The things nobody tells you about running an independent shop

People often tell us that we must have a lovely job. And they're right. Most days we genuinely enjoy what we do, but what people don't always see is everything that goes on behind the scenes. Running an independent shop isn't just about putting products on shelves and waiting for customers to walk through the door. In reality, it means wearing far more many hats than you ever imagined.

As Hamiedog approaches ten years on Park View, we thought we'd share a few of the things that nobody tells you about running an independent business.

You end up doing a bit of everything

When most people picture a shop owner, they probably imagine someone serving customers behind a till. Well, that's certainly part of it. But on any given day we might also be the buyer, cleaner, accountant, photographer, social media manager, website editor, stock controller, window dresser, handy man, dog dirt cleaner-upper and tea maker. Sometimes all before lunch.

There are days when we've spent hours carefully planning a social media post only to discover that the real challenge of the day is finding that special screwdriver needed to tighten up one of the fixtures which looks like it's about to collapse. Nobody warns you about that bit.

Every day is different

One of the best things about independent retail is that genuinely no two days are the same. It's a cliche but it's true. You can start the morning expecting a quiet day because it's lashing down outside and you end up rushed off your feet.

Or prepare for chaos and end up spending half an hour discussing local history, football or holidays with a customer.

Some days we're talking about t-shirts. Other days we're discussing life, work, family, dogs, politics, the weather or what's happened on Park View this week. The clothes are often just the excuse for the conversation.

The customers become familiar faces

When we opened Hamiedog we thought we were building a menswear business. What we didn't realise was how many relationships we'd build along the way. There are customers who have been visiting us for nearly ten years. We've watched people change jobs, become grandparents, move house and start new chapters in their lives. We've had customers introduce their sons to the shop, and now those sons are customer themselves.

That's a pretty special thing.

People tell you EVERYTHING

This is one of the stranger parts of the job. People come in to the shop looking for a t-shirt and somehow end up telling you their life story. Not that we're complaining because we love it. In fact it's one of the things we enjoy most.

We've heard stories that are funny, heartwarming, inspiring and occasionally completely bizarre. There's something about independent shops that make people feel comfortable enough to open up. We feel privileged to be trusted with those conversations.

Every sale matters

That's one small thing which is very different from a big chain store. When someone chooses to shop with an independent business, it genuinely means something.

You're not helping a distant head office hit a quarterly target. You're helping a real business continue doing what it does.

Every purchase, every recommendation and every review makes a difference. We never take that support for granted.

There are plenty of challenges

We'd be lying if we said running an independent menswear shop was easy. There are quiet days. Really quiet days when we sell absolutely nothing. Unexpected bills, rising costs, technology breaking at exactly the wrong moment... and the occasional day when absolutely nothing goes quite to plan.

Every independent business owner on Park View will know exactly what we mean. But somehow, you keep going because you believe in what you're building.

We love our four legged friends

One thing we've learned over the years is that dogs are excellent customers. They never complain about prices and never ask for discounts. They're always delighted to see you - and several of them even know where we keep the doggie treats!

We've welcomed hundreds of your pets through the door over the years and they remain one of the highlights of the job.

The biggest lesson

If we're honest, the biggest lesson isn't about retail at all. It's about people. When we started Hamiedog we thought success would come down to products, pricing and branding. Those things matter, of course. But ten years later we'd argue that relationships matter far more.

The conversations, the customers, the neighbouring businesses, the community. Those are the things which make independent retail worthwhile.

Nearly ten years later

As we approach our tenth anniversary, we're incredibly grateful that we're still here. Still independent, still on Park View and still doing things our own way. And still enjoying the conversations that walk through the door every day.

The truth is that running an independent shop probably isn't quite what we imagined it to be. Thankfully, it's turned out to be much better.

Over to you

What's your favourite independent shop? And what keeps you going back? Is it the products, the people or both?

We'd love to hear your thoughts next time you're in the shop. After all, if there's one thing we've learned over the last decade, it's that the best conversations are usually the ones you weren't expecting to have.

Fancy getting involved in our podcast? We are looking for real people just like you - read more here.