REALLY?? THAT'S IT....

Ok....so i have decided that interviewing employees or owners at boutiques is NOT all too helpful. they either don't want to give too much information or i just get side-tracked with trying on clothing...haa haa...just kidding.

today i went into a boutique and spoke to the owner. she told me that most of her customers come from off of the street-walking by-and from their website. My thought was that second avenue is a prime location for boutiques. i can name 6 off the top of my head in an 8 block span. with respect to this boutique in particular, they are very new (only a year old) and are located three storefronts down from another boutique SAADA which has been there for many years now. With that in mind, I would assume that they share a lot of customers.

Since non brand name clothing stores like boutiques are new to everyone, unless people enter your store, its difficult that they would find your stores website without even knowing you exist. 

KITSON and LA boutique started out just like any other unrecognizable shop. Now they are everywhere. they have press in most magazines like OK! & People magazines. Their clothing has been seen on many celebrities and many celebrities shop in their store. They have become such a great name because they hired a PR firm. 

my newest addition or necessity for when i open my boutique is that i must factor in a great sum of money towards a Public Relations firm! This is the only way to get my name out and obtain customers!!

DONE AND DONE

St. Maarten was AMAZING...reality is just OK

When you go from 80 degree weather for a week and are immediately placed into 40 degree weather...something about that 40 degree drop just doesn't sit well with anyone. either way...that is life and we must face it!

with respect to my impending business...the reality and thoughts that surround that are never-ending. One of the most important things one must think about when providing a product to consumers is what's the target market. a Target market is exactly what it sounds like. it is the market that one is trying to sell to. it is the market segment that I would be trying to attrack with what i can provide them. Target market is based upon age, gender, geography and other demographics.

Since my entreprenurial venture is going to be owning my own Manhattan based boutique, the target market is very important. Having been born and raised in Manhattan, having the store also be in Manhattan is an absolute must. With respect to my target market, i will carry clothing for women ages 18-55. I don't mean to sound naive but I really believe that it doesn't matter what age you are, you should wear whatever looks good on you and makes you feel good. That is why the range of women who can shop at my boutique is so wide. Although I will carry things for most ages, my primary target market would be for women ages 18-35. Because i cannot stand stores that sell me crap...excuse my french, i will be shopping for a higher end clothing, so the price points of my clothing will be higher than that of the GAP or Old Navy. my prices will be more in line with clothing sold at Bloomingdales and other boutiques. 

OHHHHHHH so much to fathom.  The reality is....unless this economy picks up....there's really no room for upscale boutiques. pray for me.

The Challenge is ON!!!!

ok...SO springbreak is here and this is my goal before i depart for ST. MAARTEN!!!! thank god! i better enjoy a bit of fun in the sun or i will completely lose it!

eitherway...the count down for vacation is on full throttle, but the challenge until my departure is hard hardcore as well...

nyc is filled with hundreds of clothing boutiques. since i currently help out at Tikabou, an upper east side "diamond in the rough," i am extremely interested for when i open my own business about the importance of location. Tikabou is located in the midst of a slew of deli's, grocery stores and restaurants. unless you leave near or around first avenue, many people don't make their way over here. many of the other boutiques such as SADA, Pookie and Sebastian, Crave, Scoop and Big Drop are all located on second and third avenue. With a better location, comes a higher rent. Will i ever be able to afford such rents and other costs? 

my job for the next few days will be to visit these stores and ask managers or employees about how they started, invested and means of marketing. I will also ask for their permission to ask their customers a few questions about where they shop and how they usually find these types of stores.

well then...wish me luck!!!

T MINUS 3 DAYS!!!! 

Business Plan....who needs one? I DO!!!

....20years old....who do you know has enough money to start a business? NOT ME!!! i can tell you that much...college alone has literally burned the largest hole in my pocket....god bless financial aid...but sometimes that's just not enough. So what...i get out of college and have a few grand worth to pay....once that's all gone then how on earth am i expected to finance a business?



