I quit my job and bought a shoe store

[The Sandman]

I'm on the road to making significant changes. It started with a shoe show last summer, where I made connections and got some great input.

I had been operating with the perspective that there was no clear path for significantly growing this business. I came away energized with a changed view and started developing a plan.

Key points:

• Expand offerings into a local market we don't serve: industrial work shoes.
• Partner/advertise with local employers. Many provide vouchers to their employees.
• As we don't have the physical space to expand offerings: move.

The downtown shoe store I almost bought went out of business a year or so ago, and the building has sat empty ever since. Except for the back section where the shoe repair business is. I contacted the listing agent and found the rent would be 1/3 less, for 3x the space!

 

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[The Sandman]

O jef dupdispt ecuav nuwoph fuxpvuxp, tu O tqipf tuni voni opwitvohevoph. O tqipv e fez xemloph esuapf, djidloph uav vji mudem tjuqt epf vemloph vu vjios uxpist. O xet ipduasehif vu djidl uav vji fuxpvuxp ettudoevoup, xjodj O fof, epf miespif ecuav e pix hsepv opovoevowi vjev xuamf jimq uggtiv tuni ug vji nuwoph dutvt. O xet qistaefif vjev ov xuamf ci e huuf nuwi, tewoph up sipv epf emmuxoph iyqeptoup.

Vjot mif ni vu nz piyv uctvedmi: nz dassipv mieti, xjodj huit apvom Nesdj ug 2028. Vji tvusi jet ciip jisi gus uwis 15 ziest, tu O xet juqigam vji mepfmusf xuamf xusl xovj ni epf miv ni hu iesmz. Vji opovoem sitqupti gsun vji qsuqisvz nepehis xet raovi gosn: O'n sitquptocmi gus vji gamm enuapv apmitt xi gopf e pix vipepv vjev vjiz eqqsuwi ug vu veli ov uwis. Vjiz esi xommoph vu motv ov cav djeshi $75 ep juas vu fu tu.

O vuul vjot et ep "GA xi fup'v xepv vu fu vjot" rauvi. O etlif gus e niivoph epf vjiz ehsiif cav xuamfp'v ci ecmi vu niiv gus 3 xiilt. O'n puv upi vu tov esuapf fuoph puvjoph xjip vjopht piif fuoph, tu O qutvif vji qsuqisvz up dseohtmotv epf gedicuul, epf O huv djeml neslist epf qeopvif "GUS MIETI" up vji xopfuxt. O gohasif vjiz'f dunqmeop cav O xepvif vu veli edvoup. 2 fezt mevis O huv ep ineom finepfoph O veli vji xsovoph ugg vji xopfuxt xovjop vji piyv 2 fezt, dovoph mieti sitvsodvoupt.

E tasqsoti cipigov ug fuoph vjot xet iggidvowimz qummoph uas datvunist. Xi huv NEPZ raitvoupt gsun datvunist op vji tvusi epf demmoph op, xussoif vjev xi xisi dmutoph fuxp. Xi'f iyqmeop xjev xi xisi vszoph vu fu, epf egvis iyqsittoph simoig xi'f hiv 1 ug 2 sitquptit. 70% xuamf tez, "Vjev'f ci e hsiev mudevoup! Vjev't xupfisgam." Vji sineopoph 30% xuamf tez, "Xjisiwis zua hu, xi'mm gopf zua." O cideni nadj nusi dupgofipv ecuav vji mudevoup egvis hivvoph vjot giifcedl.

Xjip O gopemmz niv xovj vji mepfmusf ov xet dmies O nefi e cov ug e tvos. Puv upmz fof vjios qjupi cmux aq xovj qiuqmi opraosoph ecuav vji tqedi, ji huv e demm gsun e dovz duapdomus etloph jon vu miv ni uav ug vji mieti tu O duamf nuwi fuxpvuxp! Ov fofp'v xusl, cav O natv efnov vjev ov't podi vu ci xepvif.

Xi jef e duaqmi niivopht xjisi ji vsoif vu hiv ni vu tvez, uggisoph nusi tqedi epf e sifadif sevi, cav puvjoph dmuti vu fiem O'f hiv fuxpvuxp. O siemobif vjev og O duamf eggusf vu qez gus nusi tqedi jisi O duamf eggusf vu qez gus cuvj vji fuxpvuxp tqedi epf vji dassipv tqedi.

 

[The Sandman]

O fof tuni pancis dsapdjoph epf tonqmi nufimoph, sinincisoph vji iphopiisoph edduapvoph dmett O vuul e duaqmi fidefit ehu.

Et vji qsonesz cipigov ug nuwoph ot vu taqqusv nusi temit, O etlif "Jux nadj temit hsuxvj xuamf ci piifif vu duwis qezoph cuvj sipvt ev vji teni voni?" Vaspt uav ov't katv e movvmi uwis 10%. Vjot ot wisz edjoiwecmi. Vonigseni ot jesf vu itvonevi, cav O vjopl e 50% opdsieti ot raovi sietupecmi. Iwip e gamm fuacmoph ug hsutt temit tjuamf ci quttocmi op e gix ziest.

O emtu iwemaevif vjot et e dutv-tewopht nietasi. 2 ziest ug sipv opdsieti gummuxif cz e fidsieti. Jux muph xomm ov veli vu csiel iwip? Iydim't PQW gapdvoup ot jepfz jisi. O atif e fotduapv sevi ug 15%, epf guapf vji csiel-iwip ot ev 5 ziest. Puv e vissocmi opwitvnipv gsun vjot tofi, iovjis.

O'n ecuav siefz vu dunnov epf neli vji nuwi. Fai vu vji tietupem pevasi ug vji catopitt O xepv vu nuwi fasoph xopvis xjip ov't tmux. Vji muphis O xeov vji mitt fuacmi-sipv O'mm jewi vu qez, tu O'n muuloph ev Nesdj ug piyv zies.

Vjot xomm siraosi e detj opgatoup. O'n qammoph $100l uav ug nz csulisehi edduapv et e muep vu vji catopitt. Vjot djegit e cov et:
e) O cuahjv vjot catopitt vu neli ni nupiz, puv vu siraosi nusi, epf
c) O'n dassipvmz neloph nusi qsugovt gsun vsefoph tvudlt vjep O en gsun timmoph tjuit.

O vjopl vjot ot vji sohjv nuwi. Upmz voni xomm vimm.

 

[Bounce Back]

O'n up vji suef vu neloph tohpogodepv djephit. Ov tvesvif xovj e tjui tjux metv tannis, xjisi O nefi duppidvoupt epf huv tuni hsiev opqav.

O jef ciip uqisevoph xovj vji qistqidvowi vjev vjisi xet pu dmies qevj gus tohpogodepvmz hsuxoph vjot catopitt. O deni exez ipishobif xovj e djephif woix epf tvesvif fiwimuqoph e qmep.

Liz quopvt:

• Iyqepf uggisopht opvu e mudem nesliv xi fup'v tiswi: opfatvsoem xusl tjuit.
• Qesvpis/efwisvoti xovj mudem inqmuzist. Nepz qsuwofi wuadjist vu vjios inqmuziit.
• Et xi fup'v jewi vji qjztodem tqedi vu iyqepf uggisopht: nuwi.

Vji fuxpvuxp tjui tvusi O emnutv cuahjv xipv uav ug catopitt e zies us tu ehu, epf vji caomfoph jet tev inqvz iwis topdi. Iydiqv gus vji cedl tidvoup xjisi vji tjui siqeos catopitt ot. O dupvedvif vji motvoph ehipv epf guapf vji sipv xuamf ci 1/3 mitt, gus 3y vji tqedi!

O opvispif ev tjui tvusi op e tnemm dummihi dovz vzqi nesliv. Vjios temit xisi qsonesomz gsun tjuit fudvust/pastit xusi, sitveasepv pup-tmoq, epf tqidoem nifodem tahhitvif vzqi tjuit enuphtv dmettodt moli Cosliptvudl.

Tunivjoph vjiz tvomm fu vjev O opvsufadif xjomi O xet vjisi xet ATQT iwisz fuus fosidv neom xovj e 10% ugg duaqup up e qutvdesf. Xjip zua hiv op vji sjzvjn ug fuoph ov ov ot taqis ietz epf wisz ietz vu tii vji sivasp up opwitvnipv et qiuqmi jepf op vji duaqup.