Re: The "Frustrating" thread over @ RC
Posted: Yesterday at 9:59 pm
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I just wanted to take a minute and address a thread that's been ongoing over @ Reefcentral entitled (Frustrating)
In the past month or so, a couple of people have come to the store, during my posted business hours. Only to find the door locked, and the lights off.
To those folks, I want to apologize.
Truth be told, owning my own business is one thing, running a retail store is a completly different animal. And the time consumption it demands is just excessive. Some have mentioned that I need to learn some "people skills"
To those folks, I ask that you take whatever experience you had with a grain of salt. Understand I am just one man. And sometimes, I have to leave the store. A guy's gotta eat right? Louis works at the fish store when he can, however, he has his own small business to run as well. Add to this I'm still trying to retain my day jobs. And well, you begin to understand how @ 8:00pm at nite I might be a bit punchy. Or at 3:00pm I might close the store for 20mins to grab something to eat.
It's been suggested that I should hire someone, and while we continue to look for help, truth be told, I have to be really careful who hire, and when I do the actual hiring. The store has been growing every month by leaps and bounds. Last months Midnight madness sale was a huge success. And YES Vicoria, we will do it again! I just need some time to get everything "finished" in the store.
I can't explain it all away for you. Running a business is hard, and takes alot of time / dedication. What you all aren't seeing is that both myself, and Louis have spent the past 3 months working nitely till sometimes 2am to build out the plumbing for the fish display systems. Working with vendors to get stands / tanks built, and setting up other things in the store, just to have something to "sell"
I was faced with a choice back in September, open the store now, and sell what I could while I was building out. Or, pay rent on the space till everything was finshed, and then open. Well, you can figure what option I chose.
I realize right now the place is for lack of a better word "A PIT" so to speak. And trust me when I say, it's not the image I want to portray. However, I can't finish some of this stuff, until all my deliveries show up.
We are taking delivery this week of the final set of thanks. Our new 96x60x24 braceless Bullet shaped fragment tank from Aquarium Glass Exhibits in Dallas, TX. And our new Coral / Clam ZeroEdge Aquarium from Chicago, IL. It will be a 48" Hexagon placed right as you walk into the front of the store.
A big portion of the store was completed this week. The retail fish display tanks are all finally plumbed, and running, and more importantly (Cycled) We are still working on the back of the house filtration systems, etc, but that's almost complete as well.
What remains is to plumb the reef display systems, (work which couldn't be completed until the tanks were all here) And we take delivery of the final reef tank on this Monday.
Rest assured there was a plan to all this. Never was the thought that We would only sell corals out of the big tank up front. But as it was the only tank I had that was "up" it became the "sale tank" so to speak.
I guess what I was hoping to accomplish with this post was to give you a bit of insight. There was / IS a plan. It just takes time to do it right. And beleive, it takes ALOT Of time... Doing this all, and not raising my prices any more then they already are has been an incredible challenge. It would be so easy to complete this tomorrow if I were just up my prices. But I'm trying my best to keep things as reasonable as I can, and yet still pay the rent.
To those who came to the store, and found it locked, and for those who might come in the future and see a note on the door. Please understand.. Things do happen.
And until I can afford to hire 3 fulltime people, it will probably happen again. Fish deliveries come in, and I have to go the airport to get them. People's tanks spring leaks, and they need my help to keep their houses from flooding. Accidents / issues happen all the time. All I am asking is that everyone keep an open mind and help me by being understanding.
As this store grows, I hope it will become the best place in the valley to purchase tropical fish. However, to do that, I need your help too.
To those who have continued to come to the store, week by week, watching the changes, etc, I appreciate it. And I hope you've noticed the growth. It's not done yet, but I'm working on it..
--paul aljets