Don’t Let A Favorite Business Close
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Don’t Let A Favorite Business Close

11 Aug Don’t Let A Favorite Business Close

Posted at 19:04h in Community Organizing by

August 11, 2009

Over lunch with my friend Melea Seward I told her that a favorite restaurant in my neighborhood had closed and said that if the owners had let people know there would almost certainly have been a community effort to keep it in business. We talked about the gap between how privately small businesses are organized and how socially important they are. We wondered if anything can be done so that restaurants, dry cleaners, delis, shoemakers and the like don’t suddenly disappear because they keep their financial troubles private. We thought of a few things that folks in the neighborhood and customers could do if they were aware of a potential closing—gather signatures on a petition to landlords, organize a campaign to bring new customers, offer in an organized way to pay 10% more for one week or one month…

And today, a nice story from Melea: “Vox Pop (a cafe in Ditmas Park Brooklyn) almost went out of business, told people, and now folks in the neighborhood own shares of the cafe–it’s become a coop of sorts.”

Can this idea spread? Do you have ideas or stories to share?

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5 Comments
  • Lorraine White-Wilkinson
    Posted at 03:13h, 26 November

    Funny – I am a graduate student at SFU in Arts Education. I tried to make it to your lecture but could not arrange it. Too bad – funny coincidence. – Lorraine

  • loisholzman
    Posted at 00:00h, 03 November

    Thanks, Lorraine! Stories like yours are important to spread the word about! By coincidence, I’m flying to Vancouver tomorrow evening (11/3) to do some consulting work and speak at Simon Fraser University! I’ll surely send my Vancouver friends to your store!

  • Lorraine White-Wilkinson
    Posted at 20:24h, 02 November

    My husband and I own and operate a small retail store in Vancouver called Wilkinson’s Automobilia. We are a specialty store that sells automotive and motorcycle books and models to enthusiasts. It is a real community and a feel good place and is a destination loction in that we are in a small building off the beaten path. As in many retail situations, Christmas is our busiest time of year. This past year, 2008, Vancouver received an unusual dump of snow right around mid December. The roads were not plowed, and many in Vancouver simply do not drive when there is snow. This snow lasted past Christmas, and as a result, our sales were desperately low. On top of an uncertain economy, and the unexpected weather, we had way too much stock left unsold by the end of the Christmas season. As we rolled into the New Year, things did not pick up and suppliers were looking for thier money. Meanwhile, the stock was still sitting on our shelves, still unsold. Things were looking very bad. After being in business 20 years, we were in serious trouble and were looking at the very real possability of closing our doors. We are a one-of-a-kind store in Vancouver, and we have had world travellers tell us they have never seen such a comprehensive store with such enthusiastic staff. We knew if we closed our doors the community would be devistated. So, with our pride swallowed, we decided to send out an honest e-mail, explaining our financial troubles due to the weather and economy. As you mentioned in your blog – most small businesses keep this very private – it’s embarrassing…
    Anyway – the e-mail explained our severe situation and asked for support from the community to keep us afloat. In addition to this, we had a last minute sale as well.
    Well,- the phone calls came in like wildfire, people were dropping in the store non stop, everyone was talking and concerned that thier local hobby shop would be gone forever. The support was overwhelming. Because of this e-mail and honest communication with our customers, we are still in business and things are looking good.
    I think the customers appreciated our honesty and were more than eager to help out in any small way. They recognized the importance of our little shop and it’s impact on the community. Yes, our little store is socially important and certainly recognized as adding to the fabric of our city. It was heart warming to know that so many people went out of thier way to help us out.
    My advise to other shop keepers struggling to keep thier stores open, would be to involve your customers. They care and will support you if they are made aware of the reality of closure. It’s about community helping community.

  • hellen nuwagaba
    Posted at 07:30h, 12 August

    thanks Lois and sorry you will have to locate another eating place, i believe in life we get what we negotiate for, sure if they had talked about it the problem would have been half solved.

  • melea seward
    Posted at 19:08h, 11 August

    Thanks, Lois! Here’s a story from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn about how Vox Pop has become a “for-profit collective”. http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com/only_the_blog_knows_brook/2009/03/yesterday-i-decided-it-was-time-i-went-out-to-vox-pop-to-hear-for-myself-what-was-going-on-i-was-intrigued-by-the-press-rele.html

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