~ Closing ~

After 4 years of trying to get our store out of the Red, we are going to close the doors come the end of July...and frankly I couldn't be happier.  The monthly drain on my pay check to keep it open has been stressful if not depressing.  I blame myself partly, because when we had the store in Liberty Hill, the rent was much cheaper and the 2nd year in business we actually has a teensy net income to show on the tax return.

Stupid me thought that if we moved the store to what I would consider the main drag of this town, that surely we'd do wonderfully.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  The rent was more than double, the traffic on the road was I can't even say how many times over MORE than Rt 29, but it didn't make more people come in than at the old store and it has slowly been sucking the life out of my hubby who graciously has been at the store long hours, nearly daily for all those years.  We keep hearing how this town and whole area is great for those who wish to pursue a dream, but we've seen a lot of places closing including some favorite restaurants despite what we hear about the economy getting better.  Just don't have the means or desire to try to wait and see if it is just the economy that is the reason for the last bad 2 years..

Oh sure there are a concerned few in the community that keep coming in trying to give us suggestions for doing better, but none of them are anything we haven't already thought of ourselves and all of them, even the so called business grants in town we heard about, involve money or owing back.  Nope. Not going to happen. Not going into even more debt for a lost cause.

See me hubby had a wonderful idea 4 years ago, at my prompting to open a store nearly exclusively with wood furniture and art.  He is a wonderful wood burning artist and we had pictures hung in our garage that were just wasting away.  He opened up the store to include other wood artisans/furniture makers on a consignment basis and like I said, it really wasn't nearly as draining those first few years. The store filled up with beautiful works of mesquite, pine, and other woods I've never even heard of.  Beautifully lathe-turned hand made lamps, bowls, coffee tables, just beautiful pieces most, one-of-a-kind!

When I mentioned moving it to Georgetown, we were both excited at the prospects. This little cottage like building with the rusty metal roof needed a lot of help to make it presentable, but we were up to the challenge.  Hubby even personally installed some laminate flooring, spruced up the inside and painted it too. We did do what advertising we could including several months worth at the local movie theater, but alas, folks are just not interested enough in coming and buying something.  There are some occasional sales but not enough to make much difference.  Many folks ooohh and ahhh and say the all too familiar "We'll be back".  Those folks will probably be the same ones who turn into the entryway at Christmas and think "Oh no, why did they close?"  Simple, because promises of coming back, doesn't pay the bills!

Anyway, I need to get to work now but wanted to get off my chest how relieved I will be once what feels like an oil well leak will finally be plugged up!!