OK, 20 minutes and 4 days late update, means that i've been *busy*...

Right answer my list lets see:

- inventory

- website

- basement

- photo paper

- shoot

- stock

- support group

- models

- dog

- body

- fags

In order:

Inventory

1) My inter Sora is absolutely astoninglyamazzing, much more with it than me and interns=work experience, I hope I can teach her something one day instead of the other way round. Needless to say, tick, yep, the inventory is done, she saved it all in a fancy excel sheet with measurements etc

Next Steps = take stinkers to dry cleaners/Measure all the garments

2) Website

Sora wrote this fancy thing and put in up on craigslist - it's been a small nightmare as trying to get one on the budget I have is hard. But, I'm meeting this girl in 2 hours- she's a graphic designer and looks brilliant, hope she works out and of course is about 5 pounds, sure that will be the case.

I also did alot of cutting and sticking yesterday and felt like I was doing a school project, but anyway, it's a vision and it's my vision for my website, now all I need to do is find someone to actually kapaz it onto and into a computer and world wide web, again got meeting with this guy called Zac next week and hoping he will as well cost about 5 pounds as well...

Ok - so basically I'm hoping this is under control. I've also set up shopify.com and looking into bigcartel.com which hosts your websites for you, so these guys above are kind of aesthetics, but should be up and running in a month...(please)

Next Steps= Upload images on shopify, consult with Zac and design lady and work to deadlines.

3. Basement

Yep, under control, will take photo next week - I have my first 'appointment' only coming over on Friday, so it looks like a mini shops, rails everywhere, hooks and shelves, just got permission from landlord here to re-paint it all white, so this weekend, painting. Photos next week of it looking pretty.

Next Steps= paint, price up all garments.

4. Photo paper - Nope, not bought yet, wait a little bit, going to buy some blush or grey. Going to do shoot on the porch again as still sunny.

5. Shoot- this Saturday - shooting loads of new stock, Marlene = model, Me and Sora - planning outfits on Friday, bought some weird socks and new boots for styling, could potentially be very dodgy.

Next Steps= edit, upload all photos onto blog and facebook, start on shopify.

6. Stock - OH YESSSS!!! My favourite bit. Found some killer stuff, amazing, amazing. Fav finds this week - sheepy hat, leather skirt, sheer and black top.

Next steps: none, do not do anymore shopping till you sell something.

7. Support group - Yes, I have found one and going to this one tonight.

Hi Tea is a business women's gathering dedicated to education, marketing support, networking and cooperation in order to grow our businesses! We are all busy women and are looking for real value and consistency in a business support group!

I am scared.

I have another one on Sunday with this random girl at her house who has just started up her own business so that should be better, but not sure what all these meetings will do for me?

Next Steps: Learn something from why I am going to 'Hi' Tea.

8. Advertised for Models - We advertised for one. We got lots of responses. We're still looking for the right one.

(can't turn image round sorry).Shall I show you the rest?!

Next Steps: ummmmm??????

PERSONAL:

8. Dog

Which one, which one?!

9. Cameron Diaz bod

Did a 2o mile bike ride, nothing else. Charlie and I ate lots of chips last night. Not good. Must try harder.

10. Fags

I'm half way through reading this.

It better work, cause my fag ash days better be over soon as this is not a good look.

being accountable to you

So i'm back TO YO! and I need to be accountable to someone, something.

LESS CHAT MORE ACTION as Pete told me as we were swimming by the river at the weekend, yep, it's true, always chatting about how i'm gonna do this and that and nothing. So, i've decided to do something, like sit here on the computer whilst meant to be sorting out my desk/run a business. But, I have a reason (or another excuse?).

Goal list. Being accountable to someone. Something. You, computer.

So I'm going to try really hard to write a list of goals each week and spend 20 mins seeing if I've done them and next steps etc, referring back to the goals,seeing how realistic they are, how many achieved.

THE MOST IMMEDIATE LIST EVER. i.e. this month please, thank you.

- inventory - most important - I'm going to photo everything I have and then try to save it some orderly fashion - can you help with this? no, I'll have to ask my inter (YES! I have an intern!) Photo every piece, record it. Measure it. Price it - how much I bought it, how much profit...this may take longer.

- website - suuupper important - design/logo/upkeep - I have phoned the man, he no call me back, maybe find this other man to help me. Still super stuck on ideas I like, want, simplicity. The website is $450, so you get for what you pay for maybe? Simple, do I dabble in a logo/design? New ones I like is this one - very simple.

www.blackvelvetcircus.com - I really wish I'd thought of using a Polaroid first. Think has to be all white and maybe a picture of model on the front in this style with hyperlinks around, or keep it simple with just using photos. Either way aim is to meet with A man any geek to get website cogs in motion. Any ideas? Help me.

