If I could set up my own business, I would have an online stationary shop!
I would sell the best stationary around. Not the most expensive, but the most efficient, practical, and best value for money stuff out there! I would specialise in things going out of production, stocking up where I can so I can supply them to people who couldn't buy them originally!
Unfortunately I don't have a business head at all! So I would hire people who could deal with all that, but I would be Head Buyer! And I would hire my Philofaxy friends!
And Philofaxy people and my blog readers would get a discount!
These are the things I would stock:
Filofaxes! Of course! I'd sell all of them, but focus on ones going out of production, or already out of production, so that people could have the chance to own them when they normally couldn't. I would buy them off ebay and amazon and anywhere else I could, and put them up on the website. I would also buy them off people who were trying to get rid of them. Stocks would be limited, as these are the rarer ones, and for these it would be a first-come, first-served basis. People could also request certain filofaxes- if I find one, and you're first on the list, it's yours! I'd also sell inserts, refills and accessories! And people who make inserts and dividers etc could sell through my store!
Notebooks- Moleskine, Paperblanks, Clairfontaine, Rhodia, etc. I love notebooks, they can become such a part of you! I'd especially try to stock ones available in other countries, but not in Britain, so GB people could get their hands on them!
Pens-
Lamy! I LOVE Lamy!! Safaris, Al-Stars; fountain pens, ball-points, pencils; converters, nibs...
Multi-pens
Pens to fit in tight Filofax pen loops
Bottles of fountain pen ink- I love the traditional way of filling a fountain pen, and all the brilliant colours! I use Parker and Waterman bottled inks at the moment, and I would stock those, and Diamine, which has an AMAZING array of colours!!!
And everything in between in the pen world!
Pencils-
I LOVE mechanical pencils, and my favourite is Kuru Toga! I would also sell other types of mechanical and normal pencils of course!
Post-it notes-
Pretty coloured ones, cool shapes, different sizes, lined, squared, pretty designs, super-sticky...
Kawaii stationary- love love LOVE!!! Hello Kitty etc!
Anyway, this is all a pipe-dream!! But if I had the opportunity, this would be my business!!
Hope you are all having a great Christmas!!!
I think the problem with people like us owning stationery shops is that we'd want to use all the stationery ourselves.
ReplyDeleteOf course I'd have to try everything out first...!! Heehee!!
ReplyDeleteThis actually makes a lot of sense... People who 'get it' would know what to stock :)
ReplyDeleteTracy
Please can I work for you? :o)
ReplyDeleteI have been in business for 15 years and am an accountant, so I think I have a 'business head'....anyone else think this is worth a closer look with a view to getting a business plan in place? I'm in Wales, in the UK......
ReplyDeleteI'm putting in my order now for pens to fit in tight Filofax pen loops, Kuru Toga mechanical pencils, and pretty colored post-it notes at The Perpetual Student Stationers. Oh, and I'll have one of those out of production Filofaxes, please.
ReplyDeleteWow... an amazing idea. I hadn't thought about the online side. Having just visited Harrods for the first time I was thinking it would be great to have a stationery department store... where each section is a different brand, I would love a Filofax section (the size of the London stores), a Parker section, Waterman, Lamy, Claire Fontaine, Oxford (their paper is lovely too), Moleskine, Pukka Pads, Caron D'ache... oh there are so many. But I could just imagine spending hours wandering around looking at all the products these companies sell and in one place and to be able to touch it and see if it feels right, it would be heavenly.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the positive reactions! David, I would LOVE to do this in reality! Although I would have NO idea where to start- I imagine setting up a website wouldn't be too hard, but the technical side of it and the funding... hence why this is still a dream!! Any investors/donaters out there are very welcome!!
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