Business Struggles; hard truths about business during a pandemic.
I have found myself trying to stay motivated and innovate in the face of what is a game changing dilemma. My small business, Feral Publication, is a zine publishing, counter culture brand, that depends on online sales and zine fest (a zine fest is a small press expo).
There have been no zine fest as of late. Instead of sitting around and waiting for the world to return back to normal, I decided to purchase vending machines to vend one page zines out of.
I branded the first vending machine, and went out searching for a location. I have gotten 3 maybes, 11 no’s, and 2 shops that had their, ‘due to the Co-Vid Pandemic we are closed indefinitely’. Now, 16 locations isn’t very many. I am not discouraged due to the no’s, but rather the sight of the small businesses.
As a person that has had a brick and motor, I feel for the 2 closed down locations. I think about them putting their best effort and money into a project, a project that meant something to them, and that project failing. That must be a horrible feeling.
The ones still open were empty, and as I walked in I found the owners doing nothing. I could not understand that. In a small conversation with one of the owners I mentioned how it might be interesting for him to start a YouTube channel. He felt that YouTube-ing was beneath him. I didn’t drive the point home, but let’s put this in perspective. Jim Lee, the Creative Officer of DC comics occasionally YouTubes, but the owner of a small comic book shop is above it?
That’s the sad reality. A lot of these small business that I walked in had a face of defeat. They didn’t seem to want to look at what they could do to innovate. I always say, if your business is booming you try and refine the system to make it as optimal as possible. If you business is stagnant you should be trying everything possible to get it booming.
My vending machine for instance. I never want to badger anyone. When I had my restaurant I met many, ‘don’t take no for an answer’ type attitudes and I’ll tell you right now, that’s how you burn bridges and get a bad reputation. It’s better to make script, ask for the chance to say the script, and at the end of it allow the individual to pass or adopt. Doing that I saw that many no’s never asked me one question.
They did not ask,
- How many social media followers I had
- How would this help there shop
- What I would need from them
If they had asked me any of these questions, I had my follow up scripts ready. I would have explained how there are multiple artist attached to the project, and that collectively we had followers in the thousands. That we would all actively promote the location in hopes of getting more foot traffic in the location, and that all they had to do was set a designated space for it.
Blind no’s is how you miss opportunities. Now I am not saying that my zine vending machine is a make or break for these businesses, but rather using it as a case study to show an attitude that will lead to many businesses closing their doors indefinitely. People, entrepreneurs, we have to think outside the box, and we have to try new things. Those that grow outside their comfort zones will win, and those that blame the situation will not.
