Tried to make a shorter day of it yesterday, ended up spending four hours at the store. Had planned on finishing off the west half of the store, minus the counter, but instead spent most of the time cleaning the counter and getting the electronics ready for opening.
Came home and Toby fixed us a Mother's Day dinner.
I've decided that even if the store is somewhat in disarray, we can still open as long as the visa machine, the cash register, phone, and internet are up and running.
I'm not really aware of how tired I am until I wake up each morning, which seems to be happening later and later. Bone tired, but mentally fresh. Usually I'm mentally tired--writing really takes it out of you.
I'm in an extraordinarily good mood. I really enjoy driving into town. The store is being restored, as good as new--heh--but that's how it feels, clean and orderly. We really do have a lot of inventory, which is making me wonder why I'm so aggressive in my buying. Maybe I should take a step back. At least until I see what happens.
But no--if I see a need or a gap, I almost can't help but go for it. And who's to say that the wrong approach; after all, we're still in business after 36 years.
I'm definitely slowing down, though. I'll chip away at it for the next four days, and if we open on the 15th with a few books on the floor and other books not alphabetized, then so be it.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Sunday, May 10, 2020
All it took was a world-wide plague!
I admit, I'm getting pretty worn down and exhausted. I'm going to go in today but try to limit to a few hours.
Five days left to get it done. I'll have the west side of the store mostly completed by the end of today, which will give me four days to try to help Sabrina on the east half of the store. The layout looks pretty much the same to me, though a little off somehow. It's hard for me to see the changes--though I hope the customers will.
This is going to take a full month to finish. The actually putting in the flooring was probably only eight days, everything else have been moving fixtures, cleaning, and sorting. The cleaning is an extra step, but I'll never have this chance again.
It's hard now to imagine this ever happening under normal circumstances. Weirdly enough, this situation has worked in our favor in almost every way. All it took was a world-wide plague!
I've been able to avoid employee wages (though if Sabrina's unemployment insurance doesn't kick in soon, I may have to help there), two free months rent, and probably most importantly, the availability of both my sons (which under normal circumstances would have been impossible.) I almost don't count the money I've paid them, because I would've wanted to send them money anyway.
Of course, the actual flooring was an big expense, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
The stimulus money will help pay for most of one month's fixed expenses and if we have the second half of May to earn some money, that should take care of the second month's fixed expenses.
All the pieces just sort of fit.
It feels good, like a good cleaning and organizing does.
The store is really something to be proud of.
Five days left to get it done. I'll have the west side of the store mostly completed by the end of today, which will give me four days to try to help Sabrina on the east half of the store. The layout looks pretty much the same to me, though a little off somehow. It's hard for me to see the changes--though I hope the customers will.
This is going to take a full month to finish. The actually putting in the flooring was probably only eight days, everything else have been moving fixtures, cleaning, and sorting. The cleaning is an extra step, but I'll never have this chance again.
It's hard now to imagine this ever happening under normal circumstances. Weirdly enough, this situation has worked in our favor in almost every way. All it took was a world-wide plague!
I've been able to avoid employee wages (though if Sabrina's unemployment insurance doesn't kick in soon, I may have to help there), two free months rent, and probably most importantly, the availability of both my sons (which under normal circumstances would have been impossible.) I almost don't count the money I've paid them, because I would've wanted to send them money anyway.
Of course, the actual flooring was an big expense, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
The stimulus money will help pay for most of one month's fixed expenses and if we have the second half of May to earn some money, that should take care of the second month's fixed expenses.
All the pieces just sort of fit.
It feels good, like a good cleaning and organizing does.
The store is really something to be proud of.
Friday, May 8, 2020
Get it done.
Sabrina was expressing some doubt about whether we can get the store ready in time.
I never doubt it. My attitude is, we'll get it done. Whatever it takes. It may end up with some 10 hour last few days, but so be it. You take one piece at a time, and put blinders on, and eventually you look around and you've accomplished more than you thought you could.
I'd originally planned to have everything roughly back in place by the 15th of May, and then if the quarantine lasted another week or two, perhaps paint a couple of fixtures to boot. It looks like the paint will have to wait. I might try staining the cash register counter later on; first thing on closing on a Sunday night.
