Chronicles of My Retail Life: A Weekly Series on Calabar Imports

That three week gap…too busy to write

Posted on by atimannetteoton


02-25-2015It dawned on me today that I had not written about anything the last three weeks. And it made me a smile because this is how the life of a entrepreneur sometimes plays out. I am not sad or unhappy about it – I just know this was at the bottom of the “must do” pile.

What happened the last three weeks? Well, a funny thing called Calabar Imports busy season business happened – between events, criss-crossing across the four stores, updating Facebook and Instagram and events.

Today has been the almost first day that I can honestly say I have caught up with 85% of things I have to get done by Thursday – my beginning of the week day. How? It comes down to Priorities. The 15 % are important but they do not make or break the weeks. What I learnt this week is that doing events are vital and there are most about relationship building.

This week went by so fast, it’s almost Thursday – a few highlights – besides getting stuff done – taking time away from Facebook, making time to talk and call friends – these simple things are why I have two days off.

The week’s trials. It’s almost Christmas – not sure I am ready for any of it. Just got over Thanksgiving and still on the mission of building the Harlem location into it’s full scope, a community space and a store. Two projects this week almost complete – expanding our mailing list and working on 2016 events up until April 30. It’s always nice to plan early but sometimes surprised that when I ask this early, a good number of people are not quite prepared. What to do? Move on to the next person. Time is vital and being prepared is essential.

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Beginning to think about time off for a week in January – closing all stores so we all can rest. Because my one question today: Where did the day go?

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That Week of Ginger Tea – Chronicles of My Retail Life: A Weekly Series on Calabar Imports

Posted on by atimannetteoton


Last week, I began Chronicles of My Retail Life, a weekly series of blogs about what’s happening with me at Calabar Imports. It’s a short synopsis of the life of a retailer in Brooklyn and Harlem from day to day events, insights on what happens in the store and what ideas are implemented and dropped. This is week two. And I am inspired by what feedback I got so far, some of the designers and store owners who have read this have reached out to say good idea or thank you for giving a new insight. One even asked if they could borrow the idea – I said yes as it is not a new idea nor does it belong to me. It is the intention to give ideas away, partly but really, it’s my journal of making note so I clean return to re-examine it.

rest

I spent the week with a lagging cold and sniffles and I started the ginger tea regiment I know works. My typical schedule of getting items to all stores was not an option, instead on Thursday and Friday I hibernated and rested. Nothing like sleeping in the middle of the day to make you realize what a cold can do, it knocks the wind out of you. As an entrepreneur, you must know your body and read its signs to take time to deal with it before it breaks down. It needs rest and it does need to stop sometimes. So, instead of running around and getting product to all the Calabar Imports stores, this was the week of planning and figuring out some extra things to do for the six months.

Planning on Thursday through Ginger Tea

This week, planning projects for Calabar Imports fell into three categories: events, designers and social media. On Thursday, I developed a road map for events in November to September and identified who would make a good partner and who needed an opportunity to establish and grow themselves. The goal was simple, designers, artisans and makers need a time and place to sell, market and meet new customers. And rather than just popups, I would return to the old traditional trunk shows with designers who were ready to make things happen for themselves. For me at Calabar Imports, these shows get me to see new product to bring into the store from that designer, build a relationship with a designer and get them to understand what is possible.

The trunk show events for some designers are a home run if they have been busy marketing and showing their work in some many ways: online, markets, shopping events, social media, emails, and in other stores. The combination makes the end result a good start, but the other key is having the products in sizes needed for clothing in particular.

Ginger has begun to work:

Friday was spent looking at designers whose work would fit as part of the Calabar Imports brand. Social media was a place to start as I have already identified them last month but needed to sit and look at the work closeup. I was able to narrow my list to about 20, some are in New York, others outside.  After about two hours, I went on to nap again. That Ginger tea was definitely working. To be sick in the winter with a cold is a pain, so I do my best to get rid of it quickly.

