Eating my own words...

I never mind admitting when I am wrong, I believe that is an honorable thing to do. I am eating my words from my blog Julie's Hijabs: Designer Hijabs where I passed judgement on ladies desiring "designer hijabs" generally scarves which are in most cases fakes.
Just this week a lady came into the store Middle Eastern Boutique in Richardson, Texas where we specialize in Women's Islamic clothing, she had with her one of the most beautiful scarves I have ever seen... it had a Chanel logo and was 100% silk in a lovely gray/silver color. It looked so luxurious you couldn't help but want to touch it. I would have worn it in a heartbeat even though we are pretty sure it is not an actual Chanel scarf but it was a really nice fake. I even hope to find the same scarves from a distributor so I can carry them in our store.

How to Safely Shop Online

Shopping online can be risky. Anyone can build a legitimate looking online store just to rip people off by taking money for goods without shipping the item(s), taking credit card numbers to commit fraud, or selling inferior products not worth the price paid. You work hard for your money, PROTECT IT. There is a whopping 3.6 billion dollars worth of online fraud in one year from online scams and shifty retailers WashingtonPost.com, Five Tips for Safe Online Shopping, November 21, 2007. Below are important internet shopping tips from a professional online clothing retailer to help you shop online with confidence.

1. The computer you use for online shopping should have updated Virus and Spyware monitoring. Otherwise, you risk having your confidential information compromised such as passwords and credit card numbers.
2. Use the Credit card safety net. If you are ripped off from a purchase you made online using your credit card, you can file a dispute with your credit card company for the money lost. It is not difficult just call the toll-free number on the back of the credit card. You will have to fill out a form your credit card company's fraud department will mail to you. Keep in mind, there are time limits in which a dispute can be filed from the time the charge was made so you have to follow-up usually within 30 days.
3. Do not buy online with a debit card. When you pay with a debit card the money is coming immediately out of your checking/savings account. Plus if you are dealing with an online crook they will have the opportunity to take more money out of your account once they have the debit card number so basically your account can be wiped out! It is very difficult to recover stolen money through your bank for unauthorized debit card purchases. Can you imagine having your checking account compromised? It could lead to a snowball of overdraws, a frozen account, and a series of late fees when the bills don't get paid on time. Debit cards can be dangerous. However, if you do not want to use a credit card, you could set up a special debit card account with a designated amount of money for the intentions of making purchases only, it would be a safer option.
4. One of the safest ways to buy online is through PayPal or a similar online reputable payment system because the website you are purchasing from never actually gets your credit card number. When you go to checkout at an online store that offers PayPal, you are re-directed to the PayPal secure website and you will see the PayPal logo and URL. PayPal can easily track down their verified merchants if there is a problem with the transaction and filing a dispute is extremely easy.
5. Whenever shopping online at a new website, always check to see if there is a customer service phone number to call. Email alone is too unreliable for customer service issues because you don't know if they received your email or if you are just intentionally being ignored. Before purchasing from a new website test customer service, call them and see if they answer the phone or leave a message and see if they return your call. In the event there is a problem with an order or you want to return/exchange an item, this is when customer service usually fails so it helps to know you can talk to someone on the phone.
6. Until you have an item in hand, you will not know if it is going to live up to your expectations. Be sure to read the return/exchange policy before making a purchase. Most stores have very specific policies laid out. Many online merchants offer money back guarantees but with ridiculous time frames in which items must be returned, re-stocking fees, and/or a series of steps you must do in order to return an item.
7. Do your homework. Before making your purchase it doesn't hurt to do some research just to make sure the website doesn't have a bad history. I recommend searching the Better Business Bureau's directory for any complaints against the company. Also check the search engines for any articles about the company. Many consumers now-a-days fight back bad service by posting information on the internet about their experience especially if they were left feeling angry. Check blogs, forums or any special interests groups
   

Business during a Recession

I sell Islamic clothing online at http://www.middleeasternmall.com/ and at our retail shop, Middle Eastern Boutique in Richardson, Texas - Tel: (972) 479-9009. Of course, I can see a slight decline in sells but we are still going strong, Alhamdulilah. There are several things you can do to keep money rolling in, in whatever business you have. This is the worst time to go out of business. Let your competitors go out of business. This is when the cream rises to the top, if you are persistent and put a success plan in action you can actually thrive even in these tough times.

1. Need some quick money, have a sale. Just make sure you let people know about it by advertising or sending notifications to customers who have given you permission. Everyone loves to save money at a sale and usually will spend more money because they feel it is justified.

2. Have a well defined market for your business called a target market. My target market, of course, is Muslim women which makes it easier for me to focus my marketing efforts.



3. Increase your marketing and use creative marketing. If shoppers are spending less money, just bring in more shoppers with marketing. Remember your competition has probably just reduced their marketing efforts to save money so it is the perfect moment to increase yours. Plus advertising rates will fall when the demand for advertising goes down so be sure to negotiate the rates. During an economic crunch most companies mistakenly cut their marketing budgets thinking they can do without advertising.

4. Carry more affordable lower priced products maybe focus less on luxury and more on unique or necessities. Be sure to carry some cute low priced items near the check out to up-sale. Upselling is if every customer spends just another two or three dollars it adds up significantly over time so have a few tempting items for them to look at while checking out.

5. Open longer hours and more days. Some of my best selling days are federal holidays when many places are closed.

6. Increase the places where you sell items... conventions, ebay, amazon.com, community functions. Be sure to collect info at each venue for follow up with customers.



7. Network and branch out. Work with competitors. I often refer customers to my competition because I have name brands I know they don't carry. If my customer is not willing to pay extra for the name brands I have, it is better for them to shop elsewhere. Most come back recognizing the quality difference and appreciate my huge selection.

8. Have workshops or functions in your store, home or where ever you sell. People love to learn new skills especially for free with like minded individuals. It is a great way to create a buzz about your business.

9. Get noticed by slightly changing the appearance of your business. Put some white lights in your window, add some nice planters outside with flowers, change your window display, re-arrange your store, change the trim paint color... you get the idea. The more creative the better the response.

10. Give customers who spread the word about your business some kind of incentive. When they bring in a friend give them a discount or free gift. Or give customers a business card and have them write their name on the back and have people bring them back into your business. Compensate them nicely and you will see how well other people will tell others about you. Nothing better than friends giving referrals.

11. Make sure customer service is top-notch from answering the phone to greeting everyone who walks in your door. Your efforts are in vein if you do not treat customers graciously even if they do not spend money. Customers need to have a pleasant experience because they will become repeat business and tell family and friends! It is easier and cheaper to keep the customers you already have then to gain new ones.