in these tough economic times – i think it’s a wonderful idea to band together with your neighbors and host a simple event that gets people circulating throughout the stores. 

in Portland (where i live) - there are a plethora of events that encourage shoppers to visit groups of stores within a vicinity or neighborhood and shop local.  some ideas i particularly like include

 - fashion by flashlight – stores stay open late periodically and provide lite snacks/drinks and specials

 - East meets West Passport  – for Black Friday – a group of stores on the east and west sides of a section of town created a passport that provides discounts at each store. if you visit all stores – you’re eligible to save at any of the participating stores for the remainder of the year.  and naturally, there’s a shindig!

 - The Big Reveal – i love this concept!  this was an event from last year – but it was all about revealing the holiday windows the day after Thanksgiving (please – let’s let this holiday shine!!)

 - Pop-up Shops – there are so many empty store fronts downtown from big-box retailers taking a hike.  so the landlords donated (yes – you read that correctly!) the space to groups of small, local designers for the holidays!  what a great way to add life and spirit to empty buildings – while supporting local talent.  thanks to the folks at Portland Fashion Synergy for spearheading this project!

And then of course there are lots of Tree Lighting Celebrations, Holiday Parades/Festivals, Art Walks, Craft/Designer Fairs and Sales! i’m pledging to shop local this year- it’s sooooooo important that we support small business to keep the creative and entrepreneurial spirit alive!

What amazing ideas and celebrations are you doing or attending this year?

during my first year of ownership at ooma – i was contacted by a professor at the Academy of Art.  She wanted her class to use my store for a project involving the planning & management of a fashion show.  i love community involvement – so we got started right away.

the class was amazing – they did everything from the invitations, PR, model casting, styling, decor, window design, marketing, catering and running the show day -of (and clean up!  yay!).  it was so fun to watch the students work their magic.

there are many ways an independent boutique can assist an art/fashion class and vice versa.  contact your local school and talk to a professor in retail management, fashion design, merchandising,  or event planning and see how you can work together to create both a learning and marketing opportunity.

who knows?  you may find yourself with a new designer, sales person or other super star (not to mention clients).  the most rewarding part of my own experience was connecting with the window display designer – Carlo Casareo.  He created several more window displays while in school to build his portfolio - and upon graduation, he became my Chief Window Designer.  my windows always received rave reviews and “wows!’ from passer-bys.  i truly miss working with him – but am pleased to announce he will be a regular guest blogger on the Proprietress – so keep a look out for his first post in the next few days…

in the meantime – check out some of these schools to get inspired: FIDM, Art Institutes,  Parsons

Sometimes you might want to whip up a quickie postcard for an event.  Or perhaps you want a fun graphic to add to your website for a sale.  Hiring a professional photographer or designer can be expensive for these one-off, short-term needs.  Getty images tends to be pricey – so i was happy to find istockphoto!  believe me – once you start browsing for an image – you’ll feel inspiration seep into your brain.  it’s pretty addicting – and very reasonably priced.

they also offer sound and video for you online mavens…

keep your favorites organized by setting up lightboxes (ie:  you could set up one for Holiday graphics, sale graphics, cute ideas for t-shirts, etc).  it’s easy and free!