BUSINESS PLAN!!!!!! although many think that business plans are made for the sole purpose of investment....this is less than the case. any smart entrepreneur would make a business plan as means of setting goals. quite often the undertaking of a new business can be overwhelming to one without the proper planning. a comprehensive business plan can satiate any anxiety that goes along with the stresses of starting a new business. What is most important in a business is that your idea resonates well with others and not just yourself. anything that you find important or innovative will always sound good in your head. what needs to be done is to promote similar interest in those around you. if others cannot share a somewhat similar passion towards the business that you are going to start, ultimately there is no hope.

next to step to success: ELLA G BUSINESS PLAN

NEW YORK CITY RETAIL PLUMMITS

So...as the aforementioned posts may suggest...my goal in life is to own my own boutique and hope that it becomes successful enough to hold my own personal line of clothing as well as possibly open up more than one location with my name on it. this of course would be a dream come true, but hearing from friends of mine who own their own companies and learning more and more about monthly retail sales lower than imaginable...i find it hard to believe that once i am out of college, have finished paying off any outstanding loans and am at the end of the month paying phone, credit card or any other bill on the list, that i could possibly even think about the option of owning my own store.

the obvious costs that go into owning anything start adding up and the numbers become so large that i just sink with the influx of statements. from owing rent/maintenance, to utilities of gas or electric, to phone bills and Internet...the numbers have me wanting to pause my dreams and get a real job like everybody else...these are just the obvious costs that if i just chose to live in the space i was utilizing i would have to pay. this obviously doesn't take into account that i would be paying for my company website, for costs from vendors for seasonal clothing orders, for online orders to customers, for bags, tissue paper...and so on and so forth. i feel like i am falling into the deepest darkest never ending tunnel and i can't take the thought of sitting behind a computer in a cubicle from 9 to 5. been there, done that!!

In a blog i recently read regarding holiday sales...which from experience i know were awful in the retail industry...it states that there is a one in seven chance of a good selling season.
if retail companies cannot even pull through and use the holidays as means of making up for a wacky fall, what will? with the fall having been so warm, consumers were confused for what season they were shopping for. If sales are worse in December, then what does that say for the direction of the industry. with the economy entering possible recession i can only pray that i would have better luck when the time comes for my business to open.

my apologies fellow readers

So, as it has become overwhelming evident, i have not been maintaining my blog posts. With that said, from here on out, i promise to stay consistent with something that is extremely important to me. This post will ultimately stand for everything that I hope will be seen in my company when it comes to life. Without consistency...there is absolutely no feasible way that i can build something out of nothing...so with that...i solemnly swear to continuously post blogs...not only for my readers but for my profit as well!!!!!! keep an eye out....many more goodies to come!

Can You Really Make Someone More Interesting In 10 Steps??? hmm....

After reading Russell Davies "How To Be Interesting" Blog http://www.meet-an-inmate.com/ I was slightly indifferent with respect to how accurate I feel his beliefs are. I can agree with him that is takes two assumptions to attack this goal. That is not to say that there are only these two assumptions but I do agree that they are certainly valid when trying to become a more interesting person:

1. "The way to be interesting is to be interested"

2. "Interesting people are good at sharing."



I think that these statements are valid because if you are only interested in lets say soccer, then it is incorrect to say that you are interested in SPORTS (plural). There is nothing wrong with not loving every sport, but the truth of the matter is soccer is only one sport, and that's that! With that said, you can't be all too interesting of a person if all you EVER have to talk about is soccer.



For example, I am not huge on politics...don't tell anyone...haa haa...

anyway, although I don't have a passionate interest for the topic I do know it is important and I do know that with the upcoming election in November 2008, many people will be talking about it. Unless I want to remain silently sitting in a corner during an innumerous amount of conversations from now until well after the election, I would probably find it in my best interest to every once and a while catch up on issues in politics.



With respect to sharing, I understand how sharing with others will allow them to share with me, which in turn forces me to learn more. If I am acquiring more knowledge about other people, their lives and what they find fun I will be more interesting to others having more to share.



So with respect to these two aspects of the blog, I completely agree with what Davies has to say. It is the ten tasks that he gives us to do monthly or weekly that i just find a little weird. In reality I really only have a problem with the seventh instruction:



"Once a week sit in a coffee-shop or cafe for an hour and listen to other people’s conversations. Take notes. Blog about it. (Carefully)
Take little dips in other people’s lives. Listen to their speech patterns and their concerns. Try and get them down on paper. (Don’t let them see. Try not to get beaten up.) Don’t force it, don’t hop from table to table in search of better eavesdropping, just bask in the conversations that come your way."



My only problem with this intructional tool is that it sounds more like stalking than anything else. I understand that that is not his intention, and I don't mean to act disagreeingly just for the effect but I truly do find it odd. Additionally, I think spending an hour a week listening to other people's conversation is NOT a good utilization of ones time. Listen, I am just as much of a people watching fan as the next person, but I do not agree that listening to the Bloomingdales employee on her lunch break ream out her boyfriend is going to make me more interesting...it will most probably make me feel uncomfortable.