I'm giving the store a top to bottom cleaning. It's a very good feeling--that feeling you get when you've done a thorough cleaning.
Cleaning the bookcases and there are an amazing number of coffee droplets everywhere. I mean, how does that happen?
I should have the western half of the store done by the end of tomorrow, which will give me 5 days to help Sabrina out on the eastern half of the store. If everything is on shelves even if not strictly alphabetized, that will be acceptable to start with.
The lifting of the quarantine really lifted my spirits. I mean, with a touch of trepidation. But I didn't realize how much the quarantine was weighing on me--or how much the store still meant to me. Frankly, I really enjoy this part of the business.
If we actually do open the second half of May, and we can do at least half business, that will take care of a month's worth of overhead. We're going to be in the hole no matter what, but that will ameliorate the damage.
The store will probably mostly look the same to regulars, not counting the floor--and who really notices the floor? I keep reminding myself that it had to be done.
I never doubt it. My attitude is, we'll get it done. Whatever it takes. It may end up with some 10 hour last few days, but so be it. You take one piece at a time, and put blinders on, and eventually you look around and you've accomplished more than you thought you could.
I'd originally planned to have everything roughly back in place by the 15th of May, and then if the quarantine lasted another week or two, perhaps paint a couple of fixtures to boot. It looks like the paint will have to wait. I might try staining the cash register counter later on; first thing on closing on a Sunday night.
I'm giving the store a top to bottom cleaning. It's a very good feeling--that feeling you get when you've done a thorough cleaning.
Cleaning the bookcases and there are an amazing number of coffee droplets everywhere. I mean, how does that happen?
I should have the western half of the store done by the end of tomorrow, which will give me 5 days to help Sabrina out on the eastern half of the store. If everything is on shelves even if not strictly alphabetized, that will be acceptable to start with.
The lifting of the quarantine really lifted my spirits. I mean, with a touch of trepidation. But I didn't realize how much the quarantine was weighing on me--or how much the store still meant to me. Frankly, I really enjoy this part of the business.
If we actually do open the second half of May, and we can do at least half business, that will take care of a month's worth of overhead. We're going to be in the hole no matter what, but that will ameliorate the damage.
The store will probably mostly look the same to regulars, not counting the floor--and who really notices the floor? I keep reminding myself that it had to be done.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
So my original concern was being closed. It was more costly than I expected, even without rent and wages. Still, I saw that we could probably handle a couple of months of being closed. The money spent on fixed expenses was gone forever, which isn't pleasant, but we could make it through. Three months starts to get harder: four months or more would inflict severe damage.
Despite this, I spent a good chunk of money on new flooring. I did this because I felt the store was an ongoing effort and we would eventually pay for it through expanded display space. Plus, it just needed to be done.
Now my concern is how business is going to be after we come back. I think it's best to plan for the worse. The economy is going to be in dire straights, I think.
It's very hard to spend one's spending habits. A retailer by nature is an optimist, I believe. You have to think you're going to sell stuff that you order. It's hard to step out of current spending habits. You have to take a step back, act as a different person--the cautious pessimist.
In the past downturns I'd always react too slowly and in too limited a way. What you don't want to do is follow the curve downward.
For instance, expecting and ordering for the 10% drop but having a 20% drop; thereby you adjust to a 20% drop but by the time the product shows up, it's a 30% drop; so you order for a 35% drop, thinking you're getting smarter, and you get a 40% drop.
And so on. Losing money all the way.
On the other hand--there is always the danger of creating a self-fulling prophecy; that you'll create lower sales by being too stingy. In fact, in many cases I think stores have over-reacted. Once burned, they become too cautious. If you follow the curve exactly, you are probably creating the very thing you want to avoid. Customers have a sixth sense of when you aren't ordering enough.
I think we'll have a month or so after opening where being cautious won't be punished by the customers. Hopefully, we can get a good gauge of what we need to do.
