Friday, August 8, 2008

Back Story

This is a long story. And if you didn't read my last post, you'll likely be confused. Otherwise, get a snack and some knitting and here we go....

I've kept quiet about my backstory knowledge for a long time. There's been so much flak here about the whole thing and J has been more then gracious about it. Certainly more gracious then I would ever be capable of - but y'all know me! She's wanted to avoid the whole mess and just concentrate on running her business and providing a good, solid yarn shop. She's never said a bad word about K or her shop, only nice things. I know she'll probably be very unhappy with me telling all that I know but it's not fair that the other side isn't being told. It's not fair for people to judge J when they don't have all the facts. I've kept quiet as long as I could. These are the facts as I know them to be true....

So there I was....

Dave and I were looking to buy a business and leave Tucson. We started that search in 2005. One broker told Dave to figure out what our interests were and call related businesses. Even if they weren't listed as "For Sale", sometimes a business owner has it in the back of their mind that they want to sell and just needs that little push of outside interest to pursue it.

We went to YarnArts the first time we came to Parker, CO (November 2005). It was a nice little shop, well stocked but in a really bad location. On the outskirts of Parker in this sort of rundown shopping corner. I went in and looked around
while D waited in the car. I picked out yarn for a scarf for D's aunt and when I went to pay, the nice, lovely older women running the store realized they hadn't even turned on the register! It was 2 in the afternoon. Not a particularly good sign, but it was a Tuesday so no worries.

After that bit of advice from the broker, I would call YarnArts every now and then (when we were still in Tucson) and talk to the owner, K. After explaining the business broker's advice, I would ask if she was interested in selling and she would laugh and say, "No, we only opened less then a year ago!"

A year later, D and I moved our family to Parker when D bought the FedEx route in town. I went to visit YarnArts again and found that it had moved. It was in a much better location and a much better space. Very spacious and open and at least twice the size of the previous location. I was surprised to see that with all that extra space, she didn't have much more yarn then before. A bit more but the shelves were never quite full. I introduced myself in person and joked that I was the vulture calling every now and then to see if she wanted to sell. She laughed and said if I'd asked her a month earlier she certainly would've! She'd just installed a new computer system and was having nothing but trouble with it. I gave her my info, sat and knit awhile and then left.

I went in the shop several times and liked the place just fine. A few months later, K put out an email to her entire email list of people that she was considering selling. I went over there to talk to her about it and it turns out she wanted to talk to me about it first but had lost my info. So she put this email out there and hoped I would see it (and also to put it out there to others in case I'd changed my mind).

I talked to D about it and he said to get her info. I went back to K and we talked for several hours over several days. Then weeks. Then months.


When she and I talked initially, she wasn't sure if she wanted to bring on a partner or just sell outright.
The first time we talked, it was for 2 hours. At first I was all for a partnership and if she wanted to phase out after 6 months to a year, we'd put in the contracts to revisit these issues at that time. After our initial talk I knew there was no way I'd partner. In her own words, K is "very scattered". I'm not Joe Businesswoman by any stretch of the imagination but K was telling me crazy stuff that I couldn't get behind. She had an employee that was double billing her - billing her for both a teacher pay during classes and employee pay in the same hour. You're supposed to get one or the other, not both. K said she didn't catch it for a couple of months. She also told me this, "You know the little finger-walking symbol associated with the Yellow Pages? Well, it's not trademarked and people send out scam bills. I paid these for 6 months before I finally called Yellow Pages and asked why I was getting a bill every 2 weeks or so. They told me about the scam bills and I stopped paying them." ????? 6 months??

I told here that in our yearlong search for a business, D and I had some pretty decent experience as to what we needed to see on paper. Buying and selling a business is a ton of paperwork and some of those papers we'd be needing were things like her FFE's (list of fixtures, furniture and equipment and their current worth), her tax returns since opening, her P & L's (profit and loss statements) since she opened, and her inventory list.

