A Day in the Life of a Shop Owner…

by Shana Karn, Co-Owner of The Second Knob Gifts & Antiques

11:01pm I am still awake despite having to be awake at 4:30am for our trip to Lancaster & Philadelphia. I have resorted to watching something on Lifetime Movie Network while lying in bed. My husband, Dan, is already sound asleep and I am somewhat jealous that he was able to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

I am thinking about the upcoming weekend; we will visit three wholesalers and an antique shop tomorrow in the Lancaster area, spend the night at the Radisson Valley Forge and then spend two days at a gift show near Philadelphia. My mind is racing. I realize that I failed to drop today’s deposit in the bank’s night deposit drop box on the way home from work. I will have to do that first thing in the morning. I hope I remember. I also hope that I remember to pack my hairbrush.

4:25am WHAT is that noise? O.M.G.! It is my alarm. Ugh. Snooze button, where are you?
4:45am Holy cow, I just hit the snooze button; what is wrong with this alarm clock??? ….Wait a minute. Does that say 4:45am??? And, that noise isn’t my alarm; it is my husband’s cell phone. He is waking and handing it over to me without answering it. I “slide to answer” and, in as chipper a voice as I can manage (because I don’t want him to know that I overslept) I say, “Hi Dad!”

I try to mentally calculate how much time I have to get dressed. Realistically, because my Dad is ALWAYS late, I figure I am safe in giving myself forty minutes.
4:55am Thankfully, I showered before bed last night and I simply have to get dressed and do my hair. But my teacup Yorkie, Bella, is at my feet as I am brushing my teeth; reminding me that she, too, has to pee…
5:00am I put Bella on her lead and turn on the Keurig. I start the dishwasher and scribble a quick note for my seventeen year old daughters. “I love you. I miss you already. Empty the dishwasher.” I brew a hot cup of coffee and slowly sip it. For one quiet moment, all is right with the world.
6:00am My Dad is ALWAYS late. Have I already mentioned this? Finally, we are in the car and heading to…the bank. Yes, thankfully I remember that I want to put my deposit in the night drop box.

6:10am On Rte. 81 and heading south. Just three and a half hours and we will hit our first wholesaler.

7:30am Now that it is light outside, I can flip through the new issue of Smart Retailer and a few new catalogues. I really enjoy an article on social networking and marketing. This reminds me that I want to tweet on The Second Knob. From my cell phone, I tweet that we are on our way to Philly and Lancaster and tell our followers that new merchandise will be on the shelves next week. (By the way, you can follow The Second Knob on, either or both, Twitter and Facebook for updates and sneak peeks of new merchandise!)
9:00am I text my daughter Melanie who volunteered to watch the shop today. Thankfully, she replies to me and says that she is up and getting ready to head over there. I turn on my iPad and review merchandise that needs to be replenished and then I flip through several pieces of notebook paper, looking at special orders. I make mental notes of which items I need to pick-up and where.
9:38am I receive a text from Judi at The Cortland Area Tribune and she is checking to see where my ad and article for next week’s issue are. I explain that I am on the road but will work on these items this evening.
11:15am We’ve finished shopping at our first stop and I am excited to have picked up more of my [current] favorite box sign “Behave! What happens today is on Facebook tomorrow!”

Two boxes and one bag are strategically packed in the car. I text Melanie to see how things are at the shop and am relieved to here that she is having a good day!
12:30pm We’ve just checked out at stop number two and we put one more box and three more bags in the car.

1:00pm Stop number three is unplanned because we didn’t know this particular wholesaler would be open today. We leave with a few small antique purchases.
1:34pm We stop at In Grandma’s Attic in Kinzer, PA to visit our friend, Patty. We pick-up a Fiesta gravy boat she’s been holding for us and Dad hunts through the barn and store for more finds.

2:16pm I am excited to find a bright green train case at In Grandma’s Attic. I consider how many displays will work using this cute, vintage piece of luggage…Oh the possibilities!

