The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-23
PROFIT ~ 4 GIFT SHOP.
This W0man's BnsineSs started Win Ped
ding From House ca House.


When | balanced my books at the he
ginning of this month found that had
cleared between six and seven hundred
dollars ga my gift shop declared yO,n q
woman Who ia earning her living in a
city ia the middle West. -B@sides what
] have made several women who consiGn
work Ia me Ia sell on commission have
done pretty well. each 20 them clearin G
more than one hundred dollars
L went into the business in preference
IN taking q course In the normal school
and becoming a teacher. ! supp"-a |
would have taken the course and begun
teaching without giving the matter very
much thought II nv father had lived
When he died and bait mother and me Ia
look out for the family | thought IN"
matter over and decided I didn't care
enough about teaching a. profession
To struggle for u.
Looking around ~ ! saw that thu man
who went into business. that - keeping
a store. large or small. usually made "a
very good living 50 ! determined ." ~"
what a woman could do When I told
mother 81 my idea she reminded m" thaI
had no capital ~ starr Oh Then ! went
further and told her - my plan - get
all the people who had been making
articles for branch - the Woman =
Exchange. that had "psn"d in oar town
and failed tn give them IN me u sill
1t was the first day % October when I
started ouS with suit box filed with
fancy and useful articles went from
HOUSE To house Offering them Tor sal"
That day I sold every hing IN tho hoy .
took orders for tWic" a. many more aVd
came hons after sitting with my con
s,gnses with = 50 commission m my
pocket
4 kept up that house 10 bouse selling
until Christmas eve. then on The frst day
% January opened q regular shop This
shop was a srAall counter IN on" corner
u a milliners store hu' ! hung out nav
sign NJ though IN" whole plac" was in
Cluded B"caus" every article "a m" shop
could he us~d appropriately a. a present
thought Gift shop would D." good
name. and had m" sign do - different
from other signs A. | pn@sinl" could 80
that ~ would attract attention
-Besides tending tHo counter and taking
orders continued nv house TO house
selling did this about once a month.
and a. consequence seldom had any
thing TO carry over from one month to
tho next TINS not only brought me m
money and built up my trade but u
pleased nv consignees 80 much that they
were always prompt IN lctting mo have
other articles for tho shop
Along in the summer I hogan 10 see
that II ! was 40 riiuntod that could serve
ice cream aud cake. or even tea and sand
witches. | might add considerably 10 the
earnings ~ nv shop. talked the mat
ter over with several women who
knew could make good things TO oat A.
a result when the fir; day Of O,Iot".
came around again ] had moved into
shop Il my own
When first opsned | rad two counters
for gifts and two gman tables wberr
chocolate and coffee were served with
Homemade cake and sandwiches from
noon To , O'Clock When the CnriEtrnas
shopping hogan thcr" wDrc 30 many who
had TO h" Turned away ha'aus" they
couldn'f NO served ~ ~" ~" li'fl" tnhlcs
that Ou,U'd % 100. nd 'p"tp.
Al Gr.i mother mad" tho chocolate
and cone" End - w""u - u" 'uaUag"l 90
servo o." -~u httl" table. TO Ok,
saudvi'h"a. rnll. and v Ef"rs v"'" .au'
In hy different T"rF"nr. reg ! = -. ed
IN" ."rnUd room ono y th"t" r. ~ took
oyer the making e W." rhH..lH'" =.
frrrpu"d all materials. did m" ,noLi-r
and gul. we. the coUwis, ion | would
have r", - I'd had II been cake or any
Other 1-iIcl" on sa'".
4 still hnep up my hab' - going FROM
house To- h0,pe whom want 20 get articles
ont 4 tho shop. ~ a rule 20 ont tvIo"
each month. ! pack two lii car iuU
and driv" around from hnrro - houuc
sh1wirr NV wares iusf . ! would II
woro u I~dl"r about -" OILY hard and
fact rule have in NV lu.i o-'. r. r. 49, paw
cash l'"' oash ard keep nothing that ~
shOuworn
-Pes,dcs making SIR" tha' oyorvthIur
In nv shop ~ Just What u - represented
~ he. ~ inayl" l'tlo better. | have
two ways of getting new customers
One H. bv keeping a standing advertise
mont IN our local plU"r and the other il
NV semi monthly hougN ~ house Fnlc-