Let's save Big Pete's business

[Big_Pete 0]

Why not just get two jobs? Day and night?

I'll probably have to

[tony hardware 0]

I was actually going to start a "Save Big Petes store thread" yesterday.

 

And I was going to invent the cotton gin, but Eli Whitney beat me to it.

[bostonlager 2,498]

Honestly, open up a liquor store. You don't make a ton of money, but they're fun to work in. I worked at one in college. I used to pound beers in the walk-in fridge with the other clerks when the owner left.

 

 

I would think that would be a major headache with all the license one would have to acquire.

[Big_Pete 0]

I would think that would be a major headache with all the license one would have to acquire.

I looked into it before, and it's not as bad as most people think.

[jerryskids 5,401]

Some serious suggestions:

 

1. Move to a location where you CAN sell toys. Sounds like your current mall is pretty dead for traffic anyways.

 

2. Sell to a franchise like Fascinations. There is one by me; very clean and reputable. Their focus seems to be more on videos and toys than lingerie, although they have some.

 

3. Like KSB implied, your attitude here anyway is almost like your business is a joke. Close the store to watch a football game? That doesn't sound like a serious small businessperson.

 

Also put me in the camp of liking lingerie over buck nekkid.

[edjr 5,717]

Also, I like for a chick to keep her heels on in bed.

[Big_Pete 0]

3. Like KSB implied, your attitude here anyway is almost like your business is a joke. Close the store to watch a football game? That doesn't sound like a serious small businessperson.

I've never closed for a game. I've always gotten one of the girls I employ to work for me! I work 90+ hours a week here.... so my attitude/work ethic shouldn't be in question!

I act like it's a joke, cause if I dont make a focking joke about this place going under, I'll proably start crying and hurt people (not me).... so me cracking jokes is my 1 vice about this.... not bad if you ask me!

[kutulu 1,561]

Hard to tell... if it goes under, I'll proably post more, cause I wont have a job! and the job I'll probably get i a bartending job, so that leaves the whole day and most of the night free for me to sit around and post here. Expect my daily post count to jump into the hundreds

 

LET'S GET TO WORK ON THIS PROBLEM, ASAP, PEOPLE!!

[resser2 0]

Big_Pete -

 

Looking at your post below I have a follow-up suggestion.

 

Thanks Tony!

And where I'm located, I'm not allowed to sell sex toys

One of my lingerie manufacturers is a big sex toy mfg as well, so I can get them, I'm just not allowed to sell them at this location... I've told people I can do "special orders" for them (that way I dont have a wall of di|dos etc... to get me evicted... although, by the looks of it, in a few weeks I might be out of here anyways

 

Why not open up your store in a different location that allows the toys and has a better foot traffic area. Maybe you can find a place for less money and have a Grand Openning with a new selection of items to sell.

 

And your #2 point about me working here.. I have 2 chicks who work here, but only part time as I'm broke! 99% of the women who come here absolutly

How many customers do you have that are New vs Repeat? 99% of a few customer will not pay the bills, unless your mark-up is 10000% You need to get MORE customers and sell MORE items.

 

I've even had the girls who work here tell me that chicks have come in here and noticed that I'm not here, so they left and asked when I'd be back in, cause the wanted a mans opinion on a spacific piece they wanted, and they knew that a girl would jsut lie to them and tell them that it looked fabulous!

But I like the desire to want to keep me open. Believe me, I appreciate it!

 

I believe that has happend once or twice, but that doesn't mean sh1t. Look at your bottom line. You need to increase the volume of sales, and what you are doing now IS NOT WORKING!

 

 

 

Move your store to a location that will cost you less and allow you to sell the toys, change your hours of business and hire an woman or two part time 30 plus hours a week (you said you only have your "staff" work during the FF games) and take out a loan to advertise GRAND OPENNING

 

 

Just trying to help,  but I still think you are an Assclown  :clap: 

 

 

 

 

 

Some serious suggestions:

 

1. Move to a location where you CAN sell toys. Sounds like your current mall is pretty dead for traffic anyways.

 

2. Sell to a franchise like Fascinations. There is one by me; very clean and reputable. Their focus seems to be more on videos and toys than lingerie, although they have some.

