shop-girl tricks of the trade

i have worked part time as a shop assistant so as to follow my art
for, well, lets just say many many years . . . ( since high school )

i've finally taken the plunge, and have ( with some sadness )
decided to leave the book shop i've been working
at for the past 5 years . . .
so as to give paper boat press my full-time work attention

one of the most rewarding and seemingly
unaware things that has come from being a shop girl
has indeed been the thing (although maybe innately)
that has helped my business grow . . .

by being on both sides of the counter
as the seller and the stockist i've learned so many things about
retail : from customers and their requests
to pricing and display . . .

and one of the most important things i've learned when creating
a product range like i have with my ceramic tags and
pencils is the importance of point of sale

point of sale : that little thing that helps display your product
cleanly, neatly, and hopefully stylishly . . .
it can be something that retailers are grateful for and
also something that can help in the initial sale of work
( especially with a quirky or unusual product )

i have also found it useful in working out wholesale ordering quantities
and, it does show your thoughtfulness of display
which in a busy store can never be underestimated ( trust me )

point of sale can also keep the overall aesthetic
of your product range(s)
in sync with each other, branding your work ( in a way )

above is the point of sale
for my new product range of pencils
they have started to be dispatched to stores,
( i'll soon list the stores that stock them )
but they are available online at biome NOW

my online store will be up and going soon . . .
you can take the girl out of the shop
but not the shop out of the girl ( it seems )