Seems as if I've nothing to blog except....

It seems as if I've nothing to blog except about the shop. Sounds boring eh? Like I've no life at all. Sigh....what to do. It's not easy to be a business owner.

This week sales seems to be picking up (as compared to last week's). Maybe it's coz of GSS. Don't know why. Been having a headache these few days. Also I'm down with a slight flu and cough. Maybe it's coz of a lack of sleep.

Suntec say they are working out something for us. But it doesn't seem to be so. There's still no news from them till now. Getting real bored with the crowd in suntec (you can't even call this a crowd). We need our shop in somewhere "hot" (i.e. where there's crowd). Suntec is "cold" every day (if you get what I mean).

Most probably I won't be going for service till the end of june. I'll need to be in the shop coz of GSS. 2 people is not enough to handle the GSS weekend crowd in suntec. Need at least 3. But don't want to hire another person. Got to cut costs till things get better.

Great Singapore Sale (GSS) @ San Street Suntec

Lots of shops are having GSS now. So are we. We started our GSS (UP TO 50% off) on vesak day and will last till 30th June.

Weekends were busy. It was crazy when the crowd just zoom in. As it was only me and my staff in the shop, it was really difficult to keep an eye on all 3 places (our longish shop, circular shop and our promotion table & rack in the promotion area). Had to call my mum down to help out. With such an overflow, I doubt I can make it for svc on the next few weekends until GSS is over.

That irritating woman of MPG is at it again. Always trying to find trouble with us. We already cannot be bothered with her. There are days when I don't even know when she opened/closed shop. All I know is that when I turned around her shop has opened/closed.

We got approval of suntec mgmt to put our products on a table (provided by them) + our own rack (if needed) at the promotion area until the end of june. Our table and rack are not even blocking her shop, yet she's complaining so much. Who does she think she is? Basically anyone who uses the promotion area (even with suntec mgmt approval), she will complain that they are blocking her shop. Hello?!?! That is a promotion area. With suntec's approval, people are allowed to use it for events. She's acting as if she owns the whole of MPG. Her logic is that she can block people while others cannot block her. What logic is that? In the 1st place, no one is blocking her. She is just finding trouble with people in MPG. Just business she's jealous that other shops are doing better than her. Rather than putting the blame on others, all she need to do is smile more. Everyone in MPG dislikes her and know her as complain queen.

So difficult....

Doing business is soooooooooooooooo difficult esp in suntec. Suntec is a ghost town. It's very sian thing when there is no crowd. These few days is soooooooooooooooooo quiet. Where is everyone? It's almost school holidays and GSS have began in a lot of shops. Why is there still no people? It's so frustrating.

Dad and the CEO had a meeting. He's offering rental reduction without having to sign the personal guarantee thingy. Nothing is confirm yet though. The CEO still need to talk to REIT about it [Suntec is under REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust....no idea what's that)]. So frustrating. With this kinda crowd, even with rental reduction, it's very hard to do. How??? Must we really shift out.

I just got to know someone who used to work in 77th Street. He and some of his ex-collegues left 77th Street for some reason (which I won't review here). He's almost 10 years older than me and have got about 18 years of retail/fashion experience. He's currently not working. Still looking for job. He say if we need people he can work for us. He can help us set up of Far East outlet and build our brand. I can learn a lot from him just by talking to him. What's more working with him. Oh...and did I mentioned....he's also from CHC. But my mum still thinking about it as she wants to make sure his chinese horoscope does not crash with either mine or my mum's horoscope (as I said before my mum really believes in this). See how it goes.

What to do....

Our QW staff has found an admin job in a govt company & this month is the last month she's working with us. B'coz it was her off day on fri, I couldn't go for cg. Sat she called in sick (so I couldn't go for svc too). And late last night (or should I say early this morning) I was told that she still cannot make it to work. That's 3 days straight of not coming to work.

