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Denied Shop Application | "Hanakotoba" | VCOU

vcou

Level 8
vcou
vcou
Notable
hanakotoba application.png
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NOTE: This application is... long, and I apologise if there are parts where I repeat myself. I have tried to keep my points as concise as possible while still ensuring maximum detail.

Player Information

What is your Minecraft username?:
VCOU

Do you have Discord (If so, what is your discord username?):
VCOU#7909

How old are you? (Optional):
16.

What is your time zone?:
British Standard Time (BST)

Describe your activity on the server:
My activity is varied, and does not just reside within the SRP server itself.
When it comes to the server, I have been playing since 2017, although this activity was rather scattered until July of last year. Since then I have been playing very frequently, typically daily, accumulating 1700hr+ of time on the server. When it comes to my activity, I've immersed myself within GangRP in the past and although I spent a fair amount of time familiarising myself with the rules and such, I wasn't a huge fan of it at the time. That being said, GangRP helped me when it came to strategy and DetailRP, and has helped me in other ways. I've also am currently in the school faculty division, which has once again helped me with SeriousRP and being responsible ICly and OOCly.

I also do other things for the community, for example I tailor for people within the community and I talk in discords too. Tailoring is a bit of a passion of mine, whether it be for myself or others. I have been making all my own skins for SRP for over a year now and have made over 150 skins/outfits. This means that even when I'm not on the server, I'm still helping and being apart of the community. All in all, this makes me a very active player and the only barrier to this is college, however even with college I still remain very active.


Have you ever been banned (If yes, when and why?):
Yes, unfortunately I have been banned once in April of this year for OOC toxicity. This was quite a niche situation that occurred between me and another player, who was also banned for this same reason. I would be willing to extend on this in DMs if necessary. Obviously I appealed this a few months later, and since then I haven't had any bans and don't intend on that changing.

Do you acknowledge that if you are inactive you will be demoted?:
Yes, I acknowledge I will be demoted.

Link(s) to any previous applications and appeals on the server:
vcou727 || Korean Application [Accepted]
vcou727's chef application [Accepted]
vcou's Ban Appeal [Accepted]
vcou's language app [Accepted]
vcou's height application [Accepted]
/*Please note I have also made two more language apps for Russian and Spanish however for whatever reason they don't appear on my content. They both got accepted.*/

What are your current role(s) on the server? (If you're in college, specify your degree level):
On my main account, VCOU, I am currently in grade 12 and in Highschool.
On my alt account, MISSH3R, I am a Chef for the school faculty team and have been for a few months.


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Shop Information
/*You may add your own questions to the format*/

What shop are you applying for?:
Hanakotoba.

Why do you want to become a Shopkeeper?:
There are so many different reasons I want to become a Shopkeeper, but first I'm going to begin with my motives for joining OOCly.

To start off, managing and running a business is not only something I believe I would be good at, but something that I am very passionate for. Management has came naturally to me, and managing a shop comes with strategy and dedication, both of which I have and thoroughly enjoy. This is not just a thing that is in SRP, but also in real life. I plan on running a business too, which I believe clearly shows my passion for the act. This is my main motive for joining, and I honestly think that running a shop would be so entertaining for this exact reason. Not just for the management too, but designing the store, advertising in creative ways and overall allowing my creativity to run free is one of the main reasons I wish to become a Shopkeeper.

Not only that, but I love making money on SRP... even though I literally have no reason to. Trying to become 'rich' on SRP has always been something I've been passionate about doing, even when it came to small things like selling on auction or making skins, and becoming a shopkeeper would be the next logical step to this. I have no reason to be rich on SRP, but I enjoy seeing meaningless numbers go up (I spent too much of my time on cookie clicker as a child for this exact reason,) and managing a store would put my money management to the test.

Another reason I want to become a shopkeeper is to allow other people to have a better experience on the server. Being able to buy more accessories will allow for players to utilise them in roleplay situations more frequently, thus keeping the player-base more satisfied. This is quite a big motive for me as I am interested in ensuring the SRP community remains as active as it has since 2017.

As it comes to IC reasons, my main reason would be to make roleplay more interesting. Being able to communicate with workers, as well as taking on a mature character role would allow me to help improve my SeriousRP and DetailRP, and overall help me become a better person at roleplay. To add, these new abilities and people I have access to will allow for more interesting RP scenarios and overall make RP more fun within the server and allow a fresh new realm for me to discover.

