What’s to say that hasn’t already been said, even by myself. Will my chat about things being hard but I’m bucking up be appreciated? Even by myself? I’ve been told before that it’s hard everywhere so shut up and deal with it. I’ve also been told to embrace my inner bitch and say what needs to be said and stand strong to whatever happens because of it.
I don’t know what’s right or wrong and barely know my own mind to do what I want to do. Even at knowing what I want, I kind of suck. I mean, look at that sentence. It’s all wrong. The end should have come first, then the grammar would have been correct. But maybe its not, and maybe its just fine.
I am now entering a very brief period of introspection as I debate the closing of the cookie store, or doing very drastic things to try and make it work.
I hear bankruptcy is not a good thing, not easy and has long-lasting negative effects. There may be a house that is lost, but which one is the issue. I do have two, and I’m not married, so it could be that neither one is taken, though one might have to be sold to pay off loans.
I may have to get that government job that amazingly is right in line with my skillset and is interesting – and available. I have already moved to the suburbs and that was an eye opener in a positive way that has had lasting lessons.
I have nothing that is pointing the way to go.
But I have lived long enough to know that 5 – 10 years is really not that long, and I will have a different life, different job, different circumstances when even that time frame goes by.
Making my own baby steps are really difficult.
I have one song in mind that Justin submitted I think it was two napcasts ago – Drop Out With Me. I think that was the title. I definitely know that the pace in which I am moving is too, too terribly much.
I am thinking of some people on this blog, and previous contributors, that suffer the consequences of what they said, and in my mind they may have been sorry for the outcome, but I doubt they are sorry for speaking their mind. I’m thinking of people who know how to continue the discussion even when the shit hits the fan. It happens. People can do that.
It’s never over until you die.
Unless you are a zombie, then it’s never over until you get shot in the head…
Im sorry to hear about cookie store. it does sound so delicious. I wish i could be of more help, but alas, my business skills are some of the worst in the business. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Speak to me of the lessons of the suburbs. I have never lived there. Sometimes it looks like a magic land.
I don’t have any advise either other than this: I used to manage a coffee shop and then I managed a chain of coffee kiosks. I liked making coffee and once on a trip to Prague I found my ideal coffee shop so I started doing the numbers to see what it would take to start my own business modeled on this ideal. It was depressing. I realized it would only be something I would want to do if I was an old man relieved of my wanderlust; because the only way to make it work was to basically live at the place. These sorts of places don’t make enough money, especially in the early years, to support a lot of people…and that means a whole lot of work (and entrapment) for the owner.
Even places which seem to be wild overnight successes are not overnight successes. Your store is relatively new, so it will take some years of hard work. You should decide if that’s what you want to do with those years.
The store itself seems to be a solid idea. You’re delivering a product that your community can appreciate and you’re in a reasonably good location to deliver that product (it could only be better if it were right on the drag). There is some competition from other, more established places like Amy’s or even Starbucks that offer similar products, but I think your product is differentiated enough to make people come to you instead. And your late hours are exactly right for when people are most likely to want your product. So it doesn’t seem to me like you’re doing anything wrong.
If I lived near your store, I would probably go there pretty regularly. However, that would be because I know you, rather than because I’m such a huge fan of cookies. I don’t have anything against cookies, but they are things that I buy only occasionally or when I’m reminded how much I like cookies. So there are two things I could suggest to you from thinking about my own behavior. First, remind people constantly that your cookies exist. If you can’t afford traditional advertising, go the non-traditional route by donating cookies to events in exchange for mentioning your store. The more people eat your cookies, the more they are likely to want more of them. The second thing I can suggest is to build relationships with people or organizations so that they will want to support your business. This is harder to do because you can’t just say “Hey, I’m great so come buy my cookies,” but anything you can do to make people think that will go a long way, I think. Get involved with charities. Go green. Whatever it takes.
Maybe you’ve already thought about these things, so in that case keep on doing what you’re doing.
Again you people are awesome. And not just because of your musical interests.
Today is a new day and I am energized and focused. It is a LOT of work. Tons of charity events. This weekend we’re doing three events. About 20 just this month and part of May. Plus marketing and the events. About $15,000 in marketing alone just for the next 6 months. Pedicab, radio, print, mobile.
Mostly its the in-store and process. People can’t seem to understand how to turn picking what you want on a pizza to what you want in a cookie. Knowing that a chocolate chip cookie is a brown sugar dough is really foreign. Interesting. Too many mixin choices completely confuses people, too. Green boxes are appreciated by some but considered ugly by others. They just want something pretty. Then what happens if you put a nice bow on it? Criticized because you’re not completely green. Drag. But I will tell you I love our two button toilets. Love.
Meanwhile, managing is quite a trick. Biggest issue. Organization is so key, an even bigger trick with certain types of people.
Next week I’ll tell you about suburbia Mr. Wednesday. It deserves its own post.
Meanwhile, I love getting involved with the organizations and meeting people. I met a real super hero! He actually won the second season Who Wants To Be A Superhero? contest and puts on haunted houses in town and does it for charity and wants us to make 1000 cupcakes for Eeyore’s Birthday Party. Proceeds go to breast cancer and education for students. That is so incredibly awesome.
You might also hit up the Alamo Drafthouse and see if they would be interested in selling your cookies. I looked at their menu and they seem to already sell Amy’s Ice Cream, but their only cookie offering is a fresh baked chocolate chip. Maybe they would be interested in expanding their cookie selection.