On Friday, we did the final walk-through of our new facility and got our BRAND NEW SHINY BRASS KEYS. I think any sane person would have a moment (or 100) of "What are we doing?" when committing to a 5 year lease in a new town with a skeleton crew (literally one person -- Sylkia, our fulfillment manager -- and me) and very little inventory (after the Christmas bonanza, we find ourselves looking pretty sparse)... but here we are.
Friday was rough, actually. I sat on a camp chair in our entry way as workers came and went, replacing light bulbs and repairing plumbing (there were a couple minor things we needed fixed before we start operations).
As a small business, we have moved a lot. We've moved practically every year we've been in business, first from Los Angeles to Oakland, then from Oakland to Antioch, then from Antioch to Colfax, then from Colfax to Grass Valley, and then from Grass Valley to across the parking lot in Grass Valley (yeah, it was a small move), and now, finally, here to Reno. We haven't had a long lease or a lot of paperwork, just a glorified handshake agreement with our landlords, made "official" by a single-page lease.
The idea of setting down our soapy roots into a multi-year situation, well, it just hasn't been practical.
So for this new place, since it's a 5 year commercial lease, we had to get a really big place -- something we could grow into in 5 years without feeling suffocated. And we landed ourselves a lovely 8,100 sq ft pad across from Cottonwood Park, next to the Truckee River, and seriously, it couldn't be more perfect for us... the natural light, the consistent access to electricity, the high-speed internet... it's amazing.
But it's a commitment. And it's a commitment we've made because we know that you've made a commitment to us... so we know we can keep that commitment.
We appreciate your enthusiasm, dedication, and patience as we get ourselves situated in the new workshop. We do hope if you ever find yourself in the Reno/Sparks area, you'll come by. We'd love to have ya.
