February 1, 2012

Do you know it has officially been 2 full years since Norm and I became Heitz Handbells and Music?
Truthfully?  It has been very difficult getting out of the "hole".  We are climbing out.  Feels great!!! :)

For the year 2010, my personal goal for our company was adding onto our customer base.  I knew Norm had lost customers due, in large part to his medical issues and the resulting inabilities to keep up service.
We were so incredibly busy with moving into a store space and setting that up and then learning Quickbooks and cataloguing the music and inventorying!!!  Ooof.  At the same time we were working on setting up a website which was open to the public in November of 2010.

My goal for 2011 was to double the amount of money we made in 2010.  We started pushing ourselves to go to workshops and festivals.  We constantly worked to improve our displays.  We increased our inventory radically.  Quickbooks was a constant in the improvement realm. Inventorying and reworking and improving the website was also a constant job.

It is now February 1st 2012.  It took me a month to figure out what my goal for the company is for 2012.  I'll tell you next year :)  BTW, we more than doubled 2010's intake last year. And our website is slowly catching on.  I'm still trying to get descriptions finished.  It's just that it is the last job of a long list of jobs.  As usual, the most important thing needs to be accomplished first.

We are finally stable enough to get into Sue Nelson's KidzRing books thanks to "encouragement" from a customer.  They are very doable for extreme beginner's, boomwhacker situations, senior citizens groups, persons with disabilities. Call us for more info.

Have a great month, Carol and Norm

December 2, 2011

Happy December!!!
I'm in a blah state of mind largely due to the fact that personal issues are frustrating, Norm's going through a rough patch, and I can't visit my family this Christmas. BUT!!
I have decided to work hard at getting a marketing email out for Christmas gift ideas for handbell enthusiasts. When Norm and I started our business together, we agreed we didn't want jewelry. I don't wear any (neither does Norm lol) and Handbell Services is doing a wonderful job at that.  As they have tuned themselves to their interests, so we tune ourselves. I am a serious musician type person and am not into knickknacks much either.  So our gifty things tend to be more educational or need specific. I'm sure there are plenty of practical minded people out there.
Also, I had planned on reviewing Christmas ensemble music for those who are interested in off-the-table ideas.  I'm still going to do that on Bell Folk and Stuff. Maybe today I won't work on descriptions on the web.
So...ideas? We have some fun mousepads, CDs, Michelle Sharik's DVD, game books, devotional books, bell tree music and needs, bell photo notecards and posters, pencils, colored gloves, boomwhackers, calculators, windchimes (silver and gold), chocolate. hmmmm.

October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!!  It's been forever since I last wrote.  So much has been happening. Carol went to Fargo at the end of September for a Director's Seminar, Sioux Falls in October for their Fall Festival, and this weekend I'm going to Duluth for the Twin Ports Handbell Festival.
Our displays are improving massively.  I'm so happy with the results. The wire racks are very helpful although not easy to stick in the car.  I think Norm and I have, for the most part) chosen wisely with gift ideas: Marilee's notecards and postcards consistently sell, the chocolate sells, the mousepads, boomwhackers too.  The CDs are selling but only occasionally.  Oh.  Raleigh Ringer gloves disappear constantly. Yeesh. :)
I've worked hard to beef up our solo area.  Now I'm working on duets, trios.  Once I get the supplies being consistent, it's easier to just rebuy rather than wonder what's going to sell.  I'm also still interested in bringing...ha!  ...brain fart!!...oh I know, information for people interested in different sides of music, ie composition, conducting, improving ringing, etc.
Norm's constantly working on the computer tweaking Quickbooks or our catalog (spreadsheet), entering new data, fixing things.  Things are going well. 

September 30, 2011

First, I gotta tell you that we've been invited to 3 workshop/festivals this fall and I've been so excited about the extra exposure and activity.  Bells of the Lakes had their seminar at the end of August as usual and we had a display in the social room.  That was great.  Frank helped me set up and tear down.  That's a definite process.  I bought some plastic table clothes to dress up the tables some.  Light teal-y blue.  Worked well.
Then I drove to Fargo for the Director's Seminar with Frank driving his car.  I'm going to have to figure out this car situation as gloves/binders add too much to my car.  I just don't have enough space.  However, again Frank helped me set up and it went very well.  He's extremely helpful and it's nice not to do all the heavy lifting.  I had bought some display racks after I saw Handbell Services with theirs and I really like that choice.  Again, a great display and fun time.  I prepared packets for their reading session.

We are at the 24' table mark with 16' having

or using both sides of the table.  I still haven't figured out the "where is the cashier sitting" part.
Oct 22nd I'm driving down to Sioux Falls and the to Duluth November 5th.
Norm likes staying behind.  I like getting out.
....Now to continue working on improving the website.......

August 17, 2011

We are rushing into fall.  Carol is also working on finding music for her kid's choirs.  Our church has totally contemporary music, so I'm always looking for music that we sing at church that has been arranged for handbells.  Not easy.
I'm going to set up the web site the rest of this month for new items that we've bought and in which people may be interested.  I need to find a person for Bell Folk and Stuff for either September or October.
Anyway, keep focused on what's ahead.  What's behind is already finished.

August 1, 2011

Well, we had a blast at the National Seminar.  We are looking at 2 -3 more sight ringing sessions for Duluth in 2012.  Check the Area 7 site for all event information.  Plus don't forget the Bells of the Lakes workshop August 27th at Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church, Minneapolis. 
August 1st through 13th is our extra 3% discount over and above our regular discount.  Check About Us on our Home Page to see the regular discount information.
Have a great time looking over all of the new music.  What a blessing that we have so many talented composers.

July 20, 2011

The National Seminar in Minneapolis was awesome.  So many people remembered Norm and welcome him back after however many years of absence.  He was afraid no one would remember him and yet, they did.

Carol met people she had been facebooking with: Gail and Erin Downey, Michele Sharik, Rima G (I'm going to spell her name wrong.)  What an eventful batch of packed days, classes, concerts, going through the exhibits, eating....talking.  I felt really good about the networking that we did, the customers that came to our exhibit, the sales. 

People are enjoying the chocolates and the novelty items we are displaying.  We need get more space so that we can have more music out.  Both of us are more excited about this year.