Saturday – back in the groove:

Taking two days off this week and being under the weather has made me lose time on getting merchandise – so as I got to Bed Stuy to spend the day, I reconstructed my options for the week; I would need to get merchandise into the stores on Tuesday and spend Wednesday on Franklin Avenue redesigning it again – some changes were needed and also time to look at what I needed to do with the lights.

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Saturday in the store was a mix of searching for lights and getting to see what products needed to be brought into the store – this week – jackets, sweaters, scarfs and gloves became a priority. I had delayed ordering scarfs and gloves because October is tricky as the weather keeps swinging from from 30 degrees to 70 degrees. It’s always like this – so this year, I decided that gloves and scarfs would start arriving in November. The jewelry for the holiday season had begun to arrive – I would sort them out too on Tuesday.

This week, I made a commitment to Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival, I would host the Nollywood movie showing. So, I left the store earlier and heading to Long Island University to watch the film, Jimmy Goes to Nollywood and close it out with a panel discussion. A late dinner after kept me out until midnight – I had a meeting with a candidate in an incubator – to discuss next steps. Some days, you make exceptions so that the next generation begins a business in good stride.

Sunday was Harlem – and I left early after buying candy for Halloween – yes, that kind of day. But is become obvious very early that the day would not be about doing anything on my agenda. It was a day for others – new product from Ghana came in, a series of meetings about a cafe and several phone calls about an event in September. By 6pm, the day had disappeared, so the best I could do was set up the new product, change the space and do bills for the store – only two major bills were left – suppliers and rent. Monday would be a good day to do those.

Monday – my last day of the week

A good neighbor in Harlem brought me chicken soup, and it helped me on Monday – my body needed that soothing. I finalized bills and began to layout a calendar up for the confirmed events and also to see when products would be in – my last product delivery for the year December 20, just in time for Christmas. I noted that several Kwanzaa candle packs were already sold, I would order more on Thursday and Sage too – all the stores were out of it. It is the season. The train to Brooklyn from Harlem was an interesting one, I had forgotten that after 9 pm, the subway traffic gets more interesting and bizarre.

As I end the day on Monday, I am finally in better spirits – that cold is gone and that ginger tea worked. I will be buying some more ginger this week. It will again be in everything I eat and drink this winter season. Funny, I am reminded of garlic too. Until next week, please come back and read the third part Chronicles of My Retail Life: A Weekly Series on Calabar Imports.

Chronicles of My Retail Life: A Weekly Series on Calabar Imports

Posted on by atimannetteoton


This week, I launch, Chronicles of My Retail Life, a weekly series of blogs about what’s happening with me at Calabar Imports. It’s a short synopsis of the life of a retailer in Brooklyn and Harlem from day to day events, insights on what happens in the store and what ideas are implemented and dropped. This series will be written every Tuesday and will contain some discussion on the changes and growth we are experiencing. Some customers and people will not be named but initials will be used to protect some of their identities and privacy.

Week One: October 14-19

I begin my week on Thursday after taking two days off – I call this day the first of my travel days as I spend it going to at least two stores to update windows, bring in merchandise, talk with staff and new initiatives. I begin it on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights where all our merchandise arrives each week. This is Calabar Imports’ headquarters.

At the head quarters, I sort out what merchandise has arrived and place them into four piles. Each store gets one pack of items or what I feel best fits that location. We are in four different yet similar locations in Brooklyn and Harlem. The one thing I have not added to this process that staff needs to do is log in all merchandise in the Square system that is now available in all stores.

Franklin Avenue:

Crown Heights is interesting – This is Heloise’s store – she is the point person there and runs it in her own special way. I have been her child too long to know not to interfere – but there are days I try to. This is the store that we relocated our Washington Avenue store  to after the fire and it is the store where I began to plan to expansion and growth of Calabar Imports into 4 stores.

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I leave Franklin Avenue and head for Boerum Hill to the Third Avenue Store, this was the third store we opened after the fire – in a new neighborhood that I watched for a year. It was a pleasure to open this store here as it was something that was missing on this strip. Third Avenue is the smallest of our stores, it’s cute and quaint and comes with the contrasts of New York extremes – the Gowanus Houses and Extreme Luxury Apartments on one side. So, imagine the customers we get. All good, but it is REAL New York.

