Shopping Bags, Jewelry Boxes and Stickers. Oh My!!

So, I ran out of these about a week ago:

Which is a good thing!!  That means I've been selling my inventory!!!

Well, since I ran out of them I've been using these (on hand for just this occasion!):

About 2 weeks ago I placed an order for this:

Just as a trial for the Christmas Gift season.  My plan is, if they do well, then I will carry them full time.

So I needed some of these:

Specialized jewelry boxes (with my business logo hot stamped on them) are a little A LOT out of my price range for something that is "a test product." Their kinda boring though aren't they?  Just wait...

My Hot Stamped shopping bags, which (once again) are these:

Take about 3 weeks to get to me.

I can't NOT have my business's logo on my shopping bags.  This is another opportunity for advertising that I HAVE to take advantage of.

So I needed to kill two birds with one stone.

Or Should I say sticker:

Apparently 1000 stickers are faster to print and ship than 100 bags.  That math doesn't really add up for me.  But what do I know - I married a CPA so that I don't have to think about pesky things like 2+2.

But look what they do:
















You order 1000 of these puppies (that is the minimum amount allowed), pay for 1000 of these puppies and then they make it where you can't use at least 3 of them!  Normally this would not be a big deal, but, if you haven't noticed, we just recently ended a major recession (though I still need to see proof!) so I am still counting my pennies. Literally. But don't worry, I was able to finesse the annoying, defacing top-sticker off without any damage to my labels. Phew!!

So this was my project for the day:

I couldn't decide how I wanted the jewelry boxes to look, so I submitted this photo to various friends and family members for voting.

This was the outcome:
























These bags will do nicely until I receive my new shipment on Monday.  And I really like how the jewelry boxes turned out - I think this might be the permanent look for these!!

And if my bags arrive earlier, then my "sticker bags" can double as Trick-Or-Treat bags for the neighborhood kids.  Nothing like free advertising, am I right?!?!

Oh, and the jewelry - it's doing some serious butt-kicking!  I think it's proven that it can be a permanent department!!!

Missouri Dept of Revenue... Grrr

Welp, today I paid my Missouri State Sales Tax for the first time.  I would really love to have that money back... 

My Point of Sale program (POS to those of us in the retail industry - and if you are, then you just laughed when you read those initials because it is soo true!!) is so kind.  It reminds me daily that I don't get to keep that extra 7.975% tacked on to each sale that I so graciously collect for the state.  How does it do this?  By not telling me about that extra money when I look at my sales reports.  It's awesome!!  Let me tell you why: When I run my daily sales reports, it only shows me total sales amounts for how my items are priced in the computer!  Meaning: it only showes me the money that is MINE!!  Why does it do this?  Because POS knows that I don't get to keep this additional money.  It is kind enough to not let me get my hopes up by thinking that I am making all this extra money when, in actuality, I am NOT!

But my business's checking account is not as kind.  Everyday I look at my balance and I see a number greater than I am expecting.  My heart gives a little flutter each time; "I'm making it!"  I think.  "My dream is staying alive!"  And then I plummet back to earth when I look at my POS sales report and am given my reality-check:  "That extra money isn't yours,"  it tells me.  "Don't get used to it - AND DON'T SPEND IT!!" 

"Right. Thanks.,"  I grudgingly mumble.

Well... today I had to return the extra money that I was, again, graciously, keeping safe for the State of Missouri.  I'm not ashamed to say there might be a few tear drops on the check I wrote.  "It was nice knowing you," I whispered, as I sealed it in it's envelope and walked it to the mailbox.  "Have a good time in someone else's pocket!"

Oh well, there will be more... I hope!