I recently visited Downtown Disney in Florida with my family. It is not only a good place to go for fun, but as a creative professional, I have always found it to be a great source of inspiration. They have mastered the art of visually creating an environment that visitors can get lost in. This is not only true of their theme parks, but their shopping destinations, as well. Obviously, their brand makes this easy in some sense, but they always go above and beyond. I have attached a few photos of some fun displays that would be easy enough to make your own. I especially like the hand-painted display case and the chandeliers. Go be creative!

Fun skirt made of wallets

Fun skirt made of wallets

Decoupage display will show off necklaces, belts and more

Decoupage display will show off necklaces, belts and more

Pull out your paints and brushes and make your displays unique!

Pull out your paints and brushes and make your displays unique!

Inexpensive chandeliers make for fun lighting. The key is in the multiples.

Inexpensive chandeliers make for fun lighting. The key is in the multiples.

It’s that time of year again! The flitter of notebook paper and squeaks of shiny new backpacks abound. Parents everywhere are mixed between a sigh of relief knowing their young ones won’t be sitting in front of the TV all day playing video games anymore, and a slow quiet dread at the thought of the science projects, soccer games, football/cheerleading/band practice, and dance class schedule that looms just around the corner.

This is a perfect opportunity for small businesses to make a difference in the quality of your patrons’ lives. Shopping for fun or enjoying a cup of coffee at the local cafe is very low on the list of things that parents of school age children have time for. Find a way to offer something to the whole family. Whether it be parent and child book clubs or craft classes. They need not be together, per se. You could have a children’s reading or storytelling group in one part of your store and the adult book discussion and coffee in another.

The key is to offer creative ways to reach out and let your customers know you are trying to help make life easier and richer.

And that can only mean one thing: Clean, right?

I’m sure you do some spring cleaning around the house. Or, at least you think about it. This is the perfect opportunity to go through your stockroom and see what’s been building up back there. You may have items stored back there that didn’t sell 6 years ago. Create a store on Ebay and see what you can get for them. Anything is better than taking up space for new merchandise. Plus, having a store on Ebay is yet another low-cost way to get your name out there and traffic to your website. Traffic to your website means traffic to your store.

This is also the perfect time to rearrange your store. Breathe new life into it. Even though your items are changing and new lines are coming in, it may not seem that way to your regular customers. We all have our patterns and routines. Your regular customers come in looking for what they want and go to where they know those items are, likely missing out completely on some great stuff you know they would just love. Grocery stores are infamous for this. Every so often they swap aisles. You then have to actually look around for what you want. They don’t usually move the milk from the back, though. Think of all the stuff you “remember” you need to grab on your way to the back to pick up a gallon.

Finally, take the time to really look around your store. Pretend you are walking in for the first time. When you see things everyday you tend to overlook the little things. Look at your floors and check for stains or wearing. Your walls might need a new updated color, or at least some touch-ups. Windows, baseboards, all mouldings, countertops, displays… everything. Check for loose screws, scratches, dents, uneven surfaces, rust stains on plumbing fixtures, leaks, creaks and more. Most of these things are quick-fixes, but will go a long way in the visual presentation of your shop.

The website is almost ready to roll out. It will be chock full o’ info to help boutique business owners improve sales through inexpensive, but effective, marketing and advertising.

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