Friday, May 9, 2014

Opening a Shop: Erin's Adventure UPDATED

NP Land Logo
Needlepoint Land is making the transition from a business run out of Erin's home to a real brick-and-mortar shop.  I thought everyone would like to read about Erin's adventure, particularly those of you who dream of opening your own stitching shop one day.    Start here.  I'll update this as Erin gets closer to Opening Day.  So far you'll laugh, you'll cry, you will be astounded!  (By the way, I never thought to mention that Needlepoint Land is located in Stuart, Florida.  It's not open until July, though--the formal opening will be in October--so you'll have to wait a bit longer while Erin gets ready.)
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/03/thoroughly-modern-erin/

Where will the furniture and displays go?
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/04/fixating-on-fixtures/

Why We Hate The Electric Company
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/05/shocked-by-fpl/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/09/lost-in-the-funhouse/

Twitter (not to worry, I'll get her into NP Nation)
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/06/hello-bird/

The land of plastic bins....
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/06/unpacking/

Choosing a Layout
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/07/store-layout-ver-1/

Display Options
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/07/what-a-corker/

Finances
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/08/the-business-of-needlepoint/

Near Disaster
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/08/crisis-management/

The Shop's Findable Via Google Maps
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/12/made-it-to-google-maps/

Well, Maybe the Google Maps Widget Doesn't Work That Well!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/13/google-widget-blues/

Back to Layout Planning
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/13/right-wall-planogram/

The Power Went Out (and the Implications)
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/14/jill-of-all-trades/

Tape for Canvas Edges
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/15/the-tale-of-the-tape/

Choosing a Cash Register or Other Payment System
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/17/the-point-of-a-sale/

A Peek Inside the Shop
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/17/needlepoint-land-sneak-peek/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/18/chalk-painted-cabinet/

How to Display?
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/19/space/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/19/canvas-thread-displays/

Choosing a Checkout Counter
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/20/the-l-shaped-counter/

Business Card Hell
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/20/ready-typeset-print/

The Plan
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/21/the-pause-that-refreshes/

Using Amazon as a Sales Tool
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/22/my-beautiful-online-channel/

Locks and Racks and Deadbolts and Getting Jeff to Listen
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/22/racks-and-bolts/

Getting Jeff to Listen Part Two
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/23/dear-jeff/

Finding a Carpenter
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/23/self-reliance/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/24/frank-saves-the-day/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/24/hard-part-done/

The Pegboard Blues
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/24/pegs-r-us/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/25/down-a-peg/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/26/the-pegboard-artiste/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/26/the-paint-job/

The Slideshow of Progress
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/27/big-day/

Paint and E-Commerce
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/28/watching-paint-dry/

Paint and the Firemen
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/28/180-large/

Big Plans
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/30/channel-surfing/

Bookshelves and Panels (and accident prone tradesmen)
http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/31/cubism/#comment-3572

http://needlepointland.com/2014/05/31/panel-discussion/

The Table Adventure
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/01/motoring-down-rt-1/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/01/pretty-polly/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/03/solid-plank-pine/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/03/stitch-table-redux/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/04/the-missing-drawer-verb/

More Display Gadgets
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/05/hooks-and-spinners/

The Hidden Costs of Online Shopping
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/06/seller-beware/

Keeping Your Cool
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/07/23-days-to-go/

The To Do List
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/09/the-glades/

We Might Have a Phone Line!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/09/pots-luck/

Call Me
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/10/intra-latte/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/11/peace-of-mind/

Thread Tower and Panel Display
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/10/work-in-progress/

Display Test
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/11/splash-wall/

We have Threads!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/11/thread-bare/

The Counter and Cable
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/12/store-anchor/

Needed:  Custom Display Racks
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/12/custom-display-rack/

Challenges to the Left of Me, Challenges to the Right....
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/13/murphys-law/

Things Are Looking Up
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/17/if-its-tuesday/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/18/the-beat-goes-on/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/18/never-a-dull-moment/

Signs and Counters
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/19/whats-my-sign/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/19/waste-not-want-not/

Corkboard!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/20/cork-blimey/

Looks Like a Real Shop
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/21/getting-there/

Not a Real Desk
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/22/office-demon/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/23/its-all-ingvars-fault/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/23/13519/

"Limited" Liability
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/24/the-tattered-veil/

Banking in the 21st Century
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/24/i-aint-no-sisy/

The To Do List (Bureaucracy Included Free of Charge)
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/25/water-works/

Moving Right Along on All Fronts
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/26/here-comes-the-sun/

Parking
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/27/deep-freeze/

We have a merchant account!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/06/27/the-thing-is-said/

A New Sign and a Peek Inside
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/09/needlepointland-by-the-sea/

Visits from Friends
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/09/surprise-visit/

Customers!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/11/today/

Belts and Blinds and July 18th
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/12/window-treatment/

Credit Card Sale!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/12/it-worked/

Photography and Other Challenges
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/13/hmmm/

Starting to Look Like a Shop!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/13/f-stop-go-stop/

We Have an Opening!
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/21/thanks-marianne/

A Bench to Park the Waiting Visitors
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/25/alisons-bag/

http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/26/tropical-sleigh/

Soft Opening Scorecard
http://needlepointland.com/2014/07/27/report-card/

Erin Goes Dark
http://needlepointland.com/2014/09/24/the-big-picture/

Opening a shop is an amazing amount of work.  Running one is even more work. Some days I wonder how shop owners manage to do it!  Many hugs to all of you doing retail needlepoint.  You are much appreciated.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 5, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

6 comments:

NCPat said...

Where in Florida? I could not find the location...did you?

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

You know, I don't know where Erin is. I think I knew generally but I can't remember and of course the shop could be in the town next to where she walks the dog. I'll find out!

Unknown said...

My new store is located in Stuart! Actually it's between Stuart and Port Salerno on Old Dixie Highway. Very beautiful area near the ocean. You can find the exact location on the embedded Google map in this post:

http://wp.me/p2daPG-2SL

Cindy said...

I'll read the articles when our new router comes. Very exciting to have a new shop coming to Stuart, which FYI is a bit south of Vero Beach. A charming town. It's about a 90 minute drive for me, and we used to make regular overnight trips when Stuart Stitchery was open. Best of luck to Erin, and I will be looking forward to visiting her new shop.

Dee W said...

Also it says she's having a soft opening on July 1, so will technically be open for business, will have her Grand Opening in Oct when the snowbirds come.

woolwoman said...

sounds like a road trip in my future. Good luck to Erin !!!!!!!!!!