[General] How's your business lately?

[Silverobama]

My friend works in a necklace shop. I haven't seen her for a while. Today I went by her shop and chatted with her. I asked "How's your business lately?". She doesn't own the shop but she can get commission once she sells one necklace. I want to ask the situation about that. Is my italic sentence natural?

 

[emsr2d2]

Just saying "How's business?" is natural and suffices. If you want to use "recently", say "How's business been recently?" However, neither of those questions deals explicitly with the question of whether or not your friend has successfully sold one necklace and, therefore, earnt her first commission.

Out of curiosity, are there really shops that sell nothing but necklaces? I'm familiar, of course, with jewellery shops but necklaces are just one of the many things on sale.

 

[Silverobama]

Out of curiosity, are there really shops that sell nothing but necklaces?

Yes. The shop's name is "I do". I asked her what it means and she said the shop is mainly for selling necklaces for brides.

I'm familiar, of course, with jewellery shops but necklaces are just one of the many things on sale.

Yes. We have Swarovski here.

However, neither of those questions deals explicitly with the question of whether or not your friend has successfully sold one necklace and, therefore, earnt her first commission.

May I ask for an alternative? Hmm, I wasn't asking her first commission. She's working there for a while and already sold some necklaces, but I wanted to ask if she had recently sold some and then got commision.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes. The shop's name is "I Do". I asked her what it means and she said the shop is mainly for selling necklaces for brides.

Wow, that's even more of a niche market! And a slightly odd choice of name. I would expect a shop of that name to sell engagement rings and wedding rings. Is a necklace commonly associated with weddings there?

Yes. We have Swarovski here.

There are hundreds of jewellery shops, mainly independents. I certainly wasn't thinking of that overhyped, garish, ugly stuff!

She doesn't own the shop but she can get commission once she sells one necklace.

May I ask for an alternative? Hmm, I wasn't asking about her first commission. She's been working there for a while and has already sold some necklaces, but I wanted to ask if she had recently sold [STRIKE]some[/STRIKE] any and [STRIKE]then[/STRIKE] got the relevant/associated commission.

Your original wording (the first of the two quotes above) is what led me to believe that she would start earning commission only after she had sold her first necklace, and that that hadn't yet happened. You needed to tell us that "she gets commission every time she sells a necklace". In that case, I stick by my original answers ("How's business?" and "How's business being going?") as general questions. You could use "How's it going?" and she would probably take it to mean much the same, although she might just take it as "How are you?" For the more specific question of her personal necklace sales, you'd have to use something like "Sold any necklaces recently?"

 

[Silverobama]

And a slightly odd choice of name.

I asked my friend why the name is "I Do" and she said "Do you marry me?" I think it should be "Will you marry me?". I don't know why they chose that name. I looked up the answers to "Will you marry me?" and "I do" is not very likely and idiomatic.

And thank you so much for your alternatives, emsr2d2!

I would expect a shop of that name to sell engagement rings and wedding rings. Is a necklace commonly associated with weddings there?

"I Do" might sell rings but I once walked into the shop and took a look and I saw most of the items were necklaces.

I think diamond rings matter (To your question) but necklace always plays an important part though.

 

[Tarheel]

Silver, "I do" is the answer to the question, "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" So the name of the shop makes sense to me.

 

[jutfrank]

Your friend has misunderstood the name of her own shop.

When proposing:

Q: Will you marry me?
A: Yes.

During the ceremony:

Q: Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?
A: I do.