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Successful Grand Opening Despite Challenges: My Reflections and Future Plans

In summary, Sara had a challenging day at her first show. She had five guests show up, and made $170 in commissionable sales. Her show is still in progress, and she hopes to have more orders come in tomorrow.
Tig
90
I really dont know what to think of it. My day started off REAL cray to begin with. My son (hes 4) has an illness that seemed to be better since his last hospital admission 2 months ago. Then 3 days ago it flared up again. This afternoon seemed to get much worse as he was in so much pain and crying. My heart was breaking seeing him wanting me to "fix it" and I couldnt. We almost had to bring him back to the local childrens hospital to emerg and almost cancel the ground opening. But after a few hours, it passed (thank god!)
So for the afternoon I was nervous and had the shakes due to seeing my son in the state that he was, bringing back the memories of his pre-hospital admission to the childrens hospital 1500 miles away, I couldnt concentrate on anything. Plus, he was clingy (understandable) the first 30 minutes of the show to me for comfort.
Anyhow, by the start-time I had 3 guests arrive on time. Then 2 showed up 30 mins late, and one called saying she couldnt make it because she wasnt feeling too well. I guess by that time I felt a bit down (tried to hide it), since I had 8 FIRM coming with 4 maybes. The other FIRMS didn't even call to say they couldnt make it anymore. Oh well, what can you do. I guess between nerves from my afternoon, and my first show, and my shyness, I found it really hard to concentrate on what I practiced. I explained to the girls about my day, and they all understood thank goodness. My best friend stuck around after the show (shes my best critic ;) ) and we talked a bit about it. She said I did great, considering the circumstances. I really wonder, if for my next couple of shows to stick with the "demo shows", until I pick up on everything, and know what to say about product without having to refer to a paper, would be a good way to go - then gradually do the interactive show for a couple shows after that. Maybe having little sticky-notes in my catalogue, as Im going along with it, with guests, then hopefully a couple of shows later, I will be able to explain things a bit better naturally.

The outcome? 5 guests, and $170 in commissionable sales between the 5 (and $137 in guest sales). I am waiting to see on outside orders tomorrow.
I did however get a new show booking! She just moved in from out west about 4 or 5 days ago, She doesnt know anyone here yet (she met some friends here, and a couple of them are going to go to her show now) is going to have one at the end of June too ;)
My best friend is also holding a catalogue show for me too (she lives with her parents so having a show at her place isnt an option)
 
I am SO sorry you had such challenges all day. I am praying that your son is better. Chin up on the show though okay? You've got a qualified show and I'm willing to bet that your show went better than you think as far as your guests go. You had a lot on your plate and I commend you for being able to pull it together and do the show with what you were facing. Get some rest and I'll be praying that tomorrow you have a better day.
 
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Almost a qualifed show. I need to have $200 here in canada to be qualified. So Im hoping that I get some outside orders come in tomorrow from those that said theyd be here (I dont know if they will, I just fired off an email after the show saying sorry to see they couldnt make it, and if they'd like to order anything to feel free to by monday to add to the order)
 
Sara, I hope your little guy is better soon.As for your opening, you'll hear lots of stories about great openings. You'll also hear lots of stories about slow struggles with start-up. The important thing is to not let a slow beginning stop you from moving ahead. Best wishes on your new business.
 
Sara-
Congrats! It sounds like all in all it went good. I hope your son is feeling better today. Just a thought about your friends catalog show. Could you offer to do it at your house. I find my shows always do better than catalog shows. Just an option to think of. Good Luck!
 
:)Sara - it sounds like you did GREAT! Ourself is always our biggest critic, right? It will DEFINATELY be a qualified show. I always NEED to REMIND people even the morning of my Open House (I phone just the people who said YES to attending). At my Stoneware class in January - I was nervous (because I had a potential recruit coming), there was only 7 of us - so I just sat down on the couch with the ladies! - Boy did that ever calm me down! It was nice because it was so casual - we laughed and joked around and it wasn't so much like a 'presentation'. When I have been doing my 'catalogue walk through' shows - I usually sit with the ladies (usually by my table of products) and it eases my nerves SO much........

Congrats on a job well done! Gla dto hear your DS is doing ok.
 
