Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Stuff we've done.

Simon;

can't stop for too long, lots to do. Tim's sorted out broadband and the telephone number and fax for the shop. It's going to be installed next Tuesday. We even had to put them off for a week, because they were planning on doing it today! We haven't even got the keys yet.
Our telephone number will be 020 8881 6767....nice and easy

We've got the card swipe machine thing ordered and that's going to turn up at the end of February, at the same time as our carrier bags. We aren't having plastic bags, and we've orderd 100% recycled brown paper bags. We're going to ask the locals to bring in their spare plastic bags so that if we really really have to use one then we have some. We've also ordered a large stamp with our name, address, phone and email, which we're going to stamp the paper bags with. That'll fun to do won't it.

The £60,000 mistake that the bank made has now been rectified so we have some money in our bank account again, we've joined the BA and ordered books tokens. The insurance will go live tomorrow, and we've arranged for the Bertram's (book wholesalers) guy to come in the first week of March to install our stock control system.

My new sofa is lovely, although i've done my back in lugging it upstairs. So it's a good job i've got a sofa to lie on.

Those little tricksters the estate agent and the solicitors still haven't quite finished having their fun with us. We're still trying to nail down an exact time for getting the keys tomorrow. You would have thought it was up to someone other than us to find out when the exchange of money is complete and where and when to pick up the keys, but apparently that's not the way it works in Big green Bookshopland.

The shop sign is going to be very big.

Still no van (I wonder if any publishers who happen to have a van read this)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

there's all that info on your blog, but i can't see the address of the bookshop, email address or planned date of opening. Since the circular you've sent out through the residents' association should get you a good number of hits, I suggest you put some solid info at the top -- good luck

Lindsay said...

Just had a thought - what about trying sites like freecycle, craigslist and gumtree for the van?

And, not sure what borough you are in, but Hackney's recycling team have given a whole load of cloth bags to lots of independent shops in our area to cut down on the plastic, plus the shops taking part have all got free advertising in the council freesheet. Might be worthwhile looking into whether your council does something similar?

Good luck for getting the keys tomorrow, hope it feels really good when you finally get to turn the lock in the door!

Simon Key said...

Robert,
thanks. I must stress that the circular wasn't my idea, but a very welcome marketing tool! I've stuck all the info we have now on the blog.
Lindsay, great idea. Thanks. I'll get onto the council tomorrow, we're Haringey btw.
It's all going to go bonkers from now on! Woohoo

Anonymous said...

Can't wait! I've got my credit card primed.