Shop Girl

This week, one of our foxes asked, “If you opened your own store what would it be?”

Having the dedication and commitment necessary for running a store requires the owner to love what he or she is selling. There are several things I love to do, and I could see myself in a shop built around one of my hobbies.

Scrapbooking corner at Scrapaloo in Delton, MI. 

I spend a lot of time sewing, scrapbooking, making greeting cards, crocheting, and occasionally working on other crafts. It would be fun to own a shop where all the supplies for all my crafty hobbies were available. I’d make sure there were lots of tables set up for people to work on their projects. There would be smaller rooms for clubs to meet. I’d find instructors to teach special techniques. Of course, this would be a very large store, because there are SO MANY different crafts.

Members of the community band value a good music store!

But then, I’m a musician, so it would make sense to open a music store. This would be a place where people can purchase supplies for their band or orchestra instruments, find music to practice, rooms where people can take lessons, and maybe even a little stage for recitals. I could have a sound room where people could make recordings of themselves. And of course, there would be expert repair persons available to keep instruments in tip-top shape!

Between the Covers, Holland, MI.

Another place where I love to spend time is a bookstore. There’s a used bookstore near me that hosts author events, like the one where I held my release party for The Road to Escape last year. They have a section for local authors’ books, including several of mine. There are rooms available for book clubs, writing critique groups, and even crafty projects. And of course, the selection of books is ever-changing. People come and go, sometimes leaving with large bags full of books.

Decisions, decisions. Which of these would I want to run? Ideally, of course, I’d have all three. It would be nice to have an entire strip mall, where the three shops would be side-by-side. Then I could run in and out of whatever shop needed me. I’d have to have competent managers for each, of course, because I’d be too busy crafting, making music, and writing to devote much time to any of them! And as much as I’d love having everything I need for all my activities right at my fingertips, I don’t have the business sense needed to keep a store going for any length of time. But it’s a fun thing to dream about. If I owned these three stores, any time I needed anything, I’d know right where to go.

What kind of shop would YOU open?

Advertisement