 

3. Like KSB implied, your attitude here anyway is almost like your business is a joke. Close the store to watch a football game? That doesn't sound like a serious small businessperson.

 

Also put me in the camp of liking lingerie over buck nekkid.

 

 

sorry JK - I started posting my reply then had to leave the computer and didn't see yours. But good to see we are both suggesting the same thing.

[tony hardware 0]

What about cutting product lines that aren't selling well and expanding the lines of your most popular brands? I imagine women want sexy underwear that is also comfortable and practical that they can wear everyday, to feel sexy. I know I wouldn't want a thong in my ass, maybe you could target this product and advertise a "sexy and comfortable, lingerie everyday" theme.

[Big_Pete 0]

I have them working other than just football game times.

I'm flat broke... I cant afford to "re-open" in a new location. I've thought that if I could make it to the end of my lease, I'd get my $3500 back for security deposit, and that would help with me opening up a new location (like more towards downtown Denver), but at the current pace, I wont be able to make it till the end of march.

I have credit fraud on me, so I can't get any loans! I had 5 instances of this, 4 of the 5 have been dropped, but Chase is the 5th, and they are being d1cks about it, so it keeps smacking my credit score around,and it eliminates any chance of me getting even a $100 loan!

And I'd guess that about 50% of my sales are from repeat business... and at least 30+% of my business is from "a friend told me to come here" girls.

My markup is 40%, so not that much. I'm way cheaper than VS or Fredericks or Fascinations etc.... So I know I'm not priced too high.

Maybe just TRY to sell everything on ebay and call it a failed business?

[edjr 5,717]

EBAY!

 

Nothing says I love you to your partner like a used sex toy.

[Big_Pete 0]

What about cutting product lines that aren't selling well and expanding the lines of your most popular brands? I imagine women want sexy underwear that is also comfortable and practical that they can wear everyday, to feel sexy. I know I wouldn't want a thong in my ass, maybe you could target this product and advertise a "sexy and comfortable, lingerie everyday" theme.

I've already started doing that a few months ago.

[resser2 0]

I have them working other than just football game times.

I'm flat broke... I cant afford to "re-open" in a new location. I've thought that if I could make it to the end of my lease, I'd get my $3500 back for security deposit, and that would help with me opening up a new location (like more towards downtown Denver), but at the current pace, I wont be able to make it till the end of march.

I have credit fraud on me, so I can't get any loans! I had 5 instances of this, 4 of the 5 have been dropped, but Chase is the 5th, and they are being d1cks about it, so it keeps smacking my credit score around,and it eliminates any chance of me getting even a $100 loan!

And I'd guess that about 50% of my sales are from repeat business... and at least 30+% of my business is from "a friend told me to come here" girls.

My markup is 40%, so not that much. I'm way cheaper than VS or Fredericks or Fascinations etc.... So I know I'm not priced too high.

Maybe just TRY to sell everything on ebay and call it a failed business?

 

 

I've already started doing that a few months ago.

 

sounds like your focked!

 

time to buy a hair net and pratice saying "do you want fries with that."

[cinciman7 2]

Thanks Tony!

And where I'm located, I'm not allowed to sell sex toys

One of my lingerie manufacturers is a big sex toy mfg as well, so I can get them, I'm just not allowed to sell them at this location... I've told people I can do "special orders" for them (that way I dont have a wall of di|dos etc... to get me evicted... although, by the looks of it, in a few weeks I might be out of here anyways

What about "Neck massagers"?

[bostonlager 2,498]

Maybe you should try this guy.

 

 

http://www.mlesko.com/g2/index4.htm

[Big_Pete 0]

sounds like your focked!

 

time to buy a hair net and pratice saying "do you want fries with that."

if it came down to me losing my house or swallowing my pride and working in FF, I'd work in FF... let's pray it doesn't come to that!

wow, I left this one open to tons of quote manips

 

Maybe you should try this guy.

http://www.mlesko.com/g2/index4.htm

I've looked into grants, and that dude is full of sh1t... grants are hard to come by and take alot of time.

I'm doing some stuff on ebay, let's hope that it works. I was hoping to have my website for ecommerce, but I cant afford to have it done for me... and I've tried to do it myself, but I'm webdesign retarded

[tony hardware 0]

Maybe you should try this guy.

http://www.mlesko.com/g2/index4.htm

 

 

I want to punch that guy in the neck.