Since we're already thinking of shifting out of QW earlier than planned (right after vesak day ph is over) and since she's only working till end of this month, yet she's not able to come to work these few days, we decided that she might as well don't have to come back anymore. It's only today and tmr anyways, my mum can work there these 2 days. So now we are down to only 1 full-time staff - our rather new staff from china (almost 2 months).

Our far east shop will open maybe in july or maybe in august. The current tenant there has yet to inform us whether or not they'll be renting the unit in july to clear their stocks. After they have shifted out, we still have to do some renovation. But renovation...can be done in a couple of weeks.

A friend (boss of another shop) says that at least he's got a few part-timers on his staff list who are all on rotation basis. If the rostered person can't make it to work on a certain day, he can get someone else to come take over. Unlike us, if one of our staff cannot make it (for e.g our QW staff), then operation stops. Operation won't stop. There's still my mum who can step up to the frontline too when the need arises. It's not we don't have staffs. It's just that we don't want to hire more staffs. Our main focus now is to cut costs as much as possible till business is much better/ more stablised before we hire more staffs. My parents say that with my qualifications, it's a waste that I'm doing the job of a salesperson. They ask me to go and work somewhere else instead. But retail is my passion. This is still the beginning, when business is more stablised, I wouldn't be "working as a salesperson" anymore and will be handling mgmt issues. You know...."Xian Ku Hao Tian"???

Suntec really cannot make it liao. Still as quiet....even on the weekends. Suntec still wants us to shift out. Not out of My.PlayGround (MPG) though. But out of our current unit and into another unit in MPG. They have a plan of making the back area into an art gallery or alike. But the other units will have to move too. If they want us to move out, they would have to offer us sthg much much better than what they offered us earlier. If we shift out to another unit, we'll still have to do renovation in the new unit and our renovation for our current unit will go to waste. Won't it be better if it is a win-win situation for both of us. The total amount of our losses in suntec outlet can buy a mercedez or even a HDB executive flat. I believe everyone of us would rather want the mercedez/flat than lose that amount of money just like that.

Quiet....

I last blogged on last thursday. Since then, I had two 1/2 days on fri and sat (as usual). Went for cg and service on fri nite and sat afternn respectively. It was mothers' day service this week. It was so touching. I weeped..... After service on sat, went to BB to celebrate weijian's birthday. While mum took over my place in suntec on both days. When I came back to the shop on sun, heard that my mum and our staff couldn't handle the crowd on sat nite. They could have called me to come back down to help. I believe weijian and the rest will understand.

It was officially Mothers' Day yesterday. Got my mum a bouquet of flowers. The flowers I got her last year was bigger and more expensive than this year's (last year was also the first time I got mum flowers). But size/cost does not matter, it's the thought that really matters. Hopes she likes it. The crowd on mothers' day is pathetic esp after 6pm. Think everyone went to celebrate mothers' day. It doesn't feel like a sunday yesterday.

Today is equally quiet..no crowd as usual. How long can we last here in suntec. Suntec has nothing new to offer us. If suntec want us to shift to a unit in front, they should at least give us a much much better offer. If we shift, what about renovation? Don't renovate? Then how will people be able to see our shop concept? They don't know how to put themselves in the shoes of the tenants ah? All they think is themselves and refuse to give rental rebate. If other malls can give rebate, why can't suntec. All they can give is excuses.

As planned, we will be closing queensway shop at the end of this month and transferring to far east. But the opening of far east shop will be delayed, as the current tenant there wants to extend their rent for another month (initial handover is end of june) so as to clear their stock. They will be paying us rental of course. So I guess far east shop will only open sometime in august.

"Suntec mall tenants seeking lower rent"

Oh my gosh...it's soooooooooooooo quiet. Suntec is such a dead town. Not a soul walking around (other than just tenants and staffs of the shops here).