- set up basement as YO! HQ! so need to organize rails and set up a studio - mop, clean - idea to open basement for appointment only, needs to look like a mini shop, not a dark dingy basement. Photo next week. Ask Nique to have a look and advise.

- Photos - wider/bigger photo paper - blush colored (ok, this is not important)

- photo shoot! need to email models to see when are free and photo everything again and also lots of new stuff - will be long day, styling, pressing and uploading all on to website etc - also thinking maybe etsy store or ebay additionally to gain more interest. Maybe a blonde model - advertise for one more.

-- New stock - SHOPPING. OK, this is last on list as I feel people have seen old stock and it's just the stuff that didn't sell the first time round, so maybe a limit on what/how much, but feel like need some killer pieces for when website up.

- join a support group - meet up with other people who are starting businesses to get ideas and stop doing Charlie's head in.

LONG TERM/NEXT FEW MONTH GOALS:

- social marketing - people have stopped looking now at blog etc, so need to gain more interest - email press here/back in UK, get people to send it round work/friends back in UK - traffic to website - send some blog girls some free stuff so they can write about it on their blog (i.e. susie bubble and http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/magazine/fashion/ and lots more to add to this list)

- collaborate with new designers here in Portland to sell on site too - modern, affordable styles that fit in with trend - approach college once website up and running - inspired by nasty gal website who seem to be moving more away from vintage and into this, e.g. where the money at?

- develop YO! bridal/thrifty lines - consignment lines - wedding dresses and second hand dresses etc that aren't vintage, e.g. things from mine and friends wardrobe topshop, zara etc (like a mini ebay)

- learn how to use quickbooks to take a hold of finances, and not pay someone to do this for me

- get an iphone (personal and business course)

- have links with UK - freelance work as buyer for companies - sourcing prints/on trend pieces - contact buyers/old company - next time back in UK arrange meet ups?

- rent a studio so i can actually 'go to work' instead of pottering on the sofa (long term)

- SELL loads.

- have pop up shops here in portland once in a while, or open studio/basement for portlanders.

- have a mini team - aside from me (long term)

PERSONAL GOALS:

(Vintage fashion is a win-win. It’s about upcycling, recycling, thriftiness and great design. Telegraph link I just found)

been having 12 hour days setting up, being busy, but...I can't complain, as i've had about a year off work!!! really hard work and learning soooo much all the time (e.g. don't spray paint a clothes rail in bright pink whilst wearing something vintage you want to sell, my converse trainers are also a shade of pink, as is the grass). Doing all the things I love, just need to sell, get rich. Very disorganised and like doing all the fun stuff first, hence I am up at 6am, and about to go back to the space to do al the stuff I hate doing - inventory (ok, yes I was supposed to do that last week). Got amazing press out here on blogs etc and think am meant to be in the paper today, so going to go and try and find it (bet it is a tiny bit in the corner somewhere)

TO DO:

bake cakes for promo night

buy champers promo night

get flowers - promo

paint mirror - changing room

get tablecloths

put up frames in space

coat hangers - find some

frames from ikea to frame prints

get a fake tan

get priorities right

find an outfit for tomorrow night (i'm fed up of seeing my stuff!!!)

inventory

ha!

you know it will go in this order too....

but look how good i've been - it's nearly nearly done!

got more press to, yeeehhaaaa!

Yo! Vintage Pop-Up Shop party + sale at Salon 220

June 22, 2010 by karenvitt
Filed under Neat STUFF

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Yo! Check out the bright new vintage pop-up shop opening this week at downtown Portland’s Salon 220!

The Yo! Vintage Pop-Up Shop will serve as a temporary week-long sale and showcase of cool vintage finds from Sarah Radcliffe’s new online vintage boutique. Stop by the opening party at 6 p.m. this Thursday, June 24 to shop, toss back champagne and cupcakes, and get free hair styling and makeovers from the Salon 220 stylists.

The Yo! Vintage Pop-Up shop will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, June 25 through Friday, July 2, and no worries – you can still pop online to shop after that. Radcliffe has set up a Yo! Vintage Facebook Page and a Yo! Vintage Blog to showcase her goods, which you can order through e-mail.

We’re digging this snazzy 80’s flavored dress, this casual, summery denim romper, and this horrifically cool palm-frond jumpsuitwith the deep-V back, perfect for hot summer nights or marathon episodes of “Fantasy Island.” Don’t miss your chance to see all this neat stuff in person, yo.

Yo! Vintage Pop-Up Shop Opening Party
6 p.m. Thursday, June 24
Salon 220, 213 S.W. Ash St.; 503-295-0726
www.yovintage.com

Zzzzzz

good idea in the head, looks rubbish on..