I asked her for these papers forever. It took her over 5 months to get them together and get them to me (around August/September last year) and the stuff she gave me (as far as P&L's) were only through April, not to date (i.e. August/Sept). During this time, she'd had 2 big yarn sales. Her store was really bare bones and she wasn't restocking because, as she told me, "I don't want to restock in case the new owner wants to take the store in a different direction and carry other things." Well that's all well and good if she was ready to sell right away but she wasn't. As I said, it was months (and 2 big sales) before she got me any paperwork. I know there were other parties that were interested and she told me they hadn't gotten anymore paperwork then I. So now she's actually losing clients - I mean she's gotta be, right? With very little in stock, the same little stock, why would you keep coming back? And the new owner will have to spend a significant amount of money right off the bat (I'm talking between $5K - $10K) to bring the shop back up to the level one would expect to find in a yarn shop, particularly one of that size.

She finally got all the paperwork together and gave it to me. I was looking through it and asking her what price she was going to put the store up for. She said she had a lawyer who specialized in pricing businesses. When she finally got all her stuff together and called the lawyer, the lawyer told K that it was going to be another 2 weeks before she could get to it as she (the lawyer) was going on vacation. K lost it. She was almost in tears when she told me this and she said she was just going to give the papers to her landlord and he would help her. She swore he was a great business man. I asked her if she really thought he'd be working in her best interest and what made her think he was a "great business man"? She said, "Well, he owns a couple of places here in town and he's really nice. He's always telling me I can get out of my lease at any time because he has 2 other businesses lined up that want my spot as a restaurant and he can charge them more." Again, I'm wondering why she thought he'd have her best interest at heart since it seems like he'd be just as happy to have her out of there.

OK, so he gives her a price. $100,000. One. Hundred. Thousand. Dollars. After seeing her tax returns and P&L's and stuff I knew what our answer was. Being open less then 3 years, she wasn't losing money per se but she wasn't clearing more then $6,000 (six thousand) a year either.

Just to be fair and get a more impartial opinion, we took the paperwork and the price to both our business broker and our accountant. The accountant said he'd slap us silly if we bought it. Our broker was more charitable and rational. After he stopped laughing, he said, "No way." He simply asked what were we getting for that price? For that much money, he posited, couldn't we open our own place and make it look like we wanted, carry what we wanted? "In fact," he asked, "Couldn't you open your own, the way you want, for much less?"

Indeed.

So, of course, we passed. Towards the end of our dealings with K, we started the process of buying the business I currently have. She didn't sell it (shocker) and she moved it again. I'm on her email list but I never got any notice of her moving. Apparently, neither did most of the people who frequented her place. We all thought she just closed her doors. It was until a couple of months later, when she sent out an email about her latest sale, that I knew she even still existed! She moved to downtown Parker in this little upstairs side shop. It's smaller then her original space but, still not as well-stocked as you would think.

One of the other interested parties for K's shop, J., did just what the broker asked us about. She decided that, for the money, she could open her own place and make it what she wanted. It was a very Fate oriented thing for her. She talked to a friend (who owns a shop in northern Denver) and others about the ethics of opening another shop in Parker (population about 40,000) and everyone told her to follow her heart and live her life. She found the perfect spot that she wanted but it wasn't really available. Someone else was looking at it for something else but the landlord said it wasn't a done deal and they were in "escrow". J said to herself that she'd give it until a certain date and if it didn't work out for that space, then that was that.

On the morning of J's arbitrary final date, the landlord called her and offered her the space. She opened her shop (late Dec? early Jan?) and it's fabulous!


If she'd waited a year or whatever to open, she wouldn't have been able to get this space that she wanted and if, by chance it was still available, there's no way she would've been able to get it for the same cost. It's near the movie theater and there's now plans in place to build a Brunswick Zone (giant bowling alley/fun center) in the open field in front of the theater. Upping the traffic significantly - also upping the price for new tenants in the area.

