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New location means smarter budgeting for Michigan retailer

Annie Lang-Hartman, owner of Wild Lettie, just signed the lease on a new location, hoping to expand her product offerings.

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As Wild Lettie expands to three stores, there is a lot of work to do to set up shop.
As Wild Lettie expands to three stores, there is a lot of work to do to set up shop.
Courtesy Annie Lang Hartman

Opening a new retail location can be difficult, especially when your plan for the year didn’t include expansion. But when a bigger location opened up in Suttons Bay, Michigan, Annie Lang Hartman of Wild Lettie had to jump on it.

“The plan has always been, as far as the retail side of our business, to have stores that are true women’s outdoor lifestyle stores,” Lang Hartman said. “So for that store, we are not only going to be having our entire line of Wild Lettie products, but we can also bring in clothing and accessories that our ideal customer is looking for.”

But because Lang Hartman didn’t plan on expanding her retail space, the purchase has certainly tightened her budget. Heading forward, she’s trying to spend smart.

“So budgeting is not necessarily a challenge but a hurdle day to day just to make sure that we’re spending money on the right things at the right time,” Lang Hartman said.

To listen to Lang Hartman’s story, click the audio player above.

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