my new store. This is mind-boggling at this point! I still have so much to do at home (like make a bunch of product to sell in the store) before I start working over there. I really won't know how much I need to do over there until Janet is out--there will be some lighting issues, some painting, and some windowscaping to do, and then it's move in all my display fixtures and fill 'em up and get inspected, and then open for business. Oh yeah, and I have tons more product to order, and consignments to get together. I keep learning of local artists that are a good fit with my vision, so that's encouraging. Most of them are willing to do consignment--that's a win/win for me. The ones who aren't willing to do consignment probably won't make the cut, at least not until I get a better feel for what people around here are looking for.

I met with my accountant today. That sentence barely makes sense to me--MY accountant? I have an accountant. Wow. He said it sounds like I'm on the right track. Bear in mind he's an accountant and not a retail expert, but it made me feel good to hear him say it. I've known him for years, and it's good to have a professional relationship with someone who "gets" me. The other professional relationships I have so far didn't seem like such a good comfortable fit.

There's a great craft show taking place on Sunday at Fitzgerald's. It's a lot of local artists and craftspeople--a lot of whom will be in my store, and maybe a lot who will be that I haven't even discovered yet! I'll have to print up a little synopsis of my store to give them--I don't want to monopolize their time when they could be selling stuff. I'll come back and add the details about the show soon. Right now I'm going to bed.

A logo + a storefront=a productive weekend

Here's the official store logo! HUGE thanks to Brenda Zaczek for doing this for me! I had the concept, but not the skills to make it happen. We spent most of last night working on it. We'll be working on the website soon, too. Brenda is a really talented (and easy to work with) designer. She's doing a lot of freelance these days, so if anyone reading this would like to use her, just send me a message and I'll hook you up.

Now I officially have a signed document (okay, it's a piece of notebook paper) saying that the storefront will be mine to rent on June first. Jon and I went and met the building owners, George and Phyllis, today. We agreed on a price and looked around a bit more and took some pictures of the hair salon where the store will be. I think the space will be great, and the building is almost 100 years old, with a lot of the original character. Berwyn is celebrating its centennial this summer and I'll have one of the original storefronts! I hope that the centennial celebrations help to bring a lot of people to the Historic Depot District.

Here are some interior shots of the store. . . It's currently a hair salon. I know Janet will probably be wanting to sell some (or all) of the salon fixtures, so if anyone wants them, let me know and I can get you in touch with her.

A home for my store!

I am excited to announce that I have found a home for my store! I go tomorrow to sign a lease, and then I can start to plan-o-gram-a-rama! I won't get possession of the space until June 1st, but I'm getting friendly with the current occupant, so I can start to measure and plot things out in my mind. This is such a big step because now I can start to promote the location (the Depot District merchants are putting out a postcard handout for the Bloom-n-Zoom, and I can do one of my own). It's been hard to find a good location. There were so many things to consider--parking, sign visibility, neighbors. . . Of course this one is the most expensive one I've seen, but I think it will be worth the extra money in the long run. *phew*