Hi, my name is Carol Goldstein and I am an independent bookseller in Honeoye, NY.
My shop, Mackerel Sky Books & More, opened in April of 2010. A small business in a small town. The idea to create this business came from a simple want. I came down for a weekend three years ago and drove around looking for a bookstore. I wanted to pick up a book to read while hanging out by the lake. There wasn’t one. As I grew to love this area and decided to move here permanently, I thought it would be a good business to open and the community agreed. I’m not doing this to get rich and retire on my millions. As any bookseller will tell you, if you’re in it for the money, you better start looking elsewhere and fast. I’m in it for the love of books and to provide a service and a resource for my community.
I'm here to ask for help. The need is for $17,500.00 to pay down my loan and pay off my line of credit. Starting the shop took all the money I had saved over the past twenty years, my business loan obtained with the assistance of the SBA plus the entire line of credit provided by the bank. Income from sales covers my obligations, but not always in a timely manner. Traffic and sales have been growing and each month is better than the same one last year, but it’s still a long row to hoe. With the debt reduced or eliminated, I can continue on. I will concentrate on stocking the shelves with more new books, providing an outlet for all the amazing local artists, carrying more local work. It would be a relief to be able to put aside funds to cover rent and utilities during the next slow season. At some point, I would like to provide a couple individuals with a great job as well. The shop is important to all of us... my local customers help everyday by coming in and buying books or gifts or artwork but, so far, it has been struggle to keep everything going. Help keep it up and running and contributing! Help get this little indie shop to thrive!
Honeoye is one of New York States nine Finger Lakes located south and east of Rochester in the beautiful Bristol Hills of Western New York. We are rich in natural beauty, history, outdoor activities and wonderful people, but somewhat lacking economically. Small businesses struggle here. Some stick around a long time, like the hardware store and the grocery store, while many others come and go in a much shorter time-frame. I am the third business to occupy my space in the past ten years.
Mackerel Sky is important to Honeoye. How do I know? My customers tell me. When they stop by the shop to browse or get a book or even see me at the grocery store. “So glad you are still here!” “We have a real bookstore!” “You saved me a trip to Barnes & Noble!” “I love your shop!” It’s the only bookstore within a ten mile radius and the only one in the area that specializes in books of local interest and by local authors. I work with the school, local charities and non-profit organizations in their fund-raising events and host in-store events to promote other local businesses, artists and authors. Summer is our best time of year because of the increase in population, lots of people rent or own summer cottages, drive down for the day or a weekend or a week of vacation. Winter brings its own crop of visitors because of the skiing and ice fishing but after this past year’s warm and snowless season, those folks were few and far between. The year-round residents provide respectable holiday sales and always do the best they can to support local business in this tough economy, however during fall and winter, especially this past one, business slows to a crawl.
If you love books, if you thrill at finding a quirky one-of-a-kind shop to wander around in, if you believe in independent, local shops and businesses, if you want to help insure that a small town will keep their own bookstore, gift shop and art gallery, please consider contributing. Any amount is welcome. If you aren't able to contribute monetarily please spread the word, share this campaign with all the bookshoppers and small business lovers you know. If you are able to provide financial support, please take a look at the perks available for specific contribution amounts.
Thank you for your consideration.
