The secret to my success

Being a business owner in a small town has its ups and downs.  I love what I do - truly - I love the kids that come here, I love knowing 50% of the people who walk in my store, I love it when kids brag: "I know her, I know her" as I wave in the Santa Claus Parade.   I never regret where we set our roots and where we've grown as a result.

The down side is, of course, that retail is always one of the hardest ways to make a living.  That's true in the big city where you can have a competitor at every corner and it's especially true in a small 'drive-thru" town that begs the question:   How can I get more people into my store/studio?

Well, I think my trick has been this:  don't marry your original concept!  That is to say, don't be so tied to your original idea that you won't budge from it.  Growth can only come through evolution because our consumers evolve and we need to move in tandem with them.

When we opened our store, we were an arts & crafts store for kids, who only sold eco/social responsible products.  Battery operated?  No way!  Watch-me toys?  No way! We offered classes only as a way of getting higher retail sales.

But today, we are a kids creative studio who happen to sell activity-based toys.  Our classes and programs are the real deal and what we've become "famous" for.  We now also sell remote control helicopters, board games & puzzles, spooner boards, locally made baby items & gifts, included a sweets shop, and have added classes for adults - none of which were part of our original plan.  We have married these changes with an old-fashioned approach to customer service.  I treat customers the way I want to be treated and I require the same of anyone who works for us.

So, the secret to our success is really just to evolve with the needs of our community and treat them right and the community will, in turn, support you.

Where ya been?

Wow, so write one post and don't come back for over two years????  What kind of blogger am I??

Well, obviously an overprogrammed one....thus the subtext up there.

So, I've decided to resume blogging....I know, how generous of me... now that I'm a full time Dopey Kid!  My name is still Danielle and I am the original Dopey Kid and proud owner and operator of a small town Creative Studio and Toy Store called Dopey Kid Originals.  This is a family business for which I am simply the primary visionary.  I started the company back in 1992 when I desperately needed a way to pay for university.  Back then, I was an artisan (I do use the term loosely) who sold her wares at Farmer's Markets, Craft Shows and the like.  Once I left school, I had to get a real job in the real world and my business became an exaggerated hobby.  I started having kids in 2001 when my creative focus really went into how to get cooperation from the world's most stubborn two year old!

For 5 years, I was a corporate trainer and area manager for a specialty retail chain, who sadly, went belly up.  I spent the next 12 years in corporate management in both the baby & toy industries.  When I was offered a job in January 2008 that allowed me to keep my income level and status, but work out of my home....I jumped!

I left my WAH corporate management position in July of this year (downsizing ... I guess that's more like they left me, but lemons from lemonade, right?!) and have been giving our family business my all since.  I have to admit, it's been scary.  It's weird going from primary breadwinner to no-bread-winner overnight.  I don't know how my honey is doing it, but somehow he is.  We haven't lost our house, so things are good!


Through it all, Dopey Kid had its place in the background and finally started regaining momentum in late 2007 when we opened our online store.  I opened the first retail location (brick & mortar, as they say in the biz) in January 2011 and haven't looked back.  We've grown in leaps and bounds:  opened (and closed) a separate seasonal dance/skate store, added a variety of programs (including summer camps), and moved to a location about 6 times larger than our original.  Not bad for 20% of my full attention!

So, now that you're up to date, we can get back in the swing of things.  Until next time.