Al has been the owner of the Guten Tag Hause for 3 years. The Guten Tag Haus specializes in nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks, and beer steins. Al purchased the store simply because he always liked the store.
Al said, "The Guten Tag Haus is especially focused on holidays and festivals."
Al had one bit of advise for the small buisness owner, "You never know who will come through the door." Al told a story about a man who came into his store who had a speech impediment. "He came into the store and I thought that he was vulnerable man. In a previous life I have worked with people with disabilities. I spent time getting to know the man because he wanted to buy a clock. I oringinally did not feel comfortable selling him a clock because I did not want to take advantage of him. I found out that he had driven himself to New Ulm and was a very intelligent man. I spent some time getting to know the man before selling eventually selling him the clock, but this story goes to show that you just never know who will enter your store. When this man first came in I would have never thought that he was going to buy a clock. People come in all that time that may not be dressed in the best clothes, but they always surprise you. Some people come in and by looking at them I would think that they have a doctorate but all they buy is a candy store. Other people come in and I think that they just came off the street and they buy clocks. You just never know who will come through that door."
Al also said, "The Guten Tag Haus has felt the recession the same as anyone else. Gifts shops suffer because people have less disposable income. Suppliers have liberalized minimal shipping requirements, and the decrease in business has caused me to have less labor hours."
Al had this to say about Wal-Mart, "Wal-Mart is a fact of life, all I can is make my shop compelling to shop at."
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