[KSB2424 3,087]

So BigPete,

 

what is your "mission statement"?

who and how far away is your competition?

how long have you been open?

[Big_Pete 0]

So BigPete,

 

what is your "mission statement"?

who and how far away is your competition?

how long have you been open?

**Don't have a "mission satement" seeing I think they are pretty fake. But I wanted to open a store that sold a mixture of elegant lingerie and sexy lingerie and sell it cheaper than anyone like VS or Fredericks etc... As well as offer a few higher end classy brands (which actually sell pretty good, but not enough volume of people wanting it)

**I have a VS in the mall about 200+ yards away from me. But they are inside the mall, so that's a huge leg up for them. After that, Denver and Boulder have a Fascinations etc... but again, they are more sextoy/video driven

**I've been here since September. Like I said, I get about 50% of my business from repeat customers, about 30% from referrals and the other 20% is from just passerby's

[Strike 4,092]

**Don't have a "mission satement" seeing I think they are pretty fake. But I wanted to open a store that sold a mixture of elegant lingerie and sexy lingerie and sell it cheaper than anyone like VS or Fredericks etc... As well as offer a few higher end classy brands (which actually sell pretty good, but not enough volume of people wanting it)

**I have a VS in the mall about 200+ yards away from me. But they are inside the mall, so that's a huge leg up for them. After that, Denver and Boulder have a Fascinations etc... but again, they are more sextoy/video driven

**I've been here since September. Like I said, I get about 50% of my business from repeat customers, about 30% from referrals and the other 20% is from just passerby's

 

No offense but it's pretty standard business practice to expect a year or so of losses when starting a new business. If you started in September and can't even make it to March I'd say you were doomed from the get go. Good luck however things work out. I'll still buy you that beer

[Big_Pete 0]

No offense but it's pretty standard business practice to expect a year or so of losses when starting a new business. If you started in September and can't even make it to March I'd say you were doomed from the get go. Good luck however things work out. I'll still buy you that beer

Thanks Strike!

I'll probably still have some stuff that wont sell on ebay that your wife can have!

And who knows, I may be the person selling you the beer at the bar

[KSB2424 3,087]

Do you market, advertise? Besides myspace of course?

[tony hardware 0]

**Don't have a "mission satement" seeing I think they are pretty fake. But I wanted to open a store that sold a mixture of elegant lingerie and sexy lingerie and sell it cheaper than anyone like VS or Fredericks etc... As well as offer a few higher end classy brands (which actually sell pretty good, but not enough volume of people wanting it)

**I have a VS in the mall about 200+ yards away from me. But they are inside the mall, so that's a huge leg up for them. After that, Denver and Boulder have a Fascinations etc... but again, they are more sextoy/video driven

**I've been here since September. Like I said, I get about 50% of my business from repeat customers, about 30% from referrals and the other 20% is from just passerby's

 

Sometimes I see people dressed like a Dunkin Donuts cup handing out coupons on the street. It's a shame you can't get some chick to dress up in a nighty and hand out coupons in the parking lot.

 

Or, what if you decided to focus just on plus size lingerie . . . wait, nevermind.

[Big_Pete 0]

Sometimes I see people dressed like a Dunkin Donuts cup handing out coupons on the street. It's a shame you can't get some chick to dress up in a nighty and hand out coupons in the parking lot.

I got in trouble when I did that! lol.

I had them in sexy costumes etc.... was told that if I do that again, I'm out of here!

And I've done a bit of advertising, but I cant afford to anymore. Just fliers (thanks you-know-who) that girls hadned out at college/sororities etc...

[wiffleball 4,679]

First off, change the name of the store. "Pretty in Pink" doesn't work.

[tony hardware 0]

Some women might be intimidated by lingerie stores. Why don't you go door to door?

[Big_Pete 0]

and I should say that if anyone ever wants something, just let me know and you'll get it at cost + shipping cost from now till forever... just email the store's email. I think it's like $5 extra to have it drop shipped from the mfg to your doorstep... I wont make any money, so dont think I'm doing this to try to make a buck. Just doing it cause some of you geeks out there have women who like this stuff, so why buy from VS and pay their prices when you can just have me order it for you guys and have you pay cost for it

[KSB2424 3,087]

What kind of stores / businesses are immediatly around you?