I was still going to both shops but eventually stopped going to K's place. I couldn't stand to listen to her. She would complain to anyone within earshot about the new store. She would bad mouth and spill bitterness in your ear every chance it came up. And believe me, if it didn't come up, she'd bring it up. I asked her why she was so mad at J in particular and K told me that J had her P&L's and used those to open her own place. With the dealings I had with K, trying to get paperwork out of her was like pulling teeth and I'm pretty sure whatever J might've had, wasn't all that accurate (if it's anything like what K gave me) and like I've already said, for the price K was asking? I would've done the same thing J did if I'd had the resources.

The last time I went into K's, she was at it again. Bitter, bitter, bitter. Complain, complain, complain. I couldn't take it anymore and finally told her, "K. Stop. You have to stop this! You guys aren't that far apart physically [about 2 miles, but in Parker, it's a world away] but you have completely different styles and Parker is only growing so there's plenty of business for everyone! You don't even carry the same stuff."

K: Well, well...she's carrying Berroco and Lamb's Pride. And she has Rowan and I don't know how she swung that since Rowan has territories. The Berroco guy told me she straight up lied about where her shop was going to be.
Me: OK. Let's be reasonable here. Every yarn store carries Berroco and Lamb's Pride and the Berroco yarns she has are completely different types then what you have! Rowan hasn't had territories in over a year now and like the Berroco, she has different Rowan yarns. And as far as the Berroco guy "lying", he's just covering his ass (or trying to avoid confrontation). I mean think about it, K, he had to ship that yarn somewhere and I'm sure he's got access to MapQuest. You have to stop worrying about her and run your business like a business.

After that, I stopped going to K.'s except for sales. The next sale I went to was a month after the conversation I'd had with her. I went because I wanted to get some Rowan (the only time I buy Rowan is on sale!) but it was all gone. I asked her where it was and she said she'd sent it back to Rowan - she didn't like the way they did business. She was always doing stuff like that. It seems like shooting yourself in the foot to me.

K closed her doors last month. Here's the letter she sent out about her closing:

Dear Friends of YarnArts:

As many of you already know, I have for quite a while been wanting to get out of the retail business to spend more time with my wonderful supportive husband and three children whom I adore.

So many people have asked me not to close because they love the cozy atmosphere and friendly, caring social aspects. But I stayed open mostly for the fantastic loyal friends that have helped me out at the store these past three years.

Sophia, Hanny, Pixie, Nancy, Kristina, Kathryn... I can't say "thank you" enough. I feel I have been truly blessed with their support and integrity of these trusting and honorable "gems" as one customer called them. You are all op-notch ladies with so much talent and willingness to help others, I could not have done it without you. Now, for the first time in three years, I will have some free time to actually learn from your awesome knitting and crochet artistry teachings.

Over the years I have met many wonderful customers, whom I now consider friends. Thank you for your patronage, it has been my honor and pleasure to serve the "commuKnitty". It's been an exciting and interesting ride, and I have learned many lessons about business (including how cutthroat it can be at times). I'm simply not competitive enough to play like that, it's not in my nature, nor do I have the desire to be like that. Many people have asked me what I want to do next. That's easy, I wish to take a walk to remember and smell the roses with my family and friends.

All my best wishes to those of you who have supported YarnArts. Thank you so very much.


It makes me sad that she had to get that last little dig in. "Cutthroat"?? "Competitive"? Really? J is the least cutthroat or competitive person I've met. When people would come into her shop and say that they were sad that K's place had closed, J would say, "Oh she's not closed! She just moved!" and would tell them how to get to K's new location (which also means that roughly 3 months after K moved, people still didn't know she'd moved and not closed). J would also refer people to K's (or any other store) for things K carried that J didn't have.

