“I have a great product and a nice online store but I don’t have enough customers. What am I doing wrong?”

This is probably the top question I get every single week from coaching members and students in my courses. You’re working hard, you’re getting some traffic to your site, but it’s not enough (or not consistent enough) to make you really happy with your results.

And usually, you think the answer is the “right” ads, the “right” collaborations, the “right” new product launch – the “right” something if only you knew what it was…

Before you get to the specific marketing tactics to get more customers, I really want to make sure you understand why you don’t ALREADY have the sales.

This episode is the basis of how to get more customers. Listen now!

www.janehamill.com/3reasons

"Sometimes people are really, truly insane. But you're in retail so you stay nice no matter what. Retail Lesson number one -- the magic is in being nice."

There's what you think it will be like to own a retail store and then there's the every day reality. I owned a women's boutique for 14 years and let me tell ya, it's not for wusses. It's more fun than you ever imagined and it's waaaaayyyyyy harder than you ever imagined. 

My guest today tells us what it's really like to own and operate a boutique. Kirsten Skoglund owned a knitting shop with her sister for 10 years in Minnesota. Like most people who go into retail, she never thought she would. She's a former HR executive who had a passion for knitting - and a business was launched.

Kirsten is funny, smart, and honest in this interview. She's also the new accountability coach (woot!woot!) in my Imperfect Action membership. She ROCKS. 

Some snippets from the interview:

• "It can be pretty lonely being a retail store owner because you really don't have a whole lot of people to talk to. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of loneliness with entrepreneurship in general."
• "Sometimes people are really, truly insane. But you're in retail so you stay nice. No matter what. Retail Lesson number one -- the magic is in being nice."
• "I didn't have any systems for that (hiring), and I'm kind of embarrassed about that. I was always looking for people who could sell. I would go to the drive through and someone would be really good at selling me a hamburger and I would ask them if they wanted to come work at my store."
• Planning became very, very important. I was pulled kicking and screaming to the planning process and really learned to embrace it. If I planned, I could sell more! And it really did help keep all of the craziness out of my brain. Well, not all of it."

Show Notes and Links: 

www.janehamill.com/10things10years

We're diving back into our discussion with Zoe Hong on the 5 Ugly Truths about the Fashion Industry.

If you missed the first episode, you can listen as a podcast or watch the video interview at this link: 

http://janehamill.com/zoehong/

In this episode, Zoe touches on the last 2 Truths. 

4. It's About Who You Know

5. If You are Not Implementing Sustainability You are Already Behind.

These last two Truths are especially valuable and necessary to understand for those wishing to succeed in the Fashion Industry - or any industry really.

www.janehamill.com/zoehong2