[kutulu 1,561]

Drive thru underwear shopping?

[tony hardware 0]

You should open a cigar bar. Those are cool. You could have women serve in your leftover stock.

[Big_Pete 0]

What kind of stores / businesses are immediatly around you?

I'm in the village which is the strip of stores leading up to the mall.. I'm near the AMC theatre.

hover over the individual stores adn it'll tell you what stores it is.. mine is naturally named "pretty in pink linerie"

 

You should open a cigar bar. Those are cool. You could have women serve in your leftover stock.

That's not a bad idea

[tony hardware 0]

I'm in the village which is the strip of stores leading up to the mall.. I'm near the AMC theatre.

hover over the individual stores adn it'll tell you what stores it is.. mine is naturally named "pretty in pink linerie"

That's not a bad idea

 

Looks like high-rent district. No wonder you're going out of business. You should link up with the Birkenstock guy and open a shop called "C0cks and Birkenstocks"

[Big_Pete 0]

Screenshot with arrow to my store

[tony hardware 0]

I'm in the village which is the strip of stores leading up to the mall.. I'm near the AMC theatre.

hover over the individual stores adn it'll tell you what stores it is.. mine is naturally named "pretty in pink linerie"

That's not a bad idea

 

With a cigar bar, you could have crazy markup. You could find ways to buy them duty free, like drive to canada and smuggle them back or go on a lot of cruises. The part about using your leftover stock is a good idea by me. A little red carpet, nice furniture, you could have something going there.

[davebg 0]

Looks like high-rent district. No wonder you're going out of business. You should link up with the Birkenstock guy and open a shop called "C0cks and Birkenstocks"

I was thinking the same thing, but instead of the Birkestock guy, I'd strike a deal w/the guy who owns the LoveSac store. You could call the new store "My LoveSac Looks Pretty in Pink: the Alternative to Lame Sex on Lame Furniture."

 

I also noticed quite a few "leasing opportunities." Maybe you could get in touch w/the owner of the stores and come to an agreement. They cut you some slack on the rent until your lease is up and you outfit their sales staff w/some sexy sh|t to try to sell more storefronts in.

[tony hardware 0]

You could call the new store "My LoveSac Looks Pretty in Pink: the Alternative to Lame Sex on Lame Furniture."

 

 

This man is on to something.

[Big_Pete 0]

With a cigar bar, you could have crazy markup. You could find ways to buy them duty free, like drive to canada and smuggle them back or go on a lot of cruises. The part about using your leftover stock is a good idea by me. A little red carpet, nice furniture, you could have something going there.

perfect.. now if I just start my mushroom business again, it might be a reality in about 6 months.... guess I'll get started on that tonight.. takes about 2 months to grow, but I'm good for a few pounds a month... and I keep having people text and call (dont worry, all in code) telling me to grow again cause they and their friends cant find any of the same quality as mine

I've never in my life done drugs

 

I was thinking the same thing, but instead of the Birkestock guy, I'd strike a deal w/the guy who owns the LoveSac store. You could call the new store "My LoveSac Looks Pretty in Pink: the Alternative to Lame Sex on Lame Furniture."

 

I also noticed quite a few "leasing opportunities." Maybe you could get in touch w/the owner of the stores and come to an agreement. They cut you some slack on the rent until your lease is up and you outfit their sales staff w/some sexy sh|t to try to sell more storefronts in.

Which is hillarious seeing I was the manager of LoveSac in lakewood (colorado mills mall) in 2005 till march of 2006... (wen't out of business a few months ago) and I know the manager at the lovesac which is about 150 yards away from my store right now!

[Jessy 0]

My markup is 40%, so not that much. I'm way cheaper than VS or Fredericks or Fascinations etc.... So I know I'm not priced too high.

 

So, for how much would you sell a bra like this?

[Eagles Green 34]

Which is hillarious seeing I was the manager of LoveSac in lakewood (colorado mills mall) in 2005 till march of 2006... (wen't out of business a few months ago)

When it comes to small businesses, you really have the Midas touch.