Hi. Our small business needs your help. For the past three years, our partnership (Don, Raf and Kim) has run a print and publishing shop in the heart of San Francisco. Thanks to the students, friends, colleagues, and clients that have been loyal patrons to our fledgling business, we have held our heads barely above water in challenging times. The unforeseen persistence of the pandemic created an increasing financial hardship that we are struggling to survive.

We began as a small female, POC, and LGBTQIAA owned independent studio that published and distributed our work, as well as that of other individual writers and artists. Then in 2019, we expanded into the printing and bookbinding business. Our new brick-and-mortar headquarters serviced the needs of community organizations, local businesses, and schools in bookbinding, art prints, portfolios, posters, and large-format print-production. Our first year, though difficult, was very educational and promising.

And then, during our busiest time of year, the pandemic hit.

Staying open became exceedingly challenging. Then schools closed. Businesses closed. Our clients were forced to abandon in-person work and head into an indefinite quarantine. We took out a small business loan to help cover the costs, hoping that would tide us over until the pandemic subsided, staying open as an essential business. The government aid we received did little but cover that month’s rent.

The supply chain shortages crippled businesses. We were no exception. The paper shortage hindered our ability to complete projects, which then caused us to fall behind on our leases and rent, which we can’t break.

Since the pandemic hit, we haven’t paid ourselves, but we kept the doors open and the lights on to continue working with our communities as long as possible, as we are considered an essential business. Now we’re headed for closure and a debt we’ll be unable to pay off unless we get help. We don’t want to close. So please, any help is appreciated.

With gratitude,

Kim, Raf, & Don