Boerum Hill: Third Avenue

At Third Avenue, I do the window on Thursday – use the new clothing and new products that come in to showcase what we have and what’s new. The challenge is to keep this inviting for the two exteeme demographics, it’s a balancing act.

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This store is in proximity to the heart of Brooklyn – and in the midst of the development of hotels in proximity to Barclays and Atlantic Center, and two blocks from Atlantic Avenue. This is the store I have to bring my innovative ideas and I will be looking to partner with others to do some creative things here. After I finish with Third Avenue, I decide if the day is not gone to go home to do some more marketing or to head to Harlem or Bed Stuy. This week, I went on to Bed Stuy – it was important to re-examine that store. Ariel is now fully settled into Third Avenue – I think this pace has given her time to ponder her goals and what next. Sometimes you make your business a place for your employees to take their time and grow themselves, build their careers, finish school and make their next move. That was what my first job in the US did for me. I hold that memory dear and a learning lesson.

Tompkins Avenue:

I love the journey from Third Avenue to Tompkins, I intentionally take the B52 bus as it weaves me from Fulton Street through Fort Greene into Bed Stuy. It is in this bus where I write my to do list for the next week after reviewing what’s on the list for this week. These days – my to do list always has 7 items – one item for each day of the week. I have found that has been the solution to all my best laid plans. If I achieve one item a day – I have done a lot. And if I do more – I have over achieved. I use to have 10 things a day – and accomplish 2-4 – so it became clear that the list did not work and so a new approach was discovered. I celebrate getting one item done each day – I am much happier and my list does not pile up. It’s the simple things that make life so easy. It is on this bus I remember the B52s band and hum their songs often.

BedStuySpace

When I arrive at Tompkins – Cassandra is at helm of this space. If you have not me Cassandra – I would say a trip to Bed Stuy is a must on Thursday and Friday. Like my mother, Cassandra is a retired teacher, she loves her freedom and working at Calabar gives her time to be out of her apartment – meet new people and help grow a business, she made that commitment to me a year ago, and I value that. At Tompkins Avenue, we sit and talk about what happened last week, what needs to be accomplished this week and month and also when she plans to travel again. Yes, scheduling is a conversation I have frequently with the four women I work with and my business partner. Each of us have lives outside the store and making sure everyone gets to do the other parts of their lives or businesses is vital to a working ship like Calabar Imports. Some days it is a challenge – other days – it works out so smoothly. I typically head home after a few hours to actually cook dinner – yes, I do cook – usually on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. But this week, I head up to Harlem to get ready for Women’s Writers of the Diaspora hosted by Celesti Colds Fechter.

The Weekend:

Saturday for me is in Bed Stuy while Sunday and Monday are in Harlem and these are the days I work in the stores. I chose these two because there are the event spaces we have and I am looking to grow that part of our business into a community asset. I think space is a premium but it belongs to a community who exercises the use of it. And my spaces belongs to the communities we are based in. It’s getting them to see its value and buy-in to ownership of it; it’s an interesting puzzle for communities that are usually challenged about rights and ownership. As someone who has acquired space, I know how hard it is to get and see that providing access to it is crucial for those working on creative endeavors. I made a decision to do it sometimes for free depending on the individual, project or idea – and other times for a small fee so that the individual owns and sets value to it. The key for me is simple – are you going to give this gift to someone else for free too, it’s just that simple. Free is not free but it’s growing someone else besides yourself.

By Monday in the stores, I have re-calibrated and worked on several new initiatives, this week was to begin the Holiday marketing campaign, send out newsletters and engage all social media parts of the company. I have taken over the social media part of the company after a year of a staff running it. The goal here was to re-brand it – as both an educational forum and a sales platform. It’s a lot of work and hectic but it’s vital as I plan to build it to a complex and defined platform for the business. My day ended late on Monday and as I complete this first blog today, I am please to say that it has been a good week, so please join my adventures: Chronicles of My Retail Life, follow me and share this blog with others today.