With SRP shops becoming more and more competitive over each other, I am - as a shopkeeper - to try and slow this growing trend down, by ensuring that Hanakotoba remains an affordable yet profitable business that many people are happy to stop by. This


What desirable traits/methods can you utilise as a Shopkeeper?:
Becoming a Shopkeeper requires large amount of dedication to the server as each shopkeepers needs to be able to organise opening times, manage others wages, restock and set aside money in order to allow for these things, and my preparedness for such is definitely a trait that is desirable. I have already come up with many different methods to manage and keep track of the range of variables that there are when managing a shop. These include:


Discord.
Ensuring that Hanakotoba has a maintained discord server means I can easily communicate with workers, and share announcements to the staff that work there. This will make it easier for me to prepare who is available for shifts for openings, and I can also use this to contact staff individually about activity in the store. Overall discord is the perfect place to make sure people are fully clear on what is happening within the store, and to decide on plans for the store's future.

Excel Spreadsheets.
Excel spreadsheets are a method I will be using to be able to note how much the store has made from each opening, the number of openings that have occurred within the month, the costs and taxes of the store and the overall profit made. This will make paying employees and recognising points of weakness in the business much easier which will result in decreased inefficiency and overall allow Hanakotoba to recognise where they can improve as a business.

Google documents.
Google documents can be used to organise staff's logins, and if they have filled their quota. This will make it much easier for me as a shopkeeper to pay them, as well as spot if certain employees are working more hours for bonuses/raises, and spot employees who aren't working as hard. This can also be utilised for staff's IC phone numbers in order to contact them about this in an IC manner.


I also believe that I am a creative individual, and I enjoy coming up with unique ideas in a multiple of different ways. This also ties into the more strategical part of owning a store as unique selling points (USPs) will help make the store stand out against competitors. This is beneficial when it comes to managing a store as I can use my creativity to make my store stand out through it's architecture, backstory, or business practices.

Strategy and entrepreneurship is important when being a shopkeeper, and being able to take a risk into trying something unique is the most likely way to ensure Hanakotoba will remain thriving. Strategic thinking is a trait I have, and I would utilise to it's full extend. When it comes to it, a shopkeeper needs to be able to have a plan and a way to ensure that the shop runs smoothly and efficiently.

Running a shop is not just about ensuring the most money, but being a welcoming and friendly place to be to. This will make customers more likely to come back and recognise the shop as a nice environment to be in. I am a very friendly person both ICly and OOCly and enjoy talking to new people and making acquaintances, which is necessary for the reputation of the store.


What do you plan to do with your shop, and what makes it unique?:
Once again, to keep this easier to read, I will split this into a multitude of different categories.

DESIGN:
Hanakotoba's main goal in it's design will be to creative an environment that is friendly and welcoming and more relaxed.
Hanakotoba directly translates to "The language of flowers" and I want to utilise its name into the store's design in order to keep it appropriately themed. Flowers with positive connotations, such as 'Daisy' meaning 'Faith', 'Jasmine' meaning 'Friendly' and 'Lavender' meaning 'Faithful' will be used to decorate the store via art and actual plant-pots. This will give the store a nice natural theme which can be used throughout. To add, a nice 'natural' environment for customers to shop in will make the store seem less corporal, which will give the store a much more friendly and welcoming vibe. I also want Hanakotoba to maintain a Japanese style of architecture while still being modern.

Here are some idea's for the store.

omg!!.jpegOMG!!!!!.jpg
In addition, the store will be built in a way as to not have the stereotypical narrow aisles as this makes the store feel closed and dense. Open displays with accessories will be displayed in a more 'scattered' pattern to give the store a unique setting. The store may also have open areas away from the main entrance to allow for people to 'settle in' to the store better, which increases the likelihood of them staying and purchasing something. Finally, mirrors will be on walls across the whole store in order to let customers try on accessories they are curious about buying, and posters of models/people wearing such accessories will also buy around, to show consumers how the accessories look. Having accessories being wore by such people gives consumers a less-biased view of the product, as there is an increased likelihood of customers putting down themselves when they try on a product. This increased confidence in the accessory will increase the chance of them buying it.