Despite this, I spent a good chunk of money on new flooring. I did this because I felt the store was an ongoing effort and we would eventually pay for it through expanded display space. Plus, it just needed to be done.
Now my concern is how business is going to be after we come back. I think it's best to plan for the worse. The economy is going to be in dire straights, I think.
It's very hard to spend one's spending habits. A retailer by nature is an optimist, I believe. You have to think you're going to sell stuff that you order. It's hard to step out of current spending habits. You have to take a step back, act as a different person--the cautious pessimist.
In the past downturns I'd always react too slowly and in too limited a way. What you don't want to do is follow the curve downward.
For instance, expecting and ordering for the 10% drop but having a 20% drop; thereby you adjust to a 20% drop but by the time the product shows up, it's a 30% drop; so you order for a 35% drop, thinking you're getting smarter, and you get a 40% drop.
And so on. Losing money all the way.
On the other hand--there is always the danger of creating a self-fulling prophecy; that you'll create lower sales by being too stingy. In fact, in many cases I think stores have over-reacted. Once burned, they become too cautious. If you follow the curve exactly, you are probably creating the very thing you want to avoid. Customers have a sixth sense of when you aren't ordering enough.
I think we'll have a month or so after opening where being cautious won't be punished by the customers. Hopefully, we can get a good gauge of what we need to do.
Monday, May 4, 2020
I've decided to take a break from renovations for the day. Sabrina's going to go in and do some stuff instead.
I'm just going to sit around and read. Gardening is tempting, but I really need to kick back. I'm certain we can get the store ready in time, especially once we have a deadline. Meanwhile, it'll be nice to get as much done as possible without a deadline. I have vivid memories of the stress of opening and closing stores, spending 12 hours a day to avoid being closed down.
I'm trying to maximize the space without cluttering it too much. One of the things that drives me crazy is that there ought to be space for 6 shelves in each bookcase instead of 5. If the middle brace was just one inch higher up, it would work. Bad designing.
I'm going ahead and putting in six shelves, (actually 5 not counting the base, 7 counting the base and the top.) The average hardcover book is 11 and 1/2 inches tall, so I can utilize 6 out of seven vertically. The shelf just below the brace-shelf is an inch too short, so I'll have to figure out workarounds. I can't waste that extra space, you know?
Whenever possible, I'm swapping out the bookcases we took from Linda's place that were stored in the basement for the ones I've been using. There are two sizes-- 24" and 28". I prefer the 28" ones. The ones from downstairs are sturdier and cleaner as well. We bought a raft of these cases from Stables when we opened the Bookmark. They were very cheap--cheaper than building our own and 25 times cheaper (literally) than buying solid wood bookcases. We waited for half-price sales.
Thing is--I think I'd make the same choice today even if I had the money to buy the solid wood shelves you see in most bookstores. These white laminate bookcases have held up very well, they are easy to clean, they are adjustable, they are modular and can be moved by a simple person. They also tend to brighten up the space considerably. I just like the look and feel of them.
How often do you find something cheap and also functional? And I may lack proper taste, but I think they look good. Besides, who really overtly notices bookshelves once the books are in them?
I think I've got about one more day of rearranging things, then we can start to put product back on the shelves.
I'm kind of enjoying this.
I'm just going to sit around and read. Gardening is tempting, but I really need to kick back. I'm certain we can get the store ready in time, especially once we have a deadline. Meanwhile, it'll be nice to get as much done as possible without a deadline. I have vivid memories of the stress of opening and closing stores, spending 12 hours a day to avoid being closed down.
I'm trying to maximize the space without cluttering it too much. One of the things that drives me crazy is that there ought to be space for 6 shelves in each bookcase instead of 5. If the middle brace was just one inch higher up, it would work. Bad designing.
I'm going ahead and putting in six shelves, (actually 5 not counting the base, 7 counting the base and the top.) The average hardcover book is 11 and 1/2 inches tall, so I can utilize 6 out of seven vertically. The shelf just below the brace-shelf is an inch too short, so I'll have to figure out workarounds. I can't waste that extra space, you know?
