SmallBizResource Blog -- Women in Business

Wednesday's Woman: Hard Times, Creative Measures

Posted by Gayle Kesten Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008, 12:32 PM ET

When the going gets tough, resilient working women get going. They think out of the box. Meet four females who fit the bill.

The first, Mary Hughes, owns a futon company in San Rafael, Calif. Like much in the retail world, futons aren't economy-proof, and business has slowed. Hughes' idea to get more people into her store? A comedy show, complete with snacks and raffle tickets for prizes. Guests watch the show seated on Hughes' futons (some of whom have returned to the store to buy one); ticket sales pay the comedians and event planner. "I get the publicity and that’s worth more than the money," Hughes told The New York Times. She continues to host, and now manages, her "Evening of Lie-Down Comedy" shows.

In that same article, the NYT profiles Deborah Reese, who owns a lingerie shop in Albuquerque, and Kimberly Smith-Johnson, who ran a comic book store in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Reese hosted a "Sex and the City" pajama party, where customers received manicures and facials. They also bought plenty of pajamas while they were there. She had a men's night event, which also spiked her sales. In the works for Valentine's Day: erotic poetry reading. "Events are cheap publicity,” Reese said. "People who ordinarily wouldn’t come, come."

As for Smith-Johnson, she used her shop to host monthly art shows, featuring local artists and her very own customers. Despite her best efforts, Smith-Johnson wound up going out of business, but that doesn't diminish her creativity.

Finally, there's Deborah Chusid. (Full disclosure: Chusid is my cousin's sister-in-law.) Like thousands of people, Chusid recently lost her job. So did her ex, with whom she has a teenage son. "Chusid, frantic for ways to support herself and her son, took one look at the littlest man in the house -- Louie -- and heard opportunity barking," reported the Daily News, which profiled Chusid.

Louie is Chusid's cute canine, whose time had come to earn his keep. Chusid e-mailed photos of Louie to a talent agency for animals and was asked to bring him in. Louie impressed the agents, though he's still waiting for actual work. "It's a crappy economy and you have to do whatever it takes, including keeping a sense of humor," Chusid told the Daily News.

What creative endeavors are you -- or someone you know -- involved in to get customers buying? Share your story!

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The Wednesday's Woman series is written for today's community of hard-working, small-business women, featuring profiles, industry trends, research, work/life balance issues and other topics of interest. Send your ideas to Gayle Kesten.

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