Well, we heard back from the Green Hills mall peeps that another business wants the space we’ve been hoping for.  They would take the entire 1300 square feet so this makes sense for the landlords.  It’s a bummer because I was really starting to envision the look.  But really, it makes much more sense in the long run as I would likely be booted out eventually if I were to subdivide the space.  It’s simply too much primo space to be underutilized.  I also went back to the boutique space today.  We were looking at other options in the building so I’m waiting for a per square foot quote.  I met the women who run the interior design anchor store and it’s fabulous.  The ladies were also fabulous and would be great fun to be around!  More on the quest soon…..

I’m still on the hunt for a retail space.  The biggest challenge has been finding the size that I need.  There are plenty of spaces that are 1500 square feet out there but we jewelry designers don’t need that much space to show our jewelry.  Too much space does not show well or look very inviting to the customers.

I looked at the space in our upscale Mall at Green Hills on Friday.  The management has been extremely accommodating and really lovely to deal with.  It’s in a space between Louis Vuitton & White House Black Market and across from Macy’s, Ann Klein, Khiels & Godiva Chocolates.  It’s on the second level right above Sephora.  To me the location is wonderful and very visible.  It’s also near a parking lot entrance which is nice for customers who want to pop in and out which is my typical customer- a busy girl trying to get it all done…  The space has around 20 feet of window frontage and is about 17 feet deep.  I think it’s about 500 square feet in total.  I’d have to build a wall because the footprint is much bigger that the space that I need.  It didn’t seem like too much of a big deal actually after meeting with their engineer and bring my builder husband with me.  I’m waiting to hear about utilities costs as well as the gross rent which could be a killer.  My overall impression is that it’s a great spot and I think I could do really well there and it would give my brand great visibility.  Having really nice people running the show is also a big plus.

I heard back from the boutique space and due to building code regulations, I am unable to go into the small space that I had hoped.  We are finding out if there is any other space in the building as it’s such a beautiful renovation and the location is amazing.  It would be a great choice and I can see it coming together as a very designer-centric spot which would attract a great clientele.

I’ve been reading and researching like crazy trying to figure out my next move.  A couple of books have been very enlightening.  One is called The E-Myth Revisited:  Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber and the other is Cute Little Store by Adeena Mignogna.  They have both been very insightful.  I have another one on the way called Why We Buy and I’m looking forward to reading that.  I’ve also ordered a retail store design magazine so that I can begin to assemble resources for the eventual build, wherever I end up!  Stay tuned Jewelry Designers, we are going to figure this thing out!  Anyone out there reading, please give me your input!

We are looking at two spaces now.  One is a boutique space on a great street in Nashville, known for nice shops & creative people behind them.  It’s more destination oriented as people would have to seek us out and there would be little to no foot traffic.

The other is a space in the local mall next to Louis Vuitton and across from Kiehls outside of Macy’s.  Lots of people shopping and most would not be current clients.

They are both great spots but each of them are very different.  On one hand is a more casual space where we can decide on our own hours of operation.  In the mall you are required to be open from 10am to 9pm Monday-Saturday and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday.  One is very private and the other is very public.  Each space is 400-500 square feet so the actual space is the same.

Initial Thoughts:   In the mall space I feel like I would have to really “come with it” right from the start in terms of my branding and it would be an expensive endeavor to make it look professional as I’d do a real build out and would furnish & design it to the nines.  The other boutique space would be more like a showroom like my current studio but it would be open to the public.  I have all of the display furniture to make it work from my current studio showroom.

Both spaces are great options and I’m excited about going down the road with both to see what the exact terms will be to better make my decision.  The mall would probably be about 3 times more expensive but would I get 3 times the foot traffic?

Stand by for more information.  I hope to see both spaces again this week!