What makes a successful boutique?

A successful bridal store is filled with owners/managers and a team of people who each understand that scaling is growth, managed both intentionally and strategically. It’s also a place of fun, laughter and love glistening all over the place! 

1. Intention is everything! If you build, develop, and strengthen your brand with brilliance and understanding, always in your authentic vocabulary, you will succeed. In business, it is always about balancing customers, conversions, cash, and community. Winning isn’t a sometimes thing! It’s an all-time thing (Vince Lombardi). Ensure you put yourself and your team on the winning side by being intentional with every business move you make! Every single one!

2. If you think you are making some bad choices, step back, re-evaluate and maybe seek expertise advise. Sometimes speaking to like minded people who have been in your shoes is super refreshing!  

3. We don’t work a day in our lives if you love what we do! Mindfulness is key to being a great leader, especially now. We need to understand ourselves as leaders to build an effective staff plan and be able to inspire others to be better! Leadership is about what we bring out in others.

What is the definition of success for you?

My definition of success is trust and transparency to your client and your team. With profit, not only in your bank account, but visible within your pipeline of business which has a substantially lengthy time frame.  

1. You must be of ‘VALUE’ to your client: This is not selling the cheapest dress. This is adding a significant amount of attention to detail to your ‘client experience’ offering a delightful existence within your store. Ensuring the digital to the physical experience is harmonised and coherent.

2. Being a trustworthy manager/team leader: having a team who can personalise each appointment and close the sale is the definition of a successful team of people. These people are not only negotiators, they are influencers, and have the ability to commit to brilliance with confidence in an environment you have provided as their workplace. People need to work within a space which is non-toxic, somewhere full of consideration, positivity, respect, trust, support, knowledge, creativity, and empowerment. The most important part of being a leader is having the ability to gain and hold the trust of others - in July, I will run a piece on the top tips for staffing with intent & brilliance! Watch out for it!

3. You cannot save your way to profitability! Keep financials smart, up to date and easy to explain. Keep your outgoings to a minimum and enterprise on your pre-sales/sales and cash flow. Increase revenue and profitability, and decrease expenses!