I Believe in "Yesterday"!!

Yesterday I hoped to find time to do a new post with new shop pics...ran out of time...had a few Saturday appointments which ended up making for a busy day at Cottage Panache! That's a good thing when you have many interruptions...makes for a good day of business. Am still trying to figure out the correct formula for my hours of business and it seems...you can't please everyone! When my neighbor next door reported to me on the Tuesday after my Saturday Sale (If you read my last post, you will know why that on Monday, the day after my sale, I was too ill to attend my shop.) that two ladies came into her shop next door, whom she came from her back shop and inquired...may I help you? Said that they replied, no we're just looking...she said she next overheard one say "well, this is nothing like I expected, let's go! She assumed that they were looking for the antique shop and asked if that was the case! They replied..."no" and promptly left. Still, it left her believing that it was my shop they were looking for. Next she told me that another lady came into her shop and said..."I have been here four times and she is never here....I give up ....I'm done!" Did I mention, my neighbors shop is a sports shop?!! Why would they even walk in there if they were looking for antiques. My shop has it's own entrance! Sorry Shirley that they took the time to bother you with something you have no control over. I truly apologize if anyone should travel a distance and I am not open! That day my son came and put a sign on the door for me. That is all I could do as it was not planned closing! Some things are just totally out of your hands. I may not be in the shop due to extenuating circumstance such as an illness of a family member or myself . I am not able to afford an employee or have a store full of dealers that work for free! So please call ahead before you come. (817-595-4040) If I don't answer or call you back within 30 minutes or so, (I may be with a customer and feel it is rude to stop and answer in the middle of a transaction!) it may mean that I am not there. I have traveled out of town and found shops that I wanted to visit when they were not open. I make note of their hours and plan another visit when they are open, take down the phone number and call before I go. Now let me say, my hours ARE posted on my door, on my website, on my phone answering machine and if anyone should travel to my store and not look at the hours posted and make note of it, especially three or four times, I am sorry, I don't know what else I can do. My sign and website and phone all state that if you would like to make a special appointment on either Friday or Saturday when I am closed...I am serious about it and plan to accommodate all that I can. Yesterday I greeted four appointments and put out my open sign and greeted more new customers just passing by. One of my appointments had previously come to the shop when I was closed and even visited my website and came just to look in the window and see if it might be another venue for her to take her guest, she noted the appointment availability and called ahead for her and her guest to come and did so! It's was a joy meeting you, Kathy and Liz! Hope to see you often. Maybe in the future I will be able to afford an employee but just being in business for 15 going on 16 months, am not even paying myself anything yet! All of the shop owners out there, I know that most of you can understand where I am coming from. I had changed my hours of business from 6-7 days during the holiday season, to 4 days plus one Saturday Sale per month. It enables me to get out there and produce more inventory and have some time with my family on the weekends and to restock my sold inventory and bring more new treasures into the shop for my customers, whom I SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE!! I would not still be in business without them. Many of them have followed me wherever I have gone! They are my real treasures! If anyone out there has a special formula - I sure wish you would share it! I get suggestions from people everyday, however everyone's situation in life can differ greatly. No one should begin to assume that what they do will work for everybody. I know that but am willing to take any new suggestions under my hat! All that said, my next post will be some shop pics! Sorry for the ramble and I know...TMI...AGAIN!!! Adieu, Maureen