My heart breaks for the Paint's Underground Pizza and The Chopping Block families. As a small business I know their struggles. The Water Well Cafe and Green Cow have both made very honest and beautiful posts.
It's my turn. I love my city. I have been blessed to be in business for 14 years. I'm a 5th generation Victorian with a 7th generation family. I have had dealings with both companies and have shared love and prayers with them. They are both kind hearted and hardworking families. Their closing strikes a chord. My heart breaks. It's scary. If you're honest, you're asking yourself: are we next?
We had our moment in 2021. We had decided to close Vela Farms in January 2022 — no one knew. It was awful. You actually grieve like losing a family member. There are so many emotions. Yes, even relief. Doubt, physical pain, lots of anger, frustration, and second guessing yourself.
We doubled down. We took out a huge loan, we built out a building and moved to the north side of town. We expected success; we are doing ok. Has it been what we had hoped? Honestly, no. Rent, insurance, unseen expenses, debt payments, supplies are off the charts — but we are only allowed to raise our prices so much. We have literally tried everything. We've spent money on consultants, training, staffing and a myriad of other things to help make us stronger. Some have worked, some have not.
This is where faith comes in. I always say, "I don't know how a small business can run without faith." I have said when our run is over I'm going to write a book called "$.78" — because during one payroll in the beginning, that's all I had in the bank. After hearing of these businesses closing, I was reminiscing about how many times we made it through a particular challenge on faith alone. These families are running on it right now. I can assure you that they don't have millions in the bank to fall back on — none of us do. My sincere prayer is for prosperity and peace for them in the new chapter God is leading them to.
As for Vela Farms, we will proceed for as long as God allows. We will pray for our city to make it easier on the little guys.
You may ask: what could we do? How can we help small businesses? How can my $20 or $30 make that big of a difference? It's simple. If you go there once a month, go twice. THAT DOUBLES OUR BUSINESS! That's it! That's all it takes. We don't have to spend money on trying to find new business; we can keep prices down. We love you. We want to know you and be a part of your family. Set an alarm on your phone. Make a note on your calendar. Be intentional — shop twice.
This compounds. $20 × 100 customers is $2,000 — that pays the insurance bill, or part of the electric bill. That allows us to operate with more CASH. We can buy better, saving money. The big guys get to buy at the lowest prices because they have volume. They have tax breaks and capital to work with. With capital, all small businesses can make better decisions. They don't have to rob Peter to pay Paul, as the old saying goes. They can pay better wages, buy the things they need, and so much more.
We've made the investment. We've made the commitment. We're doing the work every day. YOU HAVE THE POWER! You can fill a parking lot before they go out of business. YOU HAVE THE POWER! All it takes is to double the times you spend money with that company. Don't double your ticket — just go into that store one more time a month. For small businesses, you're not a customer, you're a friend. We love seeing you.
SHOP TWICE, my dear sweet Victorians. Help us ALL THRIVE!
Sara Vela is a 5th-generation Victorian, 14 years a small business owner, and the founder of Shop Twice Victoria. She and her family run Vela Farms on John Stockbauer Drive.