Whenever possible, I'm swapping out the bookcases we took from Linda's place that were stored in the basement for the ones I've been using. There are two sizes-- 24" and 28". I prefer the 28" ones. The ones from downstairs are sturdier and cleaner as well. We bought a raft of these cases from Stables when we opened the Bookmark. They were very cheap--cheaper than building our own and 25 times cheaper (literally) than buying solid wood bookcases. We waited for half-price sales.
Thing is--I think I'd make the same choice today even if I had the money to buy the solid wood shelves you see in most bookstores. These white laminate bookcases have held up very well, they are easy to clean, they are adjustable, they are modular and can be moved by a simple person. They also tend to brighten up the space considerably. I just like the look and feel of them.
How often do you find something cheap and also functional? And I may lack proper taste, but I think they look good. Besides, who really overtly notices bookshelves once the books are in them?
I think I've got about one more day of rearranging things, then we can start to put product back on the shelves.
I'm kind of enjoying this.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
"Every twenty years, whether it needs it or not!"
I should have the fixtures all roughly back in place by the end of today. Then we have to put all the product back. Not sure how long that is going to take. If we don't get everything absolutely alphabetized, it won't be a tragedy. People will still find stuff.
There is a small possibility we can open on May 15th or so--though I think Deschutes County probably won't be in Gov. Brown's definition of "rural."
The store is a bit of an uncanny valley to me right now. I mean, the store is roughly the same, but it feels a little off. I'm sure all the fixtures are displaced at least a few inches from where they were--sometimes to the benefit of making more room. (I made a terrible mistake not doing measurements and taking pictures before we started.) I've taken out a few smaller fixtures that didn't add all that much and probably cluttered up the store.
It just feels off.
I think I overwhelmed Sabrina with the changes. Hopefully, when I finish tonight it will look a little more familiar to her.
I've managed not to overdo the exertion, though I go home exhuasted. I used Todd and Toby's physical strength as much as possible, so when it came time to actually move the fixtures back, I was fresh. I've also tried not to work more than about 5 hours at a time.
At this point, I really like doing stuff by myself. I find that when I attempt something and it turns out wrong, I just acknowledge it and change it back. I will spend hours just to move things a couple of inches--because I'm probably going to have to live with these changes for a long time.
Sometimes just trying something wrong actually points out the right answer. But all that changeability is hard to justify when others are standing around waiting.
I'm cleaning everything as I go along, which is taking a lot of time, but also giving me time to mull and plan.
As usual when I make what I consider monumental changes by the time I finish, it doesn't feel like all that much. I question whether it's worth it--and whether anyone will notice.
But it's very true that the carpet couldn't last more than another year or two--and that meant either retiring or leaving the expense to Sabrina, which would have been unfair--especially since this quarantine gave me the least expensive option possible. (It's expensive, but it was going to be expensive whether I did it or not.)
Oh, well. Just need to finish and see how I feel. If nothing else, the store has had a top to bottom cleaning, which it probably needed. The joke I've made to my neighbors is, "Every twenty years, whether it needs it or not!"
There is a small possibility we can open on May 15th or so--though I think Deschutes County probably won't be in Gov. Brown's definition of "rural."
The store is a bit of an uncanny valley to me right now. I mean, the store is roughly the same, but it feels a little off. I'm sure all the fixtures are displaced at least a few inches from where they were--sometimes to the benefit of making more room. (I made a terrible mistake not doing measurements and taking pictures before we started.) I've taken out a few smaller fixtures that didn't add all that much and probably cluttered up the store.
It just feels off.
I think I overwhelmed Sabrina with the changes. Hopefully, when I finish tonight it will look a little more familiar to her.
I've managed not to overdo the exertion, though I go home exhuasted. I used Todd and Toby's physical strength as much as possible, so when it came time to actually move the fixtures back, I was fresh. I've also tried not to work more than about 5 hours at a time.
At this point, I really like doing stuff by myself. I find that when I attempt something and it turns out wrong, I just acknowledge it and change it back. I will spend hours just to move things a couple of inches--because I'm probably going to have to live with these changes for a long time.
Sometimes just trying something wrong actually points out the right answer. But all that changeability is hard to justify when others are standing around waiting.
