The Hope Tank Laser Comeback

Hey Hope Slingers! It's me, Erika, the founder of Hope Tank! For the past 8  1/2
years, Hope Tank has been much more than a fun gift store for all of us.

We have used retail as a means to connect our customers to amazing local
nonprofits that are serving our most marginalized residents.

We are a place to have deep and meaningful conversations. A place that
celebrates other small businesses. A place that breaks down barriers, and inspires people to see their place in community. 

As you all know, COVID has had devastating impact on the small business
community, and Hope Tank has hung on by a thread, thanks to the incredible
customers who shopped online and curbside pickup during our 87 days of closure (but who's counting?). And now, thanks to those of you who have come to see us
in person in our limited open store hours and those who order online.

Prior to COVID, we were preparing to announce a new project called Swag for
Good, and of course our plans got put on hold. 

I boarded up our store windows, launched the online shopping portal, had my 5
and 7 year old suddenly doing virtual school, took them with me while I did deliveries all over town, had to lay off my incredible staff, and thankfully had one of our die-hard former staff, Shannon Hoffman come and help me navigate this bizarre
terrain when I got super sick myself. 

So why am I doing a crowd fund for the first time ever in the nearly 9 years we've been in business? Because frankly, without you, I'm uncertain how much longer
we can sustain the absolutely staggering loss of foot traffic that we have
depended on for this whole time.

But rather than simply asking you to help us maintain our retail model, that relies heavily on that foot traffic, I'm asking you to help us with the next phase of Hope
Tank, which will give us a much more stable revenue source, to continue to do
what we do so well!

Over the past nine years in business, it has become more and more important for us to support our fellow small businesses, especially those owned by women,
people of color, and the LGBTQIA community.

We are asked for referrals so often, that we created an inclusive business
directory called The Hope Slinger’s Guide. We use our space to host local makers and food based businesses, for live streams about small business, and prior to
COVID, gatherings for fundraising and workshops.

Here's where the Swag comes in- We have the opportunity to see how consumers interact with all kinds of products, and as a small business, we often need custom promotional products, but you have to order very large quantities with non-local companies, and with no measurable impact to community.

This is what inspired our new venture, Swag for Good.

We bought a small laser machine and we have begun producing laser cut
promotional items like wooden key chains, signs, ornaments, and much more. This allows us to make small runs of custom products, at very competitive pricing,
which are very hard to find.

That means we can make things for our fellow small business owners with very
fast turnaround times, make custom awards, donor gifts, and staff appreciation
gifts for our nonprofit partners, and offer all of these things to other businesses in the community.

Swag for Good allows us to expand our market right out of the back of our current location, offer really unique items that serve both locals and visitors to Denver
and our online marketplace ships all over the country.

Additionally, we are excited about the prospect of serving artists and locals who want to explore making products, as well as down the line, train people on the
machine so they could start their own laser business and become one of our
vendors.           

Thank you for taking the time to check out this crowd fund, and we are excited to have all kinds of goodies for our Hope Slingers to enjoy in the days and months to come!