So, yea. She's closed. I'm sure she blames it on J but from what I've seen, she wouldn't have survived the year either way. I only say she blames it on J because to hear K tell it, that's how she feels. And don't get me wrong - I do understand how it can be frustrating and disappointing when you're trying to sell your business and then someone goes and opens competition close by.

I have very serious, very valid reasons for believing K wouldn't have survived the year either way.
I've seen K's paperwork, I've seen how K runs her store - both behind the scenes and as a customer. If you've been open 3 years and you're not carrying knitting magazines? Why?? It wasn't until her final location that she finally got knitting mag's to sell. Ever since that first sale after her first announcement to sell last year, she hasn't replenished her addi turbo needle stock. At. All. She never fully restocked her yarns after that first sale either.

I went to her final sale (who can pass up a good sale?). I was there right when she opened that first day of her last sale. There were 2 yarns that had enough skeins to actually make a sweater (one had 2 colors with enough and the other had 3 colors with enough). That's how it always was with her place.
One of the things K told me was that she learned to knit only about 6 months before she opened her shop. She saw a need in Parker and decided to fill it. Her shop had all kinds of novelty stuff and tons of felting wool. That's what she makes - scarves and felted bags. Once you were past the scarf and felted bag stage of knitting, there was really nothing else there for you.

So K and her "loyal" fans are completely poisoned against J. But my thinking is, a) they only have one side of the story and b) why not find out for yourself? Why be bitter about something that didn't even belong to you and why listen to someone who clearly couldn't see the other side? If K was honest with herself she'd admit that J's opening had very little to do with K's closing. At her second location, when I was talking to K about buying, I'd come to see her and she'd be laying down on her couch in the store, dozing. The couch was towards the back but still - you can't do that sort of thing! So unprofessional! And she was always telling me she didn't have time to do half the things she wanted to do with the store (like making the phone call necessary to have knitting mag's to sell) but, again, can't get much done if you're napping.

If you read all the comments on knitmap (the last of which, as of my last post, was asking about broomsticks), you read Marly/YarnThing's comment. She's so much more eloquent and diplomatic then I. I adore her! If you don't like J's shop or are unhappy with her opening or whatever, then don't go. Waste the expensive gas to go to shops that are 15 - 20 minutes away. But don't play little, bitter, sabotage games. It just makes you look small.

Which brings me to String in Highlands Ranch. WTF is going on out there? At one point, there were 63 snotty, mean comments on knitmap. Well, not all 63 - some were good. But whenever a person left a good comment, the mean girls would shred them. Then all the comments were gone and 3 new comments were left. One good, 2 mean. Erased again and already 6 mean comments (which may all be gone again, not sure). Let it go people! Why so bitter? If anyone has the backstory on that, I'd like to know (on your blog, not on mine - linky, linky). But either way, why try to sabotage the only game in your town? If you don't like it (policies, inventory, staff, whatever) - go somewhere else! If there's legitimate complaints (like how they never used to answer their phone. They do now.) fine but I just don't think knitmap should be the venue to be able to vent personal issues.

If knitmap were mine, I certainly wouldn't allow anonymous comments. Step up people, leave your name and if you have something bad to say then say it - don't hide behind a computer screen. And if there were obviously personal issues coming through, I wouldn't allow those comments to be published. That's just me though. When I rule the world....

I've linked to this backstory in the Purls of Wisdom comments section of knitmap so I'm fully expecting a vicious sh**storm. And I'm sure most of it will be anonymous. Bring it on. In fact, my personal email is under my pic on this blog. Let's have coffee and discuss it like adults.

Ready to weather it, Ruth!

P. S. Warned you it was long! Next week - yarn, I promise!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It really is so unfortunate. We have 2 yarn stores relatively close together up here and both are thriving wonderfully. I used to love to go to Yarn Arts but a) couldn't find them when they moved and b) when I actually did find them, they weren't open. They were supposed to be open, but no one was there. It's a long drive for me to go to a closed store. Unfortunate all around.