PROMOTION:
Advertising will be an important part of Hanakotoba's business model, as ensuring potential customers are aware of the store will lead to a higher chance of sales. This is especially important as Hanakotoba is located near the front of the shopping district, which is quite far away from regular hotspots on the map, like Plaza, highschool and the beach. Advertisements that are announced to the server will be concise, stating the location and a few items we sell. This is necessary as a slight lack of detail will make player's curiosity peak, resulting in customers being more likely to show up to the store and potentially buying something. Another method is to ensure adverts are 'unique' by adding something that will catch the customers eye, for example a subtle joke or ironic statement.
Seasonal promotional tactics will be used in Hanakotoba, selling items that are in theme with the time of the year. This will lead to more hype around the store, and more players buying the themed products. In addition to this, discounts will be displayed next to particular accessories in the holidays, for example sunglasses in the summer. This will lead to short-term growth as people flock to buy items for cheaper, as well as increase repeat customers, who will go to the store to see if any new products are on sale, resulting in additional long-term sustainability.
To build on seasonal promotion, having changes in store design would be necessary during the holidays, and having Halloween, Christmas and Easter themed interior will make Hanakotoba seem more up-to-date. Staff could also possibly wear interesting seasonal outfits to make the store stand out against others in the holiday seasons.
Another method of promoting the store is the ensure that new items are always being sold in Hanakotoba, as being able to mention a new product in advertisements will result in increased customer satisfaction. In addition, having Hanakotoba-exclusive items will mean that a premium price can be charged, and customers will come to Hanakotoba to get said product.

LOYALTY CARDS:
As a British person, I LOVE loyalty cards. The idea of a loyalty card at Hanakotoba would work as follows: A loyalty card would be able to be purchased from the store for a certain price - for example, 150,000¥ - and the customer can then use this each time they shop with Hanakotoba to get a discount from all their purchases. This will give Hanakotoba a unique feature to the store, and will result in a repetitive and loyal group of customers. My idea for the loyalty card would be a custom item of similar size to the debit card, and the price would be similar to the price of creating each copies in order to remain somewhat profitable.

Here's an example of a potential loyalty card design.

dwwdawfafwa.jpg

WORKERS:
One thing I've noticed as I've been around SRP shops is that many of the workers will have a very fake greeting. It will usually be a copy and pasted action that they do to every customer, and It seems very fake. With Hanakotoba, I will ensure my workers keep a more casual approach towards customers. They will nevertheless remain professional, however a more casual greeting and convocation with the customer will maintain that friendly energy that Hanakotoba sets out to achieve. In addition, workers who work particularly hard will be able to receive special bonuses or pay rises so they are working at their maximum potential at all times.

PRICING:
Pricing will be an important part of the store's business model, and pricing will be set so that the business remains profitable, while maintaining customer satisfaction. I have a few different ways to be able to achieve this.

'Auction pricing'
Many people within the SRP community go to shops in order to buy things and resell them on the auction house later on. As a shopkeeper, this needs to be recognised and utilised to the advantage of the store. Items that are commonly resold in AH, for example smartphones and sunglasses, will be set at a specific price to make sure that both the store and the reseller are satisfied.

GRAPH OMG.png
I'm going to use the graph I've created above an example. If the cost to stock a product is 30,000¥ and it is typically sold in auction at 50,000¥, then selling a product for a price in the green area will mean that both the business is profiting, and the auction reseller. Using this will be a unique way of guaranteeing repeat business, as resellers will always come back for more in order to make extra profit.

'Premium Pricing'
New custom items that would be sold in the store will be able to be set initially at a high price when customers are curious to see what it looks like. Putting the custom item at this high price then gradually decreasing it as demand falls will mean that the amount sold will stay similar over a long period of time.

OPENING TIMES:
I am currently residing in the 'BST' timezone, which is quite perfect for a shopkeeper. The majority of the SRP player-base is residing in the USA, across 3 different time zones of GMT-5 to GMT-7. This 'primetime' I have noticed to be at about 8-12pm in BST, which is when the majority of Hanakotoba's opening would be to take place, as to maximise the amount of customers I could get into the store. That being said, opening within early hours of BST would give the chance for other people to visit the store, for example people in Oceanic and Asian time zones, allowing for a wider range of people to visit. To add, noting employee's time zones will be very important is Hanakotoba, as having a range of diverse time zones means I can open more freely.

EVENTS:
Having events such as raffles, givaways, discounts and special season events will mean more word-of-mouth about the store and will make the store seem more fun and unique to new customers, and will make the store appear more fresh and unique to a repeat customer. More ideas could be released in the future, however I want to ensure that I can run them smoothly and effectively before giving them away!


