SHOP AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS ALL DAY AND EVERYDAY or......
YOU LOSE US. Small businesses can't stay open without you.
WE ARE MORE THAN A SHOP WE ARE A COMMUNITY
We are loving this spring weather
The weather in the Bay Area has been beautiful. With the new spring season we are switching out all the heavier items and replacing them with lighter weight new arrivals. We have been getting a lot of requests for wedding guest attire, birthday parties, graduations and travel. So we have been really busy buying and filling the shop both in store and online for your convenience. Silks, Cottons, Linen, Prints, Sets and More.....
I am back in the STORE!!!!! - Sarah
I am back!!!! I have been gone from the store for 2 months due to a medical emergency that ended with surgery and recovery. I have one more final doctors appointment Monday February 12th that will give me the final O.K to be back to full capability status. I am grateful for all the support me and my family have received over the past few months. I love our community. I am excited to see everyone in the store again and get back to normal routines and activities. I am on the other side of this thing !!!!!!!!!!!! I am especially excited to start this new year off in better health and am looking forward to putting all my energy into maintaining and growing our business. Lots of love and peace in 2024 from our family to you. Sarah + Nick + Vienna
Pretty Penny
2981 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA. 94609
Hours Wednesday - Saturday 12-6 Sunday 12-5
ONLINE: www.prettypennyclothing.com
UPSTAIRS
Hey Pretty Hair Studio w/Nick St. Mary
Book At: www.heyprettyhairstudio.com
Januuuuaaarrrrryyyyyyyy IS slooooowwwwwwwwww
This is the time of year ( January ) where everything slowssss waayyyyyy dowwwnnnnn. It's a great time to catch up on the operations of running our small businesses.
website updates
whats working whats not working
financial assessment
physically cleaning the shops
taking stock of the overall performance
customer service support
how we can improve
re-fresh
small business and the pandemic
I have officially hit a wall. The pandemic has finally taken it all out of me. I have owned a small business since 2006. I opened during a recession, I have felt the ups and downs of owning a small business, but this feels different. I guess its because I have so much more to lose. I am a mother, a wife and Im aging. I have always had the energy and problem solving skills to figure out problems and move through them. This time there is so much loss it feels extra hard to pick up the pieces. We have made so many changes and moved the puzzle pieces around to keep afloat instead of sink but now I am just tired. I want help, I need help. That comes at the price of shame and admitting that I need help. I have always been self sufficient and have even worked 3 jobs just to make it at times. My daughter is 9 years old and has grown up feeling the full pressure of parents who work for themselves and own their own businesses. It has created a family dynamic that thrives on stress and pressure. It has also allowed us to be together more than most families. However, what is that time together like? stressful and working !! When you own your own small business you work 24/7 even if you put a timeline on yourself and try to create a schedule, work creeps in. It is impossible to clock in and out like a regular job. I'm not totally complaining I am just stating the reality of the situation....... I am needed in my daughters room to help her with school, I have to give the dog a bath, do laundry, pay bills, list clothing online, take a shower, get dressed, make my kid a snack, talk with my husband about our schedule for the day, try to work some more, the shop is slow, i am stressed....
A little bit about Pretty Penny
Eco-Friendly
We don't have shopping bags, we encourage our customers to carry out their larger items and offer recyclable paper boxes for jewelry and smaller items. We sell Baggu tote bags that are made of nylon and are reusable and long lasting.
We don't print out paper receipts we can text and/or email through our touch less checkout portal.
We are working on better eco-friendly packaging for online orders. ( priority for 2021 )
What Do We Have To Offer
Hand Picked items that are great quality construction and fabric. Size Variety. Affordable Pricing. Our items are chosen to be timeless yet trendy pieces that can become a staple item in your closet for many many years.
One On One customer service. You can DM us / email us and we will respond. Covid has made scheduling and response time lag, but we are setting systems in place to make sure our customer service is even better.
We offer you a community that is based on mutual respect and integrity.
We are different from box stores and big business because we are the people behind our entire business and every aspect of it. The money we make from our business goes back into purchasing new items for our customers. Our profit helps buy our groceries, pay for our home, pay bills, ability to have a car/insurance. support our 9 year old daughter. pay off debt. We give back to our community by shopping local and donating to causes we believe in. We are grateful to have your support as we use our platform to speak out about social justice and reform on every level. It is no secret how we feel about Politics and Humanity.
Our moto has been "We are more than a shop we are a community" This means helping others in anyway we can. That can be listening to a customer who is having a hard time whether we know them or not, we care. Community means doing the things we say we believe in. Shopping Local. Shopping Small. Supporting Others. Donating And Fundraising has been a large part of our platform and our social media allows us to reach further than the fashion industry.
Organizations| Change We believe In.
Black Lives Matter | Jail Reform | Bail Reform | Representation
Trevor Project | Laws To Protect | Equality |
Rock The Vote | Gerrymandering | Voter Suppression | Equal Representation
Trans Equality Now | Financial Resources For support In All aspects
Planned Parenthood | Freedom Of Choice | Access
Homeless Alliance | Funding To Address Gentrification | Affordable Housing
World Health Organization | Science Is Real
Food Accessibility | Food Bank Funding | Programs To Feed the vulnerable
Small And Local Business sustainability | Tax Reform | Support On Gov't Level
Global Warming | Global Warming Is Real And Happening | Sustainability
Native American health and human rights | Reform On All Levels
Immigration Justice | No More ICE | Free Caged children | Family Reunification
Police Brutality | De-fund | Re-form to include mental health and outside resources
Women's Rights | Access To healthcare | protection from sexual harassment | equal pay | Equal Representation
Guerrero Hair Studio written by Vienna St. Mary
Guerrero hair studio is the best salon in the whole entire world. He does my hair. He does my moms hair. He even does everyones hair. Every time they compliment him and they say "they love it". He loves his clients. He's awesome. He is smart and he is really good with hair. Its a really cool studio. He loves his family and he loves his customers.
Written by Vienna Rose St. Mary / age 8 ( almost 9 )
Transcribed by Sarah Dunbar