This week has been about taking on to much, not knowing what to do and resorting once again, to shopping (and trying to get people to help me). Although, I did do my accounting homework - i've put all my receipts for the taxman in little monthly folders and put them back in the hat boxes to enter into quick books tomorrow, some kind of wizz computer genius thing.

Also been trying to come up with concepts of merchandising the space we have - want it to look art space and shopping space too -so steph (new helper number 1) suggested using animal masks, but the costs of getting mannequins with animal heads is huge and the masks look rubbish, so now I'm panicking with about 10 days to go and no real concept yet...

woof

Bought 3 rails from THE SHOP WHERE SHOPS SHOP!! WAS AMAAAZING!
STAMPING TICKETS TO STICK AROUND SHOP
MY 2 ASSISTANT BUYERS FOR THRIFTING
PAYING THEM IN MEXICAN FOOD (and me as well, am getting fatter)
SORRY ABOUT CAPITALS...ok, rubbish post, will change tomorrow or another day

tomorrow

this week: getting props for space, another all day photo shoot, marketing - flyering, working out how to pick up the 3 huge rails I bought, making a big list of what I have and how much profit I need to make back, trying to sort out my bloody website (disaster).

Think am over this working thing already, seem to be getting up really early, bed really late, messing up the house as much as possible and doing 1000 things at once, not coming up for air...deeeep breaths (plus Charlie says my time management is terrible - something I really need to sort out - but how to change a habit of a lifetime...hummm)

So, this week:

- seeking solace in thrifting and rummaging

- beaching

- seeing an accountant (and panicking)

- getting stamp re made

- helping brides find dresses (more about that later)

- finding a vintage wedding dress to wear for me in the summer (but it's burnt and stained)

- making posters to promote pop up shop

- meeting the owner of this place I'm going to have a POP UP SHOP in (WOOOPPPP!)

- deciding how to set up the space and what I need to buy/invest into

- phoning a handy man to get him to build me some rails

- putting a cheque into my bank with YO VINTAGE! on

- having an amazing shoot yesterday with models and a photographer and everyfink!

The places that i've been going to are about 40 mins drive, getting to a big warehouse space, getting a trolly (or cart as they call them here) and shopping. They still overwhelm me hugely, so normally I have to walk around first, get my bearings, dive in. Trying to only buy stuff that is cheaper now, under a certain amount of $. Been driving all over and spending lots of time in little warehouses that i've found. But, enough. My accontant is called Susie and she told me that i'm not allowed to write this blog anymore as people will steal my ideas, I assured her, it was just you and me and my mum, so she's ok with it, but told me to keep secrets. I think she's right. But anyway - here are a few picture of this week (including the poster that Charlie did for me - I love!):

Happy 1 year anniversary Mrs Able! xxxxx

Aloha! Hey, so just quickly, a few people have said they are reading this...hummm. Basically set this up for me mum, friends (hiya fisher!) and family (yo ali!), but as this is after all the www, most people have access - so maybe I need to think about getting a password, doing another online diary thingy to share my YO's with you - as some people say a) they are worried about me sharing to much info - being to honest, could be bad for business b) not sure what B is. Anyway so give me some ideas to be sneaky, or just carry on.

So last night had to stand up in class (business class, I love) and share with the class all the failings and success of launch, I went very red.

Success:

MASSIVE support from Portland, all the hair stylists, make up artists, beauty bar - all free

Press online at the Mercury

Contacts - met/in talks with owner at 220 to have a Poppe up shop in her place soon

- got a photographer who has offered to snap away for website (free!)

- make up artist Alana, is also a high school graphic design/fashion teacher for A level students so she's going to present project to class to design YO's logo

- sold some bits

- soooo satisfying when I went to the bank yesterday to put my first lot of money into my business YO VINTAGE account - woooop!

- got a mailing list so I can now annoy people

Not so successful:

- People's feedback - clothes were too cheap/too expensive - but it's all learning the market

- Not enough time to shop before the show started (true)

- confusion whether people could buy the clothes in the fashion show and how (my fault - in hindsight should have put rail out before so people could have dibs - panic buying!) could have made some more cash

- website not up and running yet - things getting a bit complicated with web man, he lives in San Fran, and I live here, I sooo should have got a web designer here (yes I have paid him a deposit, can't really move out of it)

- I NEED AN ACCOUNTANT RIGHT NOW, I have no idea about tax etc etc, need to start paying some taxes somewhere, business leader gave me a good recommendation, so on to that this week

- ummm, the last one is actually really embarrassing, ummmm the stamp that I stamped everywhere, on people's bodyparts, the shopping bags, everywhere, I only noticed this yesterday.....

ummm, my phone number is actually 503 724 3521 - not 503 724 2521...WHOOPS! So, I'm off to the stamp place now!