Hi everyone,

I had to share this with my CC friends, because y'all are the only ones who will understand!!

Many of you may know that last year we were lucky enough to gain a retail location. One of my best friends opened a boutique-style shop with purses, jewelry, ladies accessories, etc. Her business has been great and mine has more than quadrupled since being there!

There customers could browse through my portfolio, pick up their orders, and try daily samples of different items. It has been wonderful for me. Over the Christmas holiday from Thansgiving until Christmas, I made more than I typically make in a year on cake! Valentine's day was amazing also.

Anyway, long story short , my friend was burnt out really quick. Her husband makes really great money, so she hasn't worked much through her married life (a couple of years). We hired some help for the summer and they will be returning to school in a few weeks.

We found out a couple of months ago that my friend is pregnant. As soon as she told us, DH and I both thought she would want to close the business. Well...she called me this morning and said she gave the landlord her notice and is closing AUGUST 31st!!!! I cannot keep the whole shop myself and I'm not ready to move a whole kitchen in there. I don't know what to do! I feel like people will think that I have gone out of business too! I

have called every contact that I know in town to try to put a bug out that I would love to have a similar arrangement with another shop, but so far nothing! I don't know what I'm going to do! Yes, it was fine when I just did orders from home and delivered everything, but this has been so great. I have cried all day. I have so much cake to finish tonight -- one is a huge wedding cake for tomorrow -- but I am so discouraged!!

Thanks for letting me vent!

EDITED -- I forgot to add -- she started a half-price sale today at 11 a.m. When I was there at 12:30 the store was practically wiped out. This is tax-free weekend in NC, so everyone does a lot of shopping, and she has huge signs about the sale/going out of business. I think everything will basically be gone after tomorrow on her side of the shop and she will go ahead and close. Now I have to reschedule all of my orders for delivery instead of pickup for the rest of August and the coming months !

Is the rent paid until the 31st?

if so, can you maintain a presence until then?

is it possible to flip the concept on it's head?
instead of you finding someone else to go to...
find someone to come to this place and take over her business -- or start a new compatible business (or maybe even several -- subdivide the place into boutiques???

(very short sighted on her part not to put the whole business up for sale as a turnkey operation!!! could be someone would have bought her out)

Hi Doug thanks for your reply.

Yes, the rent is paid until the end of the month and the checks were wrote today for the utilities.

I have encouraged her over the past months to sell out and she just wanted to shut the doors and be done. Her heart is not in it enough anymore to even try to make some money off it. Several people have made casual offers and some were quite serious, so I know it could have sold.

However......Doug you are so very smart!! I didn't even think about dividing up! The shop is actually four big rooms. I had one room and she had the other three -- one of which is kind of like a "living room" with a fireplace, sitting area, etc. Then there is a restroom and back storage room. It could easily be divided up into four seperate spaces.

DH has gone to pick up my step-son, but I am definitely talking to him about this when he gets home!! I hate to lose this building. The landlord is the mother of one of my best friends from high school and I practically lived at their house when I was a teenager. So, she gave us a great deal! The rent is about half what most people pay in that area of town.

You have actually cheered me up Doug -- thank you, thank you, thank you

I have no idea what to tell you...but can pray for you that things will work out fine.

Thank you rajinaren -- I know it will work out how it is supposed to!

you're welcome

hope it works out for you

In time things will come to you! Not everything happens right away. Sounds like a good business proposition to separate the place! I wanted to do that here in my town but, no one took the bait. But, oh well...

Just be patient and things will be working out by the end of the month!
I will be thinking of you!

Hi.. I just want to say I hope everything works out for you.... Sounds like the perfect place for you..and that people love your goodies !!

southerncake, I am so sorry to hear of your dilemma! Doug has an amazing idea (as usual) If you don't know of anyone that would like to use the space you could always run an add in the paper like yesterday I hope things work out. I will say a prayer for you! Good luck.

if you have a store front that is big and are not able to maintain it the landlord will usually allow you to close off some space making you area smaller and they can lease out the other half. i am not sure how it is there but in florida some landlords will make you pay for the division but they will let you get out of the contract on the whole space. Or you can have the ohter space subleased but you are still in control

Sometimes these types of things can be a blessing in disguise! What seems like a disaster can actually be the stepping stone to get you where you're really supposed to be. I know it sounds desperately optimistic but think positive; it could happen. I hope it all works out for the best for you. keep us posted on what happens.

Thank you all so much for all the kind words. I am sure that this door is closing so that another one may open, but right now it is hard to be optimistic!!!

As far as splitting up the lease -- that is one thing the landlord really will not do. She did make an exception in the case of my friend and I, but technically her name was the only one on the lease and she and I had to work out the rest on our own. She says that legal issues become complicated when you split a building lease up. If it were a building that is hard to rent, I am sure an exception may be made, but there will probably be new tenants within a month. When we were looking at the building originally, so were lots of other people! I do, however, think something like that might would work out in a different building -- it is definitely something to think about!

Thanks again you guys! ----- on a brighter note...for the last hour or so I have been making icing with my new hi-ration shortening and it is FABULOUS!!!!!! I give it two thumbs up !!!!!

UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all so much for your support. This is the latest! DH and I both had a feeling that the shop would close a lot sooner than we thought. Boy, were we right. She was open yesterday and then will open Saturday and then is closed forever!!

Monday morning I spoke with the owner of a local upscale co-op-style shop. They have 25+ vendors, you have to work a couple of days a month, the rent is great, and it is already one of my favorite places to shop!!!!! I met with her early this morning, picked out my spot, and got a lease to bring home to read over.

I have to decide on a move-in date, which will probably be week after next. I am so, so excited!! I really needed some good new!

Thanks you guys for keeping my spirits up!!

WOOOHOOOO. When a door closes, a window opens up. Congratulations.

YEAH!!!!!!

glad it has worked out to your advantage.

post pics of your new "spot"

Congrats! ! I am sooo happy for you !

Thanks guys!! Yes, Doug I will definitely post picks. Is there anywhere in your "neck of the woods" (you aren't too far from me) to buy a cute hutch or china cabinet at a reasonable price. I am not too far from Cameron, NC where they have a ton of antique stores, but they are SO expensive!!!! My space is really small and I would love to just have one big display case (but not just a store-bought display case -- something creative) that maybe I could paint black with a distressed look and line with something pink possibly. I have the whole setup in my head, but can't quite find what I am looking for!!

oh wow that is great news!! I am so glad to hear that you were able to work it all out.
As far as a hutch is concerned, try checking out any local thrift shops, and I don't know about where you live but our area (which has an anitque shop every 1/4 mile or so) there is always a bunch of auctions listed every week in the paper. That is a GREAT way to get anitque furniture cheap, more so with the big stuff becasue a lot of anitque dealers rent space and do not want to fill their whole space with one or 2 large items. I got a 200 year old china cab and serving table that was maghoney wood and had the org wave glass for less than 500 FOR BOTH once So do check that avenue.

re: cabinet/hutch -- unfinished wood furniture store?
there's one in Fayetteville in the strip mall that has Office Max and Hobby Lobby (across Skibo from Cross Creek Mall)

Thanks Doug!! I am going this weekend to see if I can find somthing!!