The other aspects of the blog do make sense as means of becoming more interesting. I think keeping a scrapbook is good because when it is finished and you have a chance to look back at it and reflect on the things that you found to be meaningful enough to put in a book, it may trigger new thoughts and your desire to explore new things.

I am also a very big fan of the notion that one should take pictures daily. I purposely only purchase overpriced cell phones for the mere fact that they have cameras in them. I honestly can say that I have well over 100 photos in my phone...yesterday I took a picture of the view that is seen from the Studio Apartment in Tudor City that I am currently trying to sell. I took the picture because it is absolutely gorgeous and makes the 250 sqaure foot apartment worth purcahsing...only problem is...there will be a huge complex of about 50 stories high blocking this by 2014. Having this picture before it is plastered with a high rise is very interesting and worth sharing in my mind.

Overall...aside from the minor stalking that is insinuated in part of the blog, I did like it and found it to be an interesting exercise.

Ways in which I can better immerse myself in the fashion industry would be by going into clothing stores that I would never originally be interested in. This includes looking at styles of clothing for children and older women and men. I think it would be extremely beneficial to see all different styles from the preppy abercrombie look, to the urban IzzyGold, to the sophisticated Diane Von Furstenburg.

After I have obtained a better sense of the styles and looks that are on the scene today...I also think I would profit by taking a closer looks at the fabrics being used. That would give me a better sense of quality compared to price. It will also help me understand what types of fabrics mold well to specific shapes and forms of dress.

After analyzing the contents of fabrics and things of that nature, I think it would be advantageous to constantly read up on articles and happenings in the Fashion Industry. I would most benefit from interviewing owners of companies and employees in the field of the Fashion Industry that I am interested in to obtain a greater knowledge of what it entails...

I am lookin forward to it....

One Day, Too Many Boroughs & Not Enough Time....What I Live For!

"It's 7:30am and the ridiculously loud and completely obnoxious alarm on my cell phone goes off. All I can think about is how I'm pretty sure my room was too cold, my pillow kept falling off the bed, and how I have obtained maybe 4 hours of sleep if I am lucky. College dorm beds just are not my forte I can tell you that much!!! I hit snooze and before I know it 5 minutes is up and I really need to put some fire under my behind and get the day started."

"As I hop off my practically lofted bed....this is a dorm room-you need all the space you can get; apparently having my nose be what seems like a mere inch away from my ceiling is the price I pay for storage...my feet smack the cold tiles of the floor. I glance at my roommate who is still sleeping and before I let my jealously take over, I grab my towel and hop into the shower."

"After sleeping while standing for the first five minutes of my shower, I get moving. With great distaste and sadness, I turn the knob of the shower and am terrified to open the door of the steamed bathroom that will bring me back in the wind tunnel that has become my apartment in the Fordham Walsh dormitory."

"I slip on a pair of sweatpants, jeans if I'm having a GOOD day, a sweatshirt and on my way out I grab my Uggs. As I'm on my way out of my bedroom I catch a glimpse of myself and immediately recognize the gray uni-suit that I have dressed myself in! GREAT!!! Way to go Ella...either you can roll out the door looking like Rocky or you have 30 seconds to grab a different colored Sweatshirt."

"Mornings in the Walsh apartment are truly the best when all of your other four roommates are still sleeping because you can eat their food....JUST KIDDING!! As a result of my gray uni-suit mishap I am left with a limited amount of time for food, and at 8:10am, I'm not really that hungry. I make some coffee, grab a bottle of water for the day and start my day of classes, public transportation, and work. I know my sarcastic undertones may seem as if I don't enjoy every second of my day....but I do!!! I am a complete work-aholic and the second I have too much leisure time, I spend the day sleeping and watching Superbad on my laptop more than once...seriously...ask me what I did on Saturday? True Story...definitely unhealthy..."

"...anyway...I arrive at my 8:30am class on time...there's no excuse really, Walsh is literally 2 minutes away from the FMH building where I take all of my morning classes. As painful as it is to face the frigid air I am actually excited for the first time in my college career to go to class. Now that I have figured out my major and moved though all the preliminary courses that all CBA students must take, I am enrolled in classes that I am actually interested in."

