Essentials Magazine Essentials Spring 2019 | Página 5

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO
WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT WORK?
Run, read, and enjoy good conversa-
tion with some wonderful friends. Like
everyone else, I’m trying to figure out
where the days go and find purpose and
meaning beyond work. I’m 58 and a
grandfather for the first time, so I’m very
excited about that. His name is Lev. I try
not to let work be my only focus. I read
one time that the biggest regret of most
dying people on their deathbed is “too
much time at the office.” That haunts
me. Life is too short as they say. Find joy
in as many parts of it as you can.
HOW HAD EDMARKET
HELPED YOUR BUSINESS?
We went to every show since we were
in business. It was a crucial part of our
business in finding new product and
discovering new ways to run our busi-
ness better. Talking with other smart
owners is always a good way to make
improvements.
WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU
WITNESSING IN THE
EDUCATIONAL MARKETPLACE?
The market is more challenging. We
started in the days of Frank Schaffer
and early days of Carson-Dellosa, but
it’s evolving. Shrinking budgets and the
Internet have been the main culprits,
but we are still growing with certain
vendors. It’s crucial to adapt.
WHAT HAS MADE YOUR
BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL?
We have 3,500 square feet of toys,
3,000 of teacher, 1,500 of used books,
1,200 of new children’s books and
5,000 in general books along with a
few hundred square feet of gifts. This
has been fundamental to our suc-
cess. This year we are opening a new
section (600 square feet) of toys and
gifts for ages 12 and up which will be
a separate little boutique called Never
Grow Up. Our goal is to reach into an-
other market of fun for people to find
yet more unique items for friends of all
ages. We go to the Atlanta Internation-
al Gift Market to find more vendors
with quirky, novelty items.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD
YOU GIVE OTHERS IN
OUR INDUSTRY?
Find what vendors are bringing out
fresh items and get them in, keep the
staple items, keep your website fresh
and updated, listen to teacher needs,
keep merchandise fresh and well
presented, walk through your store
as if you were a customer to critique
it, use Facebook and Instagram and
devote time to keeping them up
and, very importantly, diversify your
product line. Always think outside the
box and broaden your thinking and
products if you can.
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