Branded Local

I had never heard of this term up until about a day ago. Dead man’s corner refers to the retail space right in the corner of an “L” shaped retail complex. It’s called that because visibility is horrible for the store, making it tough for people to find. The article I was reading that taught me this term said that you shouldn’t be enticed by the lower price per square foot or extra floor space…a dead mans corner is not to be trifled with.

Whoops…where was this article three months ago?

This article couldn’t have come at a worse time. See, our store hasn’t been doing well for the past month or so (remember, we’ve only been open 6 weeks…) and were itching for an excuse to blame it on.

Our first two weeks were phenomenal. Better than any of us could have expected. Sales were high and our people loved us – life was good. Things took a pretty sharp turn during our third week for the worst. Sales slowly dropped, reaching a paltry level well below our required expenses.

At first we blamed it on the weather. Record rain in the area surely meant people weren’t out shopping…right? Next it was our signage…maybe we just needed a bigger sign?  Perhaps a different color?  Was it prices? People comment all the time on how great our prices are. Shopping the competition showed we were already well below market. Then it hits us…maybe it’s us. People seem to interact well with us, but maybe not. But if it is us, how are we supposed to fix that?!?

So here we are in the depths of self loathing, wondering what we’ve gotten ourselves into, when along comes this article. Of course!!! It’s not us, it’s the dead mans corner!!

Do you see how dangerous of a game this is? Actually, the whole thing has been a dangerous game. We cant worry about corners or people liking us or any of that. Sure, maybe it was the weather that first week. Maybe it was coincidental the week after that. Maybe the first two weeks were the oddballs, and this is the norm. None of that matters. (things like signage, smell and pricing, however, do matter, as we have control over them).

All we can do is keep trying new things to let people know were here and continue providing the absolutely best service we know how to do. We’ll figure it all out in the end. I wish I could end this post with the magic bullet that solved our problem, but sadly I haven’t found it yet.  More than likely, the “magic bullet” will probably turn out to be a combination of many factors that move things forward.  In any case, keep a close eye on our blog, as we’ll definitely be sharing our progress over the coming months!

Without a doubt, sometime in the process of starting and growing your business, something will happen that makes you feel discouraged. Whether it’s a friend who gets a promotion and makes you feel uncertain of your path, a setback in your plans or some negative feedback, it WILL happen. It’s important that you expect it and know the best ways to deal with it.

Focus on your own success. We have a tendency of discounting our own success and overvaluing other people’s.

Focus on your goal. Chances are, you’ve already tackled and worked through whatever is discouraging you once or several times before. Always remember why you made the decisions or sacrifices you’ve made and focus on your goal.

Let yourself be. Feeling discouraged isn’t always a bad thing, and it often leads to a renewed sense of urgency and commitment to your plans. Give yourself some time to process whatever it was that made you feel down, but always be looking for your chance to move forward.

Learn from it. Once you’re feeling better, take some time to think back on what bothered you, why it bothered you and how you were able to overcome it. Next time, you’ll be prepared.

In the end, you just need to realize that feeling discouraged is just part of the ups and downs of running your own business. Unlike a paid position at an established company, being your own boss forces you to face your fears, tackle your weaknesses and take criticism. It’s worth it.