Sunday, November 6, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO C&B! NOW WHAT'S NEXT :)





Happy Birthday to Us!  I can't believe it has been a year since we opened our shop in Upper Montclair.  It has gone so fast.  When I think back at all the different kinds of ups and downs, I realize how much we have grown and learned as people.  I also realize how much of it you really do on your own.  You think you are going to have all of this help and everyone is on board and likes exactly what you like and has the same passion as you.  NOT!   It was definitely a huge learning curve with lots of laughs and oops's.  We were so scared when we first started.  Not sure how to design the shop, what we were going to sell, will they like our product, would people want our service.  We were very afraid of any negative comment even though we knew what we had was nothing but "HAPPY".  Also, during the process (because it is a process) we learned what's not working and why.  Surely, they will come if you have a great concept...Right?  Being located on the second floor of a salon is difficult.  We do have our own set of stairs on the outside where people can walk up to our shop but it is a little intimidating.  It's an old building so the door is large and heavy and the enclosed stairs did not have lighting in the beginning...So Scary!  We fixed that right away.  So signage too was and is so important.  For the New Year we will definitely need to focus on that more.  I realized there totally is client confusion when you read the sign.  It says, "Coco & Bailey Boutique and Events Loft".  We chose loft because it is upstairs.  We chose boutique because we sell gifts and we chose events because our main business is the florals that we do.  We are floral specialists that design your flowers for your weddings, intimate affairs, holidays and just because.  If you look at our website and instagram it pretty much showcases a lot of our work.  The feedback that we are getting from our sign is, "Are you a restaurant, Do you host parties here, I thought when I walked in I was going to see flowers like a flower shop, etc. etc.  Ugh!!!!!  Client Confusion!  How can I fix this?  When people ask us what we do, I start to stutter.  We do a little bit of everything.  Jack of all trades you might say.  Lol!  I say, well,  our main business is the flowers and I explain that.  This is our MAIN BUSINESS!  Did you hear that?!  Then I realize when you look around the boutique there are NO flowers being showcased in a way to represent this.  Then I say we also offer hostess gifts and accessories.  This you can see in our shop.  We show beautiful scarves, handbags, candles, jewelry. some charming clothing with a little decor.  We also have a little coffee bar set up which I'm In Love With!  It adds just the right touch with a little warmth.  Christina, with her cosmotology degree and being in the salon industry for over 15 years,  sells makeup she loves, does airbrushing foundation on clients and would like to start doing blowouts and styles on clients for events.  Oh, before I forget, I also make some hand made items which is a totally Zen experience for me.  I do use the space as my studio to make all the flowers, craft my hand made products etc.  I also recently started classes to make wreaths and floral arrangements.  I've only had 2 classes so far.  Great feedback but not a huge turnout just yet.  This could be totally my fault because my social media skills is always the last thing I do so no one knows about my classes until 3 days before.  Great job Jo!  I give no one time to think and plan.  We are trying to be more effective with Social Media but we slack in this.  HELP!  All of this is what the New Year for us will be all about.  Advertising, fixing our signage to be more specific in showing off our product and services and possibly using our small space for intimate parties such as bridal/baby showers or just because.  Maybe even just branching off into just bridal accessories, parties and always showcasing the flower service that we offer.  I'm looking to get feedback from a "Professional" brander/marketer before I keep putting all my eggs in the wrong basket.  This year we want growth and we don't want to create the same issues when they are fixable.  Success is an option!  We have it but we need to direct it in the right direction!  Who is our target market...EVERYONE!  That's what we thought but really it's women between the ages of 20 and 65.  To be more specific than that, it would be brides, the wedding market, the people hosting parties, the client that is looking to by a small gift for their friends or family including themselves.  Also, people who would like to send a special arrangement to their special someone.  Just to be clear... I don't want to be a daily flower shop in case that's where your mind is going.  We want to provide a service and a product that works together seamlessly and is authentic and collaborates all of what we love.  We want our passion to shine through and be our own brand.  Christina is her brand and Joanna is her own brand thus coming together to reflect one beautiful and successful growing business!  I promise to me and to Christina that what we have will shine through this New Year!!  
 photo signature_zpshoufcjst.png

No comments:

Post a Comment