Let's talk about business.

Heaven knows, running a business isn't easy.  Over the 14 years of Dolls and Friends, I saw a lot of other doll businesses come and go. I always wondered about the reasons for their demise. Were they underfunded? Did they not offer good customer service? Did the owners just not understand sound business practices? Perhaps the business was treated as more of a hobby and the realities of running a business were just too difficult to handle for some.

For every business that suceeds, there are many that stagger along, then fail for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes the best thing to be learned from watching how other folks run their business is what to avoid doing. I learned a lot about that from the retail job I had before I opened Dolls and Friends. I'm actually still learning about it, even though I no longer am a business owner.

I happened to notice recently that Davona, aka Pixie, announced another name change for her business on Zone of Zen. This makes at least the third name in the last few years. The reason given for this particular name change is that she's also changing her ISP.

Changing your domain name when changing your ISP is not necessary. I have to wonder what the real reason behind the name change and business "reinvention" is. It takes time, effort and money to build a customer base using a particular business name. Changing your business name can cost you customers when they can't easily find you.

On the other hand, if you have pesky customers you'd like to get rid of, pesky creditors you owe money to, and a bad business reputation associated with your business name, changing your business name changes the association. We've all heard of businesses that have done this. Nothing else changes-it's still the same management, same owners, same possibly questionable business practices.

You may wonder, why should I care?

I care because I hate to see the joy that is doll collecting be tarnished and I don't like to see people get taken advantage of.  I don't like the idea of people not only getting away with taking advantage of others, but even being loudly supported by their previous critics. As for me, as a retailer I tried very hard to make my customers happy. When I made a mistake, I admitted it, and  made up for it as best I could. I did not take deposits for outfits that were not going to be made, for example, nor did I doubt customers who said their merchandise had not arrived. I did not announce publicly that my business was under new management, when in fact it was not.

Perhaps the true reason for Davona's name change is nowhere near this nefarious. But let us not forget, running a retail site IS running a business, and appropriately professional and ethical standards should be met to ensure the public's trust.

I realize I may get slammed for "picking on" Davona, but I'm not really. The truth is, it wouldn't matter who was changing their business name for the third time. If it was someone else in the doll business, I would feel the same way.  

I guess the bottom line is, be careful who you do business with. Whether you're shopping for car insurance, buying groceries or splurging on a doll, do the research first to make sure you're buying from one of the many reputable sellers out there. Take care of the people who practice good business, and they'll take good care of you in return. That is after all what we really want when we venture forth with our hard earned dollars clutched tightly in our hands.