No exciting photo for this topic. Boutique prep consists of the following:
- Full count of pieces, looking for holes in the inventory. Always good to have a solid selection of each category: necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
- The above runs simultaneously with checking pricing and any necessary re-tagging.
- Everything is then boxed for transport in the most efficient way possible for retrieval and display. After vending for events where I needed to set up or tear down quickly, I learned there is virtue in tossing things into divided trays. This is done with a great deal of care though. Sort of. No matter how much I like things bagged properly and put away, there simply isn't time and it's not nice (or smart) to keep someone from going home after a long day by allowing my ocd to rule. This can all be done when back at homebase.
- Next up: the displays. This looks like popping a dozen boxes of neckforms, spin racks, table coverings, signage, packaging supplies... I could go on. Each event is different, so I need to make sure I have enough table coverings for my space. Sometimes I need the tables themselves. A chair is good too: standing = crankiness = scaring people.
- The "mock-up" comes next. To aid in an efficient set up, I try to figure out what will go where. This can tend to make my house look like some sort of mad trunk show explosion but it's worth it.
- Box it all back up and load the car.
And there it is, my activity breakdown for the next 2 days. This will be the first event of the Fall/Winter season. I hope we get off to a good start. Send me some positive waves Moriarty.