" After classes are over I make my way over to the gym. LOVE THE FORDHAM GYM!!!! Seriously...just LOVE it...comon...you need a good sense of humor to deal with this crazy world. The Fordham gym is pretty much the scariest sight EVER. It can be described as a sweatbox that has a decent amount of equipment, that is if they ever worked. Regardless, once I've gotten on the treadmill, the next 35 minutes are amazing. I know it's completely gross, but running and sweating and listening to my ipod, that is the BEST feeling ever. What doesn't entirely rock my world is how out of breath I am within the first 3 minutes, only reminding me how eating two slices of pizza before bed was probably not the best idea. Either way, I am finally relaxed and have an extra burst of energy to get through the rest of my day."

"Here's where my day gets fun...I have about an hour before I have to get on the BX12 to the 4 train into Manhattan for work at 4:00pm. I shower, get dressed (not in the dark as my morning outfit may have given the impression of) and I get moving. I know it may seem as if this post was me going on for far too long about how much I have to do during the day and yeah yeah wah wah Ella...but it's not! I live for this!!! I live to not have a spare second to think of how I really should have ran 4mi and not just 3.5mi, I love not having to worry about cleaning my dorm room in school because I am never in it, I love having every second of my day completely filled up with things that I know I will profit from. The second my day is filled with leisure and downtime I become completely unmotivated. I take three hour naps, I DON'T make it to the gym (which is a joke because I have all the time in the world) and I watch I Love New York and Americas Next Top Model for more hours than is healthy or should be legal!!!"

"Once I get on the 4 train it's only minutes before I exit the station again and am facing the Manhattan landmark Bloomingdale's on 59th and Lexington Ave. Having been born and raised only blocks from the department store, it makes me happy to be back home, even though living in the Bronx, I never really left. I walk briskly through the streets listening to my favorite songs and by the time three songs are up, I am at work."

"Tikabou is a recently established boutique on the Upper East Side (1st avenue between 66th and 65th street). From the second you enter the store you immediately get a sense of warmth and comfort. I don't mean to sound cheesy or lame or like a promoter...it's not like that. The owner of the store is an amazing Greek woman named Tia Koulianos. Honestly, there are not enough women in the world like her. Forget about just the female portion of our society, there are not enough PEOPLE in general who care about the well being of others the way that this woman does. That is a huge part of why working with her is so amazing. She started this company entirely on her own. The store is filled with a variety of clothing from LA, Italian and Spanish designers. What you find in this store is both unique and of the best quality. She has so much pride and respect for the designers and vendors that she purchases her inventory from that it is truly amazing to watch how much she cares about the condition of her clothing." 

"Working at Tikabou has been an amazing learning experience. I started off as a sales agent and over time, helped with entering inventory, designing the window display, packaging web orders and assisting with the website itself. Being apart of the Tikabou family has only made me more eager to work in developing plans to open my own clothing boutique. This job has inspired me to continue to learn about the industry and work to acquire the technique necessary to do well when the time comes to open my own store."

"Since the store is located around the corner from the apartment I grew up in, working here makes it easy to see my mother and sisters on a daily basis. What could be better? Working in a job that you love and with people that you care about...nothing gets better than that. By the time 9:00pm rolls around, it's time to close the store. I bundle up....give Tia kisses and embark on the dirty trek back to the Bronx. By the time I get home it's around 10:00pm and I have just enough energy to plop onto the couch and watch an awful reality show....WHEN WILL THE WRITER'S STRIKE END???...but I can't sleep quite yet. I still have some reading to do for class and a blog to post..."

...who needs sleep? I live to work...silly as is sounds...it's what I am programmed to do...

Entreprenurialship and it's purpose for me...

"Three things that I would like to get out of this class are pretty simple and probably the same idea that most other students had when registering this semester. First, I hope that I can obtain useful guidance towards how my company will operate with respect to my competitors in the same field. More so, how do I know if my company will be more lucrative or any more innovative than similar companies already in existence. Secondly, I want to obtain a clear understanding of what exactly one needs in order to begin their start-up, how much money should I have, what sort of investments must I make and so on. Finally, through taking this class I hope to become more motivated to work towards what it is that I want to do. Knowing that a 9 to 5 job behind a computer screen is the last thing that I want, and knowing that I have to work in a creative environment, makes me want the life of an entrepreneur so much more. I hope that this class teaches me what specific characteristics it will take to not just come up with a good idea, but work so hard that it makes me a profit."