Hello Friends
Please forgive the long lapse of time since my last newsletter. What rings true the most since then is what a difference a few months and a New Year can make. Where to begin? For starters, We are not closing the business but are now closed on Sundays and Mondays. I'll spare you the reasons why and our tale of woe in these tough times because everyone is paddling through the same rough waters. There is however lots of good news to share.
The last few months have brought great challenges yet great growth. As much as I loved working in the store, going to work in jeans or short pants, and not having to shave everyday, it was time for me to go back to the office. After several months of searching, sending out resumes, and going on interviews, I lucked out and landed a job with a great company in Mt Laurel. This not only is good news for Linda and me, it also takes a burden off A Wild Bird Oasis. Relying much less on the store to provide for us, we can now put more revenue back into the business. I truly believe this will make a big enough of a difference to be able to keep the store open. With Linda now in charge of running the store, there is a fresher approach and newer energy in play as well.
We are well aware that the level of our inventory is not what it was 4 years ago but the nature of retail sure isn't the same either. We lost half of our floor space to the flood brought by hurricane Irene last August. What a mess! Our near plans are to repair the floor downstairs so that the space can be used again. After making the room presentable again and redecorating in the fashion of a "naturalist's nook", we are looking to host activities for children involving arts and crafts that relate to wild birds and other aspects of nature. We also hope to attract groups like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult organizations who may be interested in using our first floor as a meeting place. I will of course keep you posted when we're ready to launch.
The last store news I'd like to share is the makeover our website, http://www.awildbirdoasis.com. Check it out when you have a chance. Although I'm extremely grateful for all the hard work and help I had with the previous website, it was sadly lacking the capability of what I wanted to do most. The old website was strictly an E-commerce site and not a very successful one at that. Other than editing, adding, or deleting items for sale there was no capability to add my own personal touch. Eventually a shopping cart will be added so that our most popular items can be sold on the website and shipped by us from the store. In the mean time please know that we have an affiliate relationship with Duncraft. I think their website is the best around in service, selection, and savings. If you need to purchase something on the Internet for convenience, to save money, or because we don't have it in stock, then please click the Duncraft advertisement on our website or use this LINK to do so. Needless to say we would rather sell you the item out of our store but if that's not meant to be then it will help us if we can earn a commission if you make your purchase though our affiliate link.
In local bird news, the Bluebirds were gone for so long that we stopped selling live meal worms. The several containers of worms we had sat for so long that even in the refrigerator the little critters inside developed from larva, to pupa, to beetle. It amazes me how Bluebirds vanish at the end of the summer only to return on or about Christmas day. I have observed this pattern with many others for several years now. Needless to say, they are back and we have live meal worms in stock again. The Goldfinch are a bit of a mystery lately. They aren't around in the same numbers that they usually are this time of year. Since some of our customers are reporting that they are seeing more than ever, I'm less concerned that many of them have expired. Instead, I suspect that Nature in it's higher wisdom is at work here. Meaning this is a period when the Goldfinch have broken from their normal pattern and are going through a regrouping and relocation period. Lot's of species do this from time to time to keep their gene pools diverse.
In closing, Linda and I want to thank all of you for your continued support and encouragement. We love the store and the birds as much as ever and over the years have become close to many of you as well. We are truly delighted by the awareness catching on in the public that it's better for your community to do as much business locally as possible. I will refer to the 3/50 Project for the 4 cardinal reasons why it helps everyone to shop local.
Until next time, blessings be yours and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Hank Wright
No comments:
Post a Comment