I'm cleaning everything as I go along, which is taking a lot of time, but also giving me time to mull and plan.
As usual when I make what I consider monumental changes by the time I finish, it doesn't feel like all that much. I question whether it's worth it--and whether anyone will notice.
But it's very true that the carpet couldn't last more than another year or two--and that meant either retiring or leaving the expense to Sabrina, which would have been unfair--especially since this quarantine gave me the least expensive option possible. (It's expensive, but it was going to be expensive whether I did it or not.)
Oh, well. Just need to finish and see how I feel. If nothing else, the store has had a top to bottom cleaning, which it probably needed. The joke I've made to my neighbors is, "Every twenty years, whether it needs it or not!"
Friday, May 1, 2020
Renovation eye-glazing details, which I love.
I originally intended to put the store back together exactly the way it was. For one thing, the store was working well. For another, everything slotted in exactly. I think I may have had a spare five inches on the eastern side of the store (which I used in the renovation to give a bit more space to two corner bookcases.)
Fact is, this is one of my favorite aspects of owning a store. I really enjoy working on the layout, trying to maximize the space to carry product.
However, once all the fixtures were free floating and I was mulling how to put them back in, I realized that I could make some changes. The basic layout is the same, except for two things.
1.) I had a makeshift shelf I found in the basement that I was using for one of the graphic novel brands. It was about 5 foot wide and probably 5 foot deep, with the base extending outward to no real purpose. I realized that I could take this out, replace it was two bookcases which are only 12" deep, thereby gaining 4' of space. I'd also gain at least a couple of shelves per case. Bonus.
Meanwhile, I have two cases in the middle of the store, one of which is about a foot deeper than the other. If I switched the location of these two cases, I'd gain at least a foot of floor space for one, and probably a couple of feet of floor space for the other.
2.) The other change was that by squeezing the southwest corner by about 3 inches and taking out the poster rack I could replace all the 24" bookcases with 28" bookcases, and add one to the wall. The poster rack hasn't been very active and is only viable if I can buy posters at a discount. Marvel used to have big sales where I could stock up, but they seemed to have stopped doing that. So the rack is starting to get sparse.
I also decided to take a freestanding slatwall rack that really wasn't adding much, and take down two makeshift extensions that were obscuring the view.
So these two changes do a couple of things. One---They make the store slightly less crowded feeling, and--Two--they emphasize the book aspect of the store. Books are by far the fasted growing element of the store and this will reinforce it.
I think overall people are probably going to tell me the store feel more spacious. At least I hope so.
Fact is, this is one of my favorite aspects of owning a store. I really enjoy working on the layout, trying to maximize the space to carry product.
However, once all the fixtures were free floating and I was mulling how to put them back in, I realized that I could make some changes. The basic layout is the same, except for two things.
1.) I had a makeshift shelf I found in the basement that I was using for one of the graphic novel brands. It was about 5 foot wide and probably 5 foot deep, with the base extending outward to no real purpose. I realized that I could take this out, replace it was two bookcases which are only 12" deep, thereby gaining 4' of space. I'd also gain at least a couple of shelves per case. Bonus.
Meanwhile, I have two cases in the middle of the store, one of which is about a foot deeper than the other. If I switched the location of these two cases, I'd gain at least a foot of floor space for one, and probably a couple of feet of floor space for the other.
2.) The other change was that by squeezing the southwest corner by about 3 inches and taking out the poster rack I could replace all the 24" bookcases with 28" bookcases, and add one to the wall. The poster rack hasn't been very active and is only viable if I can buy posters at a discount. Marvel used to have big sales where I could stock up, but they seemed to have stopped doing that. So the rack is starting to get sparse.
I also decided to take a freestanding slatwall rack that really wasn't adding much, and take down two makeshift extensions that were obscuring the view.
So these two changes do a couple of things. One---They make the store slightly less crowded feeling, and--Two--they emphasize the book aspect of the store. Books are by far the fasted growing element of the store and this will reinforce it.
I think overall people are probably going to tell me the store feel more spacious. At least I hope so.
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