Support Excelsior Bay Books
Donation protected
In the 25 year history of Excelsior Bay Books, the previous owners worked hard to be the bookstore this community deserved: A lively bookstore, with events, a passionate staff, a well-curated selection, and a meaningful place within the community. Woody and I bought the store three months ago to keep this beloved store in Excelsior.
We are now faced with a perilous situation: Due to Covid-19 and the fact that we are closed to the public, we are running out of cash to pay our rent, utilities, payroll, liabilities and publishers, and make sure we have enough cash on-hand to re-open once we make it through. We’d also like to provide some support for staff through this emergency.
We are asking for your immediate support. Woody and I have some emergency life savings and will use it to make sure this store keeps going, but the road ahead looks bleak and uncertain. Unless there are major changes locally and nationwide, it will not be enough. The loans as currently proposed by state and federal governments are probably not an option for us, as it simply does not make financial sense for us to take out a loan without any indication that we can re-open soon or generate meaningful income to pay off additional debt. So, like so many small business owners who are facing similar situations, we are using this fundraising campaign as an additional effort to support the store.
Funds given to this campaign will help us weather this storm and make sure we can ultimately reach our goal, which is to keep this business afloat in downtown Excelsior. Even after the current shut-down, we are unsure what the market will look like when we can re-open. We don’t know what the book buying abilities of our community will be, and how we can quickly ramp up our operations once again. This campaign will help support Excelsior Bay Books both immediately, over the next several months, and longer.
If you can give any amount, we are truly grateful. If not, there are other ways to support us and other small bookstores facing perilous situations, such as signing up for newsletters and social media accounts, buying gift cards, ordering books online from our website, and lending a kind word.
We need your web and phone orders, too. Please keep ordering books. These orders bring in vital revenue, but not at the level we need to sustain a vibrant book store. Our model relies on foot traffic, face to face conversations, knowledgeable staff and author events.
Thank you for your support of Excelsior Bay Books. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives. When Woody and I bought the store in January, we imagined continuing a lively bookstore, a store where our community could come together and celebrate books.
And, despite it all, we have faith that this dream will come true once again.
We are now faced with a perilous situation: Due to Covid-19 and the fact that we are closed to the public, we are running out of cash to pay our rent, utilities, payroll, liabilities and publishers, and make sure we have enough cash on-hand to re-open once we make it through. We’d also like to provide some support for staff through this emergency.
We are asking for your immediate support. Woody and I have some emergency life savings and will use it to make sure this store keeps going, but the road ahead looks bleak and uncertain. Unless there are major changes locally and nationwide, it will not be enough. The loans as currently proposed by state and federal governments are probably not an option for us, as it simply does not make financial sense for us to take out a loan without any indication that we can re-open soon or generate meaningful income to pay off additional debt. So, like so many small business owners who are facing similar situations, we are using this fundraising campaign as an additional effort to support the store.
Funds given to this campaign will help us weather this storm and make sure we can ultimately reach our goal, which is to keep this business afloat in downtown Excelsior. Even after the current shut-down, we are unsure what the market will look like when we can re-open. We don’t know what the book buying abilities of our community will be, and how we can quickly ramp up our operations once again. This campaign will help support Excelsior Bay Books both immediately, over the next several months, and longer.
If you can give any amount, we are truly grateful. If not, there are other ways to support us and other small bookstores facing perilous situations, such as signing up for newsletters and social media accounts, buying gift cards, ordering books online from our website, and lending a kind word.
We need your web and phone orders, too. Please keep ordering books. These orders bring in vital revenue, but not at the level we need to sustain a vibrant book store. Our model relies on foot traffic, face to face conversations, knowledgeable staff and author events.
Thank you for your support of Excelsior Bay Books. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives. When Woody and I bought the store in January, we imagined continuing a lively bookstore, a store where our community could come together and celebrate books.
And, despite it all, we have faith that this dream will come true once again.
Organizer
Ann Woodbeck
Organizer
Shorewood, MN