What "outside factors" do you regularly face? Do they have a negative or positive effect on your business?

We've had really good business. I can't complain. A super Wal-Mart is going to be built in our community, and I think with the threat of that people want to support us even more. They want to make sure that the businesses they have relied upon all these years are going to be there for them. We're also on a seven-year program of downtown renovation. We just completed the first phase, which includes new stop lights and bricking. The next phase will be planters, flowers, and park benches. I can't think of a negative right now. The only time we have bad days is when the weather is an issue. One thing I'm a little concerned about is that Easter is so early. In March, which is one of the months we have the most snow, people don't get real excited about decorating with bunnies.

On the negative side, it's the economy: there's a lot of unemployment in Wisconsin. We've also had rotten weather, and a large part of our population goes to Florida from February through mid-April. On the positive side, parking is not a problem this time of year. And right now our weather has gotten better; there's a touch of spring. We have a very active downtown association that does a lot to help us. Last week we had an art walk, and we have a neat thing called Downtown After Dark, where you pay a flat fee and eat each course of a meal in a different restaurant. All the businesses stay open and serve coffee. More than 1,500 people attended a pub crawl using the downtown trolleys, and we also invited four "Chinese lions" to bless stores in honor of the Chinese New Year.

We're a real destination for L.A. and San Francisco, so the moods of those cities affect us. Since we're in a blue state, the election in November soured people's moods. They just weren't taking the trips and that had a real effect on us. But we were having such a gangbuster year anyway that we still ended up ahead. The fact that the wholesalers currently seem to be optimistic has a great effect on us. If they're jazzed I'm jazzed, and the customer will be jazzed. We're in a big tourist and golf area. We don't sell a single golf item, but when the AT&T tournament's in town we do great business. Parking can be an issue. We have a large lot but street parking is hard to find. And with the declining value of the dollar, we're having to scale back our European gift items because prices are getting so high.

One positive factor is that our store is in a strip mall with a strong decor presence. We've got several different stores that actually complement what I do, and there's great parking. Next door I have a fabulous bakery and cafe called Panera. I frequently have people say, "I was just going to Panera to buy a loaf of bread" and they leave Motif having bought a major bedding ensemble. Also, I'm outside of Milwaukee in an area that's just booming. On the negative side, a big box furniture store opened up across the street last week, and a discounter recently opened in the area. Even though they don't offer the same services, the pricing puts people in a different mindset. Plus, right now the economy is rather bothersome. There's so much unknown out there: the war, Social Security, and the euro versus the dollar.