The Manor in The Grand
The Manor is now located in The Grand Antique Mall in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Located at 9701 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45215
Brick and Mortar, Store with a Door, Physical Shop
There are many different ways to refer to the physical retail location of a business, and these types of phrases are becoming more common in this internet age we live in. But when most retail companies are transferring their focus to their online venues, I'm going in the opposite direction.
I started my business online, using the handmade and vintage selling platform Etsy.com. Over the past two years, I've seen steady growth, but I've hit a plateau. With only one employee at the moment (me, myself, and I), and as any other business owner, I've been working overtime in order to see The Manor grow. But my time is not infinite, and I've seemed to run out.
This leaves me two options: find ways to become more efficient, or find ways to sell more without using up my precious time. Of course, I thought "Why not both?" The efficient part, well, that's an ongoing process. But how does an online business that sells one-of-a-kind vintage items sell more without spending more time photographing, listing, or shipping? How do you increase your profit, without increasing your time?
Rare vintage Cincinnati Reds and Bengals t-shirts only available at The Grand Antique Mall in Cininnati, Ohio. Limited supply.
One answer to this question, is selling in person, or off-line. This cuts down on time photographing each item, measuring sizes, and packaging to ship to the customer. As for financial cost, there are easier steps you can take before investing in an actual brick and mortar storefront location.
A small business can participate in local markets. Some around Cincinnati Ohio, my hometown, are: farmer's markets, specialty markets like The Oakley Fancy Flea, or big convention center events like The Holiday Market.
As a vendor of vintage, I chose to go a different route. I wanted something a little more permanent, that I could use as a "mini storefront". For me, antique malls were a perfect option. The Grand Antique Mall, in Cincinnati Ohio invited me to rent a space, and I gladly accepted. I signed on for a 3 month contract (April 1st to June 30th 2017), and hopefully this will help me conserve my time.
Because sometimes saving your time is just as important as saving money.
