Help Plant Mode Thrive in Its New Home

Hello

My name is Matthis Helmick, I’m the owner and sole operator of Plant Mode, a plant shop in downtown Champaign, IL.

I’m assuming if you are reading this, you already know about my shop, and have already helped me out by shopping at my shop.

Plant Mode started 11 years ago, and has moved to four locations over the years. I have recently found a long term home in an amazing space at 520 N. Neil. I feel kinda funky about asking for help like this, but as a friend of mine recently reminded me, people need help sometimes, and reaching out to the community is not a terrible idea, thanks Bob!

The funds I’m asking for will be used for three primary needs

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1) your funds will help me get a very large amount of plant stock directly from Florida. Buying in bulk directly from the source will mean I can price plants lower, and it will have the shop looking the way you all are use to seeing the shop look, FULL! The minimums for these deliveries is a couple grand generally, and the delivery is a bit on the high side as it’s literally a simi truck coming up from Florida.

2) I’m finding my actual home life impacted by my throwing all the cash that I make into the business, and not really paying myself over the last 4 months. I would fully use some of the funds used to pay my landlord some back rent, heck… current rent.

3) I have fallen behind with my most relied upon wholesale plant source, I would like to get right with them again, so I can plug in bi weekly plant deliveries like I use to. When I have stock, I make sales, I’m currently holding about 40% of the plant stock that I usually have at Plant Mode. I can not wait to really pack the shop.

I leaned on credit cards over the last year, and last summer was the worst of it, because of that, my credit rating has taken such a hit, that banks basically laugh at me, and I’m not really open to getting a loan from a predatory loan business. So that brings me to asking you all for help.

thank you for stopping by this Go Fund Me!

Matthis