“I watch the ripples change their size, but never leave the stream of warm impermanence, so the days float through my eyes, but still the days seem the same. Time may change me, but you can’t trace time." 'Changes' - David Bowie, 1972
2022 was… interesting to say the least. As many of you may have heard things have gotten pretty unstable in the world of small businesses. Everyday items are skyrocketing in price, shipping costs keep rising and what feels like a weekly (sometimes daily) occurrence of our fellow small business shops closing. If you know me, you know I care deeply about small businesses, hell that’s why I started one almost 7 years ago. I wanted to be a part of that fabric of my community that made me feel connected, turned on creatively, and create products that I couldn’t find anywhere else.
I can honestly say that 2022 was the hardest yet for Moonbeams. With getting back to “normalcy” from the pandemic, customers are back to work and inflation has caused us all to watch our spending habits much more closely. Those fun items we bought for comfort and happiness during quarantine and the pandemic have become a distant memory it seems. With the massive changes to literally everything we did this year we will be making some changes going forward. It’s not an easy path to run a retail shop- in the beginning (and maybe even forever) you’re giving up on the things that you’re taught matter- things like weekends and holidays, monetary stability, salary increases, and even retirement. But as a business owner I gain so much more. From the connections I make with fellow owners, to creating friendships from those who were once customers that I now consider some of my closest circle of friends, it truly brings me so much happiness and need to persevere, that the hardships and insecurity of it all seems worth it. All of you know my story and know who I am, and you’ve let Moonbeams into your world to be a party of your stories as well. It’s that connection that I seek, and I know many of you do too, when you choose to support a small business.
Like so many others (Candy Panda, Vintage Chic Scents etc.) I am also faced with the task of having to crunch numbers and figure out how to go forward. It's easy to forget how we small businesses survive. At the very basic level it’s your dollars and advocacy that help keep us going. I feel strongly that spending those precious dollars shouldn’t feel like a duty, but as an exchange- one of positive energy, of good intentions, of being a part of a community, connected. For many small businesses, up to 60% of their annual revenue happens in the last quarter of the calendar year. And this year was not business as usual. Traffic is down, supply chains are an absolute nightmare, shipping is still unpredictable, and staffing is nearly impossible. We are all feeling this strain and I anticipate many more of the small businesses we love will close come the new year.
You’ve allowed Moonbeams to create special scents for your wedding days, custom blends to scent your own businesses, and we’re proud to say that we’re also the official scent of a high school media center! It’s truly these moments that we all get to share together with scent that make me want to push on and continue fighting for what I love to do. I’m not ready to throw in the towel. And my brain that thrives on the creation of scents and making something that can bring someone so much happiness and even a hint of a smile, drives me to continue despite all these hardships.
I’ve spent the better part of 2 months (thanks broken ankle) coming up with a new plan for how we can continue to stay afloat and continue to create the scents you’ve come to know and love. This includes saying goodbye to some items, and reevaluating how we do business, without losing the core of who we are. Here’s a breakdown of the largest changes you will see going forward:
So with all this- it has to also be said that your favorite small shops need you. In 2023 I urge you to continue to search out these small businesses for all the good it does. Because it keeps your dollars churning forth creativity and human interactions. Because you find better products that are handmade. Because someone really does do a happy dance when they receive your order. Because you get better service. Because the thought of having to leave your house to venture into Walmart, or line Jeff Bezos’s pockets even more turns your stomach.
Because someone really does care, and we all need more of that, don’t we?
Laura
January 14, 2023
I can’t wait to see what all you have for 2023! Thank you for all you do, I love your products and use them daily. 💙😊