In today's ST, there's an article that mentions of Galleria tenants complaining of low sales that are not even enough to cover rental. They are even seeking lower rent (For more, refer to article in 8th May 2008 ST p. H20 titled "Suntec mall tenants seeking lower rent"). Level 1 shops are already like that...what's more us on level 3. My.PlayGround tenants (including us) are intending to email ST individually to inform them that we are having the same problem but at a worse situation as most people in Singapore do not even know that this place even existed. I think this will definitely pressurise Suntec to do something about it.

It's so quiet. Should we start our GSS promotion earlier? A neighbouring shop in My.PlayGround is doing a 4-days Mothers' Day Promotion. And the irritating woman of My.PlayGround is "telling her off" for doing the promotion saying that it is affecting her business. Crazy ah. Other shops doing promotion is not her problem what. They have the right to do promotion esp to clear their older stock, if not what? Hang them for show? Collect dust? Cockroaches to bite? Crazy woman. Everything also complain. In a couple of weeks time, the whole Singapore will be doing promotion during GSS (from what I know, GSS promotion gives UP TO 70% discount). Her business will really really really be affected then if she don't join in the promotion.

Suntec nothing new to offer....

These few days/weeks have been very very quiet. I suppose everyone is waiting for the GSS period. Maybe we should start of GSS sale sooner than planned.

Earlier, suntec offered to reduce our rental for our current units on condition that we extend our contract for another year (i.e. till apr 2011. our current contract is suppose to end apr 2010). Rental will increase after each year. A week before last, they offered us a big circular unit outside (nearer the happy kids side. i.e. tower 2). Apparently, they want back the whole row of units at the inside area (#03-027G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N) for a bigger player to come in and take the whole row of units. But it seems that the our neighbours in unit 027I and 027J are not intending to shift out. Only #03-027G&H will be shifting out. This month is their last month in suntec.

If we shift outside, we would have to spend more money on renovation else no one will be able to see our shop concept. We rejected the offer to shift to the unit outside. They want my father to sign a personal guarantee for rental reduction for our current units . If we sign the guarantee, when things still don't improve, we won't be able to back out. If we back out, they can cease our personal assets. So as for now, not sure what's our plan is for suntec as yet. For now, it will be "wait and see" I guess.

I would have to be in suntec more often now. I'll only be having 2 half days every week (fridays and saturdays) when I'll be going for cg and svc. Won't be having any more off day. Our part-timer seem to have 'disappeared' after he started school. Our queensway staff has also tendered her resignation and will be working only till end of this month. But it's ok. Soon we will only be having one shop - suntec. We are confirming shifting out of queensway end of this month. We will be switching products but we won't be managing or manning the shop there after this month. Far east shop will only open some time in july. So for now one staff + me/my mum in suntec is more than enough.

What to do???

Haven't blog for almost a week. Been so tired.

Dunno what we are going to do for suntec outlet. Things doesn't seem to be working out with the suntec management.

For queensway, we are definitely going to shift out. I really really disliking that place more and more. The way people there is pressing us for discount is really really too much. Think our shop is a pasar malam or what? Our products though not yet known in Singapore as yet is after all still a brand. And I really hate the environment there. Whenever I am there, I will just hide in the shop and ignore things around me (go out to the toilet or buy food only twice the whole day. 3xs the most). If you ask me, I still prefer suntec then queensway. Although yes suntec is quiet but i feel it's much better than queensway. Queensway definitely must shift.

Staffs...already down to 2 full-timers (& 1 part-timer). Yet we are still having staffs headaches. When either me or my mum is not around in the shop, sales are always bad. When we are there it's a different story. I'm not pinpointing on any one of them. It's actually all of them. It's also not the first time already. They just do whatever they want when you are not around. We may not be there but we know. We got spies around both queensway and suntec. When you "scold" them, they are not happy and give you the attitude. Also how can staffs just sms and say "I am not coming to work today". Don't want to come to work then don't come. They think they own the shop ah?? So hard to find good responsible staffs nowadays. HEADACHE with them la. ARGHHH!!!!!