Editing The Pen Addict 667/transcript (section)

== Starting a Brick-and-Mortar Stationery Store ==

* But if you come in with like the right selection of products and can tell the story and share the stories of these products and participate in the community as like an open sharing space for hangouts, like I would have like, I would have a shop space and I would have like a hangout space in any stationery store I built, right? And like that's giving up some of the very expensive, you know, retail footage that you need. But I think people need to be comfortable once they find you is to like spend some time and learn and share and bring in other people into the community and holding events and educating the community.
* And, you know, it's going to be a lot about the products are going to what gets your door open. But figuring out how to build community is, is going to be what gets your growth and continued to growth, continued growth. So I'd start looking at these other retailers that you mentioned, you know, look at someone like, um, and like, I generally do not know how to say this name. It's bomb Kukin, uh, out of Los Angeles. Like if you're, if you're looking at this, you probably run across them. They started like a pretty small retailer retail shop. They really focused on like, um, like the education aspects of products in store, like not really even like online. And, um, you know, they've just continued to grow and continue to build and like have the, uh, just a great community of people that support them. So figure it, find these small stores and small communities that may not be the biggest, um, you know, the biggest online presences, right. And figure out what they're doing to thrive in their local markets. Um, and, you know, decide even if you want to run an online, you know, retail shop, like, um, um, the, the shop in Chicago, is it pen, pen, paper, pencil, Chicago? I forget the exact name. I apologize. Um, they don't even run an online, uh, retail operation, right? They're like on Instagram, they share everything, but they want you to come to the store, right? They don't even, um, they don't even have online retail. So that's a decision like you have to make. That's a, that's a man. That's a tough decision. Like, I don't know if I could do that. Right. Um, but like, that's also the habit that I've been into is, is running some online. So does the online, does the Instagram, um, paper and pencil, Chicago. Gosh, I, I can't remember the exact name. Okay. Um, but like, it's easy to find and, um, we'll put a link in the show notes because I'm, it's, you know, I'm all, I'm all over the name, but, uh, give me the correct name. Paper and pencil, Chicago. Okay. I just couldn't, I wasn't sure. So they do not have online retail, right? But they are really driven by growing the local stationery community. Yeah. Right. So that's, what's keeping them going. And that's a really neat business to, um, to follow and learn from. Um, they're the ones who did, um, the Chicago stationery fest earlier this year as well. Right. That also. Great. Then if you can sell something like that, you're doing good. So like, this is a great, great thought.
* Um, and you know, it could be a great experience. It'll be super, super difficult. Like I, like, I feel like I don't need to say that, but like, I think, you know, that, but you know, if it's, if you're like really, really dedicated to it and you take, if this is your only job, like you're, you know, take an oath of poverty for like a year or two, because that's what it's going to take to, to build something like this. But yeah, I think it could be good, especially in the right place, right location.