To run a business and maintain a family life takes time and great time management. Some days everything seems to go prety well and as I finally finish tucking everyone in by 9 PM, I feel that I have “won the race.”

The challenge is to be very organized and work in order of priority.  My office is in my home, so it can be very easy to get sidetracked with housekeeping, laundry and other personal business. A dirty kitchen counter clouds my thinking. However, I have learned that if orders are to ship on time, customer’s needs met, clear information sent on to the factory AND get some exercise, the kitchen counter can wait until lunchtime.

The first half of this year was particularly challenging for “getting it all done.” My husband was away 19 out of 26 weeks. For the first time, I saw how much I work all the time 7 days a week. Since I was on my own with my 3 boys, I could not get my usual “desk time” in the evenings and weekends.  Sales and administrative work fell behind. This is not good. Yet, I felt guilty if I wanted to read the newspaper or work in the garden - in other words, take a break.  This is how we all get stressed out. And being stressed out is not good for business or family life.

The solution has arrived in my first on-site office help.  I have had occassional administrative help from someone in a satellite office. But, this only marginally helped ease the burden.  Now, I have someone here in the office in a regular routine to help with the basic office work. After 4 weeks, the positive effects are clear. It is so wonderful having someone else call customers for payments. It is so wonderful having someone else to help with the hundreds of things that need to be done in a given week.

Now that I am getting used to having the help, I need to learn to include other things into my regular calendar - such as writing this blog and keeping in touch with industry news.  I am trying to find the time. Time. Is there ever enough?

The NY Gift Show was great – it is always great. Why? The trade show, any trade show, is an opportunity for buyers and sellers to get together for a fixed period of time and share information. All businesses rely on the information received from the marketplace. The comments from buyers about designs, shapes, or prices are so valuable.  I welcome comments, both positive and negative as it is the only way for me to know what is working or not in the line.  Unfortunately, most do not like to pass along a negative comment. I have come to learn that if one person makes a comment, most likely 6 others felt the same but just kept quiet. It is also always interesting to get feedback from neighboring vendors. I love the interchange.

Some buyers complain that they don’t see much new. However, it is difficult for a vendor to constantly bring in new designs and have the buyers pass over the new for the tried and true.  Over the years, I have introduced a new collection and watch the buyers order only the returning designs.  Also confusing, are the buyers who do not reorder from a vendor when the product sells through.  They claim they never want to buy the same thing twice so that their store is always new.  But – why not continue with a collection if it sells? Don’t they have new customers all the time?  Or, buyers will say they don’t want to bring in anything new since business is down.  Well, maybe if they offered something new and fresh it would help sales. Retailing is a challenging juggle – what works for one retailer doesn’t work for another. I can only offer the best that I can – quality product and quality service.

It is interesting watching the buyers walk the show. Some walk very slowly, carefully evaluating each booth to find that perfect item for their store. Others walk quickly and miss so much. They look to one side and miss what is on the other side. Or they are on the phone. Or they are talking to their friend and miss seeing what is on offer.  Others come in quickly and ask if I have a website, not wanting to take 5 minutes to look at the product and learn about it. Why come to the show if they don’t want to look at product?!  The personal shoppers are too obvious and a bother to most vendors. We can never figure out why the show management continues to let them in.

Many vendors at this recent show were disappointed with the turnout and orders written.  I have had some very low shows and some very big shows.  However, even the show with the lowest volume has brought something positive for the future – a new lead, a new product idea.  As with anything, there are ups and downs.  When a show is slow, it is a time for the vendor to determine what went wrong. Pricing, minimums, customer service, product mix, competition – are all part of the package.

So, now is the frantic time stay on top of all the potential new business. Keep a careful eye on the inventory levels to ensure plenty of stock is on hand for those last minute November orders. And, most importantly, get in touch with all those customers who didn’t write orders at the show and get some more business!

And, of course, get the new designs ready for January!

Happy Labor Day!

Emily

The New York Gift Show begins on Saturday.  That means I have 2 days before I begin to pack up my car and get ready for the big set up.

In years past, I would be very nervous about the set up. Fortunately, experience has helped make the booth set up to become more predictable. The product is shipped in directly from my warehouse to the show site.  The booth display fits easily into my minivan and I drive it to the show site on Wednesday. Then I arrive fresh and ready to set up on Thursday morning. 

In years past, I packed everything into my minivan – product and display material. Then I drove it in on the first set up day. I had to wait in line for at least one hour to pull up to the front entrance. Then, I had to unload everything and take it to my booth. Then I had to park the car and walk back to the show site.  It was usually 11 am by the time I was ready to start setting up.  It was very tiring to say the least!

I’ve always been amazed at the more intricate booth displays. The cost involved in designing the space, shipping it, and the crew to build it on show site.  The result is a beautiful small home décor space that is unique to the other booths. But the cost must be so high. You know you must write a tremendous amount at the show to cover these costs.

My booth display is very simple; I only need one person to help set it all up. I use black velvet curtains which just disappear. My shelving is great. It is the Ivar system from IKEA.  It is so flexible because I have enough shelving for a 30 foot space. So, I can reconfigure my 15 foot space to look a little every show.  The shelving is also perfect for my product because the shelves are deep enough to allow little vignettes of trays and bowls. I paint it different colors every few years. Right now the shelves are ivory and the sides are black.  The product just pops out and looks fantastic. I get a lot of complements because the booth is very simple and clear – you can see right away that I sell a wide selection of decorative serving trays, bowls and bath accessories.

The show is always great as it is the time I get to see all my customers. I love meeting them and learning more about their stores or businesses. I fortunately have a knack for remembering most names and store names. I love meeting the other vendors and sharing all the trials and tribulations of trade shows and basic business operations. Overall, it is an energizing experience.

Let’s hope the buyers are out buying this year !

I am Emily J Rubin Persons, owner of J. Fleet Designs, mother of 3 happy boys (12, 8, 3) and wife to a wonderful man.

I started my business in 1995 without a business plan, without a marketing plan, and without a financial plan. I didn’t even know too much about designing or merchandising a product line. What I did know when I started was that I had found a product that was unique and really beautiful. I quickly discovered that this type of product was not yet available in the American marketplace. I did know all about the wholesale and import business - working with factories and freight forwarding, trade show management, customer service and order processing and general operations.

I was lucky. When I began in 1995, Vietnam was a new country to deal with. Lacquerware was a category that had not been seen in the USA in many years. Most importantly, the factory I discovered produced (and still produces) a very high quality product.

Quality became the mantra to my business: quality product, quality designs and quality customer service.

Thirteen years after receiving my first order from Henri Bendels, my company is known for the great collection of serving trays, serving bowls and bath accessories. The designs are unique and beautiful and blend with many styles of décor. The quality is still the best and the customer service is top notch.

It has not been easy to build a business on my own. My husband travels a lot and my kids require a lot of my time (what kid doesn’t?). I have been able to maintain the equilibrium because I have not overextended by adding to the product line. Adding other categories (linens, wood, rattan, etc) would grow the business. However, this would require more time for travel and for day to day operations. The balance of our lives would become unbalanced.

My husband and kids love that I work from home. They love knowing I am always there and always available. While at times it is a complete juggling act to the nth degree, I love it too. I know that I am lucky to have created this world.

As I connect to the various women/mom-in-business networks, I see many who are just starting out. I would like to share my learned lessons with others. The theme for this blog will focus on the different aspects of running an import/wholesale business. Additionally, I will touch on the various and sometimes hilarious aspects of running a home based business with active children running in and out.

I look forward to this new outlet.

Emily