PROJECT: THE STUDIO
The Studio was an arts and crafts supply store with an on-site coffee shop located in Warsaw, Indiana. The concept for The Studio was an idea that I developed while I was studying at Purdue to meet the need in my hometown for a place to buy craft supplies, get inspired with project ideas, and have a space where people could gather together and do something fun and creative. After researching the market and creating a comprehensive business plan, I moved back to Warsaw where I renovated a commercial building and launched the business. As the owner and manager of this store, I was responsible for overseeing every aspect of this business from start to finish, which encompassed all of the responsibilities of starting a new retail store as well as those involved with starting a new restaurant.
I opened the business with a staff of 6 and gradually grew to a staff that included 10 - 12 people at any given time. As the sole proprietor of the business, I was responsible for hiring, training, scheduling, and managing the entire staff. This included interviewing job applicants, developing an employee manual, administering payroll, creating a training program for new hires, handling employee issues and disputes, generating weekly work schedules, and delegating tasks and responsibilities as needed. I worked with each of my employees to create an environment that would allow them to work independently and to bring their own ideas to the table to improve our brand. Our goal as a team was to make The Studio feel like a second family for everyone that visited the store. We focused on making customer service our number one priority, and this helped us to develop a very loyal customer base.
In order to keep track of the inventory and supplies for our store, I set up and trained the staff to use Quickbooks Point of Sale along with a number of custom excel spreadsheets which I created and updated regularly. I oversaw all aspects of purchasing for the store and the cafe. To determine the appropriate products for our market, I attended numerous trade shows for the coffee industry, the food industry, and the craft and hobby retail industry. I researched and selected the merchandise and vendors we worked with, placed and tracked orders as needed, and oversaw all of the accounting for the business to be sure that vendors, taxes, employees, and bills were paid on time. Since we sold both new and pre-owned craft materials and equipment, I was also responsible for negotiating purchases of large lots of crafting materials from individuals looking to sell their items, paying the sellers, and determining appropriate pricing for the items we acquired.
I opened the business with a staff of 6 and gradually grew to a staff that included 10 - 12 people at any given time. As the sole proprietor of the business, I was responsible for hiring, training, scheduling, and managing the entire staff. This included interviewing job applicants, developing an employee manual, administering payroll, creating a training program for new hires, handling employee issues and disputes, generating weekly work schedules, and delegating tasks and responsibilities as needed. I worked with each of my employees to create an environment that would allow them to work independently and to bring their own ideas to the table to improve our brand. Our goal as a team was to make The Studio feel like a second family for everyone that visited the store. We focused on making customer service our number one priority, and this helped us to develop a very loyal customer base.
In order to keep track of the inventory and supplies for our store, I set up and trained the staff to use Quickbooks Point of Sale along with a number of custom excel spreadsheets which I created and updated regularly. I oversaw all aspects of purchasing for the store and the cafe. To determine the appropriate products for our market, I attended numerous trade shows for the coffee industry, the food industry, and the craft and hobby retail industry. I researched and selected the merchandise and vendors we worked with, placed and tracked orders as needed, and oversaw all of the accounting for the business to be sure that vendors, taxes, employees, and bills were paid on time. Since we sold both new and pre-owned craft materials and equipment, I was also responsible for negotiating purchases of large lots of crafting materials from individuals looking to sell their items, paying the sellers, and determining appropriate pricing for the items we acquired.
My background in marketing and communication was very helpful in determining new and interesting ways to get the word out about The Studio in the area. Warsaw is a small town and at the time that I launched the Studio, there were no other craft stores in the area and only one other locally-owned coffee shop which had opened nearly a decade earlier and was declining in popularity.
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The first Starbucks in the area opened just after I began renovation of my building, which forced me to try and find a way to break into the limited customer base with a unique brand identity. I chose to focus The Studio brand on being a very creative atmosphere that was community-minded and customer friendly. To do this, I partnered with local charities to donate a portion of the profits from The Studio back into the community. The goal was to make people realize that they could give back to their own community every time they drank their morning latte, and to make the Studio’s logo synonymous with helping others in the community. This was a very popular concept that garnered a lot of positive media coverage and customer feedback.
I did some event marketing by donating our coffee catering services at local fundraising events and participating in the local 4H Fair as well as the “Taste & Trade Expo” that introduces local customers to businesses in the community. I placed coupon ads in the local newspaper as well as in the student newspaper for the local college, and sent press releases to the local media about any events or news concerning the store. Several of these press releases resulted in media coverage, and when I launched our program of craft classes in the store, the classes were submitted to a variety of outlets that publish community calendars of events. Our charitable partners also helped to get the word out by making announcements to their members and followers, encouraging them to spend their money at The Studio.
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Marketing Materials for The Studio
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For our Grand Opening, I planned an elaborate event that was attended by the local Chamber of Commerce and covered by the local newspapers. We set up a number of tables with free “make and take” craft projects for people to do and gave away door prizes, and made the event a family-friendly “festival” type of experience. The store was packed with people throughout the entire event and we sold over $1000 worth of food and drinks. |
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Due to the scope of the work involved with opening the store, I initially contracted with a local bakery to provide the baked goods that we offered in the store. Over time, I worked with an in-house baker to develop recipes and launch our own custom line of baked goods. Eventually, I created a full menu of sandwiches and pastas that were a very popular addition for the lunch crowd. Most of the sandwiches and pastas were designed to be hearty and vegetarian friendly, due to the lack of vegetarian options available elsewhere in the area, and the Bruschetta sandwich became one of our most popular menu items. In order to train the staff on how to make these items quickly and consistently, I created a book of recipe cards with images that would allow anybody to walk in and create any menu item with almost no previous experience. I also developed a drink recipe book to ensure consistent quality and taste to the items on our drink menu.
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