Today we had the chance to go visit the Irish Design Center right down the road! We heard about many different aspects of their business and learned that nearly everything in the store is directly from Ireland. I found it very interesting that the store had a seasonality element to it, but it makes sense on further reflection, as most of their sales are in November and December- mostly for people buying Christmas presents. The owners, Tom and Maura, shared with us some of their new and existing strategies that they implemented in order to increase business during lulls and activate their ship space in creative ways. For example, they are hosting knitting nights on the last Thursday of every month- and using wool from Ireland during the events. I think this is very interesting because it creates a space for anyone to come and join, while also promoting their small business through Irish culture. Also, they are hosting an Irish dinner, where there will be foods and Irish festivities during it. Additionally, they have been participating in street events for a while now, like during Picklesburgh, they had a booth in order to reach a greater audience. Tom and Maura are taking their small business to the next level by promoting it in very different ways and by appealing to a larger audience. While there is a seasonality aspect to their business, and while it does affect their business, they have been successful in promoting and marketing their business to generate a larger revenue, as well as create a space for the community that was not really present before. We can utilize some of the information we learned today to apply it to Carrigart when we go next week!