Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The boots are vacuumed but the floor isn't!

Well the Fischer Vacuum boot is a big hit. We have sold dozens of them and the results have been great. The process is quick and the final product is as advertised. Other boots have been selling well too. As have skis, clothing, seasonal rentals and, well, just everything! So far this looks to be another very busy year. It has been quite a bit busier than last year. And that's saying a lot.

We started as usual with our kick off Parking Lot Sale in late August and into September. The numbers were outstanding. Then it usually goes quiet as we are only open weekends for a while. But this year it was busy every weekend. It became a situation where we would have occasional four to five thousand dollar days during the week when we were in just to deal with incoming shipments and to do paperwork. Any day I came in to do bookwork upstairs the phone was ringing all day and customers were knocking on the closed door asking if they could come in. So I let them in and helped them out. Early in the month I realized I needed to be open more days. So we changed to Thursday through Sunday. The sales stayed big and still I was getting behind on my bill paying and the like as every "off"day I would come in to work the phone kept ringing and the door knocking kept coming.

I said to John that I thought it was peculiar and a bit frustrating as I was having trouble keeping up with the books, receiving goods into the computer, bill paying, emails and the like. Plus the store is messy and disorganized compared to where I think it should be, I said.  I am usually on top of that stuff. "Well it's been busy!" he replied. So we checked the sales month to month. October was more than double last years sales numbers! Same with September. I hadn't actually looked (I am ashamed to admit- but as I said I was behind!). Wow. So I have spent the past two weeks beefing up the schedule to get things done. We need to be ready when it hits the actual busy season!

So we added staff to the days roster to help get some stuff done and low and behold...still behind! The vacuum boots have been active but not the Hoover. Quite a few times someone would start to vacuum the floors at opening which we can typically do during the "slow" season, and then have to stop to help a customer. At the end of the day I have put the vacuum away a number of times realizing that only a small portion of the store has been vacuumed. The customer flow just keeps ramping up. Finally, at the end of last week we went to full staff. Seven employees every day plus a few more on weekends. Now the to do list is getting shorter. The displays are getting finalized. I am feeling more in control. I also added a few new employees. You may get to meet Derek, JB, or Jenny when you come in. An ex lawyer, an ex pro baseball player, and a recent graduate waiting to take the CPA exam. Good hard working talented folks. I am very greateful to have them on board!

So we are just about ready for the snow to hit. The store is prepped. We sent four people to Masterfit University this fall. Three got their Masters degrees. John went along to hang out in the Dark Arts class and pick up a few tidbits as well as network with other boot fitters. He loves to do that more than just about anything other than take on a difficult foot! Everyone is schooled up to work on bindings. The reps have come and given us their knowledge. Our new custom insoles have arrived built to our specs and we like them very much. Almost all the new product is in the store and set out for your perusal.

Now I just have to stress out until it snows a bit more and we really get rolling. When it does I don't know what to expect. If we have been doing double the numbers every month so far from last year, December may be wild! Every day will look like a frat party is going on at the store! And to that end I will have about 30% more staff on hand to try to keep the customer service top notch. If you need boots, come now, as there will be lines on the weekends in mid December. If you just need skis or a helmet, we should have plenty of staff on hand to help!

If the snow hits hard, it could be a wild ride!

A special thanks to Chris Fellows of NASTC. Regulars to the store have probably heard about this organization. They do adventure instruction in Tahoe, across the nation, and also across the globe. I have participated in their courses and can recommend them highly. Chris is a co-founder and has a new book out called Total Skiing. He stopped by Saturday after work for a small group of about twenty interested customers hastily assembled for a wine and cheese meet and greet. Chris put on a great presentation. Check out NASTC at www.skinastc.com. They have an event December 7-10 at Squaw Valley that is designed to jump start your ski year. If you want a great start to the season, there may still be openings. Check it out!

 Another happy customer! We have her decked out in a POC Synapasis 2.0 helmet and Uvex Ultra goggles. That's one happy labby mix! Ready to hit the slopes!