3:02pm We attempt to carefully pack another box, three covered aluminum cans, a hay hook, a green train case, ice tongs, two aluminum coffee pots, four vintage cookie cutters, an enamelware collander, two advertising tins and a few other items into the car. At this point, Dan and I joke that we do not have enough room for Dad. Dad, however, doesn’t see the humor in this.
3:22pm As we head to our next stop, the GPS directs us along Lancaster County’s twisting roads. As we drive toward a covered bridge, I ask my husband to stop so that I may take pictures. Ok…so, I didn’t exactly “ask,” rather I pointed to the side of the road and yelled, “Stop! Give me my camera.” At this point, Dad began rummaging around the backseat searching for my camera bag.

3:26pm My camera in hand, I snap pictures of the bridge. Covered bridges are a favorite of mine. Next to me is a horse in a fenced pasture. I snap a few pictures of the horse and then find myself fascinated with the split rail fence and snap a few pictures of that. On the other side of the bridge is a huge old tree in front of a house. I like the tree swing hanging in the tree and my Dad and Dan order me to take pictures of the swing.
4:40pm. We stopped for a late lunch at an Amish restaurant and are back on the road, heading to our final [wholesale] warehouse. At the restaurant, I sampled (for dessert) Cracker Pudding (a pudding made with Saltine Crackers and coconut)…interesting. At some point between lunch and the our last wholesaler, I receive multiple texts from my daughter, Mandy, who is fervently scanning the Internet for puppies. Despite the fact that we have three small dogs, Mandy is positive we need a large dog and she forwards me picture after picture of lab and golden-doodle puppies.

5:54pm I call Melanie at the shop to see how her day went. She updates me on a couple of things and tells me her plans for the evening.

6:33pm Dan and I leave Dad waiting in line to pay for a cartful of merchandise and we attempt to make room in the car for our purchases. We unpack everything…three duffle bags, two large boxes, several bags and small boxes, a wagon, a camera bag just to repack it as carfeully as possible and hopefully create some additional space for the purchases Dad is inside paying for…Thankfully, we will pick up a trailer tomorrow. Until that time, Dad will be very cramped in the backseat…

8:40pm We’ve already checked into our hotel and eaten dinner at Chumleys Sports Bar and Grill. We climb into our pajamas as soon as we get back to our room.
9:30pm Storage Wars in on TV. Dad is struggling to keep his eyes open. I’ve opened my laptop and am trying to figure out what to write for our article in the upcoming issue of the Cortland Area Tribune but Facebook steals my attention. My mind is so focused on shopping and displays and tomorrow’s show that I can’t seem to focus on anything else—even facebook and especially my article!

10:04pm I check my e-mail and register for a digital newsletter from Country Business. I download pictures from my camera to my laptop. I then like to find more about digital marketing to promote the business in the online world and consider writing about them but I just don’t have enough to say about my handful of photos. I ask myself what I can write that will be entertaining. Contemplating what could make for an engaging piece, the world of digital marketing stands out as a dynamic subject. It’s not merely about promotion; it’s about crafting a narrative that resonates with the audience, and building connections in the digital realm. The thought of sharing insights, strategies, and experiences to empower businesses online begins to take shape. And in this journey, the significance of credible backlinks becomes evident. Quality backlinks are the silent architects of online visibility and credibility. I contemplate how services like sirlinksalot.co specialize in establishing these vital links.

10:12pm Dan is snoring. Dad is snoring. I think, for a moment, that I would likely have a more restful night if I had my own room. I am still watching reruns of Storage Wars and trying to decide what to write.

10:18pm I am going to write about my day—not that it is an overly exciting day but it is an average travel day. Over the course of the last year, we’ve made numerous buying trips to this area. As we head into our second year (soon), a little of the newness and excitement has worn off but I am still enjoying these trips because I get to spend time with a couple of my favorite men! I still LOVE co-owning a shop but I, also, now fully realize just what co-owning a shop entails…

11:04am A wave of relief washes over me as I finish this article. It’s been a busy day and we’ve accomplished a lot. I am so thankful to have my Husband and my Dad here with me. I am also thankful to have responsible and mature daughters who volunteer to help at the shop, and take care of the house and dogs while we travel. Now if only I can get some sleep before we head to the show at 7:30am…*Yawn* Oh no!! …I forgot to pack my hairbrush.

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