The hope for recovery is here!
As a business owner, 2020 was rough. The 4th quarter was inspiring. Dozens of customers expressed the desire to shop local as a mission. It was huge! After enduring months of lack luster sales, we ended the year with a record setting month. But our first quarter is a reminder that we're not through the affects of the pandemic yet. Our economy is not yet roaring back.
Hope for recovery is here!
Before the pandemic, Porch Music Store was a place that drew hundreds of people every week. Musicians, students, parents, siblings and friends lingered. That all came to a halt. We were forced to slow traffic and discourage lingering. Our culture changed in an instant. It's felt like we were only half open. And our bottom line reflects that.
Our number one issue has been the impact of the pandemic. We've had staff and students/families forced to quarantine either due to contracting COVID or being directly exposed. One parent died. Safety of everyone walking through our doors became a top concern. Our mission for the music store took second place. It meant staggered starting and stopping. Our bottom line reflects that.
Hope for recovery is here!
We're excited about the rapid roll out of the vaccine. Several of us are already vaccinated. Now we know anyone who wants a vaccination can soon get one too. We can hope to gather with less risk very soon.
Porch Music Store is moving to a new, bigger space. It is a breath of fresh air. (pun intended) There will be room to spread out and comfortably, safely welcome friends - old and new. We need to get back to being fully open. We all need to feel safe in doing that.
Hope for recovery is here!
Traditionally, the second quarter is better for us. As income tax refunds come, folks have a few extra dollars to spend and musicians dream of something new. Now, with stimulus payments, we can expect those to trickle down to us or rather UP to us. We don't get many millionaires in the store. Our customers are regular working class like us who have likely been reluctant to spend on luxury items. With income tax refunds AND a stimulus check, we can all think about buying something special right now.
We've longed for a sense of normalcy. We're ready to celebrate. This will be the summer of JOY. Hope is here!
