The Small Shop mindset

No, I'm not 'down' on small shops, but re-reading what I wrote last night makes me think about it again.

The LS I worked for was not a freestanding shop. It was in a mall of about 120 stores, a 'regional shopping hub'. During the tenure of the last owners, we carried an odd and eclectic mix of merchandise--primitive furniture one of the owners built in his spare time, antiques, cheapie collectibles, dolls, statues-- among the silk and fresh arrangements. And, we tried most of the marketing tips that came down the pike: cash and carry bunches, fresh flowers displayed out of the cooler, buy-one-get-one, even "Happy Hour" sales; we did wedding shows; we sent out brochures to prospective clients; we did balloon sculptures and candy baskets; we participated in the Christmas house and the local Women's Showcase and the Heart Walk and the Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours....but the business folded anyway.

As I think about reasons now, I know higher rent in a larger space affected them tremendously, and more competition hurt.....but I think the MAIN reason, the bottom line reason, was this:
We (and many other little shop florists) worked from a mind-set of frugality and scarcity.
Sure, we here in Minnesota get frugality with our mother's milk, so it's extra-hard for us to think with a sense of bounty and joyful abundance, but that's what flowers should be....a skimpy arrangement is just sad.

OK, you say...so what's the solution? Sheesh, not everyone can work in the 'joyful abundance' of a grocery store floral department! What's a little shop supposed to do, here?

I say, IT IS AN ATTITUDE that defeats a little shop. Stuff wasn't scarce, we just didn't think we could charge for our creativity or for those extra stems. So, we used less and made less profit....then we bought less, then painted that old vase instead of.....
The shop had a sense of scarcity and making-do that was evident as you walked through the door. That's partly why they folded, and it's also why I enjoy working where I do now.