Business Success Story - Take-A-Boo Emporium

By Susan Ward

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

While many people think that finding antiques is the hardest part of Andrea and Martin's business, it isn't. Finding inventory is easy, as Andrea and Martin buy from a network of other antique dealers, do estate sales, and do consignment.

The hardest part of starting Take-A-Boo was finding customers. Like many small businesses, Take-A-Boo Emporium had no advertising budget when it opened (and still doesn't). Andrea and Martin have both spent many hours promoting the business. Rising to the challenge of business promotion means exploring a variety of promotion ideas and constantly searching for new business promotion opportunities.

Andrea regularly sends out press releases to home decor magazines, newspaper editors, and television producers. These efforts have paid off with mentions in local community newspapers.

For instance, a June window display that included wedding photos of local residents was featured in a local newspaper. "It was a nice way to tie in the community and generate awareness at the same time," Andrea says.

Take-A-Boo Emporium's second anniversary street party in June was another promotion idea that was a big hit with local customers and helped raise the business' profile in the community. The party included bubble blowing for the kids and free caricatures for customers.

The company's promotion efforts on local television have also been very successful, bringing customers to the store and building credibility. Martin has appeared as an antiques expert on Toronto Living and appears regularly on the Rogers Community Television program Daytime. When he appeared on Breakfast Television on Citytv, two customers who called in to the shop while Martin was on the air bought items from Take-A-Boo Emporium. Now there's great customer response!

Andrea has also often discussed story ideas with the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and a variety of home magazines. While nothing national has panned out yet, Andrea is hopeful. "Making the contact is the first part. Generating publicity takes time. The seed planted today will blossom next spring into a story."

Another way that Andrea and Martin seek to reach out to prospective customers is by using the Internet. Continue on to the next page to learn how they used eBay to test the market for their products and developed a web site.