As some of you know I've been out of the store quite a bit lately. The direct result of a benign tumor that decided to get ugly. It didn't get malignant, but it grew teeth and nails and a bad attitude and so it had to go. With it went my sense of peace, security, well-being and the belief that all I had been given was sacred and untouchable. I've been operating in business these last nine years as if every challenge was a mere speed bump and there was nothing that could not be overcome. After all my business is a gift from the universe and therefore impervious to all disasters. Whoops. I got my piece of humble pie shoved down my throat. Not a big enough piece to choke me, but big enough to make me cough a bit and see that I'm not living in a bubble that can't be pierced by all the sharp pointy objects out there that are currently popping everyone else's balloons. I got poked. And it wasn't pretty.
My first reaction to this sudden insight was very mature. I huddled on my couch under my electric blanket clutching my heating pad and taking drugs. (I'd just had surgery, they were prescribed-chill) Next I graduated to whimpering, complaining and general thumbsucking. As you can see I'm a very proactive and forward thinking individual. The thumbsucking stage was followed quickly by grief stages. Denial (uh-no, this is not going to effect my business), anger (how dare anything effect my business), bargaining (I promise I'll be good if this doesn't effect my business), depression (I'm so sad that this is going to effect my business) and finally acceptance (yup-this is going to effect my business). Again, let me reiterate that there was nothing that was earth shattering or immediately detrimental, just a wake-up call to all the little creeping niggley things that can slowly erode what looks like a solid foundation. So I woke up. I reassessed. And I discovered that for all my time with my head in the sand I was actually still in very good shape. The goal was to stay that way. So I reached out to that big ole universe to see what else it had in store for me. And that brings me to my big announcement today. The first of a few that will take place in the next couple of months.
Ready?? Here goes. Take a deep breath. R & B Used Books has a satellite location now. Thanks to our good friends at Breads & Threads in Canterbury Village we have the opportunity to place our overstock in another location. I've spent a couple of Sunday's down there and man is the place cool. Not only will we be selling out of Breads & Threads in Canterbury Village, but we will be able to keep everyone updated on all the awesome things going on down there. http://canterburyvillage.com/ I'm looking forward to St. Patrick's Day. And if I don't feel like hanging out Sunday?? I can go down Saturday March 16th for St. Practice Day. Breads has some really interesting and clever craft merchandise and the owner makes the best homemade bread. Check her out on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breads-Threads/132585090235176 Linette (the owner of Breads) has special events planned coming up. To keep informed "like" her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breads-Threads/132585090235176) There is also going to be a Farmer's Market. You can get information for that on the Breads & Threads Facebook page also. It's all very exciting to be a part of and I'm thrilled they reached out to me for this incredible opportunity. Just another example of the blessed assistance I get when God reaches down and taps me.
R & B Used Books is not going down folks. Other stores are folding. We aren't. We are finding ways to expand our services and absorb the additional costs of doing business that our fine government and other businesses and utilities are presenting us with. We haven't raised our prices in our 9 years in business and a price increase is not in our future. You will see some changes. We might make a stumble and have to adjust a bit here or there, but after I whine, cry and moan I have a tendency to get determined. And I'm determined to stay in business. I'm determined to continue to offer amazing service to the most amazing customers in the world. I'm determined to keep practicing the fine art of selling education, recreation and information in book form. The next phase is set to happen within the very walls of our humble store here in Grand Blanc. Look for a streamlining of inventory now that we have a venue for our overstock. Look for cleaner aisles and a less cluttery feel. Look for more smiles as we've all taken a deep breath and feel much more secure than we did when I was unceremoniously thrust under the knife (literally, thankyouverymuch).
I know I don't say thank you to my customer base often enough. YOU are this store. YOU make up this business. Without YOU there is no business here. So a heartfelt thank you to all of you who frequent my store, groan at my (infrequent) blogs and bad jokes and still trust me enough to send in your friends and family. A thank you was even meowed by the grumpy store cat. Looking forward to continuing totorture do business with you all in the future.
Sincerely,
Beth (thebookladi)
My first reaction to this sudden insight was very mature. I huddled on my couch under my electric blanket clutching my heating pad and taking drugs. (I'd just had surgery, they were prescribed-chill) Next I graduated to whimpering, complaining and general thumbsucking. As you can see I'm a very proactive and forward thinking individual. The thumbsucking stage was followed quickly by grief stages. Denial (uh-no, this is not going to effect my business), anger (how dare anything effect my business), bargaining (I promise I'll be good if this doesn't effect my business), depression (I'm so sad that this is going to effect my business) and finally acceptance (yup-this is going to effect my business). Again, let me reiterate that there was nothing that was earth shattering or immediately detrimental, just a wake-up call to all the little creeping niggley things that can slowly erode what looks like a solid foundation. So I woke up. I reassessed. And I discovered that for all my time with my head in the sand I was actually still in very good shape. The goal was to stay that way. So I reached out to that big ole universe to see what else it had in store for me. And that brings me to my big announcement today. The first of a few that will take place in the next couple of months.
Ready?? Here goes. Take a deep breath. R & B Used Books has a satellite location now. Thanks to our good friends at Breads & Threads in Canterbury Village we have the opportunity to place our overstock in another location. I've spent a couple of Sunday's down there and man is the place cool. Not only will we be selling out of Breads & Threads in Canterbury Village, but we will be able to keep everyone updated on all the awesome things going on down there. http://canterburyvillage.com/ I'm looking forward to St. Patrick's Day. And if I don't feel like hanging out Sunday?? I can go down Saturday March 16th for St. Practice Day. Breads has some really interesting and clever craft merchandise and the owner makes the best homemade bread. Check her out on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breads-Threads/132585090235176 Linette (the owner of Breads) has special events planned coming up. To keep informed "like" her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breads-Threads/132585090235176) There is also going to be a Farmer's Market. You can get information for that on the Breads & Threads Facebook page also. It's all very exciting to be a part of and I'm thrilled they reached out to me for this incredible opportunity. Just another example of the blessed assistance I get when God reaches down and taps me.
I know I don't say thank you to my customer base often enough. YOU are this store. YOU make up this business. Without YOU there is no business here. So a heartfelt thank you to all of you who frequent my store, groan at my (infrequent) blogs and bad jokes and still trust me enough to send in your friends and family. A thank you was even meowed by the grumpy store cat. Looking forward to continuing to
Sincerely,
Beth (thebookladi)
No comments:
Post a Comment