What will you sell in your shop?:
My shop will ensure to have as much of a range of items as it can possibly have, spanning from glasses to earrings, umbrellas to toys and plushies. I also want the products sold to range from silly to fashionable, to give everyone a motive to check out the store. I don't want Hanakotoba to only have what every other store has too, I want custom items exclusive to the store. If allowed, I plan on making deals with custom item owners in order to (ICly) only allow the item to be sold exclusively by our store, while ensuring the original owner gets a share of the profit. Not only that, but if possible I would love to spend my own money on the server on custom items in order to help grow the store as much as possible!
Although my store will primarily sell accessories, I would also like to potentially sell a few of the smartphone models, as I am aware these are very sought after in stores as they are usually much cheaper there then they are in auction house. A custom phone model for the store would be perfect if I could get my hands on one...

Here are some potential new customs I would introduce to the store if I get the money OOCly to.


lightning earring.jpg

tree of life earring.jpg

blue polarized glasses.jpg

fendi pursee.PNG


How many employees do you plan to have?:

OWNER [1]
The owner, or shopkeeper, would be the final say in all business decisions. They would ensure the store is running smoothly while open and closed, and would be responsible for paying the store's taxes, restocking and paying wages, alongside many other tasks that come with the role. They would need to be a dedicated individual, and prepared for unexpected issues that may come up, meaning they need to be on their feet and strategic. The shopkeeper will also have to scout out competitors, and be able to spot small errors that could be improved to stand out against rivals. They need to be a creative and innovative in order to come up with unseen ideas. This role would belong to me, if I were to become the shopkeeper.

MANAGER [1/2]
The managers of the store would be second in command to the owner. They would be in charge of maintaining the store when it is open and filled with customers, which means they need to be able to multi-task and stay on their feet. To add, a manager must be a creative individual who can bring ideas to the store, whether that be it's design, what the store is selling, or special events. Ideally, managers would be active players within the community, with a good reputation and responsible both ICly and OOCly. Managers would need to prove their dedication to the store by climbing up the ranks, making them long-time employees.

CASHIERS [8-15]
Cashiers will be in charge of the register when the store is open, and have to be friendly people OOC/ICly to give the customer that final incentive to buy something! As the store could be busy at time, they need to be able to be calm in potentially busy times, as well as extroverted. As Hanakotoba is persistent on having a casual environment, Cashiers will have to be down-to-earth, will still having a sense of authority and professionalism - custom service is of the store's best interest! Finally, Cashiers will have to have a diverse range of time zones to make sure that there is enough cashiers available when the store opens, so there will be cashiers from all over the world.

EXTERNAL STAFF [1-5]
External staff would not be employed directly in the store, but would be staff that help with moderation. These could be for advertisement, building, running the discord and assisting with hosting events. Although these staff members wouldn't be directly associated with the store, they would still be very important at Hanakotoba! Some of these external staff may also take up a different role within the store, such as an event organiser also being a cashier. External staff will have to be responsible individuals who are able to maintain and innovate when they need to. This job will be less time-consuming, however will require a lot of creative ideas and is just as necessary to the Hanakotoba team.


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Extra
/*You may leave this blank*/

Additional notes about your application:
-Some of the points I have made may have my own personal opinion in them, especially when it comes to sections with strategies in them. I appreciate that not all of the staff who mark this will have the same opinion as me, however I would appreciate if my ideas are viewed subjectively when it comes to my own plans. Thank you!
-Originally, I tried to make this application appear as 'aesthetic' as possible, however to make it simpler for the staff marking this application, I have kept it more easy to read and decreased the amount of photos and symbols I used to make the application look 'aesthetic.' Hopefully you understand this decision.

Do you have any questions?:
-Is there a maximum amount of time the store can be open in one opening?
-Is there a maximum amount of times the store can open in a month?
-Can custom items be arranged to legally only be sold at one store ICly?

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, I appreciate it is quite long but you reading this nevertheless means a great deal to me <3

(Wow, I said 'Hanakotoba' alot...)


-​
 
Last edited:

flowersak

Level 121
Helper
flowersak
flowersak
Rich+
DENIED

Unfortunately, your application has been denied.
The shop you applied for has been taken. Your application was amazing, however. Feel free to reapply when we have open spots.​
 

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