I am losing two days of sales and cannot work on any jewelry due to
the weather conditions here in Denver. Nothing is open, city is
basically shut down, all highways are closed.
My car totally died while trying to go to work, and now it has a
dead battery, and is totally immobilized in 3 to 4 foot drifts
surrounding it. Buses are not running. No mail, UPS ect.
Snowed all day yesterday, went to bed and it was still snowing, woke
up and it is still snowing. Not supposed to stop till tonight. Once
it stops, it will be a nightmare digging out, and they just said
things will not be normal till Saturday, when another small snow
storm is due.
The area my store is in will have no snow clearance for side street,
no one will be able to get to my store, and there will be no
parking.
I am jumping to a conclusion, but I think this just shot a big hole
in my Christmas sales and I do not know how I can possibly come out
of this without a huge financial loss.
First off I had orders from my website that needed to be shipped. I
delivered some of them to the Post Office just in time for the
Denver Airport to decide to close down. Here it is Friday and they
are still trying to get it back together at the Post Office and
Airport. I am sure that some of these will come back to me for a
refund or will be cancelled because they did not make it on time.
The other cost was in body damage. It took me 3 hours to shovel out
of the 30 inches of snow we received but even after that the roads
where too deep to get out.
I have elderly parents that I needed to shovel out so I asked a
neighbor who has a large 4 wheel drive truck to take me there and
drop me off. It took me 2 hours to dig them out.
I called my friend and he picked me back up and then I helped him
with his driveway and walk.
Lost business and an old body that will not recover until the
spring. Happy Holidays.
I am sorry that I never made it down to see you this year but I will
make it a point to do so in 2007
Lets be hoping that people will come in next week to get that money
out of their pockets and into yours. “Warm their hearts as well as
your hands! Give the warmth of Gold!” Put out a “free coffee” sign.
I am pulling for you. I believe Greg DeMark is in your area too.
My son lives in your area. He has started to carry snowshoes in his
truck. He had to postpone MAJOR business presentation. It will be
the first sale for his startup. I expect that first sale to be for
more money than he has made in his first 30 years of life.
Hopefully, things will be back to normal on Saturday, and I think
people will be sick of their cabin fever…maybe you will have a
great day tomorrow.
I live in Denver, have a day job in Boulder, and my commute home
Wednesday took 8 hours. But the sun is out this morning, and I am
hoping for a big snow melt.
Don’t get discouraged yet- here’s to a better than average weekend
for you.
Dear richard I feel your pain I hope you can call your best
customers and make deliveries. Also I suggest snow blizzard sale as
soon as you can.
Suggested in the true entrepeneurial spirit. If you are stuck with
lemons, make lemonade! How about an X-dollar rebate on certain items
to the first fifty customers who make it to your door. Seasoned
bargain hunters will walk through Hell itself to get an unbeatable
price on something of intrinsic value, even if they don’t really need
it. Cut your losses. Lure them back to your place before the big
thaw. Offer a piece of jewelry to the holder of the lucky sales
receipt (hang on to those sales receipts, folks)…number to be drawn
February 10. Put a ten dollar rebate coupon for every order over X
dollars in the newspaper.Set your own time limit. Use all the sneaky
little tricks the department stores use. You have less to lose than
if you do nothing at all.