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Thank you everyone :)

pc ri lisa said:
Sara-
Congrats! It sounds like all in all it went good. I hope your son is feeling better today. Just a thought about your friends catalog show. Could you offer to do it at your house. I find my shows always do better than catalog shows. Just an option to think of. Good Luck!

Unfortunately my DH will not allow people we don't know into the home, let alone a whole slew of them. Or I would definately do that. I wanted to have my party set for people to brieng a friend, but then had to scrap that idea.
 
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  • #8
So no outside sales today :( And to make it a bit worse, one of the girls who placed an order yesterday, backed out of her order bc she decided shes going to do a show, but not until end of august and would rather get them as freebies at that point. And one of the girls who said she would for sure do a show for me in the first 30 days backed out and wants to do it in July instead now. And so far my show cant even qualify yet unless I make a pretend order or something to make it over the $200 mark.
I want to crawl under a biiiig rock and hibernate for a long time right now. Why did I do this again??
What a baaad weekend
 
Hang in there Sara. Quite a few folks on this board had a rough start and are now running successful businesses. Keep reading the forums and threads that focus on the basics (bookings, selling, etc); it will help your foundation (and confidence) tremendously. In the meantime, {{{hugs}}}}.
 
  • #10
cheer up Sarah!! We've all had some shows that didn't work out -- I once did a show for a host & 2 guests -- and only one placed an order. She never did make it to $200, so I tacked her show onto another one.It'll get better. Sorry about your son, too. I hope you & he are starting to feel better now. It is disappointing not to qualify in your first 30 days, but don't panic. You have 90 days to earn rewards. Keep working your business & everything will fall into place :)Hope we get to meet soon :)
 
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Well, dh's best friend (he lives in china teaching english) sent me an emil this morning that he would like some prodcuts. Yay! He LOVES to cook, so he got a couple of placemats, and napkins, and the forged util knife. He will get more later. So that brought me to where I needed to be at least - PHEW!
 
  • #12
Congrats...but I am pretty sure you cannot have it shipped to China. It has to come to you first then YOU have to ship it to China.

good luck!!
 
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  • #13
Yeah I thought that :) He comes to visit us every summer for a couple of weeks, so I will be holding onto it for him 'till he comes
 
  • #14
Hi Sara:

Your grand opening sounds like mine...not too grand, but it did qualify, and I moved on to a pretty decent business over the past 5 months.

Keep the faith - call everyone you know for shows, follow up on leads, and good things will happen!
 
  • #15
Hold your head up, you did really good with all things that were going on. I hope you DS is feeling better. I had a slow start and didn't qualify in 30 days, but it all worked out. Keep going. It will get better. And good for you for hanging in there
 

Related to Successful Grand Opening Despite Challenges: My Reflections and Future Plans

1. What challenges did you face during your grand opening?

During my grand opening, I faced several challenges such as low foot traffic, technical difficulties with the online ordering system, and unexpected weather conditions. These challenges made it difficult to attract customers and make sales.

2. How did you overcome these challenges?

To overcome these challenges, I had to think on my feet and come up with creative solutions. I tried to attract customers by offering special discounts and promotions, and also utilized social media to spread the word about my grand opening. I also worked with the technical team to resolve the issues with the online ordering system, and prepared for the weather conditions by having a backup plan for outdoor activities.

3. Did you have a successful grand opening despite the challenges?

Yes, I believe I had a successful grand opening despite the challenges. Although the foot traffic was lower than expected, I was able to make connections with potential customers and generate some sales. I also received positive feedback from those who attended and they were excited to attend future events.

4. What lessons did you learn from this experience?

From this experience, I learned the importance of being flexible and adaptable in the face of challenges. It's also crucial to have a contingency plan in case of unexpected circumstances. Additionally, I learned the value of utilizing social media and other marketing strategies to attract customers and promote events.

5. What are your future plans for your business after the grand opening?

After the grand opening, I plan to continue promoting my business through various channels and building relationships with customers. I also plan to analyze the success and challenges of the grand opening and use that information to improve future events and strategies. Additionally, I will focus on expanding my customer base and increasing sales through hosting more events and offering new products.

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