Dawn said...

I agree. Why waste all your energy on being mean and bitter. If you don't like a store take your business somewhere else.

Unknown said...

Wow. That's a lot of drama about yarn. I understand that people take their small businesses very seriously. But since when was being petty a good business model????

Personal crap should just be left out and move on with what's important.

I'm so sorry that you're taking all this crap. Hang in there. It'll all come out OK.

YarnThing said...

Girl, you know I love you too!

The drama created by these few is unbelievable and really sad. Reminds me of a Yarn Shop version of the movie Mean Girls! Seriously, just like high school.

I, for one, am really happy that you told what you know. I think it is important that somebody lets others know all the sh*t that is behind the crap comments on KnitMap. (btw: love the idea of knitmap but totally agree about it not being the place for these type of comments!)

It makes me sad to think that Colorado has knitters and crocheters that act like this. I pray to GOD that I do not ever have the opprotunity to meet any of them because I will put them in their place!

Diplomatically put them there?...probably NOT!

I adore Jen. Have had nothing but GREAT interactions with her; EVERYTIME I have been in the store! (for those of you who think she is just nice to me because she knows who I am she only really "met" me a couple of months ago so NO she was not only nice to me because she knew me)

...As for K and her store...I had only been there once (last day of the closing sale). I tried to go several times but it was never opened when I went (they were supposed to be open) at the old location and when I tried to find the new location I had no idea where it was. I am not from Parker so the "Big Yellow Caboose" really meant nothing to me...I had no idea where that was. In fact, when I tried to find the shop for the closing sale I called you, Ruth, like five times to find the place. It was really hidden!

Anyway, regarding Yarn Arts...ready for this?...I TOO was going to buy her store and when I was told 100,000 I TOO was going to open my own store in Parker! Yep, there you have it...so does that make me a bad guy?

So, poor Jen took the brunt of what would have most likely been poured upon me too. All this drama really needs to stop and I hope it will.

Looks like the STRING drama has ended for now...it is no longer up on knitmap.

I am not involved in that bull sh*t and don't want to be. I again will say, I hope I never hang out with those people!!!

So, there you have it! I love PURLS!!! I hope it thrives!!!

xoxoxox
Marly

YarnThing said...

P.S. have you read the crap that is being written about STRING on the KNITTED PEACE site? WTF? Who are these nasty women?

xoxox
marly

Anonymous said...

Wow, I had no idea how badly that snarkiness had escalated over at Knitmap. It makes me so sad. It certainly wasn't the intent of the site's owners for these personal vendettas to take place. I'm truly appalled that people are using that site for this purpose.

I agree with you and Marly, everyone is entitled to not like any particular yarn store for any reason. If you don't like a store, don't spend your money there. I have my favorites that I frequent as often as possible. There are others that have I tried and haven't been back because something or another didn't appeal to me. I certainly don't begrudge anyone the right to have those stores as their favorite LYS. That's what makes us so lucky here in the Denver Metro. There are all sorts of stores and each has their own appeal and specialties.

I hope this person (people?) that are spewing the venom eventually realize that they are only hurting herself (themselves?) in the long run. So much negative energy will eat you alive and Karma is a bitch.

Heide said...

Wow, I'd never heard of Knitmap or Knitted Peace before. I can honestly say that they won't be places I frequent in the future either. I love knitting, blogging and sharing with the people I've "met". It all helps me relax and feel better about the cold and crazy world. Reading those horrible comments takes all of the joy right out of knitting. Ruth, you are a good friend to let people know the background. I'd raise a beer to you if I was drinking one.

5elementknitr said...

Heide,

Thanks for stopping by and I always appreciate a good comment!

I just want to be clear that A Knitted Peace in Littleton has NOTHING to do with all this drama. They are a wonderful store with lovely, knowledgeable staff and excellent selection They are one of my favorite stores and they probably don't even know what's going on over at knitmap.

Thanks, Ruth!

Yarnhog said...

You know, I knit to relax. I would never, ever visit a yarn shop with a stressful atmosphere or bitter people. If I want that, I can always go to work.

Olga said...

wow. I cannot even fathom why this whole mess even erupted. so weird. There is a yarn shop here I don't care for- so I just don't go. I certainly would not make it my life's work to assassinate everything and everybody connected to it. Who'd thunk Parker was such a hard town???

*Anonymous* ;o)

Ha ha- just kidden about the anonymous thing!

Anonymous said...

Hello Ruth,
I am one of the loyal Yarn Arts customers who chose to meet Jen personally and see her store. I wanted to form my own opinion on the entire situation, as there are ALWAYS two sides to every story. After reading your Blog, it pretty much summed up the behind the scenes business negotiations. Competition in business is brutal but then again we are proud citizens that support the free market economy in the USA. It does not fit that a person who chooses to follow smart business practices should be raked over the coals. I love each and every one of the "Yarn Arts Loyals" not knowing who has posted comments on knit maps. You know K; she is wonderfully sweet and is the best friend anyone could ask for. This does not mean that she was going to be successful in running a yarn store. I truly was so heartsick that things did not work out for her. I am a part of the Friday night knit group and the thought of not seeing my wonderful friends from YA's because the store has closed just kills me. However, "that being said" (call out to Jen!), it does not mean that I cannot or will not understand the other side of the story. Jen has never said a bad thing about Kathleen or the store; she loves what she is doing and is the nicest sweetest person in the yarn community. I have been to other stores who's owners were not very welcoming and Jen is nothing but helpful and a TRULY gifted business person. It is wrong to criticize her otherwise; especially for making a good business decision. The person that she is TO ME is why I will continue to go to her store. She has a beautiful store with beautiful yarn. Yes, I am so sad not to have Yarn Arts and I truly hope that my friends will not take offense to this post but I truly believe in forming my own opinions. The Yarn Arts ladies are wonderful but so is Jen. Forgive, forget, and life is a much nicer place that we can all enjoy together. Keep the faith Jen.
Honesty is always the best policy, never anonymous in my opinions, Kim Walker, still a Yarn Arts Loyal, but Love Purls of Wisdom too!

5elementknitr said...

Kim,

That was so well said. Thanks so much for stopping by! I really hope I can meet you sometime (I go to Purls' KnitNite on 2nd Tues/6-9p and last Sun/12-4p).

Thanks,
Ruth!

Anonymous said...

Ruth,

I am another customer who has been going to YarnArts for 3 years, making samples for the store and teaching classes when it fit into my schedule. YarnArts was my home away from home. I will miss it now that it has closed. I have been blesses to have made friends that have transended beyond the YarnArts doors and am thankfull for that. Thank you for putting in your blog much of the information that has been going on behind the scene. Hopefully it will stop some of the negative comments that have been going on about Jen's store. I believe I was one of the first YarnArts loyal customers to come to Jen's store soon after she opened and have been going ever since. I went to each store for different reasons as do most yarn shoppers. Monogamy is for marriage not a yarn store.

Jen is very welcoming and a smart business woman. Her yarn store is well stocked with a lot of the yarns you would expect to find and some true gems that I have not seen at other yarn stores. The prices are also very competitive a great find for sure.

Jen has always been very nice to me from the very beginning. She knew I was a YarnArts teacher and customer and she didn't change her attitude toward me in the least. She has always been very nice to me and my friends. Her attitude was a big part in me deciding to teach at her store when Kathleen was ready to close her doors.

I talked to Kathleen about Jen asking me to teach at her shop months before she posted on Denver Knits she was selling. Kathleen gave me her blessing. It was not until after Kathleen posted on Denver Knits that she was selling that I decided to accept Jen's offer. I like to teach and I love yarn, it was meant to be.

Hopefully the negative comments will stop. YarnArts is no longer a viable option to shop at. All the yarn is gone and the doors have closed. If you don't like Purls of Wisdom, fine, don't shop there. If you want to be angry don't spend your money in her store. It is your right. Please stop the slams though, they are not deserved. There are a lot of yarn stores in Colorado, find one you like. Enough with all the bad feeling, lets knit and enjoy the fiber goodness of another yarn store. I am greatfull we have this option since Kathleen decided to close.

I am also like Kim and hope that this doesn't cause offense to my other friends. I've enjoyed many relationships made at YarnArts and hope we can continue as a group at Purls of Wisdom. Come on over and check things out for yourself. Let me know what classes you are interested in and they can be put on the schedule (Portia jacket anyone?)

Not anonymous, Shannon Pucek, and I too love both YarnArts and Purls of Wisdom. Both great stores for different reasons.

yarnshopho said...

Ruth, This is the first time I have read your blog. I feel I need to respond to this because you conveniently left out some important information and you were out right wrong on other points. I'm the first to admit, and have stated many times, that I'm not a very good "business" women. I was too trusting and too generous and that was partly what hurt my business. But, I didn't do too bad for the first two years, in fact my accountant said very well for a start-up business which typically does not make a profit for several years. But, I am ethical, and I would never verbally agree to a non-disclosure/non-compete and then turn around and open a store anyway knowing that a "legal" document was not signed, which was my fault, and could get away with it. Nor would I blog all the confidential information that I agreed not to divulge. You and J both "verbally" agreed to that, so I trustingly gave my Profit & Loss statements, tax returns, my whole inventory list with prices and whatever was requested by both you and J. So in this world of cutthroat business practices or "competitiveness" (call it what you want), I now realize that I should have hired an attorney to protect my business against what sadly, eventually has happened. My mistake, I was too trusting. I was told by more then one rep that J misled them about where she was opening her store, had her first shipments sent to another address, so they opened an account for her not knowing that she was moving just .5 miles (one half mile) from YarnArts (not 2 miles that you stated). So if you were in my shoes and this happened to you, I know you would not have taken it well either. I have three kids, one who is attending College out of state. I have lost a lot of money and three years of building a business and no regard was given to me or my family when J decided to open her yarn store so close to my yarn store, armed with all the information she had in her hands about my business. I could never ever do this to someone, even if it were to follow my heart & dreams. I let my inventory run down when J was interested (allegedly)in purchasing YarnArts, because she said she wanted to make the fall orders herself. I could go on with more errors you made in your blog but I would really like to move on in my life. I don't like to be blamed for all these nasty postings and I regret being pulled into it. Good luck to J at Purls of Wisdom and to you Ruth, I wish you peace in your life. I know I have found peace again and I feel proud of what I accomplished. Success does not always translate into money,at least not for me.
Kathleen McLoughlin
YarnArts

5elementknitr said...

Kathleen,

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it. The reason I posted this backstory was so people could have BOTH sides of the story. Yours included.

I understand how you must've felt when J opened but even so, if you'd run your business as a business and stopped focusing on what might've been or what you feel someone else "did" to you, things would've been really different.

Even if J was .5 miles away instead of 2. Even if she gave a "different address" to reps (and I still contend that that's nonsense - they had to ship it somewhere and even if J gave her home address before the shop opened; her home is even closer to your shop).

Once J decided not to buy - it was still your choice not to restock properly. It was still your choice to not always be opened during posted hours. It was still your choice to talk badly about J and her shop to anyone who would listen.

You may have moved on (as you've said here and in the comment you left on knitmap/purls comment space) and I'm happy that you've moved on and are at peace. What I have a problem with is that BEFORE you moved on, you tried to inflict as much damage as possible when there was really no need.

I wish you the best,
5elementknitr

Anonymous said...

Drama and yarn a truely crummy combination. If I need that I'll watch "Days" while I'm knitting.