Win this Light!

Hi Everyone,

We just announced February’s winner for the storybook Woodland pendant. She was very excited and picked it up yesterday. This month, we are giving away this charming two light vanity light from Quoizel. It is chrome and has that classic “Pottery Barn” look. All you need to do is find Heber Valley Lighting on Facebook and “Like” the post with the featured light.  Click on the picture above and it will take you right to the Facebook page.  If you live out of town, we will ship to you for free. Easy Peezy!

Don’t forget to check out http://www.momandpoplighting.com for great lighting and accessories!

I can’t get no…motivation…

Well, I’ve lost my motivation.  I need a new plan again!  I will get this figured out.  The problem is I got too nervous adding stuff to the website online while on the work laptop that isn’t authorized for such stuff.  So I deleted the history and have been a good girl at work, but then with kids and other things I haven’t been able to add after school.  I need to get up early and do it again and set weekend goals….  I am a little mad at myself for not keeping on course though.

On the bright side a friend of mine offered to help me with the website in exchange for ordering lights through me.  He is a guru at websites, so I am very excited to have his help!  So far, I don’t even understand his basic website language.  If that is any indicator he should be an immense help for me!  Yay!

Vaxcel’s Woodland Pendant Free Giveaway Contest

“Like” the contest link on Facebook under Heber Valley Lighting to be entered.

Waking up early just to list online?….

Waking up early to list…..?
That’s right. I am actually getting up at least an hour before the kids to get my ten items online. I like getting items listed early because I won’t get interrupted by the kids and it is something I can do that won’t wake them up either. I used to shoot for five a day and did a poor job. Now, I am knocking out ten a day just in the morning. I have a bunch of categories that I need populate before I will like the look of the website. For example, one of my sections was Accessories with a sub-category of Fireplace. It had nothing in it until yesterday. So, I have created another goal sheet to go along with my January/February goal sheet. It is a sort of do these fast so it doesn’t look stupid list with an additional ten a day for the next six days. I was able to get twenty listed today (in complete violation of the school’s “acceptable use” policy for the computers) and have already gone from 150-300 items in less than a month.
Once I like the looks of everything and feel like I have all of the very best of Uttermost online, I need to figure out how to sync their inventory with the website. A daunting task to me right now, hopefully it won’t be too hard. Also, I noticed that my pricing is lower than what is offered online, so I need to see if there are Internet Minimum Advertising Pricing guidelines (IMAPs). As mentioned in a previous blog, I could get in trouble for underselling the products online. A big misconception with consumers is that they are getting a better deal online, when they could more likely get a better deal with a brick and mortar store.
My next challenge which I hope to meet on March 1st, is to get set up with Amazon.com so that my website is linked on theirs. I want to be one of those external websites that you can get redirected to. I think that would be huge for getting more traffic to my website.
I’ve been having fun on Pinterest too. I am Char Dawson on there if you want to check out my site. I try not to make it very obvious about what I am promoting and have only linked two pins out of more than one hundred to the website. I’ve been pinning for a couple of weeks. It is a lot of fun if you want to try it, I can send you an invite.
Finally, I had an idea for Facebook. I have a bunch of random inventory that is not cost effective to sell on ebay and ship. So, on our company Facebook page I will be posting a picture of one of those items every month and then whoever clicks “like” will be entered to win. I have enough items to give stuff away for two years!
There you have it! I can’t believe how motivated I am still! I just love seeing the website transform and have grandiose visions of making the internet my primary customer base to the point we can pay off all my suppliers and bills as well as hire someone!

It’s All in the Cards…

So far, I actually enjoy listing items on the website, www.momandpoplighting.com.  It used to be a chore.  Now, I feel like every item I add contributes to the overall feel and can’t wait to add more.  I actually got ahead on my timeline a couple of days.  With kids and life, you never know which days you just won’t have time.

I went to my friend’s house last weekend and she has “Angel Cards” that she does readings with.  It’s kind of like tarot cards except nothing is scary or negative.  Mine said that I was on the right path, things that had been put in motion two years ago were coming into their own now and to be patient, and not to worry about money; that it was already taken care of, also to be confident.

So I keep thinking about the two year ago seeds I planted.  One interpretation could be the website.  I just got a two year anniversary thank you/congratulations card from Volusion, the company that hosts my site, last weekend.  Then, I thought that about two years ago I got my teaching license renewed.  So, who knows?  I guess I will keep going with both.  I really enjoy working with kids and have had some awesome interactions.  One kid, my Blindside kid (sans football and living in my imaginary mansion), resisted every effort of mine to get him working.  He lost his dad two years ago to suicide and his mom is in and out of jail.  He moved to Salt Lake last week, but took the time to write me one of the most touching thank you cards ever.  Then there are the kids who completely bombed first quarter and proudly passed their classes second quarter.

The money prediction works for me.  I have been pursuing a company that owes us $18,000.00 recently.  Maybe the owners will have a conscience and pay up!  Or, maybe it means the economy is picking up and with mine and Jeff’s income we can hedge what we need to for the lighting store.

It works with my Gemini spirit to multi-task, so I will keep plugging away at both!  Check out the website, I like it so much better already even though there is a fraction of the content at this point. 

Bathroom Lighting Trends

I love to see new trends in lighting, especially in unexpected places.  In the bathroom, a mini chandelier over the tub is a must. (Although you should get your certificate of occupancy first then trade out the light for a chandelier, it is not code.)  I  had a customer ask me if 6-60wt bulb chandelier over the tub is enough light.  Speaking from personal experience, and to a very well liked and good humored customer, I asked if she worked out. She said, “I’ll get a dimmer”  We had a good laugh, but the point is not to overdo lighting over a bathtub.  Too much light makes it had to relax and you will find yourself confronting your flaws.

The picture below makes good use of wall sconces on either side of the mirror and a nice pendant in the middle.  If there is natural light in your bathroom, you can go with less decorative light.  If your eyes are not the best and you need to see, up the ante with lighting.  Instead of an overhead traditional light bar you could hang two mini pendants on either side of the mirror.  Speaking of mirrors, a framed mirror has a warmer feel than a beveled frameless mirror glued onto the wall. Undercabinet lighting and lighting beneath a cabinet at the floor level can create a nice ambiance as well.  Layers of light is the key to success for lighting designers.  Having spots on pictures or large spans of wall space really transforms any room.

Rule number one when it comes to lighting is to match your finishes.  I had a starter home once and after living there a while I noticed we had black light fixture, nickel faucets, brass doorknobs and hinges, chrome knobs on the cabinet.  It was a mess!  Consider your finishes, they don’t have to be the exact match, but keep bronzes with bronzes, chromes with chromes, etc.

Second, support your local lighting store!  They are the experts and will price match or beat anything you see online most of the time.  Many people don’t realize that the online stores are held to higher pricing guidelines by the manufacturer than brick and mortar stores.  In addition, what you think you like online may be disappointing in real life.  I have seen thousands of lights firsthand and know which ones deliver and which ones don’t.  Your local lighting designer will have her favorites as well.

Third, take your time, if you have it and go with what you like.  Pull pictures from magazines and do a little homework, it will pay off in the end!

Out with the old…

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Well I have cleaned out and re-organized the website, www.momandpoplighting.com  to make way for Uttermost only.  It was painful to delete all of the items that were on there, but most were outdated as far as pricing goes and it seems like my most popular items were always on backorder anyway.    So, now instead of just lighting there is furniture, botanicals, clocks, mirrors, artwork and decor too.  I decided to branch out in all of the categories at once and not do all of the lighting, then all of the clocks, etc.  The new Uttermost catalog came and I was too excited to wait.  As of this post there are some categories still waiting for me to add items.  My goal is 10 a day.  Today I did twenty.  I am more motivated now, everything looks nice and cohesive.  Plus, having one supplier to track inventory, purchase orders and invoices should really simplify everything.

I need to keep at it and get on Amazon.com as well, not quite sure how to do that.  I notice that is my go to site to find jpegs of lighting and pricing when I don’t want to look things up.  I am doing this the old fashioned way, one item at a time.  I think 1.000 items will be a good mark to shoot for by April and then go for Amazon.com.  Right now my website is just too sparse.  I know that when I did ebay my sales seemed to become steady when I had more than 150 items in my “store”.  This is all sort of an experiment right now, but I feel great about it!  Lighting Universe has just about everything on their site, but it can be overwhelming.  I was trying to find a sconce and there were thousands to sort through.  This will be more manageable for me and my shoppers.

By the way, if you see something you like, I can get you a code to save 20%!  Just send over a request and you will get the best deals on Uttermost out there!

Goodbye 2011!

From a business/economic perspective last year was rough, really rough.  We moved into the basement apartment of our showroom, an option we used to jokingly refer to as “Plan Q”.  It felt weird at first to close up and then simply go downstairs, but you couldn’t ask for a shorter commute and we have saved a fortune in gas and auto wear and tear.  The biggest challenge is keeping the kids under control when customers are there, they are over the novelty of it and will have a “Battle Royale” regardless of who is upstairs.
We had our two worst months of sales on record for the past year.  Partly because I was managing two other businesses next door and life was stressful and chaotic, but that job did provide a little extra, and steady, income of which we were grateful for and in need of.  Our savings and college fund have been completely used up just to survive.
It has also been a time that has built up our faith.  Just when you think all hope is lost, miracles happen.  I had screwed up the checkbook and needed $600.00 just to break even or checks were going to bounce.  There was no hope of getting that money and I felt so desolate.  I texted my husband to not bother using the debit card, and then prayed.  He texted back that he just got a check for $1200.00; exactly double of what we needed.  A friend of ours called out of the clear blue and said they were ready to purchase a lot in a high end neighborhood.  It would mean a commission check of close to $10,000.00.  Each time these events happened seemed to be when we were most in need.  It also seemed like it was timed to the minute.  2010 tested us yet made us stronger in our faith and commitment to making it.  We have stuck together as a couple, somehow and we have our health, knock wood.
Yesterday marked the first day I didn’t have to manage the boutiques next door, a huge weight off my shoulders.  My husband, Jeff, is working full time and we get to get our blood drawn this week for health insurance!  Never thought I would be so excited to get blood drawn.  His company will even pay for a health club membership if we use it fourteen times a month.  His self-esteem has improved since getting hired and a check every two weeks is wonderful.  I am working part time at the local high school.  I have  a social studies teaching degree, but have been unable to get a salary position.  So, I am the in school suspension “teacher”.  (I used quotations because it is a $10.00 an hour job.)  I am hoping to prove myself and get to know the right people so that when something opens I will get the job.
So, what about lighting?  Well, I am determined to stick with my plan of dedicating our website the showroom to the Uttermost line.  I will have the lighting complete by the end of this month, then on to clocks and pet beds, lamps, mirrors, etc.  For now, Jeff and I need a steady income and use part of what we make to support the showroom.  It’s our house, afterall.  If I can get a full time teaching job, I will still have summers and vacations off and will be able to hire someone at the lighting store.
So, there you have it.  Wish me luck!

2012 Lighting Store Resolutions — Uttermost!

As a small retail lighting store owner with two young children, and two other jobs (soon to be one other job), I have come to realize that from now on I want more fun and more simple.  We are a family run business, no outside employees.  I am literally the one to go to when it comes to putting together a custom track package, or going on walkthroughs and coming up with quotes.  I love helping people find lights, but have had a bit of an epiphany. I think it can be summed up with the phrase: “Keep it simple, stupid.”

One, while it is nice to offer everything, it is hard to track and manage over 50 supplier accounts. Two, simplify.  I am quitting my position as an assistant manager for the boutiques next door.  My lighting business has suffered, and I need to put my energy into my own company.  Three, why not focus on my very favorite line that my customers love too?  UTTERMOST!  I love that line.  When you go to market as a buyer their showroom is, hands down, the best.  It is teeming with designers and buyers and it looks fantastic with all of their items. They have great lighting, mirrors, clocks, décor, lamps, small furniture.   So, my goal this year is to phase out of everything and phase in Uttermost, including more of their lamps and clocks and decor.  I am starting with our website,www.momandpoplighting.com

 I am on schedule to have all of their lighting online by month’s end.  After that I will go to lamps, clocks, mirrors, etc.  My goal is to have it all online by summer.  As for the showroom, it will take a year or more, but I will add a little extra Uttermost onto each of my orders.  If I can get our cute little showroom to mirror the Uttermost showroom in Dallas and Vegas, I know we will rock the sales. 

As far as lighting goes, here are some pictures of my favorites.  The Galeana family is beautiful with the seeded glass and subtle rope detail.  The chain features rectangular links that everyone notices. The Elba two-tier chandelier is the best bang for your buck chandelier.  It is huge!  And, is just over $1000.00.  This chandelier can handily compete with chandeliers offered at ten times the price.  It is gorgeous!  The Fascination crystal chandelier is so pretty and a fantastic price for crystal.  The Giaveno pendant with the oxidized bronze is so cool, I like using an oversized light bulb with it.  Use it at an entryway, over an island, grouped over a billiard table, etc.  The finish on this is fantastic.  My last pick for today is the Woodland pendant.  These are gorgeous in person and make use of real sticks.  Perfect for a rustic look, with class.

I hope I can pull this off!  If I can do it, then there may come a day where I can hire some help and go visit my sister-in-law in Roatan!  Maybe some before pictures are in order.  Go small business people everywhere!

More Bathroom Lighting Ideas

I thought the above photos did a great job of demonstrating new ways of doing lighting in a bathroom.  The pendants over the mirror bring the light source down closer to the face and eliminate shadows.  The recessed lighting is great for bright light and a good way to highlight a gorgeous sink, but be sure to get a flood bulb or your face could get shadowy.  The sconces on the wall next to the tub give a great ambient light, and the chandelier adds a wonderful, romantic touch.  As I mentioned in the previous post, use low wattage bulbs or a dimmer.  Otherwise it may be hard to relax under too much light.  The modern glass chandelier in the bathroom adds a beautiful element of surprise while providing a good deal of light.