So I run a very small gift shop in a town which is mostly financially supported by travelers/tourists. I hand make a lot of my items, and have built the business up from nothing. My friend however stops through when she is in this part of the state. She travels full time in a bus, so she carries all of her goods and such with her. But she only rolls through during major holidays and times when business is at its best. When she stops through she places all of her inventory in front of my place, and attempts to pull my customers in before they even get to my entrance. I don’t want to be greedy, or discouraged her from making and selling souvenirs and whatnot. But I rely on my income from my shop to support me. How should I handle this situation? Should I just let it go and lose 2 weeks of typical income? Or should I ask her to move away from my store front? I’ve spent a significant amount of time landscaping and making it eye catching, and I feel like she is taking advantage of the hard work I’ve done, and attempting to give the impression that it’s her place. I don’t know what to do, honestly.
If she can place her bus there….can you fill the space with tables and chairs? Or get some other friends to park there so it’s not on you.
You will need to have a serious conversation with them. If they are your friend, how are they helping you? From your perspective it is costing you and you are getting nothing in return. They might think they are attracting trade you your business with their colourful bus. Are they selling your stuff when they go on tour? What’s in it for you?
Hey bus girl I need to tell you as a friend that your bus is killing my trade when you are here. How can we make this good for both of us because i can’t afford the drop in income, I have overheads to pay……etc