let me tell you about my day...

Let me tell you about my day which will give you an idea of what it's like to run a shop!

I opened a little later today; I couldn't do up my dress properly so had to pop into next door first so the girl in the dress shop could tie it up tight for me.
Then I opened up, switched on lights, swept, made sure the books in the window looked good, sat on the fitness ball at my desk, answered emails; I usually do work ones first (book inquiries, shop questions etc) then read all the newsletters I get (both from suppliers and businesses in Sydney and all kinds of other things I relate to business somehow). Then I read and answer my personal emails, invites, comments etc. I also sold from the glass display straight away this morning so had to choose a book for it and rearrange it.
Today I entertained two boys, we read, played, they ate gingerbread men, while their nanny bought toys, bought me a coffee and we chatted - they stayed over an hour. During which I helped another customer choose books, re arranged the pregnancy section because the books had been mixed up in the war section and helped a little girl choose which bubble toy she wanted to blow. I sold a glam girl's guide to Sydney, helped a woman look for books and while the boys were messing about, tidied up the children's section. I also had two people asking for books that I didn't have and one lady trying to sell a bag full of books I either had or didn't want!
After they all left I swept up the gingerbread men crumbs and put aside two other books for two other customers and had about five more people come in and look. Then a lady came in to buy toys and another came in to buy a parachute bag.
Then a man bought something from the window display so had to pop another book in the display. I closed up the shop to pat the kitten in the pet shop (the owners call it my daily fix and it is - I need the break!) and went into the health shop next door to buy a rice roll ( wrapped in rice paper full of veggies, peanuts, noodles and it is yummy) and organic water with cranberry and lime- I am trying to eat healthier.
Now I am back in the shop; I am updating the blog which I do everyday (it's the only writing I have done lately) and logged into my space because I get my book and author news from others on there.
I have also set up a search tool bar with a thing called a ticker and linked this ticker to the Mail and Guardian newspaper in South Africa - so I get the latest news scrolling through so I can click on news items. I have to stay updated partly for my own education and also so I always can talk somewhat intelligibly to customers about current affairs or interesting information.
I also have newsletters from business and entertainment sites for the same reasons and read other blogs because I use all of that info as a learning tool and that i always have something to talk about! For those of you who know me I talk non stop and when friends pop in we chat about all sorts of things!
I am reading Melissa Nathan's TheWaitress which is all about Katie Simmonds who has a degree in Psychology but has no idea what she wants to with her life so has settled into being a waitress. She also can't date and has met the perfect man who becomes her new boss... you can guess the rest. What can I say I love these books; it must be the universe trying to tell me something.
So I just had a lady buying a book and trying to pay me in 5c pieces, I gave a dollar off her book but am getting a little sick of people in this area acting like they have no money and counting their cents when there are shops selling $300 jeans and dresses all around me.
I had a man looking for books in German - we had two but not what he was after and have sold over 10 books, 5/6 toys, 3 bags and had about 18 people in and out so far! There is a lovely girl in here looking at Australian fiction as I type...
And it's now the lunchtime lull, I have my drink to finish and my book to read...
Every single day is different!