The new year is always a great time to go through your inventory. If you have a small business, you may be like me and organizing your work- space takes the back burner. There is too much to do when you run the entire show and it falls to the bottom of the list.
In the past two years the focus of Blue Egg Brown Nest has turned towards more Refinishing Services and Online Interior Design Services. This means that I don’t carry as much inventory. I used to buy & sell much more. It’s just how things have worked out. If I am slammed refinishing I don’t have time to hunt for vintage pieces to sell. Carrying stock is really hard, especially when it is furniture. My garage is completely full of furniture and it’s still not enough space!
I spent a bit of time looking around at my garage last weekend. I pulled out a few tables and touched them up. I had DH fix a few older pieces. I even decided to repaint a few things.
This brings me to an important question for us all.
What do you do when something has not sold? Do you repaint/alter or do you hold it?
It’s a really common question I get. Holding onto a piece means that you need to store it and that means you have to have excess room…somewhere.
How important is space to you? If you have your own shop it’s probably really important. I know a seller that if it does not sell in 4 weeks then she repaints the piece. Because of my lifestyle, I let it sit for much, much longer because eventually every piece finds a home. I know that this is not do-able for many.
However, having a piece not sell can be a mental challenge. It can become like writer’s block almost. You want to see pieces moving in and out of your work space to keep momentum going and feel like you are really productive and successful. If you need some motivation and to clear a block then it may be time to bite the bullet and repaint a piece that has not sold. Maybe the color you chose is too bold, maybe it is too soft. Maybe it would look better in a neutral where a client can visualize it in their room/s.
Repainting is no defeat. It is moving a piece. Don’t let your pride get in the way of a business decision. Just like our minds and our bodies, our businesses are always moving and in flux. Nothing ever stays the same and we must adapt and